Are soldered driver connections common for Polk?

Hofy
Hofy Posts: 169
in Vintage Speakers
I went to swap the tweeters in my Monitor 5As with the Monitor 4s I just picked up. Then I remember that all the wire connections to the drivers in the 5As are soldered. Both models are from late 1982. The 4s have push on connectors. Is this common? Not a big deal for me as I do solder, just curious.

VODCBct.jpg
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Comments

  • smglbrth
    smglbrth Posts: 1,471
    edited February 2016
    My 7C's had soldered connections, only on the positive side of each driver, not the negative or tweeters. Strange I know but you're not the first. Maybe they ran out of connectors at that given time period?
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  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,184
    edited February 2016
    Be sure to use a heat sink on the tab that's attached to the tweeter, otherwise the tab will come off and then the tweeter is ruined! Ask me how I know :neutral: . If you don't want to take a chance, just snip the wire 6 inches up or so and resolder the wire.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,440
    early models were soldered then as you said the went to fast ons
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    (thread resurrection)

    I encountered a similar problem today. I was planning on swapping some components between two pairs of Monitor 4s only to discover that one pair is soldered. I had also planned to upgrade the crossovers from the soldered pair at some point.

    I don't know how to solder. Is there a way to disconnect everything here so the crossovers can be upgraded and refurbished with push on connectors and the tweeters disconnected and the tabs replaced or repaired by someone who knows what they're doing?

    I could also abandon the whole idea and leave everything as is...
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    Hey Kevin, you can cut the wire and crimp on male and female spades or bullet connectors. JAT
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  • kevinko
    kevinko Posts: 165
    Hi Rob. That would work. It doesn't look too difficult either. I could snip and crimp females on the crossover and crimp males on the tweeters and hook up the unsoldered MWs as is.
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  • BMF35
    BMF35 Posts: 86
    xschop wrote: »
    Hey Kevin, you can cut the wire and crimp on male and female spades or bullet connectors. JAT

    This. Just cut and install crimp connectors. Simple.
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  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,101
    edited September 2018
    Reverse the male-female terminals on the two wires to each driver, so they can't be connected in reverse polarity. Decide which way the + wires will be, do the - wires opposite.

    Or use 2-wire Weatherpack connectors which can't be connected backwards.
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