Paradigm PDR 10 successful repair

DIZZ

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My old Paradigm PDR-10 recently started to fart/rattle and I posted asking if it could be fixed...and I was advised and directed (thanks to ‘Kbfern’) to a site that sold the part I needed, so for about £18 the part was ordered and a plan to fix it was put in motion.
This picture shows the problem where the outer ring has started to disintegrate with age (common problem) and has split/torn.
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This is my table set up and ready to start (made sure I was alone with no distractions)
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First I removed the outer gasket which somehow I managed to split into two layers and had to glue back together again. You have to be so careful not to split or poke a hole in the speaker cone as this would be a disaster!
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And now cleaned up very carefully with my fingers, this took some time and made my fingers hurt a bit but I was happy with the result so far.
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Ready for the new foam ring to be (PVA) glued in, I walked around the room a bit not sure what I was about to attempt at this point, I also coated the metal frame and corresponding foam surface not shown in this picture.
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Then I place the foam in place, the glue doesn’t stick instantly and allows for a bit of repositioning, it’s important to centre it properly and you can bounce and gently push down on the cone to achieve this. Then gently press the surfaces together and glue the gasket ring back over the top and I used clothes pegs to hold it while it dried which was about 24 hours probably nearer 48 as I wanted to be sure it had dried properly.
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And I’m pleased to announce that it all works and big bangs and crashes (no farting) are back much to my satisfaction!
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i have the same box and its done the same farty thing ,do the front cover just pull off because i didn't think it did.
also how hard is it to swap the foam ring as i also have a pair of rell 50q subs that the foam has gone on and the place you got them from has them for the rells
 
i have the same box and its done the same farty thing ,do the front cover just pull off because i didn't think it did.
also how hard is it to swap the foam ring as i also have a pair of rell 50q subs that the foam has gone on and the place you got them from has them for the rells

The front doesn’t come off, you have to remove the panel on the back with the inputs/volume controls on it and then unscrew the speaker cone housing from the inside and withdraw it through the back, note/photograph everything to help with reassembling.
The foam ring replacement came with instructions, the only thing I didn’t use were the shims to centre the cone as I felt it was less of a risk to trust myself to get it right rather than unglue the voice coil and use the shims.
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Hi,

Just read this thread with interest. I have a PDR-10 also. One of them makes all kinds of horrible rasping & booming noises at anything above a very low volume. However I've just taken the driver out and it looks to me (?) to be in good shape - see attached photo. The driver cone has no tears or holes in it, the foam surround seems sound, etc.

Where else might I look to track down the problem? Or (given that it's quite old & probably not worth much) should I consider scrapping it & getting a new sub?

Thanks,
Alan
 

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Hi,

Just read this thread with interest. I have a PDR-10 also. One of them makes all kinds of horrible rasping & booming noises at anything above a very low volume. However I've just taken the driver out and it looks to me (?) to be in good shape - see attached photo. The driver cone has no tears or holes in it, the foam surround seems sound, etc.

Where else might I look to track down the problem? Or (given that it's quite old & probably not worth much) should I consider scrapping it & getting a new sub?

Thanks,
Alan

Did you ever figure this out? Having the same problem with my 12. Doesn't sound as bad as yours based on your description but it does have a rattle. Driver doesn't look bad either, though I can't actually get it out of the box without removing the port(s).
 
Did you ever figure this out? Having the same problem with my 12. Doesn't sound as bad as yours based on your description but it does have a rattle. Driver doesn't look bad either, though I can't actually get it out of the box without removing the port(s).

Perhaps...

I initially thought that the foam surround was in good shape, but I was mistaken. It looked fine, but when I gently prodded it with my finger, big holes and rips suddenly appeared! I guess it had severely weakened with age (manufactured in 2000 I think, so about 18 years old).

I was able to find a replacement generic 10" foam surround on eBay for £3.80 (about $5), and I glued it in place quite easily with some contact cement glue. Quite a good repair I think. However I haven't had time since then to test the sub - have been very busy the last two weeks. If it's still not working properly then I guess it's likely to be the amp circuitry that's to blame, in which case I'll probably throw the whole thing away, or see if I can sell it for spares on eBay etc. But I'm hopeful... *crosses fingers*

Alan
 
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HI

Thanks for this old thread, I have been able to fix my Paradigm PDR-10 also.
I performed almost identical operation to the OP.

Damaged foam was removed from the lip of the speaker cone, by hand. mostly mine came off with little residue, but just used my thumb to rub down and get any glue off carefull. Then I used a stanley blade to remove the gasket (careful as its just layers of paper, and can rip). You can then get the foam off from round the edge. I scraped a bit at it, and used acetone (nail polish remover) to loosen it - worked a treat!

