New Monitor 7s - now what? ideas welcome

rachnp89

Hi all, someone was giving away these Polk speakers for free on craigslist -- research leads me to believe they are Monitor 7s.

However, I am a complete newbie and have no clue how to configure them. I presume I need some sort of amp. I will mostly be utilizing my iphone 6 (wireless or 3.5 mm) for music. Does anyone have recommendations for how I go about configuring a set up, wiring, etc? Any specific models of amps you recommend to get the most out of my 7's?

I'm excited to configure these for my new apartment; just don't know where to start!

lawdogg

Congratulations! Nice find. Do the woofers - the ones in the middle - move in and out freely? I'm sure you will get a plethora of suggestions on the amp etc., but your location and budget might be informative. Do you have any experience with audio, any past systems? Welcome aboard.

RandyCroissant

Great speakers!! I have the earlier 7b model and love them. Read on and enjoy.

boston1450

There are so many avenues you can go & budget & personal preferences. I will throw this out there. Try a vintage Pioneer SX~~~ model about 50+ WPC & some clean speaker wire & put em on tilt stands to get the tweeters at ear level & toe em a hair to your listening area & enjoy . The Polk Monitor 7's are a great speaker. Down the road CALL Polk & upgrade those tweeters to RD0-194's & they will sound better

Nightfall

What's your budget? Do you need something with digital inputs, probably HDMI?

F1nut

Nice speakers. First things first. Clean soft cotton rags and a bottle of original Windex. Use that to clean the cabinets. Use the same to clean the drivers and PR's by spraying the Windex on a clean rag and wiping in a circlular motion. As they are really dirty change rags until no more dirt comes off. The mid-driver has a sticky surface, do not try to remove it.

tat

Yes you will need an amp in some form to boost the signal from your iPhone. The iPhone signal goes into the preamp/amp and out to speaker. You need to make sure the iPhone signal is fed to an amp thru an appropriate level connection. I don't use digital libraries so others will better help with specific set-ups that may pair well with the historic model speaker you have been blessed with.

Rex81

If you're not looking to run a surround sound setup, just buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-R-S202BL-Stereo-Receiver/dp/B01EMQI2CU/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

It has bluetooth built in so you don't need to worry about any analog connections if you primarily listen off of your phone. It will sound the same as running a 3.5mm input. You could use an analog input if you wanted, and you can even plug your TV in this way too.

Oh, you'll need some speaker wire: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-16-Gauge-Speaker-Wire-Feet/dp/B006LW0WDQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1473942509&sr=8-4&keywords=16+speaker+wire

Just cut 2 lengths a bit longer than you think you'll need (1 to each speaker). Strip about 1/2" at each end of all 4 wires. Insert the wires into the "A" section of the receiver, then unscrew the terminals at the speaker, insert the other ends into the holes of the terminals matching red to red and black to black and screw them back down.

There. You're done. For $155 you'll have a rockin' stereo setup that will serve you for years to come.

VSAT88

No advice here. just happy you have them and the dump does not. Welcome to the Rabbit hole.

[Deleted User]

Welcome, great pickup.

WTS

Those look like Polk 7 speakers -- more specifically, they look like 7c.

I also own a pair of 7c speakers, which I'm getting going again after some years of them sitting in a closet. You can definitely buy better sounding speakers, but chances are you won't get any better for free!

They were considered good budget audiophile speakers thirty years ago. They have held up well over the years.

Search this forum for more information on your speakers. There is lots available.

Someone suggested checking the motion of the 6.5" woofer (the one in the center). This is good advice. You can find more detailed instructions in other postings. Here's a quick version: press gently but firmly on the passive radiator (the big one on the bottom), so that it moves inward, and hold it there. When you press on it, the woofer should move outward. If it doesn't, then something is amiss and needs to be fixed, which may involve replacing the woofer. The woofer should take several seconds to settle back into place: two seconds is okay, five seconds is very good; the longer the better. Less time suggests that there is an air leak somewhere that should be fixed.

The good news: woofers and tweeters are still available new from the factory, for a nominal cost compared to how much you paid for the speakers. These speakers aren't orphans.

Others have given you a few suggestions for how to drive the speakers. Basically, you need a preamplifier and power amplifier, or an integrated amplifier (which combines both a preamp and a power amp into one chassis), or a receiver (which is an integrated amp plus an AM/FM tuner). You can go new, or you can buy used equipment. I was surprised at how inexpensive that new Yamaha receiver is. But you can also get great deals on used equipment, although it takes some research and legwork on your part to separate out the wheat from the chaff. A quick search of my local Craigslist turned up a bunch of used equipment that could easily drive those speakers.

You will also need speaker wire.

If the electronics do Bluetooth, you can link your iPhone to it that way. If not, you'll also need an RCA to 3.5mm jack cord. Or fancier equipment, which is probably beyond where you want to go right now.

Someone else suggested speaker stands, to get them off the floor and position them for better sound. This is a good idea. You can make them yourself, and there are people who will give you plans for them. (I still have the stands that I bought with the speakers when I bought mine new.)

You may find instructions for your speakers on this forum, or elsewhere on the Internet. I know that I still have a copy of the instructions that came with my speakers (pack rat that I am). They're out there.

These are the basics to get you up and running. If the speakers don't work properly, we can help you diagnose the problem and fix them.

Best wishes!