While i agree with Carl that the spider is "theoretically" the most important and stressed member in the suspension of a dynamic driver, i would like to add some observations. Having several older drivers that were in excellent shape other than foam rot, i took these and had them re-foamed. Everything on the drivers remained the same ( cone, spider, etc..) and the only thing done was to replace the foam surrounds. These drivers required break in for optimum performance, just like brand new drivers. Even though the surrounds are "supposed to" have a minimal effect on their output, the bass response and several other traits were greatly improved once the speakers had been "driven" for a while. This made me re-think my stance on the importance of the surround quite a bit. I am hesitant to use any type of "conditioner" on them at this point in time unless something in the "new and improved" category pops up real soon. Sean >
