- 1). A speaker driver is the individual round element at the rear of any speaker. It converts electrical energy to sound waves that in simple terms are created by the speaker cone's movement. Drivers are meticulously engineered pieces, combining a magnet with a wired "voice coil" that produces the back-and-forth motion that results in "sound" as the cone moves.
Crossovers are the frequency point or points at which sound frequencies are divided between the woofer and the higher frequencies above approximately 300 Hz. In essence, a manufactured speaker, especially any really good ones, are specifically "tuned" to their enclosure.
One of the major age effects of many woofers is dried out and cracked speaker foam. It is noticeable by a distinct loss of bass production. Since all woofers have to be matched to the volume of the enclosure to get good bass performance, as well as matched to the crossover point or points for the blending between the woofer and tweeter or midrange, re-foaming those old drivers is wise, economical and relatively easy. Do it yourself with an ally such as simplyspeakers.com--you can always also opt to have it done by a service. - 2). If going beyond re-foaming, replacement of the exact woofer/driver combo contained in the original speaker is advisable for the reasons articulated above. Also, it is best to replace any and all speaker parts in pairs, to ensure that speaker performance characteristics remain identical.
- 3). When repairing a damaged cone, seal the front and back side of any holes in the cone with rubber cement. If required, place a piece of thin kraft paper over the first layer of rubber cement--on the back side of the woofer cone--to keep the cone from further tearing from regular operating conditions.
- 4). Remove the speaker enclosure's front grille to see the speakers. Remove the woofer from the enclosure and the crossover network can be seen within. Grilles are secured with snaps, Velcro, or screws.
- 5). Unfasten the drivers, as needed. The driver/woofer assmebly on a two-way or three-way speaker are usually screwed in from the front. Some are also sealed in position. This can require a sharp knife to break the seal. If a seal is broken, simply replace it with sealer from an electronics or speaker parts department when the repair is finished.
- 6). Lift the driver from the enclosure to gain access to the wire connectors that attach the terminal block to the driver. Use pliers if necessary, but it is often possible to gently remove the wires from the rear of the driver or the terminal block, or both. Note that some internal wires are soldered, not clipped.
- 7). Remove the crossover network, as needed. Most are accessed from the front of the unit, though some are inside and are accessed once the main driver is removed.
- 8). Find the unit's fuse and test it with a multimeter.
- 9). Use the multimeter to measure resistance and continuity on the driver or drivers, crossover network, or the terminal block as needed. Most drivers have their resistance indicated on their back label, such as 8 ohms.
- 10
Replace components as needed and reassemble.
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