Broken speaker terminals - fixable?

[Smudger]

I came home yesterday to a confession from 'er indoors that she had broken the speaker terminals off one of my B&W Vision floorstanders. I only put banana plugs on a few weeks ago, chance are if I hadn't, the speakers would still be fine. Basically, a big box fell over, hit the terminals and they've sheared off a few mm from the housing. Is this something that's easy to repair? There seems to be a plastic housing which comes out, I tried to lever it out with a screwdriver but didn't want to make things worse. So, is it something I can fix by getting some new terminals and wiring them in myself, or is it goodbye speakers?

[virtuo]

I'd expect anything is fixable, broken terminals can't be, er, terminal. Got a pic of the damage?

[Dashers]

Often you have to go in through the front, take out a woofer and have a nosy in there. Speakers aren't very complicated affairs, mostly empty wooden boxes with a few simple bits of wires soldered on, very easy to DIY repair. The money is in the cones and the design of said empty(ish) box.

[Biscuit]

Definitely need to see some pictures for this one, but it sounds fixable.

[Smudger]

Yeah, I've spoken to a local electronics-fixing-guy, he reckons it should be fairly easy. Don't have a soldering iron so I'll pop the speaker along to him. Or, looking at e-bay/gumtree, I could buy a new pair of the same for £30...

[g8ina]

If local guy doesnt sort it bring it here, only up road in Northampton

[Smudger]

If local guy doesnt sort it bring it here, only up road in Northampton

Thanks g8ina, I'll keep you posted! If I was more confident about what I was doing (and had a soldering iron) I'd do it myself, but I really would like to keep using these speakers, even though a new pair would be very nice...

[Smudger]

This is what they look like...

[peterb]

Something like this?

https://uk.rs-online.com/mobile/p/lo...ctors/0458190/ Also available with black marking.

If they are, give me a shout, I've got an account with RS and they aren't too far away from me. I could send them to you or direct to g8ina if he is going to wield the iron!

[DanceswithUnix]

Thanks g8ina, I'll keep you posted! If I was more confident about what I was doing (and had a soldering iron) I'd do it myself, but I really would like to keep using these speakers, even though a new pair would be very nice...

It seems to me if you are ready to write the units off and buy replacements from ebay that you really don't have anything to lose.

As others have said, speakers are pretty simple affairs. Usually the main drivers are held in with screws once you take the front cover off, then you can have a look inside. Hopefully they haven't been cheap and glued it all together.

As long as you aren't so clumsy you are likely to put a screwdriver through the cone because a twisting motion is too complicated, you should be fine

If you aren't bothered about cosmetics, then once inside you could probably either remove the broken posts or even drill a couple of new holes in the plastic and just get some new posts from Maplin.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-ter...ct-black-n49aq
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-ter...tact-red-n48aq

Edit: Is it a DS3 that looks like: http://www.consignatia.ro/Boxe-BW-Vision-DS3-180-W-3265

[Smudger]

Yes, it is that one. It looks like there's a round nut that binds the posts to the plastic, I'm sure I could get this off with a pair of pliers, and I could probably prise the plastic out of the back, but the key word you used here is 'clumsy'. I'm not confident that in pulling off the plastic, I wouldn't pull too hard and rip something out further down the line, causing more damage. I suppose though, at £30 for a replacement (wonder if they'd do £15 for one?!) I haven't got much to lose.
I'll see what the guy comes back with once he's sourced the parts and make a decision.

And there was me worrying that that cones would get destroyed by my 3 year-old. Didn't think I had to watch out for the wife...

Edit: Hang on, 649 Lei is about £125. That's a bit pricey...

[scaryjim]

... I'm not confident that in pulling off the plastic, I wouldn't pull too hard and rip something out further down the line, causing more damage. ...

In the absence of any sign of screws at all, the chances are the plastic bay for the connections is glued on - so if you're concerned, just slide a sharp knife between the edge of the plastic and the case carefully as you prise it away. The key would definitely be to prise, not pull - you don't want to yank it out, just carefully slide it out. Once you've done that you should find there'll be a bit of play in the wires so it'll pull out just far enough to detach the old contacts and wire up a new set.

The only damage you could possibly do* is if you pulled it out so hard that you pulled the wires off the crossovers or other control circuitry inside the speaker (as I seriously doubt a 3-way speaker like that is directly wired). And the plastic bay can always be reglued when you put it back. Go on.....

*scaryjim cannot offer any guarantee that you will not manage to foul this up horrifically and totally trash your speaker.

[Smudger]

I'll take a look tonight when I get home...

[Smudger]

Right, well, I tried to get the plastic panel off last night, used a knife to cut away the glue, and it's still stuck in. I can hear plastic cracking when I try to prise it out so I think I might have to take out a driver and push from the inside...
Also tried to unscrew the collar that you can see right next to the plastic, not budging so I think that might need unscrewing from inside as well.

[g8ina]

Save your time and just come to sunny Northampton. Ten minute job

[DanceswithUnix]

As I said in my previous post, I would have gone in through the main driver (nearest the terminals) and had a look there. I know how screws work, it is a pretty reliable way in

You may find once inside you can use a pair of pliers, bike repair spanner or small socket to undo the post and leave the plastic recess panel in place.

If you really don't like soldering, perhaps you have some automotive crimp ring connectors around? Crimp one onto the wire, bolt it onto the end of the binding post.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/un-insulat...ck-of-10-jh62s