Monitor 5/5A Upgrade worth it?

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ZaPHoN
ZaPHoN Posts: 90
edited July 2018 in Vintage Speakers
Not sure if these are Monitor 5/5A but I got them for $60 and seemed to be on decent shape and was polking around trying to find an upgrade (tweeter and crossover) for these that will hot rod them. Looking to use them as a project with my daughter. At 9 years old she's getting hooked already. After I scored the SDA SRS the wife suggested I sell the 1B's and our firmly interjected with a "NO WAY".

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I'm also thinking of picking up a set of CRS with the 2xSL2000 and MW6503 for $100 CDN or less. Is that a decent price?

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Home Theater & Listening

RECEIVER Yamaha HTR6180
FRONT AMP McIntosh MC2125
THEATER AMP EMOTIVA XPA 7
FRONT Polk SDA 1B
CENTER Polk CsiA4
SURROUND LR KEF Cresta 30
REAR Polk Monitor 5
SUB Tannoy TS 10 Subwoofer
NAS 20 TB Raid 3 QNAP

Office

AMP Luxman L210
SPEAKERS Tannoy



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  • ZaPHoN
    ZaPHoN Posts: 90
    edited July 2018
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    What type of damping of the cabinets do you suggest?

    I'm finding the Monitor 5's a bit veiled on some vocals. Would refreshing the crossover help?
    Home Theater & Listening

    RECEIVER Yamaha HTR6180
    FRONT AMP McIntosh MC2125
    THEATER AMP EMOTIVA XPA 7
    FRONT Polk SDA 1B
    CENTER Polk CsiA4
    SURROUND LR KEF Cresta 30
    REAR Polk Monitor 5
    SUB Tannoy TS 10 Subwoofer
    NAS 20 TB Raid 3 QNAP

    Office

    AMP Luxman L210
    SPEAKERS Tannoy



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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    I don't know what he's talking about, but a little piece of BH5 behind the mid-driver isn't a bad idea. Yes, upgrade the crossovers.
    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

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  • pkquat
    pkquat Posts: 744
    edited July 2018
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    I would say yes, but depending on what you are looking for. That era of M7's is the most desired. The M5's are a little bass shy. The only long term issue with that era M5 is the PR surrounds can crack because the rubber ages. Polk changed something with the rubber used in the PR surround's of that time period.

    As mentioned the tweeters are fine, great actually. Make sure the polyfil is up behind the tweeter, and maybe a touch down behind the MW. I think the amounts in them have varied a little.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    Do not line the walls with carpet padding.......geeesh!
    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

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    SoundMann1 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    Do not line the walls with carpet padding.......geeesh!

    Want don't you leave the modification threads to an actual engineer (me)!

    Whatever you wish to call yourself doesn't change the fact that you have no idea what you're doing. Please stop dishing out very bad advice.
    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

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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,585
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    SoundMann1 wrote: »
    Carpet pad has been successfully used to damp the internal enclosures of many commercial speakers!

    Which one's and were they of passive radiator design?

    I'd like to hear your "evidence". Yes I have used convoluted foam in subs WITH ports. I've also used it in other speakers and found it a bad choice when there is MUCH better choices to be used.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
    edited July 2018
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    SoundMann1 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    Whatever you wish to call yourself doesn't change the fact that you have no idea what you're doing. Please stop dishing out very bad advice.

    Without a shred of concrete evidence to back up your claim! How convenient!

    It's carpet padding designed specifically to be used under carpet as a cushion. Acoustic properties were not a consideration unlike products such as BH5.

    So far, your engineering knowledge/skills are less than impressive, but you seem to excel at digging holes.
    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

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    Mostly sealed offerings that are likely before your time.

    Name them. As I'm older than dirt nothing is before my time.
    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

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,050
    edited July 2018
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    Of course, the alignment of a Monitor 5 is not a sealed box; it operates as a Helmholz resonator, akin to a bass reflex alignment, with the mass of the passive radiator acting as the analog of the mass of air in a 'bass reflex' port. I think that's what @ F1nut is getting at.

