Making Monitor 10's great again...

JayMX
JayMX Posts: 446
in Vintage Speakers
Honestly they’ve always been great, but now they’re better. These were my first pair of Polks. $20 thrift store acquisition. Mismatched one from 87, one from 89. Two different kinds of vinyl. Stripped the old nasty, scratched stuff off and veneered with the leftover ash I had from my Monitor 7 update. Powergrabbed the drivers. Built some stands from scrap, krylon coated even! Stained these a lighter color, polished up with feed-n-wax and gifted them to a friend. All in all a very satisfying endeavor! I think they turned out nice and he seems to be a happy camper. Ordering 194's for him this week! :)

mew4pm9pnlkf.jpeg
55i11yx5abks.jpeg
oarev19o0urr.jpeg
gmc9qinbik6u.jpeg
swdb8i96wtca.jpeg
bfp6iz2sm3ww.jpeg
x6oh7qdsopui.jpeg
5iu9t8eu0zz3.jpeg
w9te6oy1kkq1.jpeg
u5a8iq50h1sg.jpeg
0h3anft41c4j.jpeg
vv45o9iweljl.jpeg
pf392tw0pudk.jpeg
qijyfo2f2n2k.jpeg
y2un50ju36ow.jpeg
n6vhtfkfug0p.jpeg
Current Collection: Monitor 4a (Peerless), Monitor 5B (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7b (Peerless), RTA15TL (SL3000), SDA CRS+ (194’s), SDA SRS 2.3TL, R100's, R200’s, R300 🤩
Pairs that have passed through: Monitor 4b (Peerless), Monitor 5a (Peerless), Monitor 5b (SL1000), Monitor 5b (SL2000) (4x pair), Monitor 7b (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7c’s (194’s), Monitor 10a (Peerless), Monitor 10b (5x pair), RTA8, RTA8TL, RTA 11T, RTA12c (194's), SDA CRS, SDA 2 (2x pair), SDA 2a, SDA 2b, SDA 1b, SDA 1c, SDA SRS 2 (2x pair), SDA SRS 3.1TL (198’s) (2x pair)...and more to come, it’s a sickness.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    Awesome, Jay! Very well done!

    Love my Monitor 7s and 10s like you wouldn't believe.

    How long did the project take you?

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,582
    Wow! Really nice work!
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Faustin
    Faustin Posts: 1,149
    Very nice.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,009
    Sweet
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Legender
    Legender Posts: 478
    Very nice work. Little motivation for those of us that have not touched our Monitor 7s at all.
    Music: Oppo103 - Parasound JC2 - Parasound A21- SDA 3.1
    Theater: Denon 3808 - B&K 7500/Emotiva XPA-3- RTi12, CSi5, RTiA7x4, PSW505
    Sleeping: Marantz 70005 - Harman Kardon 2400 - SDA 2
    2 Channel: Cary 306 SACD - Canary Audio 906 - Pass Labs x250 - PS Audio Perfectwave DAC, Polk LSiM705, SVS SB13 Ultra
    Office: Dell Optiplex, Emotiva XDA-2, Adcom 5500, LSiM 703
    Spares: Yamaha CA-810; LSi 15; Kenwood Basic M2a, Yamaha M60/M80, Polk Monitor 7, SVS SB13 Ultra
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JayMX
    JayMX Posts: 446
    edited March 2018
    Thanks for the kind words, not really fishing for compliments, but what good is a brag post otherwise...? ;)
    teekay0007 wrote: »

    How long did the project take you?

    Total, around 15 hours. But I work slow.
    la2vegas wrote: »
    I have zero experience using wood veneer. Can a rookie use it and get good results?

    Be honest even if it is brutal. :|

    It’s actually way easier than I thought. Stripping the vinyl is the worst part, just annoying and time consuming, not hard. Takes a heat gun and patience.

    The veneer is as simple as cutting out pieces with an exacto knife or even scissors in some cases, making them a little bigger than the area you’re trying to cover. Then coating both the cabinets' surfaces and the veneer with contact cement, a little drying time, then adhering the sheets and strips to the cabinets. You have to be careful because the cement grabs quick and hard. I use dowels to hold it off the cabinet while I align then a roller to press them together. Then I stack a whole bunch of heavy stuff on the cabinets for 24 hours to make sure the cement binds well. I use my router to trim the excess except on the front bevel which has to be fairly precise. Think thin strips and exacto time... A little wood filler and lots of sanding hide the mistakes pretty well. :)

    These were my third speaker veneering project and I learn each time. A lot of fun, very satisfying when the finishes are complete. I really dig this hobby. Pretty sure I’ve become a polkaholic. Now back to the classifieds to find more...

