Sound comparison vintage Polks to new speakers

dpgaloot

Hi all,

So I've been progressing in this hobby and love the sound of my vintage Polks. I've got about 5 pairs in the house (5jr, 5, 10, SRS 2, SRS 1.2tl) hooked up to various gear. Recently I've bought some newer tube electronics and I must admit I like the sound a lot better. All this leads to my question.

How would you compare the sound of vintage speakers to modern speakers? As I upgraded from vintage receivers to modern separates I got a huge improvement in clarity, bass response, and soundstage. Would I hear something similar if I went to more modern speakers? Can you describe a "vintage" Polk speaker sound compared to a more modern sound (ignoring the SDA effect which I am a fan of).

I'm not really in a situation to listen to many modern high quality speakers near home, hence my question here. I'm also on the fence, I'd really like to refresh the 1.2tls and do all the mods I've learned about here. I've done 5jrs and 10s, they sound noticeably better after some love but the 1.2tl's will obviously be a much larger financial commitment.

Obviously I'm asking a group that is fond of the vintage Polks and not the pinky-extended crowds elsewhere. Am I leaving anything on the table by making fully-modded 1.2tls my flagship speakers and not looking at something newer? What else could you buy newer-used in the $5K range that would compare? I listen to mostly rock and acoustic guitar.

Thanks...

drumminman

It won't cost you $5k to mod your 1.2tl's, or even close to that. You'll be astonished at the improvement if you do Xovers, Black Hole 5, and the other de riguer mods the pioneers here have done. It's also important to feed these plenty of clean, high current power to hear what they're capable of.

Search for posts by Darqueknight and Toolfan if you want to learn about modded to the max 1.2TL's

jimithng23

My main system is using a dated, but proven high current amp - Adcom 555II - along with the LSi15s and I'm in heaven.

Recently acquired some Monitor 10s with Peerless tweets and was completely floored with their sound, factoring in their age. Sure, the LSi15s had deeper bass, deeper soundstage, and a sharper image but these M10s aren't far behind. At all. IMHO, of course.

In fact, I prefer the M10s on a few select albums. Haven't been able to pinpoint why yet, just that I do.

What a great hobby, eh?!

motorstereo

You'd have to dig a lot deeper than 5K to get something modern that will best your 1.2tl's. I've got a pair of modern 14K speakers to compare to my tl's and the polks easily come out on top of that one. Do the mods listed here, spend the money saved upgrading your electronics and you'll end up with an outstanding sounding set up that will be very tough to beat.

cnh

And you'd have to go into the greater than $800 a pair range to get sound that is as warm, musical and forgiving as a set of old Monitors (especially the 7As).

Old Monitors are warm and a little laid back, they make almost everything sound good but may not be the last word in detail. If your a "detail" **** then you might not like this smoother sound signature. But if you LOVE to CHILL, they're wonderful!

And a rehabbed pair of SDAs, if your a FAN of the sound field they generate, you're going to need lots and lots and lots of coin to get something better. But I do understand that NOT everyone likes the SDA sound. And some recordings (few) don't sound quite right on them to many.

Schurkey

First Guess: It's more about how the speaker is voiced, it's "sonic signature" than when the thing was made.

There's many sound signatures; different designers--and modifiers--value one characteristic over another. The Polk line was always a high-value deal. They did a lot of things right, they did very little "wrong"; but except for SDA, they did nothing so exceptional that other brands couldn't keep up.

I think the SDA line is nicely-balanced in terms of voicing--but I also admit that I've had little exposure to high-end speakers. I was completely enthralled with my first listening of a pair of Magnepan 3.3Rs many years ago--but move one seat away from center and the magic was gone. They went from FRIGGIN' SPECTACULAR to merely very, very good.

dpage

I have Monitor 10's with RDO-198 tweeters and ClarityCap PX caps. They sound fantastic. I've had some newer Polks like RTi A1's and RTi4's. Not even close the the 10's with regards to midrange detail, imaging, soundstage, tweeter quality, etc.

The newer RTi's have more of a tipped up treble. Well compared to the RDO198's anyways. Such a smooth tweeter. I would say the vintage monitors have a warm signature sound compared to a little brighter with the RTi's. I haven't listened to LSi's yet.

boston1450

I think the 198's sound far better than the 194's by a longshot IMO

Schurkey

DSkip wrote: »

Speed of the driver is not taken into account by these graphs, which is where the more expensive tweeters really start to shine.

Assuming that all tweeters on Earth are revolving at 1 rotation per day, and orbiting the sun at one revolution per year, and traveling through the universe at an uncalculatable rate of speed; I'm not sure what "speed of the driver" relates to.

paulzinda

After too many years of my RTA-15TL being relegated to storage due to "WAF", I happened to find myself with a now ex-wife. I promptly pulled them out and dusted them off... *joy*
Anyhow, now curious about what newer Polk Audio speakers sound like - after all, 20 years later - should be markedly better, right? Picked up a pair of the RTi12 and mated them with a QSC GX5 amplifier. (500W into 8 ohms, distortion less than .02%) ... wow - very loud, very clear.
As I began reading more, I wanted to hear this "SDA" sound folks kept talking about. Found a pair of SDA SRS 2 and heard music like I'd never experienced it. I've since added 3 more pairs of assorted SDA speakers (CRS, SDA 2, and SRS 2.3) - biding my time to pounce on a oair of 1.2TL when the right set comes along.
For home theater, the newer RTi12 are fabulous - incredible punch for movie explosions or to hear the squirrel **** in a forest scene... but for music listening - nothing like the SDAs. Even the non-SDA RTA-15TLs sound richer than the newer, extremely accurate RTi12.
I'll take the vintage SDA SRS with a couple of mods for a fraction of the cost over a very high dollar new set any day.