The Polk Audio Monitor Series Model 9 and Model 9A

mhardy6647
mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
edited August 2011 in Vintage Speakers
Since these early Polk Audio products just came up, off topic, in another thread... here's a thread on these interesting atavisms :-)

Some links from Polk posts past (obtained by searching "piezo" - the Model 9 was the only Polk product to date to use piezo tweeters AFAIK)...

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38805
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46915
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50681
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59927
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88622
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99614

The astute reader will quickly realize that I know very little about these loudspeakers :-P
Post edited by mhardy6647 on
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Comments

  • HTguru1982
    HTguru1982 Posts: 1,066
    edited August 2011
    Very interesting. That's for posting those links. Looks like I'll be busy for a while!
    Display: Sony 42" LCD
    Sources: Harman Kardon DVD-27,
    Panasonic DMP-BDT110 blu ray player
    AVR: Sony STR-DA2400ES
    Amps: Sonance Sonamp 260(fronts),
    Kenwood KM-894(surrounds)
    Fronts: NHT 2.5
    Center: NHT VS-1.2A
    Surrounds: NHT Super One
    Subwoofer: SVS PB10-ISD
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  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited August 2011
    Sounded pretty crappy, and were an attempt to knock-off Bose, IMO. A pair were purchased by some members of the forum and donated back to Polk to be included in their "hall of fame" at the HQ.

    Certainly not anything to write home about, but an interesting piece of early Polk history.
    Ludicrous gibs!
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited August 2011
    nadams wrote: »
    Sounded pretty crappy, and were an attempt to knock-off Bose, IMO. A pair were purchased by some members of the forum and donated back to Polk to be included in their "hall of fame" at the HQ.

    Certainly not anything to write home about, but an interesting piece of early Polk history.

    Did you hear them?

    The 9As I have are quite respectable sounding. I heard the original Model 9s a long time ago at JHU - never under circumstances where I could say whether they sounded good or bad (the drinking age was 18 then). I wouldn't be at all surprised that the original 9s weren't great - but the 9As, with Peerless silk domes like the 7 and 10, are not bad.
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,151
    edited August 2011
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Did you hear them?

    The 9As I have are quite respectable sounding. I heard the original Model 9s a long time ago at JHU - never under circumstances where I could say whether they sounded good or bad (the drinking age was 18 then). I wouldn't be at all surprised that the original 9s weren't great - but the 9As, with Peerless silk domes like the 7 and 10, are not bad.[/QUOTE]

    I agree, not bad at all to me either. I own a pair of what we're talking about. They are the 9B.

    But many would question my listening rooms' acoustics..:tongue:
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited August 2011
    tony millard wrote: »
    ...
    I agree, not bad at all to me either. I own a pair of what we're talking about. They are the 9B.

    But many would question my listening rooms' acoustics..:tongue:

    The Nine Bee, eh? The plot thickens.
    Pictures or it didnt' happen! ;-)
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,151
    edited August 2011
    The first 9's-...9A


    9 had nailed on grills (9) and then velcro connecting discs (9A). and both had that Philips(?) driver w/wizzer cone.

    The 9B has Velcro connectors and peerlees tweeters. and those bose style driverss.

    That's what I think.. Below is one of mine. I love their sound!

    By the way, what is the front of this speaker? The tweeter side?
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited August 2011
    The original Nine had the 4" extended-range CTS "Bozo" drivers, at least based on the scanned info on teh interwebs, and the Motorola piezo tweeter. The 9As in my basement have a Peerless silk dome tweeter in 'em.

    Based on the photo below - I believe they're supposed to be positioned with the tweeters facing the back wall.

    The Philips twincone drivers mentioned in the previous post are very cool drivers, but I've never seen any (photographic) evidence of 'em on Monitor Series Model 9s of any flavor.

    modelnine.jpg
    This page scan, from www.polksda.com, is AFAIK the original commercial incarnation of the Nine.
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,151
    edited August 2011
    Ok ,
    I'm sorry.

    Originals had the bozos... So mayby there's only 2 versions with the 1st version being two styles of tweeters.:wink:.

    I have never seen the other philips drivers either. If I bought these with that piezo teeter, I'd be inclined to upgrade that myself. But these bozos put out some serious sound and bass don't they. I thought the tweeter was for the rear...wierd huh?
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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  • jody0112
    jody0112 Posts: 2
    Man it sucks my 9's have been wrecked,my basement where I kept them at was flooded by 12 inches of rain in 6 hours. I could only salvage the boxes and maybe the passive radiator.
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  • jody0112
    jody0112 Posts: 2
    I think I might try to just keep them,maybe one day find the parts to restore them or I might just throw them away altogether. I really liked how they sounded though.For a Tiny group of 4 inch ers ..
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  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    What happens to the drivers that they can't be restored?
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited September 2018
    corrosion, mebbie, or degradation of the paper cones?
    The CTS fullrange' drivers used by Mr. Polk & company are, thankfully, still fairly easy to find on the open market.
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