RT 12 Speakers Rebuild

fatpiggy

Messiah,
Chief wasnt bagging my thread he was just saying that he has RT16' the next model up and that he is very happy with them.He was commenting on a quote I made that these RT 12's are probally the worst speakers ever made and were lemons as I was told I was nuts spending all this money doing these speakers up.So dont ride chief hes ok.

Fatpiggy

fatpiggy

I think you guys will be very impressed with this rebuild.They will make a very good match as rears if I can get some nice LSi's down the track as fronts.But I will use them as fronts and move my RTi25's to the rear for the time being.I think the SL 6001 tweeters will be a very good match,with the MW 7010's.A bit of a fiddle with the crossovers a bit of damping and they will really sing.

Fatpiggy

dorokusai

fatpiggy wrote: »

Hi chief,
Good to hear you like your Polk RT 16's, I have being given crap about these RT 12 speakers Im doing up.I have been told they arnt worth doing up and that Im wasting my time and money.That these speakers are cheap low quality units and dont sound that good.

Well I have other Polk speakers and they sound great.Every one of them.I cant see how these speakers would be that bad.When I get them rebuilt and running I will have a better idea as to whether all the time and money Im spending will be worth it.

I will just have to wait till they are finished and I will give a full review.

Fatpiggy

I believe you were given modest comments regarding those loudspeakers. Why take it so personal when someone has a different opinion? Anyways most of the information was simply fact and the known history from Club Polk.

For example, just because I don't think your speakers are that great doesn't mean I'm not interested in your project. You'll probably have the best pair of RT12's on the planet after all is said and done. And you'll have shown other RT12 owners that it might be worth their time to re-think that upgrade after all.

Relax and enjoy. Chief should turn the sensitivity knob down as well.

cheif pontiac

Glad you caught on Piggy. I must admit when I first started reading that you were buying all new drivers I thought that was crazy until you explained your location and situation. Too bad I didn't read this sooner, I have some RT12's laying around here too. I paid $200 used for them two years ago. They are in perfect condition. If I had shipped you parts would you still have to pay customs?

There is someone local to me that has RTi70's in Cherry for $300. That is a little more than I would pay. that would be a screaming deal in Aussie land though.

dorokusai

The worse part of being in another country in regards to Polk stuff is the cost involved in projects like these. This makes doing what FatPiggy is doing a rough choice but the project is commendable for sure.

cheif pontiac

dorokusai wrote: »

I believe you were given modest comments regarding those loudspeakers. Why take it so personal when someone has a different opinion? Anyways most of the information was simply fact and the known history from Club Polk.

For example, just because I don't think your speakers are that great doesn't mean I'm not interested in your project. You'll probably have the best pair of RT12's on the planet after all is said and done. And you'll have shown other RT12 owners that it might be worth their time to re-think that upgrade after all.

Relax and enjoy. Chief should turn the sensitivity knob down as well.

LOL @ sucks being a modest comment. Don't worry I'm not so sensitive to commit suicide over your comments.It is one thing to say they suck and another to ask: is there something else available in your marketplace that might be more cost effective?
I am still adjusting to the rude comments that are made by the people that have time to comment thousands and thousands of times on here. It is a public forum, by all means waste your time with useless comments.
I think you know you were wrong and that is why you are bending over backwards to commend him on his honorable project. Either that or you just want to hit 30,000 post.

TrashyTrucker

This is a good read.... You go FatPiggy!
More pictures, or it didnt happen?


Matt

fatpiggy

Hey Chef My thread is not a place to have a petty war in.If you need to use my thread to play mind games becuase your pissed off with dorokusai or any other member back off.I dont have issues with anyone and I will not tolerate people being jerks.You have been warned dont piss me off.Take your war somewhere else.

Fatpiggy

nguyendot

Cool your jets boys. You're two steps from having this thread shut down - I can see where this is going. Keep it to the project please.

dorokusai

cheif pontiac wrote: »

LOL @ sucks being a modest comment. Don't worry I'm not so sensitive to commit suicide over your comments.It is one thing to say they suck and another to ask: is there something else available in your marketplace that might be more cost effective?
I am still adjusting to the rude comments that are made by the people that have time to comment thousands and thousands of times on here. It is a public forum, by all means waste your time with useless comments.
I think you know you were wrong and that is why you are bending over backwards to commend him on his honorable project. Either that or you just want to hit 30,000 post.

Yes, you are right. Aloha.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

TrashyTrucker

TrashyTrucker wrote: »

This is a good read.... You go FatPiggy!
More pictures, or it didnt happen?