I then took my new foam that I got off amazon

I applied Copydex (that stinky latex glue you might have used as a kid in school that will stick pretty much anything but is safe on foam, paper, fabric and metal etc) to the rim of the speaker cone and the inner fold of the new foam. Carefully mounted that, waited for it to dry, and then applied glue to the metal edge of the speaker frame, edge of the foam, and the underside of the gasket. Pressed all that into place and held it with clothes pegs as above.

Couple hours later, tested and booming out the bass just fine (!)

Links to materials used:

Foam:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DDLMSGT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Glue:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001OZIGG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Not saying without this thread I would have been completely lost, but it was in fact my main refernece point for repair, so hopefully my experience reassures other people. YMMV.
 
HI

Thanks for this old thread, I have been able to fix my Paradigm PDR-10 also.
I performed almost identical operation to the OP.

Damaged foam was removed from the lip of the speaker cone, by hand. mostly mine came off with little residue, but just used my thumb to rub down and get any glue off carefull. Then I used a stanley blade to remove the gasket (careful as its just layers of paper, and can rip). You can then get the foam off from round the edge. I scraped a bit at it, and used acetone (nail polish remover) to loosen it - worked a treat!

I then took my new foam that I got off amazon

I applied Copydex (that stinky latex glue you might have used as a kid in school that will stick pretty much anything but is safe on foam, paper, fabric and metal etc) to the rim of the speaker cone and the inner fold of the new foam. Carefully mounted that, waited for it to dry, and then applied glue to the metal edge of the speaker frame, edge of the foam, and the underside of the gasket. Pressed all that into place and held it with clothes pegs as above.

Couple hours later, tested and booming out the bass just fine (!)

Links to materials used:

Foam:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DDLMSGT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Glue:
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0001OZIGG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Not saying without this thread I would have been completely lost, but it was in fact my main refernece point for repair, so hopefully my experience reassures other people. YMMV.

I was interested to read this...glad the thread has proved useful. You'll see I posted higher up about repairing a PDR-10 in this way. By coincidence, on the same day that you posted this, I repaired my other two PDR-10s (yes, I've got three altogether!) because they were also sounding quite badly distorted. Success - I can now make the building shake and annoy all my neighbours once again!

Incidentally - for anyone else reading this - what I think are the same speaker surrounds as the ones you linked to are available on eBay in the UK for just £3.28:

Universal Audio Speaker Surround Replace Edge Foam Rubber Stereo Repair | eBay

Didn't come with the 8 little notches cut out (unlike in the photo) but the screws go through the rubber easily so that doesn't seem to matter.

The reason for having three subs is (a) I picked them up for a silly price (b) I'm not married and (c) I like the idea of having separate stereo subs for music *and* an additional sub for the ".1" bit of 5.1 surround. Works a treat. Quite a fan of electronic/hip hop/grime so the two stereo subs get worked quite hard sometimes!
 
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Hi, good to read your further reply.
Indeed, you can get the foams for cheaper, but I am a very impatient person with DIY stuff, and amazon prime allowed me to get the foams the same day (!). What a time to be alive ;)
 
Hi guys just came accross this post and iam going to attempt the same as my pdr10 has went the same way i removed the speaker last night but never managed to get the gasket out in one piece do we have a link for that also is the copydex strong enough to hold the speaker to the new foam
 
Hi

Cant speak for long term, but ive watched a few films now and the speaker seems to be holding up. I used Copydex as its an adhesive that will not degrade rubber/foam.

I terms of getting the gasket out do you mean you got layers of it separated, or thats its broken somewhere in the circular orientation?

I imagine you can buy new gaskets on ebay

Some feedback on Copydex
Has anyone used Copydex for speaker repairs?

Dislocated Woofer, diy repair?



good luck, have fun
 
Hi All I will try the copydex does it stick to the cone and the metal speaker as well, and while the backs off does anyone replace the insulating material with polystyrene and does this make it sound better.. thx
 
Copydex will stick to literally anything. I applied it to the cone, the replacement foam first and bonded that. then I did around the metal, and the other edge of the foam, and sandwiched that with the gasket (all glued) and held in place with clothes pegs overnight.

All I can say is it subs (at least, for now) and I only put the fluffy material back in, I didnt replace with polystyrene or other so cannot comment, sorry.
 
