Absolutly : I found there my happyness for restoring 4 surrounds for Boston Acoustics drivers : I simply measured with care the size and the gaps betweenthe cone and the frame as the middle distance of the suround bump as there is a lot of size choice.
I would profit to take foam surrounds to improve them.
I bought a used pair of those drivers a few years ago, the original rubber suspension looked good at first glance, but the TS parameters were drastically different from the spec. I replaced it with a spongy suspension and everything is back to factory settings, even better than that. Maybe I can find pictures and measurements and post them. I still keep them in the closet to make Sonus Fabere Toy clones.
Not sure what your point is.
These drivers were manufactured more than 20 years ago, my copy of the same file is from 2003.
Vifa was sold to a Chinese company twice since then, first to DST, then Tymphany, and now presumably back to a Danish one.
Vifa the original is no longer the authority as technologies and materials have moved on. Even the original ScanSpeak and Peerless are not the same, and they, together with Vifa were one company for a short while.
Just a tiny reminder, Troels Gravesen is Danish, much more familiar with Danish speakers/drivers and their development over the years than you and me and many others.
And my answer to the original question is still the same:
the best way forward is to buy suitable size surrounds online and replace the originals.
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None of the Netherlands sites appear to have a suitably sized part, sadly. I have tried other places in Germany and the U.S., and sent them the dimensions and data of the P13WH-00-08.
Every time, the answer came back: - SORRY, we can't help you.
The measurements are given in post #7.
Would be happy to be corrected, if someone has tried one from elsewhere, and found it measured and sounded good, it would be great to have a link to the supplier.
Every time, the answer came back: - SORRY, we can't help you.
The measurements are given in post #7.
Would be happy to be corrected, if someone has tried one from elsewhere, and found it measured and sounded good, it would be great to have a link to the supplier.
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on one of the two sites I exactly found surrounds for american drivers that have a non usual 6.5" size and I didn't find spare recone kit in US.
So their technic to give the distance between the outside of the surround to the beginning of the bump surround itself (which stands between thhe driver frame and the nude cone), its end and the inside diameter is very cool, imo : hard no to find your hapyness. It just ask to have very precise tools for measurering fron the front and the back of your driver. I also find two choices where the external flat area glues on the frame with different deepness : 0.5 mm and 1 cm !
So their technic to give the distance between the outside of the surround to the beginning of the bump surround itself (which stands between thhe driver frame and the nude cone), its end and the inside diameter is very cool, imo : hard no to find your hapyness. It just ask to have very precise tools for measurering fron the front and the back of your driver. I also find two choices where the external flat area glues on the frame with different deepness : 0.5 mm and 1 cm !
While not original and probably not a top match, these could fit the bill well enough and they sure are better than the defunct ones. I'd give them a try, since you have nothing to lose. Not so long ago they had the surrounds for the M13W-units too. And the glue sticks to PP more or less, as a few Seas here with the transparant PP cone will testify.
Otherwise, measure your surrounds and find a matching rubber or foam one. Bite the bullet.
Otherwise, measure your surrounds and find a matching rubber or foam one. Bite the bullet.
To save time for others who are looking for an exact replacement surround -
The proprietor of the shop (speakerrepairshop.nl) did not believe that anything from their stock was suitable for the P13WH-00-08
I sent the shop some email in March 2023, giving exact dimensions.
Reply :
Good morning,
I am sorry to say we have no fitting surround for your unit,
Met vriendelijke groet
....
Maybe others would like to get their speakers going again, regardless of performance - but that's not me.
The proprietor of the shop (speakerrepairshop.nl) did not believe that anything from their stock was suitable for the P13WH-00-08
I sent the shop some email in March 2023, giving exact dimensions.
Reply :
Good morning,
I am sorry to say we have no fitting surround for your unit,
Met vriendelijke groet
....
Maybe others would like to get their speakers going again, regardless of performance - but that's not me.
