Has anyone ever bent their aluminum cones? What did you do about it?

I sent pics of mine to tech support and they told me not to worry about it and enjoy the M60s.

Normally if the dust cap gets dented there are no issues. I find it hard to see anything in your picture, unless your talking about what appears to be a faint line on the right side of the aluminum?

I would offer a smart-alec response, but then I noticed your avatar. Anyone that uses 'the Dude' is ok in my book. ;-)

If Axiom says not to worry, I'd try not to worry about it. However, I'm picky enough that I probably couldn't just deal with it. And in that case, I'm pretty sure that Axiom can sell you another driver.

There is a faint line in the photo that I can't even see with a naked eye, but I took the photo at an angle to bounce more light off the dented area right next to the surround. It looks to me like something flat was bumped into the cone/surround area enough to put the flat spot in it.

I don't think the cone will move that much (it's the mid) compared to a woofer with a lower crossover point, but I wonder if there is enough distortion in the cone itself to cause side affects at high volume.

I think I see the flat area your talking about now, along the right side, where the aluminum portion likes whiter?

I really don't know if this will cause any negatives during playback, can you hear anything?

Depending on how old your speakers are, Axiom might work with you.

Yep


I haven't done any critical listening yet - I just bought them from the original owner a couple of days ago, but it's not bad enough to cause any rubbing noises. In my mind, this little bend will cause uneven pressure on the surround when the cone moves forward, which might cause the cone to distort slightly and then straighten back out on the downstroke. This could equate to distortion in the sound waves.


The speakers are 2 years old and look like new in every other regard - very well taken care of. I didn't notice the ding until I got them home and started 'admiring' them. Since I'm not the original owner I will need to pay for a new driver, but so far tech support hasn't given me any info on how to get one, and most importantly - how much they cost!

I wouldn't worry about it. I think it is REALLY unlikely that a ding like that would cause distortion in the reproduced signal. Anomalous dispersion, maybe. You might be able to measure a difference, but I'm skeptical as to that difference being audible. If you listen with the grills on, you'll probably forget about it. But, if it bugs you, CALL Axiom and somebody will help you out.

Nice marmot, btw.

Before you go guessing and (likely) talking yourself into hearing something that isn't there, I suggest you put the grills back on. Leave the room. Have someone go switch the placement of the speaker, or not (I'm assuming you haven't hung them yet).

Then, test them and see what you think. See if you can tell a difference between the two.

The fact that the damaged speaker is on a surround speaker should minimize directionality issues - to the extent they even exist - since they are designed to disperse, not focus, sound.

Most of all, enjoy!

I thought this is a pic of an m60.

They are talking about the surround portion of the driver, not an actual surround speaker.

This only confirms my assertion that there simply aren't enough words in the English language, or at least in technical jargon.

OIC. My Bad.

Still, a blind test might prove worthwhile. Even easier if the speakers aren't wall mounted. My suggestion still stands. Put the grill back on. See if you can tell a difference. If your ears are sufficiently sensitive to detect an anomaly, then have it fixed. Otherwise, try to forget you ever saw what you saw.

My Expert Audio Advisor Jean-Claude had this to say in his initial response to my inquiry:


The second sentence surprised me because it is like admitting that Axiom's QA department would have allowed this speaker to ship with a sloppily glued surround. I might be able to see that if these were 'Factory Outlet' speakers, but I was told they are not. In fact, the build quality of the speakers is very impressive, and the cone surrounds look perfect. The flaw here is a bent cone.

He still hasn't answered my last response, wherein I asked how much a replacement driver will cost. Why should it be so difficult to get replacement parts? I would expect the website to include a "Parts" link somewhere to make it easy to get replacement grilles, drivers, etc.

It sure looks like the surround is not attached properly to the cone. Have you tried to see if you can move it with your finger. If you can then it has likely come detached during use and you can buy some speaker glue from parts express or modeling glue for gluing rubber tires to metal rims from a hobby shop that sells RC cars/trucks and glue it back down.

