3.1Tl's vs. 1.2Tl's

wwresto

My Polk collection keeps growing, despite my plans to pair it down over the last few months. I won't bore with the list of Polk's I've recently acquired, and will try to keep this to the question at hand.

Anyone have first hand A/B comparison experience with the 1.2 vs 3.1 TL's? I have the 3.1's here at the house, in my shop (horrible environment for listening) running off a Carver M1.0T at the moment. The C1 preamp is noisy and has problems, so I've only done some brief demo time using an ipod direct into the M1.0T (I know, disgusting, but impressive no less!).

The 1.2TL's have been reworked by me over the past couple of months. New RD tweeters from Polk, combination of vintage and new MW's, Gimpod boards with caps and resistors from VR3 using original inductors (those will be next), fed by an Adcom GTP500/GFA555 combo. They're really damn good despite the entirely wrong placement, IMHO (office is about 12'x24' and they're placed midway down the 24' wall). Can't say I hate them in the least.


The 3.1's sound REALLY good despite the silly setup I'm using now. It will be a bit of a pain to relocate the 3.1's to the shop, but I'm going to set them up for an A/B comparo regardless.

So, here's my fear. I'll like the 3.1's better. I've already sent an email off to VR3 to learn about xo mods available. I've already decided to upgrade out of the Adcom rig as time/funds permit. I have another room at the shop that is 16x24 that I really want to convert to a dedicated listening environment (time issue again - it is empty at the moment).

Who has heard the two speakers in question side by side, and just to feed my brain, what are your thoughts?

Finally - my father in law just offered me (no charge) a pristine, in box, with manuals Marantz 2385 receiver. He's giving me his HP60's too. I'm going to have to try out the Marantz I suppose too.

WW

(a little RC31 **** for your time)

oldmodman

I do have a set of the 3.1tl and a set of the non tl SRS 2.3

In my too small listening room the 3.1s sound much better than the 2.3s Probably due to the small room size. I have heard a demo in a good sized room between a set of 1.2s and 2.3s, both tl. And the over all sound of the 1.2 was superior. But the 2.3 did seem to "direct" the sound stage slightly better.

But is it the fact that the 3.1s are "tl" and the 2.3 are not? Or is it the sonic area requirements of the much larger speaker?

My current quandary is to go ahead and mod my 3.1tl and continue my search for a pair of 1.2tls and sell off my non tl 2.3s or continue doing all the mods on the 2.3

wwresto

Thanks for the feedback. Pretty sure these are what are referred to as *first world problems* but having options is awesome regardless!

WW

Mike Reeter

While I can't vouch for the 1.2TL's (wish I could) I can say for certain the 3.1TL's are an exceptional example of the last generation of SDA's.

I enjoy ours on a daily basis, just picked up some 2.3's, so I'll have to make some comparisons myself one day.

wwresto

Well, I made a pitstop at the office today and spent some more time with the 1.2's. Yes the 3.1 are good - but not as good (and rightfully so I believe). Still...they're both keepers. Have to figure out where they will live now.

I see there is an email response from VR3 re: 3.1 mods. I'm almost afraid to read it :hehehe:

WW

EndersShadow

As a FYI, there is a MOUNTAIN of mod's available for Carver C-1 pre-amp which should solve just about any problem you have on it.

Its something you could work on if you have skills (fairly easy and step by step instructions available), or send to someone to do for you (thecarversite.com is a great reference for the documentation and to find someone to do it for you if needed)

wwresto

Appreciate that EndersShadow. I'll consider it. I'm capable, but the list of things to get done is long these days...audio gear stuff takes a very far back seat to other interests and life needs. Then again...winter is coming.

WW

EndersShadow

wwresto wrote: »

Appreciate that EndersShadow. I'll consider it. I'm capable, but the list of things to get done is long these days...audio gear stuff takes a very far back seat to other interests and life needs. Then again...winter is coming.

WW

Yup, parts are pretty cheap IIRC, and like I said that site is full of a step by step instructions on all the mods to the pre, which make it a VERY VERY good pre-amp.

From mods to the phono input, to mod's to add volume control (but no input switching), which IMHO make it a MUCH more modern pre, especially the volume control.

wwresto

I'm going to kick myself - but appears a fellow/local polkie has talked me out of the 3.1's...

