Monitor 10b

saleenman
saleenman Posts: 16
edited April 2012 in Vintage Speakers
So, earlier this year I was fortunate enough to come across a pair of Monitor 10b's in excellent condition for $20! Now that I have had them for a while I am wondering if there is anything that I can do to improve them. I have attached photos and the manual for anyone interested.

Thanks!
Post edited by saleenman on
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    edited March 2012
    Nice score for $20! Search this site for tweeter upgrades and crossover rebuilds for those. They are great speakers!
    --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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  • saleenman
    saleenman Posts: 16
    edited March 2012
    I have been searching and there is so much that I don't even know where to start! Right now i'm deciding between upgrading the crossovers or upgrading the tweeters.
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  • Oldfatdogs
    Oldfatdogs Posts: 1,874
    edited March 2012
    Hello saleenman,I think this might help.http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?115508-Tweeters-or-Capacitors-First
    Its a starting place,like the others have there's alot to take in.Welcome to club polk.Dan
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  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,428
    edited March 2012
    I believe that the upgrade tweeters have a somewhat different dimension on their faceplates than the SL1000s do.

    Hopefully someone who's done this upgrade can tell you how easy/difficult it is to install the RD0194-1 tweeters in place of the SL1000.
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
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  • DRAGOMCS
    DRAGOMCS Posts: 25
    edited March 2012
    Man great deal! I actually scored the exact same set at a Goodwill about a month ago for $39.00!! I can't believe I paid twice what you paid. Boy did I get nailed! :cheesygrin:

    I actually have to repair one very small "L" shaped cut in the rubber surround of one of the mids. I unscrewed the screws but actually wasn't able to pull the speaker out though so I could work on it. I'm not sure if it's glued in or just fit in really tight, but I couldn't get it to budge. I didn't want to pry it with anything for fear that I would ruin the face of the cabinet. Anyone with any advice at all on how to get that speaker out would really be appreciated. I'm going to open a thread on it if I can't figure it out.

    Thanks and incredible find!
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  • saleenman
    saleenman Posts: 16
    edited March 2012
    Looks like I've got a bit of reading ahead of me!

    Thanks!
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  • saleenman
    saleenman Posts: 16
    edited March 2012
    Ok, I've done some research and it looks like I shouldn't have to upgrade the inductors, just the Caps and Resistors. This is what I am going to order:

    http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/BindingPosts/BP-20
    http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/PulseX250v/MPX25-03-12-00
    http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/PulseX250v/MPX25-03-33-00
    http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/PEx250v/12uF-250-volt-Metallized-Polyester-Mylar-Film-Capacitor
    http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/WireWoundResistorsAll/EWR10-05-2-4-PB
    http://www.erseaudio.com/Products/WireWoundResistorsAll/EWR10-05-2-7-PB

    Does that look right?
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited March 2012
    Are you living in the UK? Erse caps are ok, but Clarity and Sonicaps are better, IMO. Mills resistors are much better, but then thy are about 8-10 times the cost.

    The Erse are certainly better than the aged stock caps.

    H9
    "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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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited March 2012
    DRAGOMCS wrote: »
    Man great deal! I actually scored the exact same set at a Goodwill about a month ago for $39.00!! I can't believe I paid twice what you paid. Boy did I get nailed! :cheesygrin:

    I actually have to repair one very small "L" shaped cut in the rubber surround of one of the mids. I unscrewed the screws but actually wasn't able to pull the speaker out though so I could work on it. I'm not sure if it's glued in or just fit in really tight, but I couldn't get it to budge. I didn't want to pry it with anything for fear that I would ruin the face of the cabinet. Anyone with any advice at all on how to get that speaker out would really be appreciated. I'm going to open a thread on it if I can't figure it out.

    Thanks and incredible find!

    Unless some yahoo glued it in place it's probably just stuck from age. Easiest thing to do is take out the passive radiator, reach in and push on the magnet structure from the inside. Before doing this I would lay the speaker on it's back so you don't launch the MW across the room when it gives way :cheesygrin: Push on the magnet withh one hand and support the outside frame with the other.

    If the PR is stuck you can try to take out the other MW for access.
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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  • DRAGOMCS
    DRAGOMCS Posts: 25
    edited March 2012
    drumminman:

    That sounds like a good plan. I didn't even think about trying to remove the passive radiator. I was going to go in through the crossover port in the back. I think I'll try it and let you know what happens.

    Thanks!


    drumminman wrote: »
    Unless some yahoo glued it in place it's probably just stuck from age. Easiest thing to do is take out the passive radiator, reach in and push on the magnet structure from the inside. Before doing this I would lay the speaker on it's back so you don't launch the MW across the room when it gives way :cheesygrin: Push on the magnet withh one hand and support the outside frame with the other.

    If the PR is stuck you can try to take out the other MW for access.
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  • DRAGOMCS
    DRAGOMCS Posts: 25
    edited April 2012
    DRAGOMCS wrote: »
    drumminman:

    That sounds like a good plan. I didn't even think about trying to remove the passive radiator. I was going to go in through the crossover port in the back. I think I'll try it and let you know what happens.

    Thanks!

    Well, just to let you know what happened, the passive radiator was stuck just like the driver was! In the end, it was a simple table knife that saved the day. Using it, I was able to get it under the edge of the speaker and gently push down on the cabinet while lifting up on the speaker. The top rounded point of the table knife went under the edge of the speaker and down on the cabinet while doing no damage to the cabinet whatsoever. After prying in a couple or three spots I got to hear that sucking-sound of the speaker un-sealing from the cabinet after 32 years of being there and was able to make my repair with some rubber cement.

    Thanks for the help!
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  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited April 2012
    The RDO replacements are a sweet improvement. I would do that first. Plug and Play.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
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  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,428
    edited April 2012
    ....
    agfrost wrote: »
    I believe that the upgrade tweeters have a somewhat different dimension on their faceplates than the SL1000s do.

    Hopefully someone who's done this upgrade can tell you how easy/difficult it is to install the RD0194-1 tweeters in place of the SL1000.
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
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  • transmaster
    transmaster Posts: 428
    edited April 2012
    Just ordered all of the cap's, and resistors to redo the crossovers on My 10B's, which I purchased new in 1989. 12uf 200v Sonicap Gen 1 for the high pass, 33uf Axon Tru Caps for the low pass, and miller resistors, of course. I can't wait to get these buzzards blasting again. You have heard the line, "If it is loud you are too old" Well the 10B's will make such dweabs flee holdling their heads, wow man there is a monster in there.
    Radio Station W7ITC
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