Center speaker for 5.1 System with Monitor 5 speakers

silentchaos15

Hello,

I currently have a 5.1 system and looking to replace the center speaker. I have my current set up below. Need to know which of the Polk centers I should get to match up with my Monitor 5 speakers. I can't seem to tell the difference between the CSi A4, CS10 and the TSx150C. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


AV - Sony STR-DN840
Front and Rear - Monitor 5
Sub - Pinnacle Baby Boomer
Center - Sony SS-CN495H

Room dimension: 13'X16'

Nightfall

Replace your front Monitor 5's with Monitor 10's and use the 5's as a center channel, use some Monitor 4's as a center channel keep the rest the same, or replace your rear Monitor 5's with 4's and use the 5's as a center.

I've heard that the CS400(i) is decently timbre matched to the vintage Polks but nothing will be as good as another vintage Polk with the same tweeter.

silentchaos15

thanks for the tip. I don't think I know anyone who has an additional Monitor 5 or 4 to use as the center. Considering the shelf I have, the Monitor 5 as a center would be way too big to use as a center even if it's set on its side. Maybe in a bigger room with a high shelf system. I will check out the CS400 and keep an eye out for the monitors.

rooftop59

Another possibility is a cs350l. Also a large center that should make reasonably well.

silentchaos15

Oh yes. Sorry for the lack of info. The Monitor 5 speakers I have are equipped with the SL2000 Silver Coil tweeters. not the Peerless SL2500. I know the Monitor 4 normally comes with the 1500s and the Monitor 5 Series II are the Peerless. I think the 4.6 monitors come with the SL2000. I do not have the tube fuse on the outside by the posts like some of the early models did. I've never opened them as I've never needed to so I cannot give you a year as far as when it was built. I'll try and post some pics if anyone would like some. Again, thank you to everyone for the advice. I love Polk, I just am not proficient as far as the technical and electrical aspect.

HTguru1982

There are a few CS400's and CS350's on Ebay right now.

silentchaos15

Looks like both the CS400, CS400i and the CS350 seem to have the same tweeter but slightly different based on the ID numbers. Based on my room and shelf capacity I may have to get the big ugly CS400i. The current shelf I have is only 20" deep and 23" wide. The 6 1/2 woofer on the CS400i might go better with my Monitor 5s than the CS350. I'll have to try and see if I can find a good price. Hopefully it is similar prices or less than any of the newer ones like the CSi A4 or A6 or the CS10 or CS20.

Jimbo18

The CS245 and 245i are smaller than the CS400 but still good centers and have the same tweeter. Smaller drivers but still good sound and they don't take up as much space.

Nightfall

silentchaos15 wrote: »

Oh yes. Sorry for the lack of info. The Monitor 5 speakers I have are equipped with the SL2000 Silver Coil tweeters. not the Peerless SL2500. I know the Monitor 4 normally comes with the 1500s and the Monitor 5 Series II are the Peerless. I think the 4.6 monitors come with the SL2000. I do not have the tube fuse on the outside by the posts like some of the early models did. I've never opened them as I've never needed to so I cannot give you a year as far as when it was built. I'll try and post some pics if anyone would like some. Again, thank you to everyone for the advice. I love Polk, I just am not proficient as far as the technical and electrical aspect.

Just to clarify, the black tweeters in the series II are SL3000's not Peerless. Also the Peerless isn't SL2500, it's KO10DT.

boston1450

silentchaos15 wrote: »

Looks like both the CS400, CS400i and the CS350 seem to have the same tweeter but slightly different based on the ID numbers. Based on my room and shelf capacity I may have to get the big ugly CS400i. The current shelf I have is only 20" deep and 23" wide. The 6 1/2 woofer on the CS400i might go better with my Monitor 5s than the CS350. I'll have to try and see if I can find a good price. Hopefully it is similar prices or less than any of the newer ones like the CSi A4 or A6 or the CS10 or CS20.

.. Big Ugly & sounds awesome. No disappointments here

westmassguy

Nightfall wrote: »

Just to clarify, the black tweeters in the series II are SL3000's not Peerless. Also the Peerless isn't SL2500, it's KO10DT.

The Monitor Series Received SL2500s, not SL3000s
The Peerless was HF1000

silentchaos15

westmassguy wrote: »

The Monitor Series Received SL2500s, not SL3000s
The Peerless was HF1000

Sorry about that. I was typing fast. Didn't mean to put it that the Peerless were the SL2500. Had no idea that the Series II were SL3000's. Definately do not have those.

silentchaos15

boston1450 wrote: »

.. Big Ugly & sounds awesome. No disappointments here

Thank you for the reference. It looks like you have the CS400i.

westmassguy

silentchaos15 wrote: »

Sorry about that. I was typing fast. Didn't mean to put it that the Peerless were the SL2500. Had no idea that the Series II were SL3000's. Definately do not have those.

