just picked up some advent prodigys for free. They need refoaming. Foam/glue will cost me about $30. I know these aren't worth much more than $50..Should i even waste my time? Do foam kits also include new dust caps? found kit from guy named simplyspeakers just not sure...thanks
To refoam or not...
- Thread starter bcbud3
- Start date
rotelrx503
Well-Known Member
Do it... good speakers
You don't need to remove the dust cap if you use a test tone to center the voice coil.
Simply Speakers is a sponsor here and has a quality product at a reasonable price.
You could also check with Rick Cobb, he is a member here and also sells good kits. I believe he is also on eBay as looneytunes. I'm confident if I am wrong I will be quickly corrected.
Look at it this way, you have nothing to loose, it makes.great practice and you will get to check out a set of speakers you might not have otherwise.
Simply Speakers is a sponsor here and has a quality product at a reasonable price.
You could also check with Rick Cobb, he is a member here and also sells good kits. I believe he is also on eBay as looneytunes. I'm confident if I am wrong I will be quickly corrected.
Look at it this way, you have nothing to loose, it makes.great practice and you will get to check out a set of speakers you might not have otherwise.
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Yes... +1 for Rick Cobb...I have been buying all my surrounds through him since I discovered him several years back.
In my opinion, it's not worth refoaming. I did that to my Advent Legacy two years ago, and just barely made my money back. It was sitting on Craigslist for months, and I think I made about $3.15 an hour [slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect] for the time I spent (hey - that's how much I made back in high school.)
In my opinion, it's not worth refoaming. I did that to my Advent Legacy two years ago, and just barely made my money back. It was sitting on Craigslist for months, and I think I made about $3.15 an hour [slightly exaggerated for dramatic effect] for the time I spent (hey - that's how much I made back in high school.)
The CD has a 30Hz tone recording, mine is about 3 min long. Put CD player on repeat. Hook up the woofer as the glue is beginning to set, play the tone. Adjust volume so that the cone is bopping up and down but not enough to dislodge the foam surround to detach. As the glue is half dried, you can turn up the volume a little more. Adjust the cone if voice coil rub shows up any time during.
Some
just insert equal thickness spacers betwixt coil and magnets to centre the voice coil.
boojum
AK Member
I have an old pair of the big brother 'Advent Maestro's that I have refoamed once and will do so again as one of the woofers is showing some cracking. They're not worth much or coveted by many, but have a very nice 'East Coast' sound that has kept them in one of my systems for 20+ years.
hi*ball
Records & Coffee
Consider this: If you have never refoamed any speakers before, what better place to start than on a pair that you got for free and aren't too attached to.
Now if down the road you come across some speakers that you really do like, you will have this refoam experience under your belt.
Now if down the road you come across some speakers that you really do like, you will have this refoam experience under your belt.
Rick Cobb for sure. I would do it, practice is good.
Brian
An Old Geezer
I find it a bit odd when questions are asked such as this. Most of the time the going prices reflect the need for refoaming or do not reflect the value to sound ration; just some pricing that may be some average created by flippers.
If your total cost is $30-40 what speakers would be as good or better that are readily available and the surrounds are guaranteed to be in like new condition? You are talking the price of a 6-pack, not a Lincoln. If nothing else, you will have a set of speakers good enough for bench testing purposes or even a garage system. In the past I have bought some speakers knowing nothing about them but based on name, apparent cabinet quality or just because they were dirt cheap. Some were not good enough to be door stops, a number worth keeping for testing, and others I gave away.
Quite recently I gave a small RS receiver with digital readout and remote, paid like $4 at the thrift with a pair of Panasonic speakers using Foster/Fostex drivers to a little 3.5 year old girl across the street. An amazing family but a history spanning some 4 generations that they can not seem to break, sadly. Nothing abusive or criminal. A few weeks ago she and her mother came over and brought some food, the mom is a professional chef. The little girl as usual got Kittie to run downstairs, then asked if she could play my guitar. She sits with it, a palour so smaller, and very carefully strums it. She has even learned how to tune it. Her mom told us they had just moved to a new apartment and had to go through things to downsize a bit. Has to be tough on a 3.5 year old to give something up. Mom said when she opened the girl's suitcase to put in some toys, there sat the receiver and speakers; the little girl had packed them and told mom she had to take them. At night mom says she hears the unit playing in the room tuned into a local station that plays jazz. After, I told my wife when I go, I want the girl to have whatever my final system is and the guitar.
