Well the title is pretty self explanatory... I have some L5's with their lower woofers in poor shape - the cones and spiders have come apart. It appears its just at the lamination point... are these at all repairable? The coils are probably not properly centered anymore either. I know factory cone and driver replacements are NLA. Pretty gutted, as it was not noticed when purchasing the speakers. Is this a common issue? Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
The surrounds having separation problems after time and poor adhesives are fairly common issues with this "L" series of systems, as in a frequently documented issue with these woofers especiallyOriginally Posted by mortron
I would urge you to consult a qualified JBL repair person that really knows their stuff, maybe they could help with a repair - buying a pair of used woofers would just be asking for more of the same in the form of a ticking time bomb
As for the L5, I don't think there ever was a re-cone kit for that driver or for the 704G mid, it was a replace the driver proposition, in fact the only serviceable driver in the L5 was the 035TiA with the D8R035TiA diaphragm kit but I may be mistaken
The only woofer from this series that was serviceable was the LE120H-1 used in the L7
Sorry
Joe
Spider... surrounds are fine. Maybe the part it joins is called the voice coil former, not cone? I'll try to post pics.
I've tried to contact a few folks and am waiting to see if they can help. Hope so. I've seen aftermarket recone kits but would rather not. I am curious if I should check the other woofers. Thanks for your reply.
Edit: added a photo.
I also think another few folk had similar issues in past... wish I had read those warnings beforehand.
Hi morton,
Owing to the
http://reconingspeakers.com/product/...et-recone-kit/
price, I think You can try to use it, or only its voice-coil, but careful cone removal would be a must.
I think that "two-components epoxy glue" would have to be used to glue voice coil+cone+spider.
regards
ivica
This is what I am trying to tell you
There is a materials problem and a there never was a repair option other than driver replacement problem
And now, JBL no longer offers this driver new for sale
That is why I avoid this "L" series like the plague
Hope you get it resolved, you might be better off parting out what's left that's any good out and buying another serviceable model
I realize these are good sounding speakers, but the cons just seem to outweigh the pros
No fun owning a system that's a pain to service if at all no matter how good they may sound, unless it has something else really positive going for it like uniqueness or collectibility
Joe
That kit is only a "close" fit and requires setting VC depth etc
Not worth the effort or the price unless the OP can do the work himself
Joe
I think you are correct
I'd get rid of them unless you have a lot tied up in them
I know it's easy for me to say this but it's not as if the issues are going to stop here and at the end of the day these models will never bring any sort of big money
Cut your losses mate and eliminate a potential source of lingering worry from your long term enjoyment
Joe
Guess I should have asked you if these were worth buying eh?
I think they are good sounding speakers and they certainly enjoy a substantial following but obviously they weren't built with the same long game way of thinking that some of the earlier product enjoyed.
Worth buying? Depends on what you have to pay and what you expect out of a system over the long haul if you're the sort who just wants to find something they like and just stick with it. They're right on the cusp of what's considered vintage, or the old way of thinking and current, so service would be inevitable for anything this old but unfortunately JBL didn't choose to make that part of things a very viable option, or at least not continue product support for loyal owners of the line.
That series is like a crossroads product as for corporate philosophy and I think that that is too bad.
Joe
I think you can fix that.
I would carefuly cut off the dust cap and either use a factory type shim sleeve or coil a piece of paper in the voice coil gap that evenly takes up enough of the space between the former and the pole piece so not only does the coil stay centered but it will stay where you put it via friction.
Get the spider attached to the former / cone junction in several spots with a near instant adhesive. Then with an epoxy that is thin enough to wet the material but thick enough to stay where you put it, apply a bead around the original glue line.
Glue on a new dust cap and down the road you go.
You have nothing to lose at this point.
Barry.
If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.
Thanks for the advice. I hope a pro can do it as they will know more on the fly and be able to do more than me. I will get an estimate and see.
You are wise to have a professional with experience do this level of repair
It definitely can be done and done perfectly by the right person if you can find them
I know of two but they are both in the States
If it comes to that PM me and I will give you contact information for the man I feel is the best
Hopefully you can find someone there as the costs of post will kill ya
Best of luck
Joe
Yeah he does have something to lose if he plans on trying to keep the speakers, more money, time and a non-repairable repairable driver if in the right hands that they don't make anymore
Botch things up and then he's scrounging the used market
Better to have someone repair the woofer that knows what they are doing and has the correct adhesives
Joe
Oh wait! Maybe you do have something to lose!
Yeah OK, whatever.
If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.
Not a contradiction
The OP said repair people were hard to find where he lives so I figure he'll have an easier go of selling them, if that's what he decides to do, with all the drivers still reparable, not lathered up with a do it yourself effort
The new owner, if it comes to that, might be more amenable to having a repair done and that'll be easier to accomplish with a clean driver albeit a broken one
I'm just taking into consideration both scenarios, selling or repairing, and the best outcome for either, that's all I am suggesting
No need to make an unhappy situation worse with an experiment
Joe
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote