Refoaming a midrange (1 Viewer)

[John_Lee]

I own a pair of NEAR 50MLs. Of late I have been hearing some sibilance from my right speaker. A frequency sweep revealed distortion in the midrange. Close examination shows what appears to be a hairline rip in the foam surround of the midrange driver. For those not familiar with the 50 ML midrange, it is a 3" diameter aluminum alloy cone. As the excursion is slight, the foam surround on the midrange is not buckled, but flat. It has a 3 7/8" outside diameter and a 2 1/2" inside diameter.

Does anyone know of information sources regarding the exact material this surround is made of, where it can be found, etc.? As the surround itself is perfectly flat, I am contemplating fashioning a surround from raw stock, if I can find the right stuff.

I have looked around the net, and have seen several sources for larger foam surrounds, mostly buckled, but nothing for this size or type. NEAR has gone on to different applications [outdoor speakers] and provides no more support for its audiophile line, so far as I can tell.

 

[Eric Kahn]

You might try getting some foam rubber glue and putting it over the rip to try and seal it, otherwise there are shops that specialize in this type of repair but they are not cheap

 

[John_Lee]

Does anyone know what to look for in foam surround material? Where to find it?