New to me 5s
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FestYboy
Posts: 3,861
Ok so I picked up some cheap 5s with a bad tweet and cosmetic issues.
I want to mod them. I'll rehab the boxes. Nothing is off the table on this. They'll get hurricane nuts, power grab and dynamat. Those seem to be common for all mod builds.
What I'm looking for is anything specific to 5s. I'll order some 194s as well (these have the 2000s) since I have an early set with the 1000s, and I'm not touching them. I'll make this my first foray into modifying Polks. I'm not afraid of nor inexperienced with speakers/electronics, so go ahead and get technical with me.
Let's do this!!!
I want to mod them. I'll rehab the boxes. Nothing is off the table on this. They'll get hurricane nuts, power grab and dynamat. Those seem to be common for all mod builds.
What I'm looking for is anything specific to 5s. I'll order some 194s as well (these have the 2000s) since I have an early set with the 1000s, and I'm not touching them. I'll make this my first foray into modifying Polks. I'm not afraid of nor inexperienced with speakers/electronics, so go ahead and get technical with me.
Let's do this!!!
Comments
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There is also the SL3000 mod schematic which makes use of the 198's. The M5 series 2 use the same high pass as the M7 series 2 (rev2). The M5s2 low pass is different from the M7s2, and also the M5 with the SL2000. I think the cabinet and PR changed for the series 2. I don't know what differences the crossover variations make.
I am updating my M5s2's. I went a lower cost route with Clarity ESA caps for the HP and Solen for the LP. I may also add a little more fill and/or add some black hole 5.
For your M5's with the SL1000 (silver flat face plate), I think the MW overlaps the PR. If it does and the cabinets are in good shap, I would try and find the guts
from some peerless M5's, crossover, MW6500, and peerless tweeters. -
Sry, I must not have been clear in the first post. I currently have 2 pair of M5s, both are series 1. My first purchase was the early ones with the overlap and SL1000 tweet. Not touching those save for maybe dynamat and power grab, maybe.
I'm all about modding the other pair though. They are also series 1, but no overlap and the SL2000. So that's where the focus is. I want these to be the monsters I know they're capable of being. I grew up with Polk M5s my old man bought back in 87. They would shake the house. They don't overlap, but I don't recall them being SL2000 tweets. I need to do some research on model history...
Ok, I digress. On with the mods!!!! -
I've gone through a couple pairs of M5s and I loved the sound but they would never shake the house. Crossover upgrade, either TL mod them so you can use the Rd0198 tweeters or get the 194s, dynamat the baskets and you should be plenty happy.Just a dude doing dude-ly things
"Temptation is the manifestation of desire which equals necessity." - Mikey081057
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"Audiophiles are the male equivalent of cat ladies." - Audiokarma Member -
In their defense (the M5's), the house was built in 1919. Brick and stick 3 story farm house. Everything shakes the house
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Not trying change your mind, but the SL1000 is regarded by most to be the worst vintage tweeter Polk made.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I was under the impression it was the SL2000.
Perhaps a picture will clarify what I actually have:
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From left to right.
SL2000, Peerless, SL2500.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
This what the leads coming off your fuse holder look like.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Do I get a cookie?Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Damn!Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I believe the ones on the right are 5jr+ so the replacements are RD-0198s.I'll order some 194s as well -
Left to right, they appear to be, M7's, M5A's, and M5jr+ series 2.
M7's have a 10"PR
M5's have an 8"PR
M5jr+'s have a 6.5" PR -
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Wow, we're really falling down the rabbit hole, lol.
The pics were in response to F1NUT's suggestion that I replace the tweets in my early 5s. I made the assumption that peerless = SL1000.
As it is, none of the pictured speakers are going under the knife (for now). I'd like to concentrate on the aforementioned SL2000 fitted units.
So again with the mod list:
Fix the enclosures
Dynamat the frames
Yank the 2000s for some 194s
Power grab
Hurricane nuts
Better binding posts (suggestions)
What am I missing?? Anything M5 specific? -
lol I think you are already in the rabbit hole with all the polks it appears.
I am not sure what your plans are for all your speakers, but I think a plan might be in order..
I would reference my first reply, and look at doing the TL upgrade for the RD0-198. Otherwise, its up to you on caps and cost. Powergrabbing the magnets, checking the cabinets for leaks is always good, as is dynamating the drivers, and adding hurricane nuts, or waiting for larry's rings. -
Forgive my ignorance, but I thought the TL tweeter replacement was based off the originally installed tweeter (in this case the SL2000). As I recall reading, the SL2000 is replaced by the RD0-194, where the SL3000 gets the RD0-198? Both of these make up their respective TL mod (so I've read).
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^^The RDO-198 also replaces the SL2500.2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.
Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
Imagine making politics your entire personality. -
It looks like, if you want to mod the speakers with the SL2000 tweets, you would want to mod the M7's.
The M5A's have the Peerless, so you aren't messing with those, and the M5jr+ have the SL2500, so your upgrade there would be to the RD-0198, if you want to do that.
What type of speaker connections do you have on the M5jr+? Just curious since mine have the old spring type. -
Not touching any of the speakers pictured. That post was for clarification for F1.
Modding 5Bs with the SL2000s.
To answer your question: spring type as well. -
Some history:
The TL mod or upgrade refer to (at the time) upgrading from the SL2000 to the SL3000 tri-laminate (TL) tweeter. The later SL3000 (and also 2500) tweeters had different characteristics and needed different crossover designs. The engineers as polk were kind enough to develop (or release) some schematics to modify existing crossovers so the SL2000 tweeters could be replaced with the SL3000 on older models.
Later on polk developed even better tweeters. During this process they were able to design drop in replacements for both the SL2000, and SL2500/SL3000 tweeters, the RD0-194, and RD0-198 respectively. With the RD0-194, this meant the older crossovers for the SL2000 did not need to be modified. The tweeters could just be replaced.
While the RD0-194 is a BIG improvement over the SL2000, many feel the RD0-198 sounds even a little better. They sound similar, but not the same. Some people still do TL mods, or if they are doing a complete rebuild, rebuild the crossovers to later model schematics so they can use the RD0-198 tweeter. -
It should be mentioned that not all speakers using the SL2000 can be upgraded to TL's.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I like history lessons, thanks pkquat.
F1, that begs the question, are the M5s in question able to be TL modded? If you need serial numbers, I'll grab them shortly. -
I'm not as knowledgeable about mods to the Monitor series as I am about the SDA's. Try asking Westmassguy.
I'll tell ya this though. If it were me I'd be modding those Monitor 7's to the hilt.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Baby steps F1, baby steps...
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I like history lessons, thanks pkquat.
F1, that begs the question, are the M5s in question able to be TL modded? If you need serial numbers, I'll grab them shortly.
There is a schematic in the schematic sticky post in this section. m5b sl3000 mod
https://us.v-cdn.net/5021930/uploads/attachments/4/6/7/2/8/18767.pdf
AFAIK TL mod is only for most models that used the SL2000 tweeter. They were more verision or type specific than serial number. There is either a modification schematic, or people rebuild the crossover to match schematics of the same model that use the SL2500 / SL3000 tweeters. For many it is changing the high pass circuit with different resitors and caps and layout. Sometimes a different inductor is required, which is easier on the high pass. The low pass inductor is wrapped around the polk crossover holder, so changing that becomes a bigger job, often requiring a custom crossover layout.
The main models that I am aware of that don't have a TL version are the SDA 1C's and SDA SRS2. There may be others.
