the reality with this driver's original surround is that it was so flimsy it didn't hold its form well
Sounds ideal in the terms of what a surround is and is NOT supposed to do with regard to compliance.

I've re-foamed a few woofers and in each case i'm always left thinking that those surrounds i handled added to the stiffness of the compliance. My basic understanding is that the surround is much akin to the hinge on a door and should neither resist movement or limit the range of movement. So, in order to sleep at night i've simply convinced myself that the designers/engineers must take the compliance of the foam into consideration in their design. I might be completely out to lunch with the notion, but i'm well rested nonetheless.

My only listening experience with 411's is with the foam versions in my 9846's. I have a hard time stepping away from the honesty and extension of the bass.

Recently i've been toying around using them as subwoofers in the 9846 boxes, actively crossed at 80hz. I like the results well enough that i'm considering a winter project around a pair of 411's as dedicated subwoofers in a box/alignment that might better suit the application than the 9846 cabinet.

It looks like for my intended use, either surround type will be fine and i should really discard my preconceived bias against the older surround type. Sometimes i get caught up in my American consumerism and value of appearances. There are times i'd probably buy a turd if somebody put the right polish on it.:doh: