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How Effective Are Speaker Foam Repair Kits?

Many well known loudspeaker manufacturers including JBL and Infinity made some very poor choices in the 70s and 80s when they used foam surrounds for their drivers. Unfortunately, almost all of the foam surrounds of these speakers started deteriorating just 10 years after purchase. Other parts of these speakers were also aging rather quickly.

Fortunately, there is hope if you still own one of the good old Infinity Kappa speakers or just love vintage stuff. Dozens of third-party manufacturers including PartsExpress.com and SimplySpeakers.com are now offering reasonably priced speaker foam repair kits that not only fix the speaker surrounds but also holes in your speaker grill. Depending on your personal budget, you can give your „babies“ a complete makeover. SimplySpeakers even offers a complete reconing service for tougher jobs that cannot be fixed via do-it-yourself kits. Reconing essentially means replacing the diaphragm, voice coil and any internal wiring. This doesn’t come cheap but can be worth the price. The results are often stunning. If done well, you won’t believe how fantastic your speakers still sound even by modern standards.

For very exotic home stereo loudspeakers, there is often not much hope. Your best bet would be to contact the manufacturer or look for replacement drivers in the secondhand market. Similar speaker models may be offered on eBay that you could simply cannibalize. On the other side, drop-in replacements are not easy to find as the dimensions of the woofers differ in almost all cases. In addition, you probably need to drill additional holes into the speaker enclosure. I personally wouldn’t feel very comfortable doing that. And the internal crossover of your loudspeaker would have to be adapted, too. All of this could result in too many sonic compromises. But it could be acceptable if you just need the speakers for background listening and plan on getting newer ones in the near future.

In summary, speaker foam repair kits only make sense if your loudspeaker is from a larger manufacturer and if damages are minor.

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Regis Philbin – Five Great Replacement Ideas to Join Kelly Ripa

It is now official that Regis Philbin is leaving “Live with Regis and Kelly”  and the rumor mill is already buzzing about who might be his replacement.  Many names are being talked about, and each of them have some merit.  Replacing Regis Philbin is not going to be one of the easiest gigs in town, so going with a known entity is probably a good idea for ABC.  Here are five names that have been brought up, and what I think about them as a potential “Live with Regis and Kelly” co-host:

Ryan Secreast

Ryan is certainly the front runner if you go by common sense, but rarely in the world of television do they do that.  Secreast is already affiliated with ABC for the “New Year’s Rocking Eve” show, and it would make sense for him to be used here if he is so inclined.  Ryan Secreast may not want to go the route of morning talk show host, however.  His reputation has always seemed to be important to him, and manning the seat next to Ripa is not exactly screaming “young crowd coolness” like Secreast is used to doing.  Still, many think he is the most natural fit for the job and it would be hard to argue against it.

Neil Patrick Harris

Doogie Howser is not some little kid anymore, and he is my choice to take over the spot.  Harris has shown himself to be not only a wonderful actor, but a highly articulate and thoughtful person.  Neil Patrick Harris would be the perfect fit to be the straight man to Ripa as well. Harris is a funny man in his own right, and can carry portions of the show when needed. For those of us that watched him growing up as the child doctor prodigy, he comes across now as refined and the ultimate pro.  That should keep him in contention as that is the target audience for the show as well.

Jeff Probst

Probst certainly could handle the job, but I do not think that enough people would tune in. No matter how many times I watch him, I just have a hard time taking him seriously. All I can think about is Survivor when I see Probst, and the various situations that arise on that show.  Jeff Probst is a pretty sharp fellow, but he still feels “reality television” to me.  I am not sure that is the aim of the “Live with Regis and Kelly” producers are not.  Perhaps they will want to aim at a younger demographic.

Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper would also be great in the job, though his shows have a tendency to become a bit heavy.  With Ripa to play off of, I think that Cooper could be a wonderful fit in this situation. Those times where he guest hosted he did a fantastic job.  Not only was he a good co-host, he was funny and engaging.

Wayne Brady

Wayne is without a doubt the most mis-used talent in Hollywood.  In this role as a side kick with Ripa, he could truly fit his talents with the audience that would appreciate him.  Brady is a great talent, and would be an awesome co-host for “Live with Regis and Kelly.”

About the only name being bandied about that I would not want is Mark Conseulos, simply because the show would become all about their family.  Husbands and wives should not co-host the show in my opinion and I feel it would become stale quickly.

Rodney Southern is an aspiring novelist and article writer. He loves to follow entertainment news and contribute articles about celebrity whereabouts.