How to Fix a Rattling Speaker

Trying my hand at eliminating or minimizing the extreme speaker rattle on my Zenith 5-S-29 speaker. Thanks for watching and subscribing to my channel.

[@armandcorpolongo]

Don: Just wanted you to know that I used this technique on an RCA T10-1 that had a terrible rattle in its speaker - worse than your Zenith. The tacky glue worked amazingly well. It completely eliminated the rattle. Even though you posted this several years ago I wanted you to know it is still very valuable to have as a reference. Thanks for sharing. Armand

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Great news Armand. I’m glad it worked for you and I truly appreciate the feedback. Take care and stay well. Best, Don

[@kingstonroots]

just here to say a big THANK YOU kind sir!!!!!!! your video helped me solve a rattling Fender Rhodes speaker that has been driving me insane for years. all it took was some isopropyl alcohol soaking and letting it dry up

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s not a fix at all times, but like you and I’ve found it can mitigate the issue. Hope it holds up. All the best. Don

[@michaelvice3976]

Hi, Thanks for your informative video. I tried your repair method on 6 " speaker in my Philco 46-1203 radio/phono unit. The speaker rattled badly on medium to high volume. Now it does not rattle at all and has a great full range sound. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Michael - I’m glad you were able to square it away. Thanks for reaching out. All the best. Don

[@smckelvey1959]

Great repair and the before and after sound test brings home how good one can get an old damaged speaker can sound

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+Steven Mckelvey Thank you Steven. Far from perfect but definitely useable. Best, Don

[@aeyb701]

Great vid.I used small black tissue paper patches coated in a 50/50 water/ white glue mixture with a micro drop of dish soap or alcohol to break surface tension, to fix tears in an old Altec 604C paper cone. Wetting the torn area first helped too. I applied as many thin layers as I thought needed and when dry the joins were solid. I wanted to avoid a recone that would cost more in shipping a 35 lb speaker than the cone itself. Worked. Thanks.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Jon, thanks for sharing your technique, which I’ll try when the opportunity presents itself. Best, Don

[@cheezervvvvv]

I would call that 98% improved.. Before repair took all of 3 seconds before ear fatigue set in. Nice job

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+cheezervvvvv Thank you, much appreciated. Best, Don

[@oooweebaby4483]

Man the microphone has a demonic undertone, what kind of mic is this?

[@AmigaA-or2hj]

Thanks for the tip. Before, I had to put small pieces of sponges behind the speaker cone and the chassis.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Glad it helped. I still find it useful too placing small pieces for those old vintage cones that are warped due to... Best, Don

[@HenryGWalker]

This is some great advice mate, thanks for making this video. I want to try this with a pair of 3" Logitech Z625 satellites, apparently they have some terrible crossover and amplifier system so they blow themselves out if you bring the volume higher than 50% for long periods of time... Took them apart and there's scratches on the cone, I'm going to use acetic silicone and see if it does any good, I don't know where to get tacky glue here in Mexico lol. Cheers.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Henry - glad you found the video helpful. You could try plain white glue with a few drops of water. I hope you are able to solve the issue. Best, Don

[@martone9294]

@@RestoreOldRadios Would construction adhesive work?

[@leonardpeters3266]

Worked great. I think I used your technique on the exact same speaker. It was a Zenith speaker out of a Zenith 5S119. Just out of curiosity did you replace the voice coil dust cover?

[@LarryDeSilva64]

I have an old Zenith am/FM radio from 1948 and that speaker was obviously in a spot where it was really attacked by the sun. I did get it to work but the paper is just too rotted to save. Thanks for this video on some other radios I am restoring the speaker is always a major consideration. Oh and I subscribed to your channel also. Thanks for sharing

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+LUCKYLARRY Thank you for watching, subscribing and I'm glad the info shared has been helpful. Can you repair the speaker using a coffee filter and some fabric glue or is it too far gone? Best, Don

[@LarryDeSilva64]

The speaker has crumbled paper 2/3 of the way around. I really dont know if a coffee filter repair would help. Although the center of the speaker seems solid. If i could find zenith nos 5" speaker to replace it I will. If i cant i will attempt a repair.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