Matt

Hey FatPiggy,
I just re-read the posts above my original....LOL I must have posted together with them. My intentions were to compliment you on your upgrades.
So have fun and continue posting pics!

Here is a read where the guys on here mentored me to do some mods on my speakers:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106099

regards,
Matt :biggrin:

fatpiggy

Trashytrucker,
Read your thread all good stuff.There is a few of us doing rebuilds or mods.Glad to hear your happy with the results.It dosnt take much to get improvements from mass produced boxes, they always can be improved.I am just looking at getting my speakers running at this stage, they were reallykocked about .But they can be fixed.

At least I can get new drivers, that can be the hard part when deciding on a rebuild.If your stuck having to match aftermarket drivers it makes life very difficult but not impossible.I will take your advice on board.Thanks for the positive compliment.

Fatpiggy

Vette C6.r

I did see a complete set of drivers on e-bay not that long ago. Keep an eye, not sure of they sold. They might re-list them.

I had the RT12's in a HT setup on a secondary rig. I was completly satisfied with them. They weren't the best but cetainly not the worst. I was a bt sad when I sold them.

The new owner works with me and is just getting into audio. He tells me everyday how much he likes them.

**** luck with your project.

fatpiggy

Hi Vette,
I have purchased all new drivers waiting for the woofers to arrive.Out of the 6 drivers 4 were blown so rather than mess around with half old and half new I decided to replace the lot.I dont intend to get rid of these speakers very hard to find Polk Floor standing speakers here in Australia as they are very expensive due to the shipping cost.Works out cheaper to buy secondhand locally and restore.I will keep them and just upgrade them to rears down the track.

Fatpiggy

[Deleted User]

Fatpiggy - I am a recent addition to the forum (as a moderator). I have been keeping an eye on this thread with great interest, as I like to restore things myself. Your undertaking here is commendable, I just want to offer you encouragement and keep posting those pics. :cool:

fatpiggy

Hi Nap,
I cant post any pics till I get my boxes back from my friend whose doing the make over with the cedar timber.I dont want to hassel him as he is doing the work on the side of his normal work for free.So I will wait, no rush.Maybe he will have them finished next week.Then I will take lots of pics for you all.

I still have to get the speaker enclosure feet made.I havnt told my wood chipping friend about those so I dont want to push the friendship.I'll wait till he has finished cladding the boxes and hit him up with the feet . I dont have a clue when it comes to woodwork.I can do fences and rough repairs but fine detailed work I leave to the experts.

However you give me soldering iron and a multimeter Im a bit of a whizz..we all have our talents.

Fatpiggy.

greyford1979

Can't wait to see them finished, think they will look great. I'm really wanting to see how the cedar is going to look:biggrin: Awesome to know friend's with talents like this lol. Soon some time next month I start building my friend's end table/subwoofer...his gf is having me build it for him for christmas, so he doesn't even know yet lol. And now another friend wants me to build him a custom car enclosure for some subs sometime in the near future lol.

fatpiggy

Greyford,
Hows it going, Yes I cant wait either.Like I said I wish you lived near me I love your work man.That last sub you built was fantastic.I really envy you.You could go into business making speakers with your skills.serious.

Im sure your friend will be blown away with his custom sub, what are you going to use a 15" with the 500watt amp or something a bit more tame.If your doing an end table 2 x 12" subs down firing would shake the house and you wouldn't even know they where they are.

Fatpiggy

AudioGenics

its interesting that POLK are not readily available in Australia
or that the distribution is limited ?

are Polks really that much in demand or are they just rare / low in numbers ?
That they are few in numbers making them unique and desirable.....

you'll have a one of a kind when the new wood is finished
Very Nice !

jimsvm

Hay fatpiggy, can't wait to see the finished produce.As an owner of some rt10s for 15 years, I have beat the c@#p out of these things with only minor problems. Drivers are no longer available, so I'm taking it alittle easer on them.Good luck on your rebuild.

jim

fatpiggy

JVC,
Polk Speakers are ready available here in most major citys.They are regards as upmarket speakers here and carry a very high price tag.Most people here dont buy Polks due to the price, So there isnt many secondhand Polk speakers about, and generally its only the cheaper smaller speakers that come up for sale every now and then.Very rarely a set of floor standing speakers come up for sale.I did miss out on some Monitor 10's they sold for over $1000 secondhand and had slightly damaged enclosures.

