Guys,

I have a JL Audio 10W7 in a factory enclosure for about 2 years now... Within the last 2 weeks i noticed that i started getting a strange vibration while the sub is being played... but didn't pay much attention as i figured it was the back dash...

Yesterday, in investigating the sound, i realize that the sub has 2 tears along the seam of the foam...

Is there a way to repair this? I was told epoxy, but isn't that going to be too hard for the foam?

i had a w6v2 and got rid of it for the same reason, nobody could fix that cause there are no kits.

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can't buy gas with this budget... WTB vehicle working on prayers

let us see a picture of it.

Took some photos this evening of the W7...













The tear seems to be more than i taught it was originally.

oh well, when the ssc said it was a problem, everyone said ssc was crazy

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CrEePeRs !!! : Southside

u better buy some glue and try a thing cuz thats one option.

Othere is to check a speaker man and let him put in another surround for you, once it fits.

Is there any preventative maintenance that can be taken to avoid this. i dont want the same thing happen to my sub.....

That's a common problem for JL W6/W7 subs. It's called planned/designed obsolescence. I don't know when they'll use a different materials for the surround?

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[sms]

dont over power the sub

based on the pics posted above those tears are due to over excursion of the subwoofer and thus resulting in mehcanical failure of the suspension

high temp conditions will also cause premature wear on foam suspensions

fespecially when the sub is played at full excursion while the temp of the trunk was very hot


ie

car parked in hot sun all day
owner jumps in car and plays system at full vol immediatly


there is no repair kit for a jl sub as the suspension and cone assembly is manufactured as one piece before assembling in the sub

also the adhesive and adhesive process are patented as well as done via a machine and not by hand


for best results the sub should be retunred to jl audio for repairs and they will remove all soft parts ie strip back down to frame and magnetic structure alone and then send it thru the assembly process for installation of new cone coil spyder suspension etc and then it will be QC checked before certifying as passed

usually when u return the sub if their is a "b" stock in stock they will give you that as a replacment plus the cost of repairs so you dont have to wait for your actual sub to return from the assembly line

basically it would have a been anohter sub already gone tru that process and tested

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quality control ftw

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^^free

well it looks like after what SR, said there u have 2 choices - d right way or get some1 locally to stick a generic suspension on it & accept however it works\sounds after that ...

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a leaky box, wrong volume box/port and associated things could also cause a speaker to flap out of its range

^^but it was in the factory jl enclosure as the man said..plus he was usin it over 2years wit no probs til now..i tink it is jus a defect in the sub.since i hav heard at least 7 cases with jl subs w6v2,w7 also that this has happened to.they shud stop using foam.

u know dread..it might not sound bad after that eh.. cuz iv heard JL subs redone with other suspensions and they sound great.

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=[PT]=LTchineyTT

The sub has been in use for just about 2 years now... and not abused in any way... in setting up, did the relevant input sensitivity adjustments and voltage measurements...

The music has always been played at a low level, so as to not attract any attention, so much so that i can't honestly tell you how the W7 sounds when cracked up as once i carried the volume up a bit and found the vibration too distracting.

The sub i purchased was the CLS110RG-W7 at the local authorized reseller.

Just got a response from JL Audio, advising that i send the sub in to be rebuilt... it's going to cost US $220.. i'm guessing that i'll have to pay shipping also.. which would be a killer!

Why dont u contact the local dealers for JL Audio? They maybe able to help with shipping and maybe a discounted repair rate.

Sound and Security
662-3007

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CERTIFIED IASCA JUDGE.

time to buy a new sub

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CrEePeRs !!! : Southside

Spoke with the local dealers... that's where i purchased it originally... the girl advised that i purchase a new W7 to replace the one in the factory enclosure as i would have to accept the cost of shipping both ways along with the repairs... and from her experience, it comes up to almost paying for a new one as customs have charged them duties on the repaired item in the past.

so... more than likely i'll part with the W7 and maybe even the rest of the JL Audio equipment as i'm looking at buying a new vehicle.... so maybe this is my opportunity to start clean again.

try KP, recently alot of ppl are posting JL subs with changed surrounds...
maybe he has a generic or another sub brand thats working in its place

how we all kno the sub would never be the same however

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[size=84][b]..believe in it and it will be yours...[/b][/size]

The surround contributes about 20% to the driver's parameters, so I wouldn't worry about the sub's performance changing drastically if you replace it - if of course you can find a generic foam surround capable of supporting the huge excursion capabilities of the W7 series .

You could try clear silicone glue on the INSIDE of the surround, just to keep it together so it doesn't get much worse. Not on the outside of course, unless you're aiming for that "ghetto" look...

Foam is usually a better surround material for high excursion subs, BTW. It got a bad rep from earlier versions which weren't treated properly and tended to disintegrate. The foam surround on my Shivas is still as good as the day I bought them. If ripped foam on W7s is a common thing, that suggests "design flaw" to me.

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www.diysubwoofers.org

I calls it as I sees it .

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www.diysubwoofers.org

and do u know better than the engineers at jl audio? i have a w7 going strong as ever after 2 years.. and the surround strong as ever, if it was a design flaw wouldnt it give out already or show signs of your so called "design flaw"?

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PSN: mikhail69

Frankly, I think the evidence speaks for itself. No amount of warbling on about the superiority of JL audio engineers, etc. etc. is going to make that tear in the W7's surround go away, and if this is a COMMON occurence as has been indicated earlier in this thread, that suggests that either there are more idiots behind the controls of ICE systems with JL Audio W7s (not likely, considering its outrageous cost) or it's a possible design flaw. Sh*t happens, y'know?

FWIW, the surrounds on my Shivas look like brand new, even after years of pounding and being exposed to the heat and elements in the back of my SUV (sun, sand, beer, etc). The Shivas eventually bit the dust, but that was because my mechanic decided to remodel my vehicle by driving it into a tree, so I don't think that counts . If my surrounds ripped like the example given, I'd be pissed as hell - and these things cost me only $125 each when I purchased them .

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www.diysubwoofers.org

how about the idiots who use it improperly
nothing against the original poster

if you drive a speaker beyond it mechanical and thermal limits what do you expect? most people are unaware they are doing that and then bawl "bai that speaka does rel pound it hungry for more powa"

so do the typical user have better knowledge and more know how, than the engineers and research and development staff at JL? i know i surely dont

and how come i havent been a victim up to now of this "design flaw"?

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PSN: mikhail69

Several persons on this same thread have highlighted the same issue. Are you suggesting that they're all idiots?



The original poster has indicated that was not the case. Also, it takes a LOT to drive a W7 beyond its mechanical limits. We're not talking about a cheap 8mm Xmax sub here, are we...?




Once again, the facts speak for themselves. If W7 drivers commonly experience surround failure as suggested here, even if Einstein himself was at the helm of JL Audio R&D, that's not going to change the fact that this suggests a design flaw. And BTW, Einstein was guilty of a few mistakes too .




It's a good question. Maybe you're lucky . Maybe the environment is very different (perhaps the original poster's sub was located in position that caused the sub to be exposed to continuous direct sunlight (e.g. the rear deck) and yours is not. I'd still be concerned though if surround failure on this VERY expensive driver was a COMMON issue though. Especially after only two years of operation (hell, the foam surround on my $30 INF10 driver is still going strong after 11 years!). Perhaps it's something the local JL Audio rep should take up with JL Audio. Surrounds should NOT be failing on such an expensive driver after such a short space of time.

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www.diysubwoofers.org

touché

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PSN: mikhail69

Question to the O.P.
How does the rest of the surround feel to the touch?

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