Eden 115XLT Cone Diagnosis/Repair Options?

[Heavystringsguy]

You must be joking

yeah man I really like distorted bass tone? I said there was an improvement - less distortion isn't gigable but it is much better. thanks for playing

 

[ThisBass]

yeah man I really like distorted bass tone? I said there was an improvement - less distortion isn't gigable but it is much better. thanks for playing

I have no words.

 

[Samatza]

Did you press on the dome in the middle of the speaker, AKA the dust cover? If so, there’s a chance the dust cover is coming unglued somewhere around the circumference of where it is glued to the main cone. I’ve had a couple speakers do that in years past. It creates an annoying buzz that follows volume change. You would be very lucky if that’s the case. You can usually feel a dragging voice coil by spreading your hand like palming a basketball, touching the cone with all fingertips, pressing very lightly, and releasing lightly. If the VC is rubbing the magnet slot, you can feel the roughness through the cone. Good luck.

I've had the exact same experience with a couple of speakers. It sounds like distortion but in fact it's just the unglued edge of part of the dust cap. I carefully removed and re-glued these and the speaker works fine.

As suggested if you gently move the speaker cone you will feel the coil rubbing on the magnet, if that motion is smooth then it's most likely the dust cap. Another thing to look at is the wires around the back, sometimes they can touch the cone producing a distorted sound.

 

[agedhorse]

Then again, a pro can sort this out in less than 5 minutes and get you an accurate answer and maybe an easy fix.

 

[dwade]

Eden used to sell drop in recone kits for those speakers. I've reconed dozens of them using their factory kit and they've all turned out nice. But that was a long time ago.
It's possible the edge is coming loose from the basket or the dust cap is rattling. I could tell in 10 seconds if I had the unit in front of me. Those voice coils are pretty stout and difficult to overpower....though certainly not impossible. I've reconed hundreds of speakers of the years. I prefer a recone WITH A FACTORY KIT to the trial and error of locating a substitute. Even if the specs are close, you're taking chance. It doesn't take much to upset the balance of a perfectly tuned cabinet. But then most cabinets are far from perfectly tuned.

That's not to say that all generic recone kits are substandard. Unless you know with whom you're dealing when it comes to obtaining parts, it's a risk.

Good luck!!

 

[bobcruz]

Hello,

I noticed distortion coming from my Eden 115XLT (8ohm) yesterday evening on a gig. Interestingly, there were two issues including that my Genz Benz (ShuttleMAX 12.2) had a dirty effects loop connection issue. I fixed this and was pleased to notice that the sound had improved significantly.

While troubleshooting the aforementioned issue I used two basses, two power amps, three pre amps and two cabinets. After I fixed the Genz Benz everything sounded great through my other cab, a 210, but the 115 had a slight reoccurring fuzz/distortion no matter what combination of gear I played into it. I don't think I would have noticed it on a loud gig but in my apartment it was definitely present.

I experimented with the 115 a whole lot and came to the conclusion that the cone was damaged - for example, I noticed that if I pressed my finger lightly on the top of the cone it no longer distorted. It is not a rubbery sound, but a slight fuzz, at any volume while a note is being amplified. Also worth noting the fuzz/distortion doesn't sound loud compared to the notes coming through the cab, but it does get slightly louder as I increase the volume.

What is this slight fuzz being caused by? Because there is no creasing or tears it appears I did not damage the cone, but it the fuzz goes away by pressing lightly into the cone, so it must have something to do with the cone. It's not terribly noticeable just kind of annoying, unlike the damage I have heard from cones with creasing/tears, etc. Perhaps the issue is with glue/epoxy?

For the record I don't think this has anything to do with the l-pad because the cab is rated @400w for a power amp rated @ 375. I keep the EQ relatively even and don't slap or do anything like that. Signal never peaks, etc.

I am hoping to avoid reconing or replacing the whole unit but found a reconing kit and looked at some speakers that are similar to the original specs. I'm having trouble finding out what speaker Eden used exactly. There is no branding on the speaker, but I'll call Eden Monday morning to ask what the recommend. I also reached out to some Eden gurus on here to get their input.

Any thoughts/comments/opinions/experiences? thanks

Edit:
Found the replacement but it is $350!

Before buying a new speaker, there are a couple of possibilities to eliminate: (1) a wire or piece of debris could be touching the back side of the cone, causing the buzz. You can try turning the cab upside down or lay it flat on something pointing up (with clearance below for the speaker cable) to see if the buzz changes or goes away. You can also pull off a handle or the jack plate and look inside with a powerful flashlight or if you're ambitious, pull the grill and remove the driver. Sometimes the tinsel wires leading from the terminals to the voice coil are a little too long and can touch the cone; if so they can be bent out of the way or shortened. (2) Sometimes the air pushing through any open 1/4-inch jacks on the jackplate can sound like a buzz, although it shouldn't be affected by touching the cone. In any case, plug any open jacks with foam earplugs to see if that helps.

For a replacement driver, I think an Eminence Kappalite 3015 would be a nice upgrade for a lot less than the price Eden is asking. Good luck, Bob