If your total cost is $30-40 what speakers would be as good or better that are readily available and the surrounds are guaranteed to be in like new condition? You are talking the price of a 6-pack, not a Lincoln. If nothing else, you will have a set of speakers good enough for bench testing purposes or even a garage system. In the past I have bought some speakers knowing nothing about them but based on name, apparent cabinet quality or just because they were dirt cheap. Some were not good enough to be door stops, a number worth keeping for testing, and others I gave away.
Quite recently I gave a small RS receiver with digital readout and remote, paid like $4 at the thrift with a pair of Panasonic speakers using Foster/Fostex drivers to a little 3.5 year old girl across the street. An amazing family but a history spanning some 4 generations that they can not seem to break, sadly. Nothing abusive or criminal. A few weeks ago she and her mother came over and brought some food, the mom is a professional chef. The little girl as usual got Kittie to run downstairs, then asked if she could play my guitar. She sits with it, a palour so smaller, and very carefully strums it. She has even learned how to tune it. Her mom told us they had just moved to a new apartment and had to go through things to downsize a bit. Has to be tough on a 3.5 year old to give something up. Mom said when she opened the girl's suitcase to put in some toys, there sat the receiver and speakers; the little girl had packed them and told mom she had to take them. At night mom says she hears the unit playing in the room tuned into a local station that plays jazz. After, I told my wife when I go, I want the girl to have whatever my final system is and the guitar.
dankwijoti
New Member
I say go for the refoam. You can pick up a set of foam rings and glue from Simplyspeakers for $25, or you can get in touch of Rick Cobb and see what he has. On eBay it looks like he doesn't have any kits specifically for the Prodigy, but he does have some 8" kits that look like they will work well.
In my experience at least, I have never needed to cut the dust caps when refoaming a woofer. You can use a 1.5 volt battery (AA, AAA, C, etc.) connected to the terminals to extend the cone a bit and help center the voice coil. This won't damage the woofer, and will hold it steady while you work. Once you have the foam glued in place and it starts to set, then it is a good idea to run a 10-30 Hz test tone for several hours to help break in the foam and keep things centered.
In my experience at least, I have never needed to cut the dust caps when refoaming a woofer. You can use a 1.5 volt battery (AA, AAA, C, etc.) connected to the terminals to extend the cone a bit and help center the voice coil. This won't damage the woofer, and will hold it steady while you work. Once you have the foam glued in place and it starts to set, then it is a good idea to run a 10-30 Hz test tone for several hours to help break in the foam and keep things centered.
HTHMAN
Super Member
What I use for surrounds depends on the value of the speaker. If the value of the speaker would be under $100 or it is not a highly regarded speaker, I use generic foams from eBay seller Bootapest2. If it is a higher end speaker, I go with Rick Cobb. Whatever you choose, measure carefully and pick a surround that fits properly.
Awesome story Brian. You got a good heart.
gdmoore28
Super Member
That IS a great story, Brian. We never know just how much impact we can have on people, especially children, when we show kindness and caring, and your story is a prime example.
I recently ran across a very cool video on Utube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFtCjuoBwrQ
I wish I lived close to this boy so that I could give him some speakers and a receiver to play with. Don't you remember the days when you were first discovering speakers? I never stuffed the spider with socks, but I guess I experimented with almost everything at my disposal to try to make speaker finds sound better. The boy in the video is starting on that journey now. It'd be interesting to see him with a donated flat pack. Watching him discover the joys of speaker building would be a treasure.
GeeDeeEmm
Hanleyster
ambitious but rubbish
The workers at Jensen who designed these must have been enthusiasts such as the people of this forum. They still used the same quality drivers as the Kloss Advents and perhaps some Boston Acoustics.
I have a pair of Advent Legacy III that have amazingly deep bass and dual voice coil woofers!
Don't confuse them with the crapboxes that are the KLHs of the 90s. Those were pure garbage.
I have a pair of Advent Legacy III that have amazingly deep bass and dual voice coil woofers!
Don't confuse them with the crapboxes that are the KLHs of the 90s. Those were pure garbage.
