Damaged Subwoofer Cone Longevity

[yiorgaks]

Hey everyone, I have a pretty short question here that I could not find a concrete answer to online. I was wondering if anyone had any information regarding the effect on performance and overall longevity that a subwoofer with a damaged cone may experience. I ask this because I have a subwoofer which experienced a quite terrible tragedy involving a drunk ex-girlfriend, a shoe heel, and a destroyed Type-R subwoofer cone (which you can see in the attached image). The sub still sounds great and thumps like a beast but I was wondering how much longer this will go on for as I have noticed over time the deterioration of the subwoofer cone is spreading. Should I be saving away from a replacement subwoofer in the near future or is this damage merely cosmetic?

Any insight would be great. Thank you for the feedback!

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[nismos14 5,000+ posts]

Use it as long as it holds up. I used a pioneer diamondplate that was taped like that for a couple years.

 

[Sleeklsc 5,000+ posts]

Lol, one of my 2 had a heel sized hole in it too. The other had a piece of the cone peeling off so I painted both cones black and used black duct tape to cover the one with the hole. If there are still pieces around the hole that are still attached you can position them back in place and use super glue.

This is what they look like now..... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Fwiw, the hole didn't get the VC on mine.

Honestly I'd just tape it up the best you can without adding to much mass and invert it.

 

[yiorgaks]

Lol, one of my 2 had a heel sized hole in it too. The other had a piece of the cone peeling off so I painted both cones black and used black duct tape to cover the one with the hole. If there are still pieces around the hole that are still attached you can position them back in place and use super glue.
This is what they look like now..... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

Fwiw, the hole didn't get the VC on mine.

Honestly I'd just tape it up the best you can without adding to much mass and invert it.

Does having the subs facing backwards impact the quality or loudness of the subs at all?

 

[bubbagumper6 5,000+ posts]

Does having the subs facing backwards impact the quality or loudness of the subs at all?

No, the only difference is the displacement from the subwoofer is no longer a factor so it's actual enclosure becomes a bit larger (if your enclosure is ported this will affect the tuning slightly).

I would use some kind of super glue on it though, more permanent than duct tape and shouldn't add much mass.

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

Bang it til it quits could be a week could be years and invert it if ur tired of looking at the tape

 

[Sleeklsc 5,000+ posts]

Bang it til it quits could be a week could be years and invert it if ur tired of looking at the tape

I've banged mine like this for a solid 7 years and the voice coils still look minty. Granted I don't abuse them too much. Think I bought them both for $75 shipped at 2 years old, pretty sure i've gotten my $$ worth. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crazy.gif.c13912c32de98515d3142759a824dae7.gif

 

[yiorgaks]

Ah, I'll take that into consideration. Right now I just covered up my subwoofer with a grill so it's not terribly noticeable unless you look closely. I'm going to keep thumping her until she dies but so far both SQ and SPL are amazing (I don't even notice a difference from before the heel and after).

 

[ScottWatkins 10+ year member]

You have a ported cone!

I say run it 'til it pops.