Dumb Girl Trying to Repair

tiana
tiana Posts: 7
edited February 2011 in Troubleshooting
Hi all!

I have these old speakers, kind of hand-me-down things, in fact I didn't even know what model they were (it said Monitor but which # wasn't printed anywhere :( ) but after a couple of backs and forths with the AWESOME Polk support guys they figured out I had Monitor 5's. Great 1 problem solved!

The real problem and the reason I wanted to find out the specific model was because one speaker would make a funny kind of rattle noise during deep bass. After more searching and more learning I figured out it was because the paper connector thingy for the "passive radiator" was really badly cracked.. like almost completely cracked all the way around. So I figure, ok, replace it! I got the size (8 inch) and found a replacement on Amazon in my price range and got it sent to me. When it arrived I find out that the replacement has this downward lip thing that makes it like 1 millimeter too big! Arrgh! So now I'm sitting here trying to decide if I should drimmel out a tiny chunk all around the opening or... what? I don't know :(( I don't really like that plan to be honest.

Then I found this place and everyone here is so nice and helpful so I thought maybe I should just ask people waaaaay smarter than I am (I didn't even know that bottom speaker wasn't a real speaker or even the word "passive radiator" until I started trying to fix it LOL). So is carving out more space a good idea? Or does anyone know where I can find a replacement that will actually fit? Help me Obi-wan Kenobi, you're my only hope! :wink:
Post edited by tiana on
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Comments

  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited January 2011
    An after market passive radiator rarely works properly. There are many specs to take into consideration besides the size of the hole it mounts in. You really need to find a used replacement. Posting in the wanted to buy section here may yield some results. Also they come up on ebay if you keep your eyes out. I have had decent success repairing the passive radiators in the past if the spider came loose from the cone. Letting us know your general location may help you find a local Polkie that may be able to help you out. As for dumb girl you have gone a lot further into repairing those speakers than many a "smart girl" would have.
    Welcome to Club Polk.
    Ben
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 1,225
    edited January 2011
    +1. Welcome to Club Polk, let us know how you make out. :cool:
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    nap wrote: »
    ....let us know how you make out. :cool:
    Seems like kind of a personal request... even if the new member was a guy... :biggrin:

    Welcome, tiana...

    Trying to picture the paper part you say is cracked, but I don't know the 5's PR, but I assume it's holding the PR's weight to its diaphragm.

    Have you tried to repair as ben suggested? I'm thinking lightweight adhesive... maybe a rubber cement you can brush on, and will bond and seal. Nothing to lose...

    Failing repair success, good luck on your PR hunt. Go for the identical part number...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited January 2011
    Big dumb bass. Time to make some popcorn and watch the show.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Loud & Clear
    Loud & Clear Posts: 1,538
    edited January 2011
    I have an eight incher but I can't let you have it for free.

    My suggestion would be to return your amazon purchase and email me at jimmymichigan@ameritech.net

    I'll send you the appropriate replacement for a nominal fee. I have two 8" passives that were parted out a few years ago from a pair of monitor 5's.

    Two Channel Setup:

    Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
    Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
    DAC: Arcam irDac
    Source: iMac
    Remote Control: iPad Mini

    3.2 Home Theater Setup:

    Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
    Center: Klipsch RP-160M
    Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
    AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
    Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
    TV Source: DirecTV Genie
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited January 2011
    ^^^ Did you really just post that with a straight face. :eek::confused::eek:
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  • AudioGenics
    AudioGenics Posts: 2,567
    edited January 2011
    Hi...
    Welcome to Club Polk !

    Monitor 5 are nice and very easy to work on and upgrade if you choose.
    Have fun and see ya on the Forum.

    need parts for your speakers you can check the FOR SALE forum area or start a new thread in the Wanted to Buy too ....
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  • tiana
    tiana Posts: 7
    edited January 2011
    LOL ok so maybe dumb was the wrong word. I guess ignorant would have been better. I don't mind admitting when I don't know something and this is the first time I've even seen inside of a speaker. Anyways, I just put that in there to convey my level of expertise in the matter (zero :biggrin:). I found it really helps letting people know how much you know when you ask for help.

    I really appreciate all the replies; it's quite flattering for someone who just wandered in here from google searches.

    For now I went with the glue suggestion. I didn't have any awesome cement around but I did have Crazyglue :redface: I put 10 coats on the crack and it seems to be holding at least for now. If it busts apart again I can always get something stronger.

    I'm not sure how much life I can coax out of them the way I use them now. I guess because of its age, the entire paper ring thingy - what's its proper name? It looks like a disc of rings that is connected to the metal frame and to the cone and flexes up and down with the speaker. Anyways.. the "paper ring thingy" seems to be very brittle and protests greatly at flexing up and down even a little. When it does I can hear very faint crackling sounds from several different parts. I checked the other "paper ring thingies" for all three on both of my speakers and while the rest aren't actually cracked, several of them seem to be in the same brittle condition.

