To recone or not to recone...

[BlueGreene]

A well intentioned friend power washed an area soaked in diesel near my subs and one of the cones got some splash-back. I'm having a hard time hearing a difference/not sure if I'm making up a difference in my head. Should I just go ahead and recone this unit? Any reason why that gunk is going to cause a real world problem?

 

And/or is there a safe way to clean these? I've already used a clean soft bristle paint brush with a air compressor.

 

Crappy pics included.

[MikeRivers]

I'd go with the "making up a difference in my head." Have you ever compared the two speakers before the splash? You'd probably ponder over whether there was a difference. As long as the cone isn't soggy, I wouldn't worry about it. You might try a hair dryer if you want to take another shot at cleaning it up, but I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Re-coning is usually only done when there's big tears that can't be repaired with a patch (which actually works, sometimes) or when there's damage to the voice coil.

[AlamoJoe]

I'm with Mike on this. Several years ago I dropped a cup of coffee and it splashed all over one of my NS-10's...I freaked But centered myself and got the wife's hair dryer. Then I waited a week to power them up again. Couldn't tell any difference at all. The coffee stains are still there...All these years later, but the speakers still sound crisp. That one just looks kinda nasty.....

 

[philboking]

Probably will add a unique character to the sound. Now you can go on audiophile sites and claim it has benefited the clarity in unmeasurable ways...