Polk Monitor 7 vintage
Aslan7
Posts: 12
Greetings. I am new to the forum but have long been an admirer of Polk speakers. I was thinking about getting a Sherwood top-of-the-line vintage receiver from 1978 (100WPC) or a Marantz integrated 1060 (35 WPC) of the same period. My question is, would the Monitor 7 be under matched with the Sherwood and thus better paired with the Marantz? I have heard that the Sherwood would be better matched with the Monitor 10s but like the 7s. The 7 spec sheet says it can handle the power of the Sherwood but a vintage dealer said not so. Thanks if you have any advice! RT
Comments
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I'd be a lot more concerned about under powering a pair of speakers because the potential for clipping is much greater.
That said, you'd have no reason for concern driving the 7's with the 100wpc receiver and unless you listen at rock concert levels the 35wpc one will work too.
FYI, your vintage dealer is clueless.
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 -
I certainly agree with @F1nut. I also do reckon that the 1060 would do OK with the Polks. I would definitely consider it a little underpowered for Monitor 7s, though, even by 1970s standards. That said, the 7s were often paired with harman/kardon's 25 wpc hk340 receiver to very good effect. I've also -- FWIW -- never been all that crazy about the sound of the Superscope-era Marantz equipment, despite the popularity of same (and the outrageous prices such equipment fetches).
The Sherwoods, even of that era, were pretty redoubtable receivers. Not that most folks would much care in 2020, but the tuner sections in the Sherwoods (even the low powered, entry level models) were superb. Sherwood grew out of an early hifi company called "Radio Craftsmen" (and they were "radio craftspeople", indeed).
Sherwood flash by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
I used to have one of the big(ger) Sherwoods, an S-7900 (IIRC)-- but I really had no good use for it, so I actually sold it (something I rarely get up the gumption to do).
One last, slightly more relevant comment: I like (i.e., really like) vintage Yamaha with that era of Polks. I have used a CA-610II integrated amp (45 wpc) with mine, on and off, for four decades. Food for thought.
P1020541 by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
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Thanks for both of your comments. This is for a basement system and I wanted to get something vintage and historically correct. The Sherwood receiver is a beauty but I am open to an integrated because FM stations are on the demise--I am very happy streaming with my primo gear. The Marantz 1060 has a good reputation but I am not a big fan of that stuff either. Possibly I should hang on for the Polk Monitor 10s which would work great with the Sherwood. But I would grab that Yamaha if I could find a nice one. Sometimes I consider skipping the vintage thing and just getting a Peachtree Nova 150. But I am fascinated by the early stuff. I do have some Mission Renaissance monitors for the receiver but they date from a decade later, are English, and I am interested in Polk.
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Thanks for both of your comments. This is for a basement system and I wanted to get something vintage and historically correct. The Sherwood receiver is a beauty but I am open to an integrated because FM stations are on the demise--I am very happy streaming with my primo gear. The Marantz 1060 has a good reputation but I am not a big fan of that stuff either. Possibly I should hang on for the Polk Monitor 10s which would work great with the Sherwood. But I would grab that Yamaha if I could find a nice one. Sometimes I consider skipping the vintage thing and just getting a Peachtree Nova 150. But I am fascinated by the early stuff. I do have some Mission Renaissance monitors for the receiver but they date from a decade later, are English, and I am interested in Polk.
Let's get one thing very clear, the Monitor 7 is a vastly better speaker than the 10.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 -
I have heard that from others but have never made a personal comparison. I may end up with the 7s and then choose between the Sherwood S 110 CP or a Pioneer SX-850. The Pioneer, with less wattage, may be a better match for the 7s but that Sherwood is amazing. I am more after a good phono and headphone stage that the tuner function. So the 7s are in, no 10s. Thanks again because I am in a hot virus zone and can't audition as much as normally.
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The Pioneer isn't likely to sound better than the Sherwood -- assuming both are in good shape (i.e., rehabilitated to 'like new' by replacement of tired parts, mostly electrolytics). First & foremost, "less watts" isn't a value-add -- and more to the point, the Pioneer receivers of that era are OK sounding, but only OK sounding. They do look great, and they're well built, but the sound quality is mediocre relative to, e.g., h/k, Yamaha or Luxman of the same era. The Pioneers are somewhat coarse and "solid state-y" sounding to my ear and taste. The Sherwood is also cut from better cloth than the Pioneers, as far as I am concerned. In this day and age, there's really no good reason to scrimp on a piece of vintage equipment.
