I’ve seen advertised internal foam for SBLs and just wanted to check where they go and is it worth changing. I presume the foam is in the top and middle box and yo need to take the drivers out.
IIRC, this issue has been the subject of a number of threads.
Did you do a search before posting?
While obviously a different model, worth a look at all threads of SBL era, including DBLs.
A few DBL owners have posted in the past, on similar issues.
helpful reply fella… (!)
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Anyone can be more specific please? I also have a pair of SBL being restored but my service manager, bar the wool waste, is not aware of those foams
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I can’t find anything about internal foam for SBLs
I settled on some foam from a local shop, about 2.5cm thick I reckon. No way to know what the old stuff was as it was basically dust. I don’t think you need to worry about the stuff in the bottom box. reality is you are unlikely to find what ever spec they were using, settle for something reasonable, because its going to be better than dust.
(Same in nSats btw, if anyone is using those, the sponge will be basically dust now.)
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Just had a reply from eBay seller and there are three pieces per speaker and they go behind the mid-bass driver
To establish that, they have either taken out the woofer or possibly the grille of the PAR. As a buyer are you okay with that? I’m not sure I would be.
No I’m not keen on doing that either so going to leave as they are. Sound good to me anyway
Take the actual speaker out, its not exactly difficult, you dont need to touch the PAR. I created three pieces as it goes, top, bottom and a wrap around for the middle bit.
I can only assume the foam is there for a reason and for an afternoon of faffing probably worth while to have foam back again.
Easy for some, perhaps not so easy for others, that’s if you are able to travel a mile in their shoes.
Maybe so but if you are still in control of your motor function, this is not a difficult DIY job.
If not get someone else to do it. With no foam in there, the SBLs are not doing what they were designed for.
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My n-SATs are from 2007 vintage & have never been tampered with. They sound perfectly fine to me. I’m not going to touch them or to see if they’ve deteriorated inside.
I’m sure there was a thread here once, giving the specs, and where to purchase the foam for Allae speakers? Maybe this is the same foam for SBLs? Could be worth a search through the Forum Archives.
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Well you can put your hands over your ears and eyes as well if you want, your approach makes literally no sense.
You arn’t ‘tampering’ with them you are unscrewing 6, rather flimsy screws off the bass unit, and putting new foam in there. Almost 100% likely to bring them back into spec. Heres a thought if you don’t like it, take it back out.
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If they sounded off and gave me a reason to investigate then i would probably do just that. I used to assemble speakers for a living, so no big deal. They sound fine. No need to do anything with them. I’m not going to ‘gas light’ myself. Sorry.
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What would the foam be for?
I have a pair of NSats that I’ve owned for around 12 years and they don’t sound any different now to when I bought them.
I’m not really inclined to take them apart just to see if the foam is intact or otherwise.
So to be clear, you have audio memory from years ago that you can with some confidence recall today for comparison? Thats pretty cool!
I replaced the tweeters in my NBLs, thought the originals were totally fine but the difference with a new pair was utterly transformative.
I have no idea why foam goes in, but usually to deal with resonance and frequency, and I have no doubt that it went in for an important reason, otherwise why spend the money to do so, its not like the customer would see it and it weighs nearly nothing.
That is to say I think it serves an important use. People here are happy to have perfectly functioning caps replaced in an unnecessary service on an nDac (for instance) but don’t care if the main auditory device in the chain is sub-optimal.
Boggles my mind to be honest!
I can, with some confidence, say I’d know if they sounded “off”. After 12 years I’m very familiar with how they sound.
As ever YMMV
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Would it not slightly eat at you though, knowing they are not at spec now?
I am pretty chill on these things as it goes, but for such an easy task seems like a no brainer. As you appear happy I don’t suppose it matters! I have replaced the foam in both my pairs of nSats.
Nope… doesn’t eat at me in the slightest 
I’d rather stick another record on than take my speakers apart to look for a problem that, to me at least, isn’t there. Intact foam or not, my NSats sound great.
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