[[email protected]]

What's better, the old cardboard woofer cones or the new plastic woofer
cones?
Why did they switch to plastic?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

I think it's pretty funny how the marketers like to say the woofer is
made of "polypropylene" or some such cuz they think that word sounds
better than "plastic" and maybe we don't know that it's just ordinary
plastic. Also they say it's "injected polypropylene" as if plastic
injected into molds isn't as common as dirt.

Also, on the back of one pair of speakers, it said "genuine vinyl
veneer" (which had a simulated wood grain texture). As if there's fake
vinyl.

[Eeyore]

wrote:

What's better, the old cardboard woofer cones or the new plastic woofer
cones?
Why did they switch to plastic?

It has better damping ( less resonances ) for one.


What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Paper can be lighter.


I think it's pretty funny how the marketers like to say the woofer is
made of "polypropylene" or some such cuz they think that word sounds
better than "plastic" and maybe we don't know that it's just ordinary
plastic. Also they say it's "injected polypropylene" as if plastic
injected into molds isn't as common as dirt.

Well... why not because it is indeed actually made of polypropylene ? And not
say polystyrene.

Graham

[Trevor Wilson]

wrote in message
oups.com...
What's better, the old cardboard woofer cones or the new plastic woofer
cones?

**There are crappy paper drivers and crappy plastic drivers. Equally, there
are good ones of both technologies. It is VERY important to realise that
there are many different types of plastics used for drivers. There are also
composites of plastics and other materials (fibre-glass and carbon fibre, to
name two). These too, have advantages and disadvantages.

Why did they switch to plastic?

**Plastic is (was) trendy, is easy to produce accurate, repeatable products
and can be cheap. It can also be blended with other, more interesting
materials. Carbon fibre, for instance.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

**How long is a piece of string.


I think it's pretty funny how the marketers like to say the woofer is
made of "polypropylene" or some such cuz they think that word sounds
better than "plastic" and maybe we don't know that it's just ordinary
plastic. Also they say it's "injected polypropylene" as if plastic
injected into molds isn't as common as dirt.

**And horrible too. Polyproylene woofers are terrible. Polypropylene blended
with (say) carbon fibre can be very good indeed.


Also, on the back of one pair of speakers, it said "genuine vinyl
veneer" (which had a simulated wood grain texture). As if there's fake
vinyl.

**Poor vinyls. Save the vinyls from destruction.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com
Warning: Do not use Ultimate-Anonymity
They are worthless spammers that are running a scam.

[Arny Krueger]

wrote in message
oups.com

What's better, the old cardboard woofer cones or the new
plastic woofer cones?

Whichever one is the better design.

Why did they switch to plastic?

Because some thought that plastic would be advantageous in that application.
There are some applications where plastic is really better - perhaps a
situation where the woofer is exposed to moisture. There are others where it
is no advantage at all.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

That's a very long story.

I think it's pretty funny how the marketers like to say
the woofer is made of "polypropylene" or some such cuz
they think that word sounds better than "plastic" and
maybe we don't know that it's just ordinary plastic.

Polypropylene is not always an *ordinary* plastic. I don't know if there are
any ordinary plastics. Plastics can be highly engineered for a given
application, but then again so can paper.

Also
they say it's "injected polypropylene" as if plastic
injected into molds isn't as common as dirt.

You have to understand advertising copy writing. It is usually a lot more
about projecting sizzle. Copywriters are wordsmiths - they build images
using whatever words are even slightly relevant and are laying around to be
applied.

Also, on the back of one pair of speakers, it said
"genuine vinyl veneer" (which had a simulated wood grain
texture). As if there's fake vinyl.

There clearly is some vinyl that is fakier than others, and there are
applications of vinyl that are more appropriate and durable than others. I
grew up in a time when plastic almost always meant something that was cheap
and shoddy. Now, plastic can mean a great design of the highest possible
quality. Or it can be something that like items of metal and glass (more
traditional materials) are either cheap and shoddy or of the highest
quality.

It is all about the product design, which includes both the choice of
materials and how they are designed, fabricated, assembled, sold and
serviced.