AFAIK all of the receivers and integrated amps of that era simply use the power amp (with attenuator resistors, I think) to drive the headphone outputs. In terms of phono preamp sections, Yamaha gets my vote -- although phono was the main hifi source in those days, and phono preamps in the mid to late 1970s are all pretty decent for a moving magnet (or moving iron) cartridge with a reasonably high output level.
All of the above are no more, or less, than my opinions and are not offered as immutable fact!
That said, I've spent many years in this hobby and listened to and/or owned lots of things -- so my opinions are at least somewhat informed! 
EDIT: as are those of @F1nut!
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Everyone raves about Pioneer and Marantz but the Sherwood is really something and plenty cheaper, which helps. I had separates back in the day, working from Dynaco to Ampzilla via Phase Linear and SAE, so you know much more than I do. Your evaluation of the 7s vs. the 10s is intriguing. If you guys tell me the Sherwood will not fry the 7s I am happy. I listen to classical and jazz, and rarely crank it.
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Everyone raves about Pioneer and Marantz but the Sherwood is really something and plenty cheaper, which helps. I had separates back in the day, working from Dynaco to Ampzilla via Phase Linear and SAE, so you know much more than I do. Your evaluation of the 7s vs. the 10s is intriguing. If you guys tell me the Sherwood will not fry the 7s I am happy. I listen to classical and jazz, and rarely crank it.
Not everyone.
The notion of "sheeple" isn't new
https://xkcd.com/1013/
That Sherwood is just a tad bit over 100 wpc if memory serves; perfectly reasonable for the 7s -- just don't go nutzo and it should work well. If the speakers sound unhappy... they are. Besides, they have fuses (well... depending on exactly which version they are)
The 10s have issues related to the twin "midbass" drivers' juxtaposition, and a thick sound that is neither as accurate nor as satisfying in the long run as the 7. The 10s are not bad speakers, but the 7s are mo' betterer (IMO, IME, FWIW, YMMV, yadda^3...).
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My vote = 7's and the Sherwood. That being said, I do agree with Doc Hardy....... Yamaha. I just recently sold a CR 2020. Recapped and a mighty fine piece. And yes, the 10's are a very nice speaker for the money, (my first set of "real speakers" back in the day) but the 7's are the sweet spot in the monitor line up.
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My vote = 7's and the Sherwood. That being said, I do agree with Doc Hardy....... Yamaha. I just recently sold a CR 2020. Recapped and a mighty fine piece. And yes, the 10's are a very nice speaker for the money, (my first set of "real speakers" back in the day) but the 7's are the sweet spot in the monitor line up.
Mine, too (1978) -- I will never get rid of them, either. Fine loudspeakers, especially at their going price in those days.
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FWIW, I run my updated Monitor 7c's on my recapped 1060 and really enjoy the combo. They’re dual purposed - 2ch listening on the 1060's tuner input directly from a Marantz DV7600 and as L/R in a small 5.1.2 Atmos rig, pre-out from my Marantz NR1607 to the aux input on the 1060. I am always amazed by the amount of low end I get out of the 1060/Monitor 7 combo. I’m sure the Sherwood would give you more oomph, but from personal experience unless you really want volume, the 1060 does surprisingly well.
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 🤩 -
I knew someone here was runnin' a 1060! Thanks for chiming in!
There are two 1060s here -- both work, but both need rehabilitation... maybe someday.
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Normally I would at least listen to the 1060s with the 7s but no can do during the pandemic. The Sherwood is probably the way I'll go, but I have an old prejudice against receivers as was raised on the separates. I used to have an Adcom 545 (their smaller amp) coupled various Adcom preamps so I bet the 7s would sound great with that set-up also. It's hard to get invested in FM radio when it's near obsolete.
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Nice picture. Streaming is totally amazing but the equipment doesn't look half as good as those two units on the bottom.
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This is a really nice thread. One of the best ones since the the pandemic started. Great help and insight by all per my viewpoint.
@Aslan7, you got help from the top of the knowledge chain above."Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"Anger is just anger. It isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters.
You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice. Jim Butcher
Harry / Marietta GA -
I think my very first receiver was a Sherwood, really nice and very popular at the time. I ran a pair of Rectilinear speakers with no problem whatsoever. That Sherwood will be a good match for the Monitor 7’s. I also love the vintage Yamaha’s but you’ll pay a pretty penny for those.
