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Hey Gang,
Can anyone please tell me if there are any replacements drivers for my H128's woofers out there? Of course I'd want original JBL drivers, but has anyone had success with something aftermarket if original's are not available? Looks like mine are making a few unwanted noises!
Thank you, Glenn
Not that I'm aware of. You can try searching for the recone kit made by JBL; C8R128H but I doubt you'll have much luck finding one. The original aquaplas cone isn't offered any more, and I don't recommend any of the aftermarket recone kits that are out there as I didn't have good luck with a local reconer and the recone kit she installed on either of my woofers.. At wits end with those L150A's I bought and their bum 128H's, I got in touch with a member on here (Edgewound) and sent them to him for overhaul. He runs a speaker repair business and claims he has the original formula for Aquaplas and can redo my cones as close to factory as possible, so that's why I shipped my woofers to him. Unfortunately, that was almost four months ago and I'm still waiting on them. If your cones are in good shape & salvageable, I'd recommend trying to save them. Otherwise you might be SOL like me. My L150A's are just a playhouse for the cat now.
RE "that was almost four months ago and I'm still waiting on them." I'm surprised at this, have you followed up with him?
RE "If your cones are in good shape & salvageable, I'd recommend trying to save them." Agreed, always a good idea when there's hope or potential in doing so.
RE "My L150A's are just a playhouse for the cat now. " LOL, pretty good one! Don't intend to laugh at how things turned out for you with the 150A, but "recycling" them into a cat playhouse is a first for me... We have two cats btw. Regards,
Richard
I did once, back in early November. At that time he said he hadn't gotten to them yet. I asked if he could have them to me the week of Thanksgiving and he said that shouldn't be a problem as he had a batch of Aquaplas to make up for some other woofers and would fit mine in. I meant to call him this past Monday or Tuesday but I didn't. I've yet to have good luck with "badgering" people. I feel if he wanted dough for a job well done he'd have turned them around already. Now, initially he did tell me that he most likely wouldn't be able to get to them for four weeks, so I expected to hear something after 8-10 weeks. I don't know if I'm being unreasonable or should call again, this is the first set of woofers I've sent out somewhere. The local reconer turned my stuff around in less than two and she was busy... What would you do here? At this point I'm not sure I'll ever see the woofers again and if I should just write them off or ask him to send them back. Although I'd be damned if I pay for return shipping should they not be repaired like we agreed to. I don't want to burn a potential bridge and maybe this guy is the creme d la creme and others who have dealt with him may have waited longer... :dont-know:Quote:
Originally Posted by RMC
At this point, oh yeah, I wish I had saved my original cones. They weren't the original cones but at least one was still good in the sense the Aquaplas wasn't flaking off or chipped. But my wife and I cannibalized both to figure out the best paint mix and method to use for painting the aftermarket cones the local reconer put on.
LoL no worries there Richard. At this point, all I can do is laugh. We have just the one cat but before I put sheets over those coffins to hide my shame and from her, I saw her eyeing the empty holes haha.. I thought, "Oh no you don't!" Perhaps you've already seen my thread regarding my L150A's. I had every intention of updating it with a happy ending yet I think this is the end for them. Short of finding another pair of 128H's someone would be willing to ship me or even 123A's... I can't find any cheaper than the price Edgewound and I agreed upon though, and I'm sure the moment I jump on a set is the the moment he calls me..
Hi Derek,
RE "What would you do here? "
I don't know how he's structured business wise, I think he's a one-man show. First four weeks ok you knew about that but the next three months seems like an awful lot of time for this. Maybe taking more work than he can handle or got a wrench in the wheel?
RE "At this point I'm not sure I'll ever see the woofers again and if I should just write them off or ask him to send them back."
I don't think you're being unreasonable. I sure wouldn't write them off since taking a job is a commitment to do it. I would call him again saying its been four months now, is there any problem getting it done? You need and been waiting for the drivers to complete your project. Taking back the drivers unfixed is a pure waste of money re useless shipping, unless he's disabled, bankrupt, etc. Maybe he got from you the impression that job could stay on the back burner for a while. Hence the wake-up call. Could even be something as simple as lack/shortage of material required or he lost your coordinates.
There's some hints in your reply:
"he had a batch of Aquaplas to make up for some other woofers and would fit mine in." So he may be working by batches of similar drivers to do or accumulate them until he has enough, instead of first in first out. Normally, when you're into something specific its more productive to repeat it many times in a row while you're at it VS dealing with a different driver each time. The former is like a continuation (or assembly line) but the latter requires a new start each time.
"I can't find any cheaper than the price Edgewound and I agreed upon though" Maybe in his mind he took the job as a "slower times work filler" kind of thing, considering the price he gave you, and giving priority to more urgent or lucrative ones?
In any case, every business should remember you're only has good as your last job they say. JBL even had an ad saying something like After all the high-fives following the show, all they remember is whether you performed or not... Good luck. Regards,
Richard
It does seem like he's a one man band with a microphone so to say.
That's what I thought in regards to the Aquaplas batch, price and time. I would be the same way in order to not waste materials and maximize my efficiency. Which is why I didn't reach out until early November and now just yesterday. No response. Four months does seem excessive though, but if he reached out to give me an update of sorts that would be enough to satisfy me so long as it wasn't B.S. Like you said, I won't take on a project unless I am going to finish it, especially for someone else. The whole "the mechanic's car is the rattiest" type of thing. If only another member on here could attest to their experience with him.
My experience? Workmanship is excellent. Sometimes it takes awhile. Not sure this is a primary gig anymore.
I expect you'll be pleased with the end result, if not the wait.
He did indeed sound like he knew his stuff. How long was your wait? Should I leave it be until the 2nd week of January or..?Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy
I can echo Grumpy’s experience, his work on my LE-14H woofers was superb. It did take several months for him to complete but the end result was worth the wait, IMHO. It may not be quick but it will be done right.Quote:
Originally Posted by grumpy