ESS AMT 1D: sell for parts or attempt to restore?

I had a pair of Infinity RSIIa speakers i bought new, and used for 18 years.
I decided to sell them, but instead of as a whole (worth $800. at most) I took them apart and sold some of the pieces for $1,800.
The main point is that certain of the parts had a great value. being out of production, and also used in many much more expensive Infinity Speakers. Also, the parts had a toendency to fail.
So I was able to sell them to folks holding on the bigger Infinity speakers.
The point is, you have to have something others will pay for. And those bits have to be enough to be worth more than the whole. Because some of the stuff just will not sell. I left the cabinets on the curb.
And, you have to know this before breaking up the speakers. If you sell just one part, then the rest sit, you are basically sitting on junk.
So if you are certain the parts are a wanted commodity, then sell them as parts.
Or, offer only the most valuable parts first, and when you sell those, then you can start selling the rest.

I once had a pair of ESS AMT 1B. The foam surrounds eventually fell apart. I replaced the surrounds and they worked fine.

I have located a surround repair kit for about $25 that is designed for these woofers so I will attempt. The woofers have a plastic like feel and a flat edge so this particular kit was designed for this somewhat unusual configuration. Will do the repair and decide how to proceed. I sell rare books for a hobby and generally have an aversion to breaking up items for parts (for example, books that are sold for their color plates never become books again) However, I must remember that if I part out these parts are likely going to someone who is trying to return a set to its original condition. Thanks for the advise.

If the surrounds are completely gone be sure to properly align the cone so the piston does not rub the inside of the voice coil. Once aligned, secure it in three or four places with masking tape. As you apply the new surround remove the tape pieces as you get to that area.

You have diamonds in the rough. Replace the woofers and upgrade the crossover capacitors.

simple fix. you can get the surround replacements/repair kit at partsexpress or better yet for $150 each, you can get the NEWER ESS AMT woofers that's been redesigned at partsexpress. I just bought a pair and haven't received it yet although my originals are still good.

Thanks for all the advise. I will be ordering a surround kit that is specifically designed for the ESS AMT woofer with the flat edges. Will fix up and see what I think of them. As I own way too many speakers (like many of you I am sure) I will likely enjoy for a while and send to another loving home. Thanks again. Jon.

Best of luck enjoying those. The original truncated cabinet styles are very nice in the decor of modern homes and are well suited to solid state amplifiers also. Brand new components available for these all come from China so you're good to stay with all of the vintage pieces and just restore! Nice speakers by the way.