    I'm not really surprised at their current state. If anything I am impressed at how well they've held together. These speakers have been passed along forever. They've endured blasting music of every genre, used in home theater for movies, playing Saturday morning cartoons, I think they were even used in karaoke once. They've been used as step-stools and benches and tables. They've gotten wet, been stored in temps below zero, and been moved from one house to another more times than I could guess. And up until very recently I think they've sounded pretty darn good.

    So I made a decision!

    I was poking around and I saw a deal pop up for Monitor70s. I'm fairly pro-Polk at this point so I was interested. I looked up reviews and it seems that just about everyone everywhere loves these and I loved the price they were going for so I got them! With so many positive reviews I figured they had to be at least as good as my current ones if not better. I'm going to give these poor old Monitor5's a graceful retirement as the speakers in my modest bedroom stereo. They can live out the remainder of their lives playing good music at moderate volumes :smile:

    I think I should also say that between the friendly welcoming people here and the terrific experience I had with Polk CS that I'm a Polk girl now :biggrin: These new speakers I've ordered are just the start; I've decided to turn my silly 3.0 HT in to a real 5.1 setup. I'm not going to buy blindly of course - no person or company is 100% perfect 100% of the time - but I am going to always give Polk first shot at my money from now on :smile:

    You're all awesome :smile::smile::smile:
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  • TECHNOKID
    TECHNOKID Posts: 4,298
    edited January 2011
    Welcome to Club Polk Tiana :smile: The Monitor 70s are a good choice and a good bang for the buck so congrats on this new acquisition. Your next steps would be to keep an eye open for sales (neweggs maybe?) for a good center and maybe a subwoofer (good deals on the PSW505 lately). Then as budget allows you, maybe get some Monitor 40s or 60s for surround?

    Again, welcome to CP :smile:

    TK
    DARE TO SOAR:
    “Your attitude, almost always determine your altitude in life” ;)
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,240
    edited January 2011
    Loud & Clear wrote: »
    I have an eight incher but I can't let you have it for free.

    hahahahahaha!!!!!:eek::tongue: You can't be anymore Loud & Clear then that..

    PornStar!!!!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    tiana wrote: »
    For now I went with the glue suggestion. I didn't have any awesome cement around but I did have Crazyglue :redface: I put 10 coats on the crack and it seems to be holding at least for now. If it busts apart again I can always get something stronger.
    And it probably will... Krazyglue has no flexibility.
    tiana wrote:
    I guess because of its age, the entire paper ring thingy - what's its proper name? It looks like a disc of rings that is connected to the metal frame and to the cone and flexes up and down with the speaker. Anyways.. the "paper ring thingy" seems to be very brittle and protests greatly at flexing up and down even a little. When it does I can hear very faint crackling sounds from several different parts. I checked the other "paper ring thingies" for all three on both of my speakers and while the rest aren't actually cracked, several of them seem to be in the same brittle condition.
    The "metal frame" is the basket. Are you talking about the surrounds???

    Detailed%20Woofer%20Diagram.jpg

    Even in Polk's olden days, they weren't paper. If that's what they seem like, they've embrittled like none I've heard of. And, if it is black, the top one of the three might be the dome of an old Peerless tweeter. Other than a ton of direct sunlight or use of solvent based cleaning fluids, I can't see them deteriorating to the extent you may be saying they are.

    Russ? Has this become a common issue with vintage Polks?

    If the surrounds are that bad, I doubt the damage can be undone, but you might try hitting them with some silicon lubricant spray (no guys, not ArmorAll). The spray is about a buck a can at WalMart... Also good for extending the life of rubber and vinyl car parts from bushings to weatherstripping.
    tiana wrote:
    I was poking around and I saw a deal pop up for Monitor70s. I'm going to give these poor old Monitor5's a graceful retirement as the speakers in my modest bedroom stereo. They can live out the remainder of their lives playing good music at moderate volumes :smile:
    You'll find the 70's to be very different... hope you like them. Hope the 5's enjoy their semi-retirement.
    tiana wrote:
    I think I should also say that between the friendly welcoming people here and the terrific experience I had with Polk CS that I'm a Polk girl now :biggrin:
    You're all awesome :smile::smile::smile:
    You must be a good, Christian girl... 'cause some of the comments here were abysmal...

    Polk CS by contrast is pure class…
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited January 2011
    Tiana, welcome to CP. Can you post a pic of the PR giving you problems ?
    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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  • Bobsama
    Bobsama Posts: 526
    edited January 2011
    TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »
    hahahahahaha!!!!!:eek::tongue: You can't be anymore Loud & Clear then that..

    PornStar!!!!

    I've got a third leg too, but I'll need a picture to verify before I consider letting her have use of it. :redface::tongue:

    With a serious face: glue and the like are overall a bad idea. You should be able to find Monitor 5 passive radiators on eBay fairly easily. A picture with the grilles removed may help verify which version Monitor 5's and see if there's a matching radiator available here or elsewhere.

