Vintage Monitor 7's Makeover

Faustin
Faustin Posts: 1,149
in Vintage Speakers
Finally got around to bringing these girls back to life. Crossovers were rebuilt with Sonicaps on the high pass and Dayton on the low pass. Mills resistors, Cardas solder, new wiring, upgraded binding posts, dynamat, Sonic Barrier, hurricane nuts and machine screws. Then for beauty, heavy figured cherry veneer with a natural stain and 6 coats of hand rubbed poly. Still have to put on new grill cloth in the next few days. It has been a fun and rewarding project.a3z5xfq44w27.jpg
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Comments

  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    Those look great.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,759
    Flat out gorgeous work!
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,081
    Good job!!!
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  • chandler9a
    chandler9a Posts: 878
    Very nice work! thanks for sharing
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  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
    Sweet!
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  • lawdogg
    lawdogg Posts: 455
    Wow beautiful work!!
    <3 my 3.1TLs

    I will fix your shifted magnets for free. :)
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,548
    Nice job!
    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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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    Spectacular job! I need to get off my butt and do that to my 7B's.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • indyhawg
    indyhawg Posts: 1,642
    Very nice work.
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    Beautiful work Bruce.
    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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  • Faustin
    Faustin Posts: 1,149
    Thanks everyone for the kind words. I enjoy projects like this but in reality it is the knowledge and guidance of many, many forum members that make it possible to get projects done. Thanks to all that help and share instructions to others here.











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  • willwilly
    willwilly Posts: 185
    Outstanding! I luv the cherry! Excellent work.
    Will I am
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    Bruce and Willy here at least I thought F-1 Jesse,for those those who don't know him thinking he was the resident woodworker around here for some reason. To date that is because I've never actually seen any of his 'alleged work' Have you ?? To both you guys a great project comes to fruition, how do they sound whether compared to the originals or just as one offs ?
    2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E

    H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-

    Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc
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  • PolkieMan
    PolkieMan Posts: 2,446
    Look sooo much better with real wood guess that's what turned me off to Polk back then till the latest SDA series came out. Where did you get the veneer at?
    POLK SDA 2.3 TLS BOUGHT NEW IN 1990, Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-198
    POLK CSI-A6 POLK MONITOR 70'S ONKYO TX NR-808 SONY CDP-333ES
    PIONEER PL-510A SONY BDP S5100
    POLK SDA 1C BOUGHT USED 2011,Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-194
    ONKYO HT RC-360 SONY BDP S590 TECHNICS SL BD-1
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  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    Outstanding work, Faustin, they look great! Very well done, sir.

    How are they sounding with the upgrades/mods? Too early to tell?
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  • CGTIII
    CGTIII Posts: 1,070
    That's a lot of love! Beautiful.
    Expect that there will be bumps in the road. Choose to not let them rattle you.

    Polk - Monitor 10As, SDA 2Bs, LSi9s, White RTi4s, S4s, M3s, various centers.
    Boston - CR7, CR6s, CR4s.
    Subs - M&K V4, M&K VX-7B, JBL SUB150P, Jamo Sub 250, and others.
    ​Thompson Adventures, Inc.
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  • Faustin
    Faustin Posts: 1,149
    Thanks for the kind comments. I bought the veneer online a year or two ago from veneersupplies.com. It is the PSA variety, backed with pressure sensitive adhesive. I also did my RTA-12's with the same batch. The c/o's were done approx 8 months ago, so they are burned in. The speakers sound great. I currently have them hooked up to a Jolida JD1000A integrated tube amp. They really fill the room. They can't keep up with the RTA 12's or the SDA 1c's, but for their size and in the right enviroment they are awesome.
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  • pkquat
    pkquat Posts: 748
    Beautiful!
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  • deucekazoo
    deucekazoo Posts: 146
    Nice, I like the way cherry looks with the black front and back. Perfect combo.
    They look great.
    Polk S10, S8, S4
    Polk RT8
    Polk Monitor 7s
    Working on getting SDAs
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    Now that I've seen them on my larger computer monitor, I would like to change my initial response to a more appropriate one....

    Beautiful craftsmanship.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • MrBuhl
    MrBuhl Posts: 2,419
    Those are stunning!
    VA HT HK AVR20II, Sony S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD, Polk Audio RC80i / Polk Audio CSi3, 60" Panasonic Plasma, Nordost / Signal Cable A2 / Wireworld / Pangea / Magic Power
    VA 2 Channel Focal Electra 926 speakers, Pass Labs X150.5 Amp, Eastern Electric MiniMax Preamp (Tutay mods), Eastern Electric Minimax CDP (Scott Nixon mods), Music Hall mmf 5.1 Turntable, Parks Audio Budgie Phono Pre , Audioengine B1 streamer, MIT S3 IC's / MIT Shotgun S3 Speaker Cables / PS Audio power cables
    Noggin Schiit Valhalla, Pangea, Phillips Fidelio X1, Polk UF8000

    Polk SDA1c modded
    Polk CRS+ 4.1TL modded (need veneer)
    Polk SDA2BTL (fully modded)
    A/L 1000VA Dreadnought Canare 4s11 SDA cable
    SACD Marantz DV8300
    Sony S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD
    Yamaha YP-D6
    Soundcraftsmen PCR800
    Audible Illusions L1 Preamp
    Vincent MFA based Cocci Tube Preamp
    Pho-700 Phono Pre
    Signal Cable Silver Resolution IC's






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  • RandyCroissant
    RandyCroissant Posts: 475
    Those puppies look great. I have a pair of m5jrplus I will be doing in the winter can't wait.
    Yamaha RXA1030, Yamaha CD-S2100, Yamaha AS-2200, Bluesound node 2i
    Polk SDA2btl highly modded
    Polk SDA 1C modded
    Polk CS350 LS x2
    Kimber 8TC
    Sony 55" Bravia
    Wish list SVS sub

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  • vstarkwell
    vstarkwell Posts: 328
    Sorry to bring up an old thread however if the OP is still following this I was wondering if you remember how much veneer, measurement wise, you needed to complete your 7's?
    Monitor 7C's With Tubes
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  • Faustin
    Faustin Posts: 1,149
    vstarkwell wrote: »
    Sorry to bring up an old thread however if the OP is still following this I was wondering if you remember how much veneer, measurement wise, you needed to complete your 7's?

    I don't recall exact measurements, but if you take the dimensions of the cabinet and add approx 1" to each side, top, and bottom you can calculate what you need. If I remember correctly I purchased a 4' x 8' sheet and did my RTA 12's and the 7's. I purchased through veneerproducts.com. I used paperbacked with the psa (pressure sensitive adhesive) backing. They have a variety of sizes available.
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