WW

headrott

While I think the 3.1TL's are great speakers, I enjoy my 2.3TL's more. Sorry, I have not compared the 3.1TL's directly to the 1.2TL's. If you do a search for my 3.1TL to 2.3TL comparison you will see the differences I found. It'll give you some idea of a comparison..........

F1nut

Too late Greg, he sold them behind the scenes to another member. While not excatly against the rules WW would have done well to kept his mouth shut about it as it doesn't reflect well on his character.

headrott

Yeah, I just noticed that Jesse. Why not just do it the "by the rules" method? OR as you said, keep your mouth shut about it..........

F1nut

He couldn't do it by the rules because he only has 35 posts. As to why he couldn't keep his mouth shut, I'm pretty sure I know why, but let's see if he'll address that one.

headrott

Oh right Jesse. I wasn't even paying attention to that (in this case). Technically, isn't that against the rules then?

F1nut

Is it against the spirit of the rules? You're damn right it is, but since he didn't post any type of ad it becomes more of a gray issue.

headrott

Gray areas suck. I disagree with them all the time.

Edit: I wanted to point out that IMO this would be more acceptable if the "seller" had 100 posts, but he does not. That makes it wrong (again IMO).

GospelTruth

This transaction began outside of the Polk forum via Craigslist. I have been looking for 3.1s for awhile and I missed out on an add a week or so ago for some here in Reno. Then an ad came up for them a week later and I replied to that ad late last week. I had been going back and forward with the Craiglist seller for a few days and he decided he wanted to bring them to his shop downtown for a listen. That reminded me of a post I had replied to when someone in Reno bought a set of 1.2s this past summer. So I went to the Polk forum to look that up (it's been awhile since I've been on the forum as we've been busy with a newborn these past 6 weeks). I found that there was a thread about 3.1s compared to 1.2s. The guy was in Reno and he was bringing the speakers to his shop. This sounded like wwresto and the Craiglist seller were one in the same.

I sent a reply to the Craiglist seller and asked if he was wwestro. I also asked that if he was still wanting to sell them after he did his comparison would he be willing to give a discount to a fellow Polkie if he indeed was wwresto. Turns out that he is one in the same and agreed that he would sell them to me for a discount as a fellow Polkie.

This transaction was more than likely going to happen via Craigslist in the first place. I think it's great that it turns out that the seller is also a fellow Polkie who is selling these to another Polkie who appreciates these speakers. Additionally, because of the forum connection after the fact, I received a better deal than I would have without it.

wwrestro is an upstanding person and didn't use this forum to try to sell those speakers by any means. To make rash judgements is a bit harsh without knowing the situation. I just put one and one together after talking to him via Craigslist and that's how the connection was made. There is no bragging about the situation, or what I think needs to be kept on the down low. I think he's just happy to help me out by selling me these 3.1s as I've been wanting this set for some time and he's able to make that dream happen.

Michael

Mystery

GospelTruth wrote: »

This transaction began outside of the Polk forum via Craigslist.

wwrestro is an upstanding person and didn't use this forum to try to sell those speakers by any means. To make rash judgements is a bit harsh without knowing the situation. I just put one and one together after talking to him via Craigslist and that's how the connection was made. There is no bragging about the situation, or what I think needs to be kept on the down low. I think he's just happy to help me out by selling me these 3.1s as I've been wanting this set for some time and he's able to make that dream happen.

Michael

Agree with you Michael.
Some old folks here are little edgy on things when it comes to selling without 100 posts.
Whether it's done here in For sale forum or via PM or in CL, as long as buyer and seller are in good terms, it's all good with me.
It's even better if the person you dealt with is a fellow Polkie and thanks for coming in the forum.
You both are welcome here and ignore those comments who are trying to say otherwise.
Enjoy your 3.1TL's.

F1nut

GospelTruth and wwresto, my sincere apologies to you both. I could have handled that better.

Mystery, I'm sorry that you don't understand why, "Some old folks here are little edgy on things when it comes to selling without 100 posts." Those same old folks are the ones that made the Flea Market a safe place to do business.

Mystery

F1nut wrote: »

GospelTruth and wwresto, my sincere apologies to you both. I could have handled that better.

