whats with these tweeters?

cstmar01
cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
edited May 2010 in Vintage Speakers
http://greenbay.craigslist.org/ele/1739098442.html

I contacated the guy. He said he would be willing to sell just the polks, however never seen the tweeter mounted on the top. From what I can see here
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98710&highlight=monitor+11

these really are not Monitor 11's but then again they are not monitor 12's from the pictures here
http://www.polksda.com/monitor12.shtml

so what are these things? He also wants me to "make him an offer" which I'm not a huge fun of doing but depending on what these are and how much I might grab them.
Post edited by cstmar01 on
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited May 2010
    look like RTA 12 to me. Peerless tweeters. He says something about rebuilding them. I would want to know what that means.

    I found a very nice pair for $35 but they are worth more.

    look like Bs. Go here http://www.polksda.com/ebay/5760960807_RTA12B.pdf
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited May 2010
    searching some more shows they would be RTA 12 or 12B's. Not really sure what their worth. This shows the back a few years ago between 150-200 is what they went for on the bay, however not really sure how others feel about these speakers.
    http://www.polksda.com/ebay.shtml
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,393
    edited May 2010
    They are older Monitor 12's. The one that you have hot linked is the Series II.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited May 2010
    are they decent sounding? I've never heard a pair. Also what would you say would be the going price of them these days?
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited May 2010
    Some form of RTA-12's. With Peerless tweets too, which is a big plus.

    They generally sell in the $150ish range, more if they're in really good shape. Being local is a big plus too. I'd snag em!
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
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  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,536
    edited May 2010
    Those are stand version RTA-12s, not very common. I'd need to know what he rebuilt before I could suggest a price. The Xovers in these are very complex & if rebuilt would significantly increase the value.

    -Dave
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited May 2010
    Hold out for SDA's unless you are going to have multiple rigs. RTA12's are not a bad speaker but what are you looking to do? Are you just collecting different model Polks? Or looking to put a permanent 2ch rig together?
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,136
    edited May 2010
    My son's step-father has RTA 12As and they really sounded good especially when one considers they were being played off a rack system. I told him if he ever wants to get rid of them I would take them in a heartbeat. It would be a nice restoration project for me.
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited May 2010
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Hold out for SDA's unless you are going to have multiple rigs. RTA12's are not a bad speaker but what are you looking to do? Are you just collecting different model Polks? Or looking to put a permanent 2ch rig together?

    I would be just collecting them for right now and see how I like them. If I liked them enough I would probably put them in my other bedroom for a small little 2 channel rig.

    My mine rig for 2 channel is the one in my sig which is the one that I will be building around in the future. I know its nothing special right now but just a starter rig that I'll be upgrading as time goes on.
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  • MNmike
    MNmike Posts: 41
    edited May 2010
    I have that same version of 12's and they sound great.

    As said before, very complex crossovers. One could spend a few $ on upgrading the caps on these.
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  • anhedonia
    anhedonia Posts: 8
    edited May 2010
    I know the RTA 12 and 12B's and there is something up with those mid-woofers. The tweeters appear as correct but those mid-woofers appear off. That would be the clarification I would ask. The picture is poor but they look like generic replacements.

    Check this link for a better picture of the mids
    http://media.photobucket.com/image/p...house/12-2.jpg
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited May 2010
    well I got a response back regarding what he did. He stated he replaced the tweeters and also the drivers (he's very short and didn't explain WHAT they were replaced with). So IDK. I might offer him a bit but then again I kinda was looking for a pair of RTA 11's as I love my 15TL's and wouldn't mind having a pair of 11's around too. I just didn't know how rare these would be to have as possibly an extra pair of Polks.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,606
    edited May 2010
    ^ I think I'd still see what he is asking for them. Might be a good project. Also does he by chance still have the originals?
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited May 2010
    I'd steer clear unless you can "steal" them because until you know what drivers were used it's pointless to buy them.
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited May 2010
    Pass. Buy my Paradigms. :p
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

    Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999

    Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3

    HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited May 2010
    concealer404 wrote: »
    Pass. Buy my Paradigms. :p

    of course I'm still buying those, was just thinking of having another pair of polks around lol no one could ever have too many speakers :p
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  • smcgov34
    smcgov34 Posts: 46
    edited May 2010
    a buddy near me has those and they sound fantastic..I'd be all over them, although this guy's prices seem a little unrealistic
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