To get a set of floor standing Polks for under $100 even with blown speakers is a steal here.I watch the local Ebay sales here for Polk speakers and not much comes up maybe really old book shelf's never anything decent.

Fatpiggy

mmadden28

jvc wrote: »

its interesting that POLK are not readily available in Australia
or that the distribution is limited ?

are Polks really that much in demand or are they just rare / low in numbers ?
That they are few in numbers making them unique and desirable.....

you'll have a one of a kind when the new wood is finished
Very Nice !

Based on the info at the Polk Main site about 'Where to Buy', I'd say that they do in fact have Polks for sale on the island. But I think fatpiggy's issue (w/o re-reading the whole thread) is more that the used market for Polks is scarce, including sourcing parts, esp with respect to the vintage models as well as overseas shipping and taxes being so high.

fatpiggy

Hey Jim maybe my project will motivate you to restore your Rt 10's ,You could possible put new drivers in them from another model maybe MW7010 woofer could work.I think they used the same driver in most of the RT models.

Fatpiggy

mmadden28

fatpiggy wrote: »

JVC,
Polk Speakers are ready available here in most major citys.They are regards as upmarket speakers here and carry a very high price tag.Most people here dont buy Polks due to the price, So there isnt many secondhand Polk speakers about, and generally its only the cheaper smaller speakers that come up for sale every now and then.Very rarely a set of floor standing speakers come up for sale.I did miss out on some Monitor 10's they sold for over $1000 secondhand and had slightly damaged enclosures.

To get a set of floor standing Polks for under $100 even with blown speakers is a steal here.I watch the local Ebay sales here for Polk speakers and not much comes up maybe really old book shelf's never anything decent.

Fatpiggy

I didn't see the 3rd page of posts when I posted my last comment (and/or I was still typing when you posted your's)
Wow!! $1000 for used Mon 10's holy crap. :eek:

Just curious, does the Polk site show retail prices for Australia for you? I know that the Canadiens on this board have been having issues seeing the retail pricing. If so what is the retail on a set of LSi-9's showing up as for you?
Not sure of this link will work for you or not:
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/lsi/index.php?s=lsi9

greyford1979

fatpiggy wrote: »

Greyford,
Hows it going, Yes I cant wait either.Like I said I wish you lived near me I love your work man.That last sub you built was fantastic.I really envy you.You could go into business making speakers with your skills.serious.

Im sure your friend will be blown away with his custom sub, what are you going to use a 15" with the 500watt amp or something a bit more tame.If your doing an end table 2 x 12" subs down firing would shake the house and you wouldn't even know they where they are.

Fatpiggy

It's just gonna be 1 12" sub, down firing. That's all he is allowed to have, per his gf lol. But it's not going in a very large room and he has very few placement choices so 1 down firing 12" made to look like an end table should work very well for him. Depending on size I go with it will be tuned between 18-20 Hz. He's gonna power it with the bash 300 from parts-express as they are on sale for only $99 till the end of december:eek: And yeah like mmadden said, holy crap on the $1000 for used mon 10s:eek:

fatpiggy

To give you all an idea of retail prices here in Australia a pair of LSi15's cost $3,299.00 AUS
That almost the same as US dollars at the moment.I could not find a listing for the LSi25 so I dont think we can get that model here.

Fatpiggy

fatpiggy

Greyforn $99 for a 300watt Bash amp that is a very good price.What driver you got lined up to go with the amp a peerless.

Fatpiggy

fatpiggy

I dont see any prices on the Polk website that I can find.I had to go to the Australian POLK distributors web page to get retail pricing for here.If I was going to buy a set of new Polk I would import it would still be cheaper than buying locally.But I can only dream. Im happy with my old polks good enough for me.

Fatpiggy

AudioGenics

I think buying locally retains the warranty service and maintain the relationship with the dealers.

Importing yourself ... that could be like gray market... perhaps a short term advantage
but none of the customer support.

Finding and restoring is way more better IMHO and what you put into the project you gain back multiple times over.

Not only do you know exactly what is there you'll know how to fix it if it needs anything in the future.

greyford1979

fatpiggy wrote: »

Greyforn $99 for a 300watt Bash amp that is a very good price.What driver you got lined up to go with the amp a peerless.

Fatpiggy

I'm not sure exactly what driver he wants to go with yet. He's heard both my Dayton and RE subs and liked both of those. He doesn't want to spend a whole lot but I'm definitely not gonna let him go with a crap driver lol. His total build budget is about $300-$350. I know it doesn't seem like a lot but I can still build a good sub for this amount.