Those suspensions from Holland are not the same as the original and they are expensive. I know because I once bought for Scanspeak bass and Seas midrange. It is better to get the same thing on ebay much cheaper. Here are my P13WH measurements from 4 years ago. 121Hz resonant frequency with the old and 48Hz with the new suspension. Along the way, the dustcaps were also replaced because one was dented.
Attachments
Rubber surrounds 5", there are various sizes on ebay, maybe you can find one that fits.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185590876202
As far as I know, the biggest problem is not finding a suitable suspension, but the glue with which it can be reliably stuck to the polypropylene membrane.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185590876202
As far as I know, the biggest problem is not finding a suitable suspension, but the glue with which it can be reliably stuck to the polypropylene membrane.
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As an experiment, I'm tempted to try flat neoprene foam sheet cut into the outline dimensions of the original surrounds, being these are mids and won't be crossed that low anyways.
Its a shame, because these mids were (and still are) some of the best sounding poly cones I've ever heard. You'd think most of the dampening was in the cone profile and material, not so much the surround. Maybe it's not as difficult of a solution and it may actually work better. We'll see...
The other option is 3D printing some from flexible TPU. It sure feels like a similar substance. I'd just rather have the original surrounds as they're proven to work. Maybe some newer Peerless or other similar drivers have compatible surrounds.
Its a shame, because these mids were (and still are) some of the best sounding poly cones I've ever heard. You'd think most of the dampening was in the cone profile and material, not so much the surround. Maybe it's not as difficult of a solution and it may actually work better. We'll see...
The other option is 3D printing some from flexible TPU. It sure feels like a similar substance. I'd just rather have the original surrounds as they're proven to work. Maybe some newer Peerless or other similar drivers have compatible surrounds.
I built my mtm with vifa p13 with dayton amt even with hardened surround because i measured them and fr response was flat for the 150Hz to 5kHz i wanted. So did not bothered with replacing it.
Yes, there is nice peerless which performs almost identically. Used it in my mtm with hiquphon small dome tweeter. Surround looks identical. If you search, you will find it, i posted it many times.
You are going to kill those vifa, but that's none of my business.
Yes, there is nice peerless which performs almost identically. Used it in my mtm with hiquphon small dome tweeter. Surround looks identical. If you search, you will find it, i posted it many times.
You are going to kill those vifa, but that's none of my business.
I planned those P13WH for midbass in bass reflex box of 5l, I could not leave the resonant frequency 121Hz and inappropriate TS parameters. And I bought them cheap on the basis of good looks. The suspension did not even harden, but lost its elasticity. I press it with my finger, it slowly returns to its normal shape. It should go back immediately. I took it to the service man, unfortunately he didn't have rubber suspensions of the required dimensions, so he installed foam suspensions that fits Vifa drivers. The measurement confirmed that the work was well done, the only thing is that they no longer resemble the originals. But who cares. 
I removed one of the old surrounds and they ended up breaking into pieces being so hard. There's no way the surrounds would have been functional enough to not influence the midrange performance being they were so stiff it all cracked into pieces just pushing and tugging a little.
I'm more than happy to use foam surrounds instead of rubber if they have the same dimensions. The shape of the roll at the cone edge matters alot, which is why they used a thinner roll to control its motion a bit better than a larger surround. Big surrounds cause more cone edge reflections, breakup and diffraction. Inverting the surround would help even more in the midrange.
I'm more than happy to use foam surrounds instead of rubber if they have the same dimensions. The shape of the roll at the cone edge matters alot, which is why they used a thinner roll to control its motion a bit better than a larger surround. Big surrounds cause more cone edge reflections, breakup and diffraction. Inverting the surround would help even more in the midrange.
Which other Peerless model has a similar surround? I couldn't find one like it.
The cracks in the surround would have caused problems in the lower mids, ie buzzing. If there's any radial difference in compliance, the VC will start to run off center. The driver will be junk if that happens, not to mention causing increased HD... by how much, who knows if it will be noticeable at moderate levels.