MW65xx - How many are there?

Rev. Hayes
Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
edited November 2010 in Vintage Speakers
Long story short-


I have Monitor 10s (1979?)

One MW6500 (gray cardboard ring) dies

I have a spare MW6500 (no cardboard ring) which I temporarily install

I order another MW6500 (gray cardboard ring)

New MW6500 arrives but is not the same as the original.
The basket, the thickness of the cardboard ring, markings and the excursion are all different. (no further scientific measurements taken)



So, the question is, how many different MW6500s are there.

Or for that matter, how many versions of each MW65xx exist?

Could we make a list with pics and numbers?

I don't as of now know how this could best be organized. I'll post pictures as soon as the camera battery charges and see what the response to this thread is.
Sounds good to me...
Post edited by Rev. Hayes on

Comments

  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    Almost every one of them looks exactly the same, how un-interesting would that be? As far as a list in regards to parts? It already exists and actual specifications will never be available.

    EDIT: I believe if anything that a compatibility list would be useful and it's being worked on.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    Almost every one of them looks exactly the same, how un-interesting would that be?

    Yeah, the phone book's a drag too.....

    until you need it.


    I'm going to post pictures of my not matching MW6500s and I hope other people do to because it will help me find what I'm looking for.

    I'm looking for an actual match to my original drivers.
    Sounds good to me...
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    Rev. Hayes wrote: »
    Yeah, the phone book's a drag too.....

    until you need it.


    I'm going to post pictures of my not matching MW6500s and I hope other people do to because it will help me find what I'm looking for.

    I'm looking for an actual match to my original drivers.

    That's cool. I guess the fact that I've seen them ad-nauseum over the years may make me colder to caring about what a driver is or isn't.

    It's just a matter of time in regards to finding a match but the cardboard rims are much harder to find. I've had a pair bouncing around in the back of my truck for a couple weeks.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    If you keep that format, I'll compile it into an eventual sticky Rev. Hayes. Can you photo them on a simple white background?
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    MW List.jpg


    MW List 005.jpg


    MW List 006.jpg


    This is the one I'm looking for.
    I took the last two digits in the SN(?) to be the date of manufacture. 1979?

    Note the added fins, thinner cardboard, and official Polk label w/ cyphers.

    An interesting specimen.
    Sounds good to me...
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    The "fins" are simply from the stamping of the frame. It has no function.

    The drivers will be all over the place in regards to marking. It may be a sticker, or not, may be written by hand or be the wrong driver overall from a practical standpoint, may be for another model and stamped as such, an RTA11TL in an RTA8, etc etc etc.

    The Monitor and RTA series are difficult to get specific in regards to what hit the ground. This is the best place to come for Polk information, period.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    MW List 001.jpg




    Ahhhhh...

    The elusive pygmy MW6500, just now seen in the Club Polk FM.

    Perhaps the discoverer, Lasereth, will tell us more about this strange member of the MW6500 family.
    Sounds good to me...
  • lmuller1
    lmuller1 Posts: 16
    edited November 2010
    Kind of drives you crazy huh... I'm trying to get a matched one for mine also as one of my 6500's has no cardboard and it's 1982 while all 3 of the others are 1990 and I think are the thicker ones but I'd have to pull one to be sure. If I have to, I'll look around for a 6.5" driver with the cardboard from anything and remove it and glue it onto the one I have. UGH
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    If you keep that format, I'll compile it into an eventual sticky Rev. Hayes. Can you photo them on a simple white background?

    Oops. I just now saw this. I was too busy goofing around.

    I think that would be great.
    If other people get interested and follow suit I do think it would be a valuable resource.
    These speakers are getting older/rare and the "collectors attitude" concerning the seemingly pointless details of driver basket stamp patterns and so on could only increase.

    I for one love the internet for just this reason: mind numbingly esoteric information available at a keystroke for the masses.
    dorokusai wrote: »
    This is the best place to come for Polk information, period.

    And this is why!
    Sounds good to me...
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    lmuller1 wrote: »
    If I have to, I'll look around for a 6.5" driver with the cardboard from anything and remove it and glue it onto the one I have. UGH

    HA!!!