    Yeah, there are some of us around here for whom very little is before our time, or at least our sphere of experience.

    27138816799_d247e72652_b.jpgDSC_9976 (3) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
    edited July 2018
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    SoundMann1 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    So far, your engineering knowledge/skills are less than impressive, but you seem to excel at digging holes.


    You still haven't named them........waiting.
    Post edited by [Deleted User] on
    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

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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,132
    edited July 2018
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    SoundMann1 wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    So far, your engineering knowledge/skills are less than impressive, but you seem to excel at digging holes.


    Wow dude, I usually welcome newcomers but you're just say ....well I can't because I will be banned

    You're trolling IMHO
    Post edited by [Deleted User] on
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
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    I've seen the inside of a lot of commercial speakers (live reinforcement) and the only place I've ever seen carpet used is on the outside... No self respecting audio engineer would consciously choose a product so acoustically unstable as carpet or carpet foam (especially the rubber or chipped types), and I know a few...

    Better products are usd because they are better. Why choose to use inferior products?
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
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    Gentlemen, please remain on topic. Thanks.
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,776
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  • ZaPHoN
    ZaPHoN Posts: 90
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    To take this back on topic. Should I replace the crossover parts (minus inductors) with same or modify.

    If modify what should it be?
    Home Theater & Listening

    RECEIVER Yamaha HTR6180
    FRONT AMP McIntosh MC2125
    THEATER AMP EMOTIVA XPA 7
    FRONT Polk SDA 1B
    CENTER Polk CsiA4
    SURROUND LR KEF Cresta 30
    REAR Polk Monitor 5
    SUB Tannoy TS 10 Subwoofer
    NAS 20 TB Raid 3 QNAP

    Office

    AMP Luxman L210
    SPEAKERS Tannoy



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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    Use the same values, but better caps and resistors.
    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

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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,102
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    And stay away from carpet pads...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,050
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    F1nut wrote: »
    Use the same values, but better caps and resistors.

    Almost anything made today (in terms of capacitors, electrolytic or film) will be better than the components used in these originally. That is partly, perhaps largely, due to the age of the original components (capacitors, especially do age -- electrolytics in particular). There have also been real improvements in the quality of many capacitors being made today vs 40 years ago -- not something you'll hear me say about electronics in general :) but it is true for capacitors (in general).

    Now, that said, there are vintage capacitors that are still the sine qua non, but not really suited for a Monitor 5 rehab B)

    33722835425_356edb2df3_b.jpgDSC_7330 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
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  • pkquat
    pkquat Posts: 744
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    ZaPHoN wrote: »
    To take this back on topic. Should I replace the crossover parts (minus inductors) with same or modify.

    If modify what should it be?
    F1nut wrote: »
    Use the same values, but better caps and resistors.

    ^^ This. Most people prefer Sonicap or Clarity ESA/CSA caps and Mills / Mundorf resistors for the high end or all around. No need to do anything with the inductors. Soniccraft usually will have all the values you need.

    Sorry I totally forgot to mention that in my original post. I got focused on the PR's and whether you were thinking you want to spend any money on them or even keep them.

    I would start with playing with the polyfill a little to see how you like the sound. The fill can often drop to the bottom of the cabinet behind the PR. This will actually change the overall sound.

    Oh and tip them back about 5 degrees. The original stands had that angle. That will also change the sound some.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,050
    edited July 2018
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    pkquat wrote: »
    ...
    Oh and tip them back about 5 degrees. The original stands had that angle. That will also change the sound some.

    Yup. Cheap and cheerful "time alignment".

    0c81psevqrxa.png


    Keep 'em out of the corners and away from (rear) walls, if at all possible, too -- for best results.

    Heh, as it happens, I am listening to a pair of Monitor 5s even as I type this (although I think they're "series 2" -- at any rate, they still have the dreaded SL2500 tweeters :p ).


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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    C'mon Doc, you know those are the best tweeters. ;)
    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

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,806
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    Still waiting for you to name those production speakers that use carpet padding.
    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

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