An ELITE model of polk speakers.
Comments
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nooshinjohn wrote: »Sadly, I concur, which is why if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself...
Yep, now if only I can build my own woman....lucky for me I found a good prototype to start with. HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
I think you have the right idea. Ohm in N.Y. only makes their speakers to order and sends them world wide.I spoke to John the presisent and asked him what does he do w/ the the trade in ins that people have up graded. For me this would be ideal to get a used pair of Ohm/Walsh 2s but he does a total refurbish job on them and then lists them accordind on what site he chooses for large coin.2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E
H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-
Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc -
Why go elite when you can go custom. Trey can do anything from mild to wild. It all depends on what you want done.AVR: Onkyo Tx-NR808
Amplifier: Carver A-753x 250 watts x 3
Fronts: Polk RTI A7 (modded by Trey VR3)
Center: CSI A4 (modded by Trey VR3)
Rear: FXI A4
Sub: Polk DSW Pro 660wi
TV: LG Infinia 50PX950 3D
Speaker Cable: AudioQuest Type 8
IC: AudioQuest Black Mamba II -
Other speaker companies put out Special Editions of a great model. I think it would be a cool idea for polk offered such a speaker. It could be bringing back SDA that everyone loves but with modern enhancements and a limited run. Make 100 pairs , or by order only. Take loved RT model and juice it , take a LSI and completely rework it's flaws like the bass woofer and beef up the crossover.Why go elite when you can go custom. Trey can do anything from mild to wild. It all depends on what you want done.
Polk has a better ability to test , trail and error then any of us. I feel they could select the correct mod's and really make something special.
It was just a thought I had.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
If one of y'all want's to start producing the SRS 1.2's again, it could be done. Just get a licensing agreement with the lawyers at Polk.
GM did it with Year One, so thats proof that it could be done.
And DON'T call them 'upgrades', call them 'choices'; "Well, you have a choice of..."
You could offer custom cabinets: Walnut, Oak, Cherry, Teak, etc.
You could offer custom silk screening the front grills. If I'm dishing out $10k+ for speakers, I want them to be all about ME!
You could offer custom tones, or SQ's too. I'm not a geek, but I'm sure Trey, or anyone else on here could figure out how to set the x-overs, etc.
Your logo could be a skull & crossbones, your name: Pirate Audio
:loneranger:I refuse to argue with idiots, because people can't tell the DIFFERENCE! -
Does Polk even have a manufacturing facility (probably a US based one) that can accomodate one-off custom orders? If not, I'd imagine that a custom made special edition speaker would probably be more expensive than expected.
It doesn't sound to me like Polk is positioned as a brand, or has the manufacturing capability and distribution network to do this in a way that makes sense....even for Polk enthusiasts.
It would probably make more sense for Polk to develop single spec, uber high-end speaker line, and mass produce them in limited quantities....something along the line of the Klipsch Pallidium or Paradigm Signature lines. But even that requires a pretty hefty front-end investment in the design of the speaker, and ongoing production and distribution costs. And with that comes the risk of not being able to move inventory and re-coup the costs....its probably not enough risk to materially impact the company, but it would be a business risk that the company would be taking to please the handful of hardcore Polkies that desire something like this.
On the flip-side, if Polk could pull an uber-high end model off, it could build some brand equity for the company in the market of uber-high end audio. Unfortunately, a lot of serious audiophiles stopped paying attention to Polk and have no idea that the LSiM's exist, because they associate the Polk brand with the mass produced, big box speakers. Also, none of the dealers in my area want to carry Polk speakers (including the LSiM's), because they want to differentiate themselves from big box stores by not carrying big box brands.
To be honest, I don't think Polk really cares to have a hand in the market of uber-high end speakers, which is dominated by hoity toity esoteric brands, sold by hoity toity dealers. Their current business model and the position of the Polk brand is built around mass produced speakers. This is a business model that is working for them. Doesn't mean that they don't build great speakers.....Take all of the brand bias out of the equation, and I'd expect that a given Polk speaker would be competetive, if not better, at a given price-point to a comparably price esoteric brand speaker (internet direct speakers included).My System Showcase!
Media Room
Paradigm Studio 60 - Paradigm CC-690 - Paradigm ADP-390 - Epik Empire - Anthem MRX300 - Emotiva XPA-5
Living-room
Paradigm MilleniaOne - Rythmik F12GSE - Onkyo TX-SR805 - Adcom 5400
Headphones
Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ear - Shure SE215 - Fiio E18 Kunlun -
Why go elite when you can go custom. Trey can do anything from mild to wild. It all depends on what you want done.