Big thanks to this thread for helping me fix my PDR-10 a couple of weeks ago. Since this thread appears to be *the* home of PDR-10 refoam experiences I thought I'd contribute my experience. I bought my foam surround kit from Simply Speakers, watched their videos, and followed their instructions (nearly 100%). My PDR-10 had a rubber gasket---not a paper/cardboard gasket as described by others in this thread. When I took mine apart, it did not appear to be glued down at all. So after gluing on the replacement foam surround (I followed the instructions about skipping shims and doing this by hand), I simply put a couple of dots of glue on a few places on the gasket. I put the gasket over the surround, and put everything together.

All was good until I watched The Force Awakens and during the heavy low frequency scenes with Kylo Ren, I heard a flutter of some sort. Sounded like something vibrating inside. So i took it apart again and fixed a couple things that I hope others might find helpful if they have to trouble shoot the same thing. (1) There was a small piece of paper (one of those "inspected by" papers). Removed that. (2) When I started the project I had to remove the white stuffing/filler.The original, dry, hard glue that attached the filler to the interior walls was still on the filler and could have been vibrating against the walls. So i ripped off that glue and any other old glue that was no longer stuck in place and could be vibrating. (3) The gasket could have been loose, so I followed the instructions' advice and glued the rubber gasket down to the the foam surround before screwing everything back in.

I don't know which of those three things were the problem (my money is on (2). But after addressing those three things, all is good! Like brand new. Thanks for everyone's contributions to this thread!
 
Glad I found this thread - noticed my PDR 10 making a funny noise on Christmas day, but my new receiver that came in on Monday finished it off! Not bad considering it must be 20 years old - a new surround and some Copydex ordered for under £9 for both ☺
 
Got all the bits, stripped the old surround, which was indeed split and proceeded to disintegrate upon touching it - managed to get the paper gasket off intact although did lose a very small layer from the bottom when removing. Was really concerned about the driver as it was a bit graunchy with everything removed, however as soon as I glued the surround to the cone and just placed the unglued outer surround on the chassis it was perfect. Glued outer surround down then gasket on top and instead of holding it all together with pegs to set as pictured further up the page, I decided to screw the woofer back in to the cabinet as the force would push it all together better - before doing that I lined top/bottom/both sides with some polystyrene sheet the Mrs had left over from a parcel, glued them all in, refitted the stock wadding and left to set.

Not had much of a play as yet, just set it roughly and it's whoompin' away better than it ever did - brilliant result for 9 quid and a couple of hours spent on it :) Think I'll see if I can track a cheap one down on Ebay and do it all over again and have a pair!

Many thanks to all for their input, made it a very easy job indeed :)
 
I'm another owner of a PDR10, got the same problem - looks like they're all failing after similar years in service.
I have repaired mine in a similar way to the OP, but I found a way to centre the new foam surround before sticking to the cone.
First I used 6 table tennis balls stuffed between the cone and the metal frame, to raise up the cone:
1584715032687.png

This enables you to stick the foam surround flush with the cone.
I also used 6 screws through the frame to center the foam surround as you glue it in place.




1584714986418.png

I didn't use copydex, I used some black silicone gasket sealant I had lying around in the garage - it sticks instantly and goes off quickly. Once the surround is in place and set to the cone, some sealant was beaded between the cone and the frame, and the pingpong balls removed, so the cone and surround drop down onto the frame. A little more sealant to stick the gasket, and screwed back into the enclosure to set.
Very gratifying to do such a repair, and save the cost of a new sub :)
 
My PDR10 started making some odd sounds, and like the others here it was the foam surround that had failed. There were various replacements available both on Amazon and eBay, but in the end I went for the one I've linked to below - it's two gaskets, plus glue and brush (and instructions) for £9.99 including delivery which seemed a fair price. It actually states the models it fits in the description and includes the PDR10:


With the new surround just placed in position prior to gluing etc, it seems like a good fit:


1680608535902.png
 
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Hi everyone, same issue as you all, my problem is I cant even get the speaker out of the cabinet. I go in from the back, remove all the screws and that sucker does not budge at all. How did you remove the speaker from the cabinet? Is there glue or something I'm missing holding the speaker to the cabinet once the screws are off?

Thanks
 
Hi everyone, same issue as you all, my problem is I cant even get the speaker out of the cabinet. I go in from the back, remove all the screws and that sucker does not budge at all. How did you remove the speaker from the cabinet? Is there glue or something I'm missing holding the speaker to the cabinet once the screws are off?

Thanks
There's a paper gasket holding it in place that's probably bound to the cabinet/driver - a good top to bottom, side to side bit of wiggling/pulling should free it off 👍

The amp on mine went funny a couple of years after repairing the driver, stopped going into auto standby and wouldn't play despite being on - should really dig it out of the cupboard and have a look at it...
 

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