Somebody school me on vintage MW's

Nightfall
Nightfall Posts: 10,086
edited September 2013 in Vintage Speakers
So there is a craigslist post for a pair of 5JRs

00D0D_5ZRZlETYqc9_600x450.jpg

His ad states that ONE of the MW's is a replacement. To me, neither of them look like a vintage Polk MW so I emailed him thinking maybe he just doesn't know.
I just wanted to let you know that neither of those woofers are Polks, not one of them. Might have been done by a previous owner? Good luck with your sale!

He emails me back
tpwk.jpg

I just wanted to let you know that you are wrong

Now, I have never seen a vintage Polk woofer that is not shiny and tacky. What vintage Polk MW didn't have that sheen to it?
afterburnt wrote: »
They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

Village Idiot of Club Polk
Post edited by Nightfall on
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Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,557
    edited September 2013
    What vintage Polk MW didn't have that sheen to it?

    The ones you're looking at....lol
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    edited September 2013
    F1nut wrote: »
    The ones you're looking at....lol
    They look right to you? Or you're being sarcastic? I can't tell lol
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    edited September 2013
    For reference.

    tn_med_IMAG0026.JPG
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,557
    edited September 2013
    I'm joking and being serious at the same time. Some of the the MW's were not doped.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,086
    edited September 2013
    F1nut wrote: »
    I'm joking and being serious at the same time. Some of the the MW's were not doped.
    Interesting. I wonder how many exist, this is the first one I've ever seen.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,557
    edited September 2013
    If memory serves, they were only used in the original Monitor series, never in the SDA's.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • HTguru1982
    HTguru1982 Posts: 1,066
    edited September 2013
    Is the other woofer made by Polk or...?
    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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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited September 2013
    Another difference is there are more than 4 screws holding them to the front baffle. I would have thought they were non polk replacements as well.
    "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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  • Easy Runnin
    Easy Runnin Posts: 501
    edited September 2013
    The dust caps are different as well.
    HT- Samsung PN50B860/Integra DTR 30.3/Rt55 Fronts
    Rt35i Surrounds/Cs1000p Center/SVS BP1000 Sub
    2CH - B&K MC-101 pre/B&K EX-442 amp/NAD 2400 amp
    Polk SDA1C, Polk Monitor 7, New Large Advents and Polk RTA 8T
    BR - Yamaha CR800/Polk monitor 5
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  • geoff727
    geoff727 Posts: 546
    edited September 2013
    Weird. It almost looks like someone re-coned it and attached a gasket to match the other one. A 1986 MW6502 is shiny and sticky, for sure.
    Polk SDA SRS 2
    Polk RTA 15tl
    Polk Monitor 7C
    Polk Lsi9
    Infinity RS-II (modded)
    Infinity RS-IIIa (modded)
    Infinity RS 2.5 x 2
    Magnepan 1.6QR (modded)

    System: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1290711373
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited September 2013
    "Somebody school me on vintage MW's."

    I believe that is exactly what the seller of those 5Jr did.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited September 2013
    As far back as 1977 I can only recall coated paper drivers in the Polk "Monitor Series"...


    attachment.php?attachmentid=4961&stc=1&d=1090333966

    attachment.php?attachmentid=4962&stc=1&d=1090334116



    Note that in those early days, the PRs were not plastic coated, however...
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  • Mr. Bubbles
    Mr. Bubbles Posts: 736
    edited September 2013
    drumminman wrote: »
    Another difference is there are more than 4 screws holding them to the front baffle. I would have thought they were non polk replacements as well.

    I thought the same thing at first. Then looked at the back of the driver from the return e-mail. Plainly only 4 screws. Then looked at the fronts again and am unable to tell if the first picture has 8 screws or only 4 with just the gasket looking that way. The surrounds do appear to be rubber, but not a match to the rubber surround in the picture posted by Nightfall. I have this model as well and mine look just like the ones Nightfall posted pic of. If the pictures do indeed show the same drivers, i would assume a recone of some sort with incorrect parts. We may never know.

    I almost forgot that even on the early drivers I have seen with silver baskets and cardboard gaskets, they have all matched the ones in the pic posted by MHardy; with still only 4 screw positions and coated paper.
    If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of Progress?!


    Monitor 5Jr, Monitor 5, RTA12, RTA 15TL, SDA 2A, 1c, SRS 2, 1.2TL, CRS, Atrium.
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited September 2013
    Could very well be a recone, but the earlier midwoofers did look different... Hmmm...
    Jake
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited September 2013
    They both look like they've been re-coned, or one has and the other isn't a Polk
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • Easy Runnin
    Easy Runnin Posts: 501
    edited September 2013
    I don't think it's wire correctly either. Looks like the white wire is connected to the terminal with the red dot.
    HT- Samsung PN50B860/Integra DTR 30.3/Rt55 Fronts
    Rt35i Surrounds/Cs1000p Center/SVS BP1000 Sub
    2CH - B&K MC-101 pre/B&K EX-442 amp/NAD 2400 amp
    Polk SDA1C, Polk Monitor 7, New Large Advents and Polk RTA 8T
    BR - Yamaha CR800/Polk monitor 5
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  • Msabot1
    Msabot1 Posts: 2,098
    edited September 2013
    My 10b's from 85 have the glossy drivers...before that I don't know..
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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited September 2013
    Mr. Bubbles wrote: »
    I thought the same thing at first. Then looked at the back of the driver from the return e-mail. Plainly only 4 screws. Then looked at the fronts again and am unable to tell if the first picture has 8 screws or only 4 with just the gasket looking that way. The surrounds do appear to be rubber, but not a match to the rubber surround in the picture posted by Nightfall. I have this model as well and mine look just like the ones Nightfall posted pic of. If the pictures do indeed show the same drivers, i would assume a recone of some sort with incorrect parts. We may never know.

    I see what you mean. It looks like the one with the Polk label has 4 screws, yet when looking at it from the front the exterior surround ring has cut outs for eight screws, but not each cut out has a screw. Unless the seller wants to let them go real cheap I'd pass on them. They look like someone has done some "custom" work.
    "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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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,557
    edited September 2013
    I swear I've seen non-doped Polk MW drivers. Maybe Ken can chime in on this one.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited September 2013
    The more I look at them, the more it looks like both were re-coned, or are not real Polk drivers. One has exposed lead wires, the other doesn't. The dust caps appear to be pressed paper, which Polk didn't use back then. The early drivers had felt, and the later drivers had mesh dust caps. I've also found some very loose labels when servicing the drivers, would be very easy to remove and glue them to another driver. As mhardy shows above, the doping was used in their marketing.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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