Simply Speakers — Attraction in Saint Petersburg

Thank you Simply Speakers! Your repair kit from Simply Speakers saved my 31 year old Velodyne ULD-12 subwoofer. The original foam ring connecting the woofer cone to the metal frame was drying out and starting to crumble. Now it is as good as new again.

I found removing the old foam ring and the old adhesive very time consuming. First I picked off the parts of the old foam ring with my fingers. Piece of cake. Next I removed the eight machine screws and little washers, and raised the speaker out of the cabinet to rest it on the edge near the amplifier with the wires still connected. For the metal frame I repeatedly used a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol plus an X-Acto knife to clean it up. This took a total of maybe 4 hours and about a dozen paper towels. The original Velodyne adhesive was strong stuff and did not come off easily like in the Simply Speakers video showing the repair carried out on a Cerwin Vega subwoofer. Instead it is like old caulking. For the woofer cone I used a paper towel soaked in rubbing alcohol plus my fingernails. As careful as I was, unfortunately I took off a few very small pieces of the woofer cone material that gets covered by the foam rings – but it does not appear to have harmed the woofer cone or affected the sound quality. This took a total of maybe 8 hours and about two dozen paper towels. It was tempting to leave the older adhesive on the woofer cone, but since the new adhesive contains a solvent this would have been a bad idea.

The tube of new adhesive works very well. There is a very generous amount of adhesive in the tube. I inverted the new foam ring, temporarily placed it over the woofer cone, put a 1/8” bead of new adhesive on the inner part of the foam ring, spread it with my finger (work fast, it starts drying rather quickly), flipped the foam ring over, and put it into place. A perfect fit. Next 1 hour later with one hand I raised the outer part of the foam ring to expose the metal frame underneath, and with the other hand put a bead of new adhesive a bit larger than 1/8” around the metal frame, going around the perimeter doing one-eighth at a time using the screw holes as a guide. Then I gently pressed down the foam ring into place on the metal frame, working around in circles pressing a bit firmer each time, until 5 minjutes later it was nice and secure - just like in the Simply Speakers Cerwin Vega subwoofer repair video. This came out far better than I had expected.

Since the tube of new adhesive was still about one-half fulll, another 1 hour later I used the brush and applied a coat over the entire new foam ring. For this I started with the innermost area near the woofer cone and overlapped a bit of it onto the woofer cone; then I did the outermost area near the metal frame including the small gaps near the raised lip; and finally I did the remaining raised area. Maybe this will keep the new foam ring from drying out within the next 31 years? Still there was a fair amount of new adhesive remaining in the tube.

Several hours later I carefully lowered the woofer back into the cabinet and replaced the 8 machine screws (and little washers). Finding the holes for some of the machine screws was not easy, so in hindsight I should have used an awl and poked a little hole in the new foam for each of those screws.

Thank you again...

I'm a long time audio head...from the late 90's. Over the years I've had my share of all brands of speakers...each with different technologies that claim to be the best of their time. One thing that no technology can beat is "Father Time". The rubber or foam surround on speakers WILL inevitably deteriorate and/or dry rot...making the speakers useless. This brings us to a major crossroads of replace VS repair and... is one decision better over the other. Is it even worth the time, money and trouble. I have the answer you're looking for: SIMPLY SPEAKERS

They have you covered for 90% of your speaker needs. I've learned to not be as wasteful as I once was many decades ago. Quality Subwoofers are very...very expensive and many of them are not easy to replace if on a budget, which let's be honest - lots of us are on a budget no matter your financial situation. Simply Speakers have tons of reviews with positive responses...this is for good reason. They sell great products for repairs of all types of speakers and at a fair price.

I have two(2) 12" JL Audio W3V2 subs. NEW those things cost me close to $300 each....people that's $600 for subs. Granted they are over 10yrs old, but they worked perfectly before I stored them away. After having kids and lacking the time and space for aftermarket subs....my 12s sat in a climate controlled storage unit for years and years, with other belongings I own. This year I went to pull out my subs because the kids are older and I caught the bass bug again...and to my horror, my foam surroundings were brittle as dry leaves that crunch under your feet during the fall season. I immediately went to price new subs and it's no way I'm spending hundreds of dollars when I can effectively repair my subs. I did about 3 weeks of research and YouTube...found Simply Speakers. Ordered their recone/foam kit and less than a week later it was here. The kits had clear instructions and link you to their own YouTube videos to help with the DIY install. To help extend the life of the new foam surrounds I did purchase the recommended sealant.

It was the easiest process and my subs look and sound like new!! I couldn't be more thrilled about a single purchase or company. The staff is VERY responsive and knowledgeable. They treat you right and that's saying a lot these days. A company like this deserves all the respect and support they can get. The price and quality is unmatched. For less than $40 I saved my subs and my pockets. That's a win win no matter who you are. I'd much rather spend less now to attempt a repair, than blow hundreds on new speakers that you really didn't need.

Rock on fellow bass heads 🔊

Thank you Sean and the Simply Speakers Fam!

Keep saving the day for music lovers around the...

I have used both repair kits Simple Speakers sells (foam and cloth), plus a cloth kit sold with from another vendor with different glue. Here are my thoughts.

Number one - Cloth surrounds are worth the extra money on every level vs foam. Cloth surrounds are easier to use with a better fit and pliability which gives a cleaner result in less time. Cloth surrounds are of course more expensive but only marginally considering they last a lifetime. I have done a lot of 901 surrounds and it's kind of a big job prepping 18 speakers per set. I don't know about you but the time it takes me to clean and prep 18 speakers is roughly 75% of the job. It usually takes me all day to do a set of 901s so why would I ever want to make it harder or more time consuming by using the foam surrounds?

The answer brings me to my second point - Sadly I didn't know any better. I initially thought the series III -V needed the foam surrounds since that it what they came with - wrong! The cloth surrounds work on all Bose 901s regardless of the series and are the best choice. If you are considering buying the foam because your 901s came with foam don't. Buy the cloth they are so much better and easier to install plus they last longer than you will.

My third point - Simple Speakers glue is awesome and really what makes their kits the only kits I will ever use from now on. It has the perfect tack time something that becomes incredible important once you are actually spreading the glue and needing it to tack up and hold the surrounds.

In closing - Cloth surrounds are a brilliant upgrade for your cherished 901s and worth every cent you will pay extra vs foam so do yourself and your 901s a favor and get the cloth. Simple Speakers glue is hands down the best you can buy if you are doing surround replacement work on speakers period. Try it - it's...