Mystery, I'm sorry that you don't understand why, "Some old folks here are little edgy on things when it comes to selling without 100 posts." Those same old folks are the ones that made the Flea Market a safe place to do business.

I understand and appreciate the time and effort you guys put in doing that but let's not question a person and his character specially when no one is deliberately trying to go around the rules.
Let the good vibes flow around here.

Mike Reeter

GospelTruth wrote: »

This transaction began outside of the Polk forum via Craigslist. I have been looking for 3.1s for awhile and I missed out on an add a week or so ago for some here in Reno. Then an ad came up for them a week later and I replied to that ad late last week. I had been going back and forward with the Craiglist seller for a few days and he decided he wanted to bring them to his shop downtown for a listen. That reminded me of a post I had replied to when someone in Reno bought a set of 1.2s this past summer. So I went to the Polk forum to look that up (it's been awhile since I've been on the forum as we've been busy with a newborn these past 6 weeks). I found that there was a thread about 3.1s compared to 1.2s. The guy was in Reno and he was bringing the speakers to his shop. This sounded like wwresto and the Craiglist seller were one in the same.

I sent a reply to the Craiglist seller and asked if he was wwestro. I also asked that if he was still wanting to sell them after he did his comparison would he be willing to give a discount to a fellow Polkie if he indeed was wwresto. Turns out that he is one in the same and agreed that he would sell them to me for a discount as a fellow Polkie.

This transaction was more than likely going to happen via Craigslist in the first place. I think it's great that it turns out that the seller is also a fellow Polkie who is selling these to another Polkie who appreciates these speakers. Additionally, because of the forum connection after the fact, I received a better deal than I would have without it.

wwrestro is an upstanding person and didn't use this forum to try to sell those speakers by any means. To make rash judgements is a bit harsh without knowing the situation. I just put one and one together after talking to him via Craigslist and that's how the connection was made. There is no bragging about the situation, or what I think needs to be kept on the down low. I think he's just happy to help me out by selling me these 3.1s as I've been wanting this set for some time and he's able to make that dream happen.

Michael

Congrats to both of you guys. I've been around here for a while and I can only remember one, maybe two Flea Market exchanges that have gone South, a very good record in my book, mainly due to the attention paid to details... Michael, the 3.1's are a special SDA, feed them a steady diet of good clean power coupled with a good source, and they will reward you time and time again.

wwresto

F1nut wrote: »

He couldn't do it by the rules because he only has 35 posts. As to why he couldn't keep his mouth shut, I'm pretty sure I know why, but let's see if he'll address that one.

Rather than read the rest of the banter in this thread, I'll stop with this one. Feel free to ban me if you think I've broken some sort of rules. The truth is, GospelTruth and I put 2 and 2 together and rather than try to make a profit, I *hooked a fellow polk fan up*. Reality is, after getting the emails back on mods from VR3 and doing some math - I really didn't need to be diving into another project when my first large vintage Polk endeavor isn't even finished yet.

I couldn't keep my mouth shut? Well - thought this was a place to share - my bad. Please point me to the list of allowable postings.

Regarding the rules - I've no idea what I broke exactly. I didn't post a for sale ad, couldn't as has been well stated. I will share that I've had several Polk goodies that I would have offered at a discount to forum members if I could have over this last summer as my audio journey fired back up. Ebay was my chosen route, and some of you figured that out. Didn't mention a single one here (rules again).

My reputation is all over the web and you'll have a difficult time finding anything wrong with it (usually wildwhl and was that here several years ago, I think, but couldn't figure out login and since I'm now wwresto.com figured what the heck!). If you do find something wrong, that's OK too. I'm not here to please everyone - prefer to be a realist.

I just finished helping GT load them in his car. I'm going to go watch my oldest receive Star scout now. When I return, likely pour a Jack ditch and listen to some music + relax.

Seems some of you might want to try the +relax part too.

WW aka Bill aka Wildwhl aka WWRESTO aka WW919

(and my flamesuit is better than yours - it is of the RD series!)

Mystery

wwresto wrote: »

Rather than read the rest of the banter in this thread, I'll stop with this one...

