Help - Torn Apart!!

crosstownk

Hi All,

I'm not a regular poster on this forum but I'm hoping someone can offer me some serious advice.

Basically I've a pair of Goodmans Mezzo speakers from the 1980s. These are great speakers and reproduce rock music exactly as I like it. But I've a problem. The foam between the driver cone and the basket has rotted/broken/become fcuked. So I need to reappraise my situation. The foam is so deteriorated that I can feel the voice coil dragging.

So I have two choices.....

1. Replace the units with a more modern set up.

2. Replace the 10" sub drivers and carry on.

Let me be honest, I love these speakers - I've had them 20 years. The fact that they are adjustable for mid and high makes it for me - it's fine tuning at the speaker.

My preferred choice is to replace the driver. What should I go for? Preferably something that will work from 20Hz to 5kHz.

For those that think I should dump them and buy a complete new set, what should I consider? Bear in mind that they must be floor standing, capable of good solid bass and be controlled at loud volume.

Help me, please..........

Slaphead07

It's possible to repair the perishable surround on those speakers, there's a few US based companies that sell kits on the internet. You'll have t google it though, I don't have direct links or company names.

Otherwise you could get woofers the same size and power and simply replace the old ones... certainly at first they won't sound the same but after about 100 hours of playing (leave the system running with a tuner on or the CD on repeat) they'll soften out and you'll hear the qualities you always liked from the cabinets themselves.

Slaphead07

ok... found some...
http://www.simplyspeakers.com/2doityourself.htm

http://www.speakerbits.com/products/speakers/the-twenty-most-popular/list-153.aspx

crosstownk

Slaphead07 wrote: »

ok... found some...
http://www.simplyspeakers.com/2doityourself.htm

http://www.speakerbits.com/products/speakers/the-twenty-most-popular/list-153.aspx

Thanks for those links - I'll look into them as I'd sooner repair than replace.

I take your point about the cabinets so if I do go for replacement woofers I'll be sure to 'train' them in.

Many thanks.

ZENER

Not for the first time I'd have to disagree with Slaphead. Speaker design is an art as is speaker enclosure design. Simply replacing the driver unit will not give you the sound you had before unless you get identical units.

There are many factors governing how a speaker sounds or how it behaves with a specific amplifier. Audiophiles like to call it matching. At some stage you find speakers and an amp that just work together (subjectively of course). You found that with your system but by replacing the drivers you change every characteristic connected with the setup.

My advice is to audition a new setup/speaker set and move on unless of course the repair works.

ZEN

crosstownk

I agree with your comments ZENER and do understand 'matching'. The thing is, these speakers have been 'matched' with 3 different amps in the past and have always sounded well. I'm not sure whether that's down to the drivers or the cabinets - it's probably a combination of both but changing the driver could be detrimental. There's plenty of 'analogue' warmth from these speakers irrespective of amplifier so if I was to replace the sub drivers I'd be looking for something that could reproduce that warmth.

If I'm going to replace the units completely then I'd be looking for something with good warm sound.

For the record, the amp is a Pioneer SX-205RDS receiver. An older version of the SX-209RDS and is 2x90Wrms.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Slaphead07

Well my first suggestion is to repair which will (by and large) retain the speakers "voice".

On the woofer replacement we don't really have different views Zen, (I do know a bit about matching) but given the OPs love of his speakers I just suggested the most viable solution to keeping a broadly similar sound. There's no speaker made today that will sound like 20 year old Goodmans so I suggested a relitivly cheap approach.
Given that the OP will retain the enclosure and baffles there's every chance that, once bedded in, it will deliver a similar sound. Over the years I've replaced woofers twice and as long as you get similar spec it's an economic approach.

To be perfectly blunt 20 years ago Goodman were not producing top-end speakers and modern woofers will probably be a huge improvement in both detail and frequency response.

crosstownk

Slaphead07 wrote: »

Given that the OP will retain the enclosure and baffles there's every chance that, once bedded in, it will deliver a similar sound. Over the years I've replaced woofers twice and as long as you get similar spec it's an economic approach.

To be perfectly blunt 20 years ago Goodman were not producing top-end speakers and modern woofers will probably be a huge improvement in both detail and frequency response.

I might try the repair in order to retain what I have. I do appreciate that these are not top end speakers but to me they are exactly what I want. It's a 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' scenario.

I'm big into sound and I know the ins and outs of enclosures, drivers, matching, headroom, etc, etc. I'm not a novice and I know a good speaker from a bad one on paper. But my ears love these Goodmans - my eyes like them too but that's secondary to the reproduction.

crosstownk

OK - I've decided to buy new units (or at least my wife has offered to - as a Christmas present!).

It's been a long time since I've been in the market for speakers.

I need/want floor standing speakers. I like good, decent, solid bass. I also like nice mids that make the reproduction crystal clear and allow me to hear instruments and not mush the whole thing together. I don't like tweeters that are too harsh and screech at loud volume. I need these speakers to preform well at high volume. I'd preferably like a 3 way system (low/mid/high). My amp puts out in the region of 90/100Wrms so I'd like a bit of headroom so I don't blow the speakers or work them at their limit too often. I listen to all types of music but hard rock would be the genre I listen to most of the time.

Like I said, I haven't shopped for speakers in over 20 years so I'd like a few pointers as to where to start.

Any suggestions welcome.

Slaphead07

Budget?

crosstownk

Slaphead07 wrote: »

Budget?

That will depend on the speakers and how much I like them, tbh. I'm not looking for reference end units - just good speakers. I would stretch to €500 if I came across a set I really fell in love with but I'd prefer to keep it considerably below that if possible. Mrs Crosstownk is buying them but if I have to add some funds for something I like then I will.

Slaphead07

crosstownk wrote: »

I would stretch to €500 if I came across a set I really fell in love with

You really don't get a lot for €500.
Your old speakers weren't actually Goodman at all but a wooden box with KEF crossovers and KEF drivers and a Goodmans badge so maybe start there. I think PEATs stock KEF. The KEF iQ5 at €580 is probably a safe enough bet.

slavetothegrind

Worth taking a trip to Cloney Audio in blackrock,
They often have trade in's which would give you great value and i would ask you to try B&W speakers while you are there. Will push your budget out but it is a long term investment in enjoyment so may be worth it?

Good luck in your hunt anyways!!!