    I did just that before I got the latest. It drove me NUTS looking at that single driver not matching.

    But it's still not perfect.....:frown::tongue:
    Sounds good to me...
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    lmuller1 wrote: »
    Kind of drives you crazy huh... I'm trying to get a matched one for mine also as one of my 6500's has no cardboard and it's 1982 while all 3 of the others are 1990 and I think are the thicker ones but I'd have to pull one to be sure. If I have to, I'll look around for a 6.5" driver with the cardboard from anything and remove it and glue it onto the one I have. UGH

    Unfortunately, you'll most likely ruin the driver trying to do that. It's a part of the actual surround to the driver.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • lmuller1
    lmuller1 Posts: 16
    edited November 2010
    K, pulled all drivers and re-gasketed and all 3 are 1980 and have the basket nubs.
  • lmuller1
    lmuller1 Posts: 16
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    Unfortunately, you'll most likely ruin the driver trying to do that. It's a part of the actual surround to the driver.

    Part of basket that doesn't have the surround glued to it. Would have to be careful but it can be done. Won't do it unless I can't find an exact replacement. Everytime I look at the speaker I know it doesn't match. Wouldn't bug most but I'm not most. I've redone surrounds an aweful lot and have yet to screw one up. I have however slipped with a screwdriver and punctured a surround (gotta love it) :eek:
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,378
    edited November 2010
    I think I have some of the cardboard gaskets around. They came with my Polk car speakers that I bought in the '90's and were based on the MW65xx. They are Mobile Monitor MM65xx (not to be confused with the recent Mobile Monitor).
    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
  • geppy1
    geppy1 Posts: 3,075
    edited November 2010
    I have been down this road a number of times. I know that thete are two 6500s with the grey cardboard but it is of different thickness. I asumed they had the same motion and such as i have seen them both on early 10s 1978-1980
    Here is a new one I did not know. The early (1978) RTA 12s I had that had the magnets destroyed in shipping had HUGE magnets on them and decals on back say MW 6500 8/78. The magnets were much wider and heavier then any of the other 6500s I have seen. Go figure. keith
  • lmuller1
    lmuller1 Posts: 16
    edited November 2010
    I'm just glad I'm not the only one anal about it. I'm looking for the same one that the Rev is. Now I've got to look into crossover rebuilds. I had allready rebuilt the ones in my Mon 5's.
  • Vette C6.r
    Vette C6.r Posts: 1,560
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    EDIT: I believe if anything that a compatibility list would be useful and it's being worked on.

    Looking forward to that.
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited November 2010
    lmuller1 wrote: »
    Part of basket that doesn't have the surround glued to it. Would have to be careful but it can be done. Won't do it unless I can't find an exact replacement. Everytime I look at the speaker I know it doesn't match. Wouldn't bug most but I'm not most. I've redone surrounds an aweful lot and have yet to screw one up. I have however slipped with a screwdriver and punctured a surround (gotta love it) :eek:

    I never said it couldn't be done but the mantra from a CS side is to err on the side of caution since most callers are not capable folks.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • lmuller1
    lmuller1 Posts: 16
    edited November 2010
    dorokusai wrote: »
    I never said it couldn't be done but the mantra from a CS side is to err on the side of caution since most callers are not capable folks.

    100% agreed. I've seen enough trashy work to last a lifetime:rolleyes:
    So, who's got some 1980 or so mw 6500's (ones with gaskets and tabs) laying around for the Rev and I ? It looks like we both need one to "make things right". How can any of you sleep knowing the suffering we are enduring.... Oh the humanity of it all :)
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,378
    edited November 2010
    That is why they make speaker grills,... to cover up the sins.
    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
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    Yeah!

    I'm developing a terrible rash......
    Sounds good to me...
  • Rev. Hayes
    Rev. Hayes Posts: 475
    edited November 2010
    Hey geppy,

    Can we see pictures of the oversized magnet MW6500?
    Sounds good to me...