LUCKYLARRY Probably no harm based on your description of the condition. Keep me posted if you move forward with the repair. Best, Don

[@LarryDeSilva64]

True probably repairing it would save me some time and money finding a new speaker whats the worst that can happen. lol

[@Greg-tj8rg]

Hey what ratio of tacky glue to water would you dilute the glue to? And would you recommend tacky or silicone glue or rubber cement or some other glue above other types of glue? I currently only have Elmers play glue which I figure would be less than optimal

[@LosmiPZS]

Is this a permanent solution or only temporary? I've bought a pair of Ground Zero's and they both sound like this at 50% volume and above..it drives me nuts but I'd hate to have to buy new ones again...

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Every situation is different, so it’s hard to say. I’ve only tried this technique on old vintage speakers that had no value and poor performance. Best, Don

[@LosmiPZS]

​@@RestoreOldRadios Thanks, I'll give it a try when I catch some time

[@tectalabyss]

Great fix Don !. I have wondered what would be best for get the cone damp that wouldn't hurt it. Thank you very much for sharing. And has always, I Liked,Shared and added to my channels playlists. All my very best. Bobby

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+Bobby Tectalabyss I'm not sure Alcohol is the best product to use or not, but it's worked better than water for me based on a dozen or so that I reformed using this method. It evaporates quickly too. There's some risks that it will loosen up the surround or voice coil adhesive, but it's been worth the risk to me sine the speakers are on their last leg. Best, Don

[@RajaHRaja]

Nice explanation....you got the new subscriber..

[@cybernaab]

Dont forget about tinsel leads hitting the cone, i had that problem manytimes with car speakers (most of the time its the tinsel leads going to the midrange/tweeter that are on top of the woofer

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Great point. Thanks for reaching out and watching. Best, Don

[@radio_tv_celut]

You can also add a dust cup dome!

[@johnsweda2999]

Yes rubber solution is a good idea I would have put more on and put it on the backside as well, as this surround was peeling away what caused it to slip it's alignment i would have taken it completely off the frame so it could settle and then glue it back should have sorted your alignment problem out! And put some PVA glue around the voice coil and the cone to strengthen that part up would have helped as well. You could have used a strip of thin paper on the crack both sides first before just applying glue

[@Rebel9668]

I have a Zenith C725C with a permanent magnet speaker in it that sounds about like that when you get anything above a low night time bedside volume. I may try that and see if it helps. Thanks, Gary

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+Rebel9668 It's worth a try for sure. Thanks for watching Gary. Best, Don

[@brigganthewolf1461]

Shit, I have a Zenith Circle of sound clock radio and it makes the same noise at the same volumes and above. I also have a GE TV/Radio that does the same thing but on high or max volumes. Sometimes sounds static-y.

[@dennisqwertyuiop]

good repair did the same here using same glue a nice 12 in speaker hanging on shop wall for along time just decided to fall od , the nail come loose tore cone

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+DENNIS N That's a bummer. I boxed up the 12" Philco speaker as quick as I could knowing I was going to poke a hole in the new cone. LOL Thanks for watching Dennis and I'm glad you were able to get your speaker back in shape. Best, Don

[@samcoote9653]

Came here lost as to what to do with a speaker from my car, as the cone and gasket are all fine, no tears, its almost new, but has developed a rattle like this one has, and Im thinking its clearance for the centre post from the voice coil like yours was Don, maybe even jsut some dirt in the centre, fingers crossed, im going to give it a go, thanks so much for this video

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Sam - hope you can get the rattle taken care of. I would appreciate you letting me know if you figure out the cause. All the best. Don

[@samcoote9653]

@@RestoreOldRadios Hi Don! So i blew out the speaker at work using the compressor and very slightly tweaked the frame, put it back in my door opposite to how it was, so that if theres any sag it sags away from where it was rubbing rather than just going back to rubbing, and so far sounds great :) so thanks for the video!