No, the series II had SL2500s, not SL3000s

xjghost

There is a single 5 on eBay right now too. I'm hoping to go look at a set of 5jr's as rears to my 10's sense 7's are mint around here and rare.

silentchaos15

cool. thank you for the clarification. I guess when the dreaded day comes to replace my SL2000's it won't matter.

Nightfall

Doh! I meant 2500. I am so confused about the Peerless now, though...

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?50681-looking-for-chronology-etc.-Polk-Model-9-vs.-9A&

Matthew Polk wrote:

"I definitely don't remember the precise dates. We're talking generally 1974-1976. There were three tweeters used and two types of drivers. The first versions used the piezoelectric cone type tweeter. Some of these had a ring shaped masonite disk covering the outer edge of the tweeter with some fiberglass stuffed underneath it to suppress resonances in the cone. This was replaced by the black plastic piezo "Superhorn" tweeter which was ultimately replaced by the Peerless KO10DT dome tweeter. I can't recall if the 9a indicated the change to the superhorn or the peerless dome. If there was a 9b, that would have been the dome tweeter.

Most of the drivers were a 4.5" CTS-made driver. However, a few were made with a Phillips 4.5" with a whizzer cone. The Phillips driver was a good deal better sounding than the CTS but not nearly as robust. I believe all of the Model 9's with Phillips drivers used one or the other of the Piezo tweeters."

Also...

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2X-Peerless-KO10DT-8-ohms-/121079527884

westmassguy

Nightfall, you're mixing apples and oranges. Those were early 9s, that used CTS drivers, and had front and rear firing drivers. The Monitor 5, 7 and 10s all started with Peerless, then the SL1000, then the SL2000, and the final versions had SL2500s.

Nightfall

There are two different versions of Peerless? I appreciate learning something today but good god, Polks can be thoroughly confusing.

PolkieMan

I have the CsiA6 has anyone compared it to the CS400i ?

westmassguy

There's the original made in Denmark, and the later one made in the US. Other can chime in with the model # printed on the back. That's about the only way to tell them apart.

Nightfall

I thought that the Denmark and US made Peerless could both be found in my RTA12B's, not that Denmark was only in the really old Polks and US was only in the 80's Polks?

westmassguy

Could be either. I believe they were both made at the same time, but could be wrong. Unless you've owned them since new, no telling if the tweeters were original or replacements years later. All I know is, the mold broke, and they ceased production.

silentchaos15

PolkieMan wrote: »

I have the CsiA6 has anyone compared it to the CS400i ?

Does your CSi A6 blend well with your system?

Nightfall

On my RTA's one tweeter says 55144882 on the back, the other says nothing. The one that says nothing looks older than the other. I think I have two different versions...

Nightfall

I also have two extra's that I pulled out of a junk pair of RTA12's that both say 55142181. Can you gather anything from these three different markings westmass?

westmassguy

Faustin would be your best resource. He's a Peerless Hoarder

silentchaos15

Weren't they pretty bad about recording id numbers on some of the originals? I know a friend who had a pair of 5jr's but had absolutely no markings on the back where the label or serial numbers would be.

StantonZ

Nightfall wrote: »

Replace your front Monitor 5's with Monitor 10's and use the 5's as a center channel, use some Monitor 4's as a center channel keep the rest the same, or replace your rear Monitor 5's with 4's and use the 5's as a center.

This basically what I did years ago, except substitute "4's" for "5's". Those vintage Polks (4/5/7/10/12) make GREAT surround systems if you can collect enough of them!

StantonZ

Nightfall wrote: »

Replace your front Monitor 5's with Monitor 10's and use the 5's as a center channel, use some Monitor 4's as a center channel keep the rest the same, or replace your rear Monitor 5's with 4's and use the 5's as a center.

This is basically what I did years ago, except substitute "4's" for "5's". Those vintage Polks (4/5/7/10/12) make GREAT surround systems if you can collect enough of them!

PolkieMan

Yea and I like the nice look, cherry and it was new for $250.
Polk had recommend it as the closest thing for my 2.3tls.
Before that I tried a CS2 but it seemed weak,

silentchaos15 wrote: »

Does your CSi A6 blend well with your system?