While it seems like he does good work, he is only a hobbyist upgrading crossovers, that's it, and not a team of engineers designing a complete speaker design. While this is no knock on VR3 as I have never attempted the work, and his products look very well finished, we must realize that there is no comparison. VR3 offersa cheaper alternative as he has no overhead, no r&d costs, etc. For mods on a budget, that's great, but you're still dealing with the same old drivers, the same old cabinet, etc. A fresh rethink would be something well received by many.
Again, I want to be clear, I like trey's work, just think that we are talking about completely different levels of upgrades here.design is where science and art break even. -
To add onto the post above, there are a few people here who can upgrade crossovers, including Trey and I...it's not rocket science. As far as re-engineering the entire speaker, Polk already has, it's called the LSiM series. I can't see why others here don't understand that.
To upgrade the crossover and drivers into a pre-existing cabinet is just plain silly, especially the RTiA series. There are plenty of DIY sites out there devoted to building custom kits and designing your own ground up speaker. That's where you should be looking instead of re-engineering a pair of RTiA's, etc...
As for "new" SDA's, that would be interesting as there have been some great improvements in driver design over the last 10 years."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
Some mentioned that it would be nice if Polk offered an upgrade mod to a speaker like the RTi A7, and then call it something like the "Elite A7" version.
Well, from what I understand, the "A" series of RTi speakers are already basically modified/tweeked standard RTi speakers .... Does a speaker like the RTi A7 still need more tweaking? Would a more expensive crossover really make the RTi A7 that much better?
My opinion .... Even though the cherry wood veneer is nice on the RTi "A" series of speakers, maybe if Polk would offer an option for some exotic wood veneer, over and above the standard cherry wood veneer, as an extra cost item, that might be nice touch .. Kind of "personalizes" the speakers a little.2-Channel Audio
Onkyo ... A-9050 . . .Integrated Amp. (Power Amp Section not Used)
Onkyo ... M-282 . ... Power Amps .(Pair)
Onkyo ... C-7030 . _.CD Player
Polk . . *. RTi A7 - ....Front Speakers
Polk . . *. RTi A3 - ....Rear Speakers -
Some mentioned that it would be nice if Polk offered an upgrade mod to a speaker like the RTi A7, and then call it something like the "Elite A7" version.
Well, from what I understand, the "A" series of RTi speakers are already basically modified/tweeked standard RTi speakers .... Does a speaker like the RTi A7 still need more tweaking? Would a more expensive crossover really make the RTi A7 that much better?
My opinion .... Even though the cherry wood veneer is nice on the RTi "A" series of speakers, maybe if Polk would offer an option for some exotic wood veneer, over and above the standard cherry wood veneer, as an extra cost item, that might be nice touch .. Kind of "personalizes" the speakers a little.
All good ideas I think. The 7's I'm sure have room for improvement. I think someone in here modified a pair with better results over stock.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
This is basically what I was thinking , back in the day Dynaudio made a SE version of the Audience 72 and it was badass. Have a read.
The Audience 72 SE is the latest ?€œSpecial Edition?€? model following the company tradition set by loudspeakers such as the Contour 1.3 SE and Audience 52 SE models.
The concept: take an existing, already successful Dynaudio model and develop it even further. Although physically the same dimensions as the standard Audience 72, the SE model has benefited fromseveral performance enhancements.
A new tweeter, an ESOTEC variant originally developed for the recently introduced Dynaudio Contour S series models, features a powerful magnet system, a resonance damping rear chamber, and amultiple-coated fabric soft dome with an aluminum wire voice coil.
The mid/bass drivers were updated as well, with the 72 SE model featuring high-performance units derived from Dynaudio’s venerable Contour 1.8 MkII, and using a rigid, die-cast aluminum frame basket,the characteristic Dynaudio MSP (Magnesium-Silicate-Polymer) one-piece cone, a large (75 mm) diameter pure aluminum wire voice coil, and a centered magnet system.
A completely new crossover design was also developed to integrate the new tweeter and woofers within the Audience 72 SE’s cabinet. For the SE, this new filter features high quality componentsthroughout, including low-loss inductors, capacitors with low-loss dielectric, and zero-compression ceramic resistors, all mounted securely onto the circuit board, to negate any adverse effects ofvibration or resonance. High-quality, gold-plated insulated binding posts, mounted onto a terminal plate sourced directly from the Contour 1.8 MkII, are utilized.
