2 pairs of Heybrook HB3's that sound very different !!?

[JwEs]

Well, I'm a bit disheartened, I did the air tightness test for the mid enclosures and all of the speakers including the black pair move the mids a heck of a lot!
What difference does it make in the sound ?

I'll start with the brown pair which is in worse condition and learn from there. In case the mid enclosures are also not airtight where they meet the cabinets I'm probably gonna have to remove some side or upper panels to get better access, what would be the best method ?

[Shane]

The problem will be either the cable entry or where the midrange tube fits against the front or back panel. If its the front or back panel joint, the easiest way to fix it is to take out the midrange unit and wool and seal the inside edge of the joint with a suitable sealer. I wouldn't use silicone sealer as the solvent vapour could affect the midrange unit. It probably doesn't make a huge difference, but there will be subtle effects.

[Greg.]

I've had to deal with this problem before. Remove the driver and all the damping material to expose the raw wood sections. Tilt the cabinet so a compartment joint is at 45 degrees. Drizzle in PVA wood glue to form an infill and allow to dry. Then rotate the cabinet to expose another joint in the 45 degree presentation and do the same. Repeat until all joints are sealed. It is a time consuming process but absolutely works for a long standing solution. Also, as Shane has said, apply some sealant around the wire in hole for a complete seal.

[Shane]

Not sure if PVA would work with the HB3s, Greg. The midrange enclosure is a piece of 5'' diameter PVC pipe whose ends sit in rebates in the front and back panels. I think PVA would shrink away from the PVCas it dried. I was going to recommend Seelastic but it doesn't seem to be around any more. This should do the job though:

http://www.idealsealants.com/oil-based-mastic_c121.php

[Greg.]

Fair point Shane. I didn't realise at the time of posting how the chamber is constructed.

[JwEs]

I took off the bass unit on one of the speakers and was surprised by the thick bituminous side panel, just goes to show how wrong it is to judge speakers by their appearance...

Will order that sealant and update the thread later on...

[JwEs]

Another question before proceeding...
I decided I prefer to try to repair the cabinets (brow pair) first before gluing the mid's PVC pipes.
Since at least one of the side panels unglued from the front panels where they meet, would I'd be able to fix it with just some high quality strong wood glue ? If so which glue would you recommend for that and should I try to take off the old glue first, which is probably very hard, I don't even know what would be the best way to put the new glue in there between panels without dismantling them...

I looked inside with a light and it seems there are no cracks on the wood of the panels, the only other thing that's bad are, like I said before, the corners of the side panels on the outside made of chipboard, which are disintegrating due to physical damage. I'll take care of this later.

Sorry for the extra question, I like the speakers and prefer to not risk making damage to them...

Cheers
Jose

[Shane]

It's quite hard to imagine what's happened here. I'd be surprised if the front panel has separated from the side panels unless the cabinet has been subjected to massive stresses, but it's hard to see how that could have happened without the panels themselves being very badly damaged in the process. Any chance of some photos? If the panels have separated without being damaged, then PVA wood glue would do the job, but you'd need to make sure that the entire joining surfaces were covered in order for the cabinets to be air-tight.

What on earth happened to them??

[Richard]

Damp or condensation causing warping do you think Shane? Or warm air drying them out?

If you think the joint may be weak I'd get a gun-able glue like PVA and force it into the cracks then let it dry. Then perhaps a bead of acrylic sealer along the joints to ensure air tightness.

If they still seem quite strong a single application alternative would be the solvent-free version of No Nails such as Wickes Gripfill,
http://www.wickes.co.uk/gripfill-sol...l/invt/227910/

or Evo Stik Liquid Nails,
http://www.discountonline247.com/evo...FWT4wgodzyQAPQ

which fill and glue. I'm sure a local builders merchant would have a similar adhesive used for sticking boards to concrete etc.

[Greg.]

Hmmm, remember Richard, Jose is in Portugal