    Post edited by JayMX on
    Current Collection: Monitor 4a (Peerless), Monitor 5B (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7b (Peerless), RTA15TL (SL3000), SDA CRS+ (194’s), SDA SRS 2.3TL, R100's, R200’s, R300 🤩
    Pairs that have passed through: Monitor 4b (Peerless), Monitor 5a (Peerless), Monitor 5b (SL1000), Monitor 5b (SL2000) (4x pair), Monitor 7b (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7c’s (194’s), Monitor 10a (Peerless), Monitor 10b (5x pair), RTA8, RTA8TL, RTA 11T, RTA12c (194's), SDA CRS, SDA 2 (2x pair), SDA 2a, SDA 2b, SDA 1b, SDA 1c, SDA SRS 2 (2x pair), SDA SRS 3.1TL (198’s) (2x pair)...and more to come, it’s a sickness.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,515
    Very nice work. They look great!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    Good job!
    How much would a pair of monitor 7s or 10s cost me? I’ve heard so much about them, and now I really REALLY want a pair :lol:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,334
    mlistens03 wrote: »
    Good job!
    How much would a pair of monitor 7s or 10s cost me? I’ve heard so much about them, and now I really REALLY want a pair :lol:

    Depends on the condition and any upgrades. I paid $75 for a pair of 7's and $100 for a pair of 10's, both in very nice condition, no upgrades.

    I would say, in general, that's on the lower end of what you can expect to pay. $100-$150 is what I see on most of them listed, with no upgrades and nice condition.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BC6
    BC6 Posts: 109
    I get Craig's List email notifications on Polk Audio. At least 90% of the notifications are annoying and useless, but I was able to get almost perfect 7's for $95, My best deal was $50 for a pair of 10's and a pair of 4a's, all of them in near perfect condition. I missed out on some 1.2TL's for $500 because I didn't move fast enough. I was the first caller, but someone else got to the guy's house before I did.

    I was originally going to upgrade and flip them, but there really isn't a market for upgraded Polks. I put about $200 into the 7's and they sound amazing. To me they're worth more than the $300 I have in them, but I doubt I could sell them for even close to $300. So I'm keeping them for a future second system.

    I really enjoy fixing them up. It's really rewarding to take speakers that already sound great and make them greater. The 10's are next. I think I'll upgrade them and give them to a friend.
    2 Channel: Atohm GT-1 speakers, Atoll IN400 integrated amp, PS Audio DirectStream DAC, PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB with Ortofon Bronze cartridge, SotM sMS-200 ultra streamer, SotM sPS-500 power supply, and homemade infinite baffle subwoofer with two Fi Audio IB318 drivers.

    HT: All Polk: SDA 2.3tl fronts, CSiA6 center, 500-LS ceiling, RT/FX, RTi8, Monitor 4 rears, plus Yamaha CX-a5100 AV Preamplifier/Processor, Yamaha MX-a5000 11.1 channel amplifier, and Sony XBR55-AE1 OLED TV.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    BC6 wrote: »
    I get Craig's List email notifications on Polk Audio. At least 90% of the notifications are annoying and useless, but I was able to get almost perfect 7's for $95, My best deal was $50 for a pair of 10's and a pair of 4a's, all of them in near perfect condition. I missed out on some 1.2TL's for $500 because I didn't move fast enough. I was the first caller, but someone else got to the guy's house before I did.

    I was originally going to upgrade and flip them, but there really isn't a market for upgraded Polks. I put about $200 into the 7's and they sound amazing. To me they're worth more than the $300 I have in them, but I doubt I could sell them for even close to $300. So I'm keeping them for a future second system.

    I really enjoy fixing them up. It's really rewarding to take speakers that already sound great and make them greater. The 10's are next. I think I'll upgrade them and give them to a friend.

    Definitely some good deals there, have fun upgrading them!
    Jimbo18 wrote: »
    mlistens03 wrote: »
    Good job!
    How much would a pair of monitor 7s or 10s cost me? I’ve heard so much about them, and now I really REALLY want a pair :lol:

    Depends on the condition and any upgrades. I paid $75 for a pair of 7's and $100 for a pair of 10's, both in very nice condition, no upgrades.

    I would say, in general, that's on the lower end of what you can expect to pay. $100-$150 is what I see on most of them listed, with no upgrades and nice condition.