The driver complement is integrated into the anti-resonant, 25mm thick MDF (medium density fiberboard) front baffle. As in the standard model 72, the 72 SE cabinet is internally braced and treatedwith layers of damping material to eliminate unwanted resonance.
In contrast to the standard Audience model variants, which feature light gray colored driver frames and tweeter front-plates, in the Dynaudio Audience SE models these items are dark gray in color tohelp distinguish the technical enhancements that lie beneath the surface. The 72 SE has a removable black fabric grill exclusive to the Dynaudio SE models. Above the terminal panel on the back, thespecial ?€œAudience 72 SE?€? aluminum nameplate identifies this version of the Audience 72.
The Audience 72 SE is offered in the same finishes as the rest of Dynaudio’s Audience models: there is a choice of Cherry, Rosewood, Black Ash or Maple natural wood veneer finishes, allowing thespeakers to be integrated into any room or dDan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
I am a huge Dynaudio fan, But Polk is in a different tier. They have $100 to $4000....Dynaudio is $1500 to $40K class2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
Actually Dynaudio is more like $1000.00 to $85,000.00 class. I see no reason why polk couldn't make a SE version of something.txcoastal1 wrote: »I am a huge Dynaudio fan, But Polk is in a different tier. They have $100 to $4000....Dynaudio is $1500 to $40K classDan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Why go elite when you can go custom. Trey can do anything from mild to wild. It all depends on what you want done.
Simply changing out crossovers is not going to put it in the "Eilte class", I don't care how mild to wild. You have to take everything into account here. Name branding for instance. I do not care how much a person mods a Ford/Chevy whatever, it is still a ford/chevy. That is a fact.
Taking that extra leap into the niche market is much, much more.
Why be bait in the ocean when you are the boss in the sea?
Halen -
Actually Dynaudio is more like $1000.00 to $85,000.00 class. I see no reason why polk couldn't make a SE version of something.
I think Polk's stature in the hi-end arena fizzled out years ago. When they made a business decision to go mass market they pretty much put an end to that. Even with their new LSiM line it's going to be tough road to hoe. I don't even know who's carrying them? Who's going to buy them & where? There's just too many top name speaker companies that didn't go the mass market route to give them competition. In a nutshell Polk's audiophile pedigree was put out to pasture many, many years ago. I think the best you can hope for now is to have them modded & even that in itself doesn't speak to highly of the original design."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
Actually Dynaudio is more like $1000.00 to $85,000.00 class. I see no reason why polk couldn't make a SE version of something.
From a business perspective, there is way too much involved. Take into account R&D/Marketing/Financing for instance, it is a nightmare to work out. There is product differentiation, product branding, product re-positioning, etc. We have the innovators, early adopters, laggards, etc etc. There are gaps between products, too high quality and you have a large gap, too low, it overlaps with your existing product I believe it is called self cannibalism. Probably Polk could introduce the JIT (just in time) inventory standards or the others out there.
I believe that there are the hard core guys that want to put out Niche level speakers within Polk. I am confident they could make something to that level, but to be honest, it is not about wants or desires of individuals. Try to put Polk into something as simple as the BCG matrix and that is a starting point. In Business terms there is a "Red Ocean" and "Blue Ocean" market.
Polk is not the be all end all for me, but Polk is still my return point.
Halen -
halenhoang wrote: »From a business perspective, there is way too much involved. Take into account R&D/Marketing/Financing for instance, it is a nightmare to work out. There is product differentiation, product branding, product re-positioning, etc.
I believe that there are the hard core guys that want to put out Niche level speakers within Polk. I am confident they could make something to that level, but to be honest, it is not about wants or desires of individuals. Try to put Polk into something as simple as the BCG matrix and that is a starting point. In Business terms there is a "Red Ocean" and "Blue Ocean" market.
Polk is not the be all end all for me, but Polk is still my return point.
