Hi,
Yes, you're right, freesey. The "surround" is the rubber or foam that encircles the woofer/midrange aluminum cone, and allows the cone free movement back and forth in response to the voice-coil and magnet assembly--the "motor" of the speaker.
The surround is an integral part of the diaphragm suspension. Of the Axioms I have here, they all use rubber surrounds.
Years ago, foam surrounds got a bad reputation because the chemical stabilants in the foam became unstable after 10 or 20 years and would disintegrate, rendering the speaker inoperable. There are still companies that will install new surrounds on speakers so afflicted.
Some foam surrounds continue to be susceptible to tropical temperatures and humidity. I answered a question from an audiophile who lived on one of the Caribbean islands. The cone of his 15-inch subwoofer driver had become detached from its foam surround, which had disintegrated from the high humidity.
Regards,