If it is still attached just to the wrong place then messing with it will likely do much more harm than good. As suggested above try a blind listening test and I doubt there will be any noticeable audible difference. I Doubt if you could even measure any difference outside an anechoic chamber

The rubber surround is in perfect condition, but the aluminum cone is rounded over slightly. There appears to be a thin line just to the left of that area, and I'm guessing that might have been caused by the impact that caused the cone damage.

I'm sure a simple phone call for a new driver will take care of the problem.

Totally agree - I had what amounted to an aesthetic problem with the amp on my EP-600 and told Brent at Axiom about it just "for the record" in case it ever led to something more problematic in the future. I then had to talk Brent OUT of sending me a new amp because I felt guilty having them ship two amps (one to me, one back) for something that really was not causing me a noticeable problem.

Give them a chance with a phone call and I think you'll find Axiom will bend over backwards to be reasonable with you.

He has already been working with tech support, see above. Since he is not the original owner and they are 2 years old, he will most likely have to pay for a driver, they just have not told him his options.

What is a midrange going to set him back anyway? $40?

good question...

Tech support must be on Shomer Shabbas.

Here's another look at the speaker from directly in front of the bend. It looks like the roll in the rubber is even distorted a little bit because of this. If you focus on the highlight/shadow on the rolled bead, it looks squared off instead of being a perfect arc.

I wonder what caused the damage, maybe it came from the factory that way? Wonder if Axiom is looking at this post.

Sure looks like a flat spot. I don't see how Axiom can or should take responsibility for that though given that you are the second owner.

That sure isn't something I would think to look for in a used set of speakers though.

Hopefully Axiom will get back to you on the cost of a replacement drier.

Something like $50, I think.

At that price it would seem like a no brainer to replace.

Or not, if there's no audible difference in sound. $50 buys a lot of beer, after all.

OK - we have an answer!



That is definitely a no brainer. I'll be ordering one today.

I just ordered the new driver (1 EWF5A12-15SS Mid 46.00 USD) and it should arrive before next weekend.

Now, how hard is it going to be to get that other driver out of the box? I'm assuming they use some kind of sealant around the flange to secure it. Does anyone have experience replacing the drivers on Axiom speakers?

just unscrew the allen head cap screws and the driver will come out, unhook the wires and install the new one.

Phone call, baby. That's how Axiom rolls.

The shipment arrived this morning via FedEx but nobody was home to sign for it. I'm going to wait at home for FedEx to redeliver it.

FedEx actually called me on Tuesday because they needed more information about the package. They said it wouldn't get past Customs without more of a description than a part number (that's all the Axiom folks put on the shipping ticket I guess). Then they asked me if the part was for resale or personal use. I felt like I was going through airport security again. Oh well, I guess they're just doing their job.

Slam - if it's any consolation, this happens all the time. US Customs is adamant about ensuring that no one is sneaking loudspeakers through the border on their watch.

Lots of us had to fill out forms and fax them to FedEx to get them through security. I'm not sure there is anything Axiom can do to get around this as in the end the importer (you) has to sign off on the delivery.

Woo Hoo - back in business! I got the package this morning and had the new driver installed within 10 minutes.

The Package: It arrived in good shape.


The Mids: The old one on the left is a little taller due to a bigger magnet assembly (thus it's heavier). The new one on the right has an enclosed magnet assembly. I've seen this difference mentioned on another thread, and apparently the different designs are sonically the same.


Old Driver Removed: After removing the four allen screws, the old driver popped out easily. My concern about a 'sealant' making it hard to remove was unfounded. They use a foam gasket to seal the rim to the enclosure, which makes removal a breeze.


Job Complete: Here she is! I have to say that I can definitely tell a difference. I was skeptical that there would be any noticable difference, but after I took the old driver out and looked at it from below, I saw the distortion in the cone and surround. I was hearing the effect this had on vocals at higher volume levels, and now I don't hear the distortion at all - it's time to crank it up!

I dig your style, man.

Thanks for the pics!

awesome...........

Now, THAT'S funny!



No thanks.