Halen
Exactly. Consider the fact that Polk is part of a conglomerate (DEI Holdings), which is owned by a private equity firm, and I don't expect Polk to take on a 'less than efficient' project for the sake of appeasing a handful of enthusiasts (as much as I would love for it to happen). I'm not sure how much value upgraded crossovers would add to the speaker in the eyes of consumers. Given the cost of high-end crossovers, and the fact that they're hidden within the speaker cabinet, I'm not sure that anyone outside of the super-nerdy audio geeks who actually know how a speaker works, would care enough to pay enough to cover the cost (+a margin for profit) of a more robust cross-over network. It's much easier to pitch a ring radiator tweeter and Polk's "sonic drive", as these are components that can be seen on the outside of the speaker, even if someone doesn't know why they're better.
I'm also not sure how competetive Polk would be in the market for uber high-end speakers. The $3000+ market is a niche market, but its also a crowded (red ocean) market, where both the buyers and sellers are put-off by Polk's big box presence at the lower end of its product lines. That kind of money puts you in the league of a lot of well regarded esoteric brands that stroke the ego's of the audiophiles that make up that market. Polk's products are competetive from a technical standpoint, but brand perceptions go a long way in niche markets (more than 'audiophiles' want to admit).
I agree with Pearsall that Polk will be going against the grain with the LSiM's. I'm sure they're great speakers, but I can't find a local dealer that will carry them, because they all refuse to carry 'big box brands'. I would probably buy them if I didn't have to jump through hoops to audition them. (I will say that Polk's regional sales director has gone above and beyond to find a way for me to audition them, and will have an opportunity to hear them when I finally have the time to).
Additionally, most 'audiophiles' I speak to snub their noses at Polk and don't have a clue that the LSiM's even exist, because Polk is so far off of their radar. Given that the LSiM's are not positioned to be placed in big box stores, the LSiM's are a niche, within a niche, IMO.My System Showcase!
Media Room
Paradigm Studio 60 - Paradigm CC-690 - Paradigm ADP-390 - Epik Empire - Anthem MRX300 - Emotiva XPA-5
Living-room
Paradigm MilleniaOne - Rythmik F12GSE - Onkyo TX-SR805 - Adcom 5400
Headphones
Sennheiser Momentum Over-Ear - Shure SE215 - Fiio E18 Kunlun -
They NEED to do more trade shows.
I agree with Pearsall that Polk will be going against the grain with the LSiM's. I'm sure they're great speakers, but I can't find a local dealer that will carry them, because they all refuse to carry 'big box brands'. I would probably buy them if I didn't have to jump through hoops to audition them. (I will say that Polk's regional sales director has gone above and beyond to find a way for me to audition them, and will have an opportunity to hear them when I finally have the time to).
Additionally, most 'audiophiles' I speak to snub their noses at Polk and don't have a clue that the LSiM's even exist, because Polk is so far off of their radar. Given that the LSiM's are not positioned to be placed in big box stores, the LSiM's are a niche, within a niche, IMO."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
They NEED to do more trade shows.
You are correct, they were a great surprise to alot people at LSAF...Russ did a great job2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
A year or 2 ago I heard several Polk engineers wanted to do just that several years before that... ...and had to start their own company to do so!halenhoang wrote: »I believe that there are the hard core guys that want to put out Niche level speakers within Polk. Halen
Further that's not unusual. You'll find that in almost any similar type industry.Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED, Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga: LCR mids “Foamed & Plugged**”, inside* & out
8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out
*soldered **Rob the Man (Xschop) LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & Mids - 981, connected w/Monoprice Premiere ICs
Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s -
halenhoang wrote: »Simply changing out crossovers is not going to put it in the "Eilte class", I don't care how mild to wild. You have to take everything into account here. Name branding for instance. I do not care how much a person mods a Ford/Chevy whatever, it is still a ford/chevy. That is a fact.
Taking that extra leap into the niche market is much, much more.
Why be bait in the ocean when you are the boss in the sea?
Halen
In keeping with the car analogy, some may think that a Lexus is still a Toyota, but there is certainly a market for that upgraded Toyota. There are other makes that compete at the higher price point, but Lexus still gets it's share. -
On the opposite side of the coin - Polk is a name that rings a bell for the average guy looking to pick up some good speakers. Quite a few of them have bigger budgets and with Polk and their LSiM line - these guys can walk out with a name they know (or atleast have heard of) and some great speakers that were within their budget.
We all know the LSiM line has plenty competition at that price-point but in a lot of the case - the guy that walks into these shops many times with the funds to spare (especially if he's in the middle of building or remodeling his home) - hasn't heard of a lot of the other brands and doesn't specifically ask for it.
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