[@xxg.tester7851]

I've just dropped some alcohol to my cone tweeter that it was rattling really loud, now it still rattles but quieter, im going to replace them, anyways very useful temporary fix

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Thanks for watching. All the best. Don

[@Riddimental]

that was actually smart bro idk why didnt i thought about it before

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Thank you. Others have used Acetone as well, but it’s more aggressive, so caution is required. Best, Don

[@zzubuzz]

At 1.75 speed you sound normal, make sure you got good ventilation.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Thanks for the feedback. All the best. Don

[@rich1051414]

I can still hear a bit of ticking, but it's probably the voice coil. Edit: Nevermind, you said exactly what I said right after I made this comment. Also, it could be that this speaker was never really intended to be full range, and expecting punchy bass out of it might be asking too much.

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Richard, thanks for your feedback. I see I never got back to you. Like you said, I’ve noticed many of the vintage speakers were lacking in bass response. Best, Don

[@jaym9846]

Will even a new speaker rattle without the foam ring?

[@RestoreOldRadios]

I have seen loudspeakers with no surround, just floating with no rattle at low power. The typical causes are rubbing against the voice coil or the surround being loose. Best, Don

[@weechitamex]

THANK YOU SIR FOR SHARING YOUR SKILLS , BEST BLESSINGS .

[@awakeningtothespiritchanne8990]

Would window caulking work?

[@joelblevins5025]

Wood window caulking work

[@siafulinux]

I wonder how Shoe Goo would work?

[@RestoreOldRadios]

I’ve tried it in the past, but it adds weight to the paper cone and seemed to dampen the output. If the loudspeaker is already compromised, anything is worth trying. All the best. Don

[@siafulinux]

@@RestoreOldRadios Awesome! Thanks.

[@gaboaaa23]

Hi! Can someone telle me please whats the problem with this speaker? It started to resonate/vibrate since yesterday. It resonates even on low volume level. It sound almost like when the volume level is to high and a speaker isnt capable to play without distortion. You have to watch the video on earphones to hear the wrong vibration. I can hear it comes 99 percent somewhere from the membrane. When i touch the membrane it becomes louder. I tooked the speaker apart, but found nothing loose inside that need to be tightend or something. Also when ive tooked the bass speaker from the housing it sounded normal. Only when i put it in the housing it started to resonate. Like it has something to do with the air. Also when i put a towel in the "subbasshole" in the front of the speaker the resonation disapears. If someone can tell me how to fix this, it would be very nice. Thanx kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWOogH9vn9CKb6s

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Thanks for reaching out. The majority of my experience ties back to vintage speakers and alike. I would reach out to +SpeakerFreak95 and solicit his feedback as his knowledge surpasses mine. Good luck and I hope you’re able to resolve the issue. Best, Don

[@gaboaaa23]

i see! Thanks for your reply! :)

[@riskromer9773]

sounds like Frank speaking to Donnie Darko

[@RestoreOldRadios]

LOL - stay well. Best, Don

[@engine-ortega3625]

Guys what gluee need FAAAAAST REPLY

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+CJ ORTEGA For this speaker, I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue w/ a little water to thin it. Hope this helps and good luck. Best, Don

[@engine-ortega3625]

RestoreOldRadios haha thanks But where can i find that glue? Ace Hardware?

[@RestoreOldRadios]

+CJ ORTEGA Most Craft stores (Michaels, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, Blick Art) will have it. In addition, Walmart may have it as well in their Craft section or ship to store. Amazon has it too. Best, Don

[@ahmadzahier5175]

hear this on my rattling speaker.... made no difference for before and after the repair hahaha my speakers are sucks

[@rich1051414]

It could be that this speaker was never really intended to be full range, and expecting punchy bass out of it might be asking too much. Pushing frequencies lower than intended through a speaker will commonly cause this rattling/honking sound.

[@oliking9819]

I wanna make my speakers rattle

[@RestoreOldRadios]

A loose surround will definitely make them rattle. LOL Best, Don

[@znnetwork560]

I ma from india

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Thank you for watching. Best, Don

[@Logan800]

every speaker I ever purchased made this noise this video was not helping my brand new speakers are not damaged in fact I got replacements from Amazon they did the same thing

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Hi Logan - this fix is to address a loose surround only. I hope you’re successful in getting your new speakers sounding good. Best, Don