Should have read the whole thread as follow up replies have already addressed this.

wwresto

Mystery wrote: »

Should have read the whole thread as follow up replies have already addressed this.

Should, or could? I elected not to. So there are apologies after the fact. So what? I *could* have read the rest. Let's say there was no follow up, what then? *Should* I wait an infinite amount of time before responding? *Could* I just let it go? Yeah, I could. Thing that bothers me here is that this group not only is pointing the finger at a relatively unknown newbie (me) but also what appears to be a member of a couple of years (GT). Jealousy me thinks.

Facts remain the same. From my viewpoint, this is just another case of infantile internet bashing before knowing (or asking) the facts. Some forums are better than others at this. PM's are useful. No skin off my back either way. I'm thankful to have met a Polk fan that happens to live just a few minutes from me. We seem to have at least a few similar interests. So some of you are pissed that - what - you didn't reach out to me and ask to buy the 3.1's? 100 post rule? You know how quick and easy it is to spam up threads with useless posts? What's the point. Never forget - everything's for sale - everything. If you want something - ask to buy it.

Hell - this forum should be where EVERYONE comes to sell vintage Polk gear, in my opinion. This is where the true enthusiasts live. Someone trying to make a profit? Hmmm...bet every one of you required profit to buy your audio gear - regardless of how you receive it (paycheck, commission, trust fund).

The point is - enthusiasts are generally supportive of each other - not bashing, skeptical, or judgmental.

Personally, I'm appreciative of the wealth of information and knowledge contained within these intra-webs, including this particular club Polk. Thanks to those that have been and continue to be helpful. To the rest - carry on with your world that's dreary and continue worrying about the parts that are *gray* if it pleases you. To each their own.

WW

Mystery

wwresto wrote: »

Should, or could? I elected not to. So there are apologies after the fact. So what? I *could* have read the rest. Let's say there was no follow up, what then? *Should* I wait an infinite amount of time before responding? *Could* I just let it go? Yeah, I could. Thing that bothers me here is that this group not only is pointing the finger at a relatively unknown newbie (me) but also what appears to be a member of a couple of years (GT). Jealousy me thinks.

That is a bad assessment of things.
The fact is there are follow up replies. If you imagine there were not, then imagine none of the posts were here.
WTH?

Again, things happen and sometimes words come out unintended and it's already been addressed.
Don't hang on it. Read the thread completely and let it go.
If you made a mistake and apologize, should we hold a grudge against you for life?

If you look threads and sub-forums here, you'll find everything you mentioned in your post and came here looking for.
Repeating same thing over and over doesn't help.

F1nut

It takes a man to apologize when he is wrong, I did and therefore, I am. It also takes a man to accept that apology. You did not and therefore, are not.

Jealous of you, of GT? Not in this or any other lifetime.

wwresto

DSkip wrote: »

The point is that you didn't acknowledge the evolution of the thread.

I clearly stated that I had not read the rest of the thread.

If this forum is like a family - Jesse (F1nut?) could have sent a PM. Could have edited his slander. Lots of things could have happened.

Are my panties in a bit of a wad? Yes, they are.

Headrott, F1nut and others jumping to conclusions indicates that such drama is welcome here (poke).

WW

Mystery

Looks like F1nut was correct after all.

This guy is a pain.

wwresto

F1nut wrote: »

It takes a man to apologize when he is wrong, I did and therefore, I am. It also takes a man to accept that apology. You did not and therefore, are not.

Jealous of you, of GT? Not in this or any other lifetime.

I like a man that is comfortable with himself , good for you F1.

Everyone get back to work. If you don't work, get back to doing something fun.

WW out

(this forum really needs smilies enabled - better reading)

wwresto

Mystery wrote: »

Looks like F1nut was correct after all.

This guy is a pain.

Everybody gets other each others skin once in a while...isn't it fun?

Seriously gang - a bit of a vent from my end -yes. But I see no reason to apologize - some of you asked for it and I delivered.

WW

headrott

Our forum and moderators take the 100 post rule to buy and sell very seriously. This is the reason you received the responses you did. We were not judging you, sending slanderous remarks or anything else with that intent in mind.

WW, since we jumped to conclusions we are offering our apologies. Please accept them and move on, without resentment. Done. That is it.