    That cheap? I might start looking for a pair, I’ve heard many good things about them here and elsewhere.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,081
    Very nice work!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SDA1C
    SDA1C Posts: 2,072
    Well done.
    Too much **** to list....
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    Your friend is lucky to know you! Nice work!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cortico
    cortico Posts: 587
    Wow! This looks very very good!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Excellent Job! They look gorgeous! Well done sir!
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    Nice work!!!

    I love the fireplace mantle as well, very beautiful!!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JayMX
    JayMX Posts: 446
    Toolfan66 wrote: »
    I love the fireplace mantle as well, very beautiful!!!

    Thanks! Made of old fence boards and a telegraph crossmember from the family ranch in Idaho. Not fancy, but It's a little piece of home. :)
    Current Collection: Monitor 4a (Peerless), Monitor 5B (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7b (Peerless), RTA15TL (SL3000), SDA CRS+ (194’s), SDA SRS 2.3TL, R100's, R200’s, R300 🤩
    Pairs that have passed through: Monitor 4b (Peerless), Monitor 5a (Peerless), Monitor 5b (SL1000), Monitor 5b (SL2000) (4x pair), Monitor 7b (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7c’s (194’s), Monitor 10a (Peerless), Monitor 10b (5x pair), RTA8, RTA8TL, RTA 11T, RTA12c (194's), SDA CRS, SDA 2 (2x pair), SDA 2a, SDA 2b, SDA 1b, SDA 1c, SDA SRS 2 (2x pair), SDA SRS 3.1TL (198’s) (2x pair)...and more to come, it’s a sickness.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,081
    Those Monitor 7 look stupid good!!! One of the best looking pair I have ever seen.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jchurch7
    jchurch7 Posts: 1
    Excellent work. I have a pair of working Monitor 10’s that sound great. I also have a pair where the two mid-woofers are frozen - but that’s another story. I’m more interested where to buy veneer like you used. I don’t have any exotic wood stores around either. Can you help a brother out with your source?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    EBay has a lot of veneer sellers. Most of the exotic wood stores have online sales too. The sky’s the limit as far as wood species too!
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JayMX
    JayMX Posts: 446
    jchurch7 wrote: »
    Excellent work. I have a pair of working Monitor 10’s that sound great. I also have a pair where the two mid-woofers are frozen - but that’s another story. I’m more interested where to buy veneer like you used. I don’t have any exotic wood stores around either. Can you help a brother out with your source?

    These guys have a local store that I go to, but I believe you can buy from them online and have them ship. The ash sheets I purchased were 24”x96” for $30.
    http://www.macbeath.com

    It’s really not that hard to do and it’s very rewarding when the old gals start to look like furniture. Sometimes your wife even lets you keep them in the front room!!
    Current Collection: Monitor 4a (Peerless), Monitor 5B (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7b (Peerless), RTA15TL (SL3000), SDA CRS+ (194’s), SDA SRS 2.3TL, R100's, R200’s, R300 🤩
    Pairs that have passed through: Monitor 4b (Peerless), Monitor 5a (Peerless), Monitor 5b (SL1000), Monitor 5b (SL2000) (4x pair), Monitor 7b (Peerless), Modified Monitor 7c’s (194’s), Monitor 10a (Peerless), Monitor 10b (5x pair), RTA8, RTA8TL, RTA 11T, RTA12c (194's), SDA CRS, SDA 2 (2x pair), SDA 2a, SDA 2b, SDA 1b, SDA 1c, SDA SRS 2 (2x pair), SDA SRS 3.1TL (198’s) (2x pair)...and more to come, it’s a sickness.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,413
    BC6 wrote: »
    I get Craig's List email notifications on Polk Audio. At least 90% of the notifications are annoying and useless, but I was able to get almost perfect 7's for $95, My best deal was $50 for a pair of 10's and a pair of 4a's, all of them in near perfect condition. I missed out on some 1.2TL's for $500 because I didn't move fast enough. I was the first caller, but someone else got to the guy's house before I did.

    Where abouts do you live? I live in L.A. and got my TL's for 500 bucks, and the guy told me I better grab them because he had another just waiting to take them.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • 11tsteve
    11tsteve Posts: 1,166
    https://www.veneersupplies.com/
    I have used these folks for multiple projects, if you have to mail order. Excellent service and shipping times.
    Polk Lsi9
    N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
    NAD 1020 completely refurbished
    Keces DA-131 mk.II
    Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
    Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter