# Different cone materials wood vs paper vs carbon fiber etc?



## Ultimateherts (Nov 13, 2006)

I was wondering what different cone materials do to the sound of speakers and output. For instance do wood speakers play higher then carbon fiber speakers? 

I noticed a lot of full range speaker use wood cones. I know there are also composite/hybrid cones which blend many different types of fibers as well. 

Which ones offer higher excursion?

Are there general charcteristics for each type?


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## chefhow (Apr 29, 2007)

From what I have been taught and learned cone material has to do with tonality and not excursion. There was a thread about it a while back but I cant remember the title to it.


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## jcollin76 (Oct 26, 2010)

I think excursion would have more to do with the suspension and motor of the drivers. Not that cone material doesn't have an affect on the moving mass, but I think more about suspension.

I don't have any experience with a wood cone driver, but would like to hear some sometime. 
People generally describe a paper cone is more natural, or neutral sounding, whereas metal cone is colder or more clinical. 
Not my words, but what I have read other people describe them as.

I've never done comparisons of material, but just focus more on hey they sound to me. I almost always prefer the sound of paper or fiber myself. But I think it also depends on what the driver will be used for. I don't think I'd have an issue with different materials on subs, maybe even midbass, but would prefer the neutral/natural sound of paper on my mids.


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## 3cyltrbo (Apr 11, 2011)

I was asking similar topics in my thread called 

http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum...erials-different-drivers-what-did-you-do.html


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## gus1111 (Apr 17, 2009)

every cone material has its own signature. Paper tends to be kind of warm and musical, wood or bamboo quite neutral to just a bit warm, and carbon fiber neutral to a bit bright . Carbon is great for subs and even midbasses! It makes for a fast, detailed and controlled cone which is a positive thing when it comes to bass/midbass. 
It has to do with component matching, personal taste and speaker design and execution... For example... When one has a bright source(head unit), a bright amp, a paper cone midbass or sub would be much sense. It will complement the rest of the components.


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## dman (Dec 21, 2008)

paper , better bass


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## Patrick Bateman (Sep 11, 2006)

Ultimateherts said:


> I was wondering what different cone materials do to the sound of speakers and output. For instance do wood speakers play higher then carbon fiber speakers?
> 
> I noticed a lot of full range speaker use wood cones. I know there are also composite/hybrid cones which blend many different types of fibers as well.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't get too wrapped up on what the cone is made of. A well behaved woofer simply moves air - it's not a musical instrument, there isn't a good reason to obsess over cone material.

Having said that...

The *efficiency* of a woofer has a lot to do with the strength of the motor and the mass of the cone. This is why a lot of modern subwoofers use strong heavy cones. The mass and the strength lowers the free air resonance and makes for a durable woofer, though it hurts efficiency. (Efficiency isn't very important in a world of thousand watt amplifiers.)

Also, the free air resonance and efficiency isn't just a factor of the cone, it's affected by everything attached to it - the spider, the surround, etc.

Paper is cheap and versatile - you can use it for everything from tweeters to subwoofers
It's difficult to make aluminum as thin as paper, but if you can live with the weight, it has a lot of great properities like a good strength-to-weight ratio, relatively low cost, and it's weatherproof
Carbon fiber is a bit stronger than aluminum, based on weight, but costs a lot more. There isn't a lot of carbon fiber cones out there.
Many people assume that titanium is superior to aluminum because it's more expensive, but aluminum actually has a higher strength to weight ratio. The light weight of aluminum makes it a better choice if you need extended response IMHO
Beryllium behaves a lot like aluminum in a tweeter, but it's even lighter. And it's toxic :O

Also, the best choice may be a composite. Treated paper has a lot of benefits over treated paper. And Focal's W-Cones offer a great combination of strength and damping by combining foam with fiberglass. (Yes, it's the same composite that they use for surfboards, but Focal uses it for woofers.)


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

The only time cone material matters is when the speaker is used outside of it's piston range. Once in the breakup mode material choices come into play.


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