    Regardless, I hope you'll be happy with your incoming Monitor 70's. I've not heard the new Monitor series but they're supposed to be pretty good for their price. Maybe one day, but I've got other things to upgrade first.
    polkaudio Monitor 5 Series II
    polkaudio SDA-1 (with the SL1000)
    TEAC AG-H300 MK III stereo receiver
    beyerdynamic DT-880 Premium (600 Ω) headphones
    SENNHEISER HD-555 headphones
    Little Dot MK IV tube headphone amp
    Little Dot DAC_I balanced D/A converter
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited January 2011
    I have fixed spiders in a few 10" passives and a 12" with superglue and woodglue. Both have held up very well. They have not failed even with me driving them like I stole them.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • Bobsama
    Bobsama Posts: 526
    edited January 2011
    But 10 coats? Ah well--I'd leave it to the pros. I'm more a DIY computer type than DIY audio/electronics.
    polkaudio Monitor 5 Series II
    polkaudio SDA-1 (with the SL1000)
    TEAC AG-H300 MK III stereo receiver
    beyerdynamic DT-880 Premium (600 Ω) headphones
    SENNHEISER HD-555 headphones
    Little Dot MK IV tube headphone amp
    Little Dot DAC_I balanced D/A converter
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  • tiana
    tiana Posts: 7
    edited January 2011
    A picture with labels! :tongue:

    It's the Spider that cracked on the top of the inner most ring. I'm not super concerned with replacing them anymore. The patch is holding together for now and they wont be put under the same kind of strain they have been.

    My HT was using those 5's as fronts and the speaker my TV came with for the centre. After hanging around here and learning more about HTs and speakers I decided it was silly to not get a real speaker system. I think I have an ok TV (Pioneer Kudro) and AVR (Onkyo tx-nr808) so why not get the full home theater experience? In addition to the 70s I now also have a pair of Monitor40s and a CS2 incoming :biggrin:
    You must be a good, Christian girl... 'cause some of the comments here were abysmal...

    Compared to some of the places I'm forced to hang out in... yes, this place is a hippy love-in :wink:
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    tiana wrote: »
    Compared to some of the places I'm forced to hang out in... yes, this place is a hippy love-in :wink:
    LOL...

    Well, in that case Peace Out, sister...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2011
    From one Polk girl to another, Welcome to Club Polk Tiana!

    Polk girl Cathy:biggrin:
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    Who-Hoo... cut the CP ratio by 50%... :biggrin:
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • mrbigbluelight
    mrbigbluelight Posts: 9,724
    edited January 2011
    tiana wrote: »
    Compared to some of the places I'm forced to hang out in...

    That is our unofficial Club Polk motto, btw:
    "HEY, IT COULD BE WORSE !

    :rolleyes::smile:
    Sal Palooza
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  • tiana
    tiana Posts: 7
    edited February 2011
    That is our unofficial Club Polk motto, btw:
    "HEY, IT COULD BE WORSE !

    LOL.. hush you.

    Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

    Horrible news though.. Apparently 4+ ft snow drifts and a city literally shut down is reason enough for smelly UPS to not deliver my new speakers :eek:

    They're just sitting there at the local delivery facility, laughing at me; mocking me.

    So what if I have snow piled up past the door knob? I still have accessible upper story windows they could chuck them through! I think these delivery companies are getting awfully lazy now days...

    :mad::mad::wink:
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  • shawn474
    shawn474 Posts: 3,047
    edited February 2011
    Note to self: next time i need a question answered, I am going to have my wife create an account and introduce herself as a woman. That way you will get some quick, detailed responses.:biggrin::cool::wink:
    Shawn
    AVR: Marantz SR-5011
    Center Channel: Polk LsiM706c
    Front: Polk LsiM703
    Rear: LSI fx
    Subwoofer: SVS 20-39pci
    Television: Samsung UN58NU7100FXZA
    DVD Player: Sony PS4
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  • On3s&Z3r0s
    On3s&Z3r0s Posts: 1,013
    edited February 2011
    anonymouse wrote: »
    +1 Have her use a mysterious Russian sounding name as well.

    So long as it's not Martina Navratilova (oooh... maybe that was a little harsh :tongue:).
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  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited February 2011
    Welcome to the Club Tiana :smile:

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


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  • gdb
    gdb Posts: 6,012
    edited February 2011
    tiana wrote: »
    LOL.. hush you.

    Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

    Horrible news though.. Apparently 4+ ft snow drifts and a city literally shut down is reason enough for smelly UPS to not deliver my new speakers :eek:

    They're just sitting there at the local delivery facility, laughing at me; mocking me.

    So what if I have snow piled up past the door knob? I still have accessible upper story windows they could chuck them through! I think these delivery companies are getting awfully lazy now days...

    :mad::mad::wink:


    What are you wearing while you wait ??? :biggrin: JK and welcome!:smile:
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  • BtrSound
    BtrSound Posts: 123
    edited February 2011
    I do not think that you can fix dumb girls. Throw her back and catch another one. Just kidding obviously.
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