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Thanks very much for all your advice. Tuesday I'll pick up the Polk 7s; once I figure out what incarnation they are I'll ask about the tweeter upgrade that all of you seem to recommend, though I want to keep them historically correct. Left to my own devices I would have bought the 10s so you gave me a good tip. The dealer was pushing vintage Bose--ugh!
I guess I'll hook them up with the plain 16-gauge cable that was common in the 70s. Honestly, I know people with cables that cost a mint and don't hear the difference, just like bi-wiring. So it will be nice to get back to basics.
I am inclined to get the Sherwood, but that Marantz 1060 is a good looker with all that I could want and has a following even among those who aren't crazy about the brand. Decisions, decisions....This vintage equipment is really fascinating. Best regards to all, rt -
I guess I'll hook them up with the plain 16-gauge cable that was common in the 70s. Honestly, I know people with cables that cost a mint and don't hear the difference
Those people, like your vintage dealer, are clueless and probably deaf. High end cables do make a difference.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 -
Here they are, single owner 7Bs with the Peerless tweeter, and original boxes. Will report on sound impressions. -
I am sitting here in a state of shock. Just for fun I hooked up the Polks to my main system, the Exogal Comet/Ion power DAC. Then, not to stack the deck, I played a CD reissue of a 1957 mono Deutsche Grammophon recording. Without any finessing of the placement and with them directly on the hardwood floor the Polks sound fantastic--natural, rich, detailed, etc. It's pretty shocking that a pair of speakers from 1978 that cost almost nothing can hold their own against some pretty fancy modern speakers. And they were made right here in Baltimore. So thanks all for such great advice.
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They certainly look a lot different from my earlier 7B's. Different grill pegs, Polk Audio emblem is part of the grill and grill covers the entire front. I suppose they may have made changes to appearance/style in mid models. Hmm. Anyway, enjoy and great choice!George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
@Aslan7 ....I have a pair of 7's that are identical to yours. I rebuilt the crossovers and re veneered them in cherry. They are definitely a very nice speaker for not much money. Enjoy
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I am sitting here in a state of shock. Just for fun I hooked up the Polks to my main system, the Exogal Comet/Ion power DAC. Then, not to stack the deck, I played a CD reissue of a 1957 mono Deutsche Grammophon recording. Without any finessing of the placement and with them directly on the hardwood floor the Polks sound fantastic--natural, rich, detailed, etc. It's pretty shocking that a pair of speakers from 1978 that cost almost nothing can hold their own against some pretty fancy modern speakers. And they were made right here in Baltimore. So thanks all for such great advice.
Told ya 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 -
I don't think your 7B's with serial # 48XXX could be 1978 models because I'm an original owner of a pair with serial #19XXX that I bought in 1979, and that date was on both the crossovers and the MWs. The date is usually to be found on the crossover and/or the MW driver.
Anyway, if you like them now just wait until you do the upgrades (no pressure lol)!!Post edited by Gardenstater onGeorge / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
I'll take a look for the date and will wait on the upgrades so I can notice the difference. I'm still amazed at the quality of the sound. I came across some AR5s and Ohm Ls but these are fine. I am just about to hook them up to the Sherwood S100 CP which will be interesting. For the time being I am using 16 gauge Navepoint cable which could be improved. My next quest will be a pair of original Polk stands.
George, I used to have a Crown D150 and it was a great performer. -
You have so much low hanging fruit to make improvements that you are at the beginning of an awesome journey with the 7Bs, which by the way look nicer than mine with their real wood veneer. Are those speaker cables actually CCA (copper clad aluminum) like they say on their website? Run, don't walk to some better cables! I had 16 gauge copper lamp cord initially, then went to DIY Cat5e Litz 13.5 gauge, and now have DIY 14 gauge 4N ribbon cables. Each move represented a huge improvement. Ditto with stands. I'm a huge proponent of vibration isolation and mass loading when it comes to stands, as well as getting the tweeters up at ear level. I started with my DIY version of the Polk stands but for me it didn't cut it, soundstage wise, to have the speakers pointed up at me from a lower level.
I like the Crown D150. I believe it has a huge power supply which should make it good at supplying current when needed for transient musical spikes. I'm contemplating replacing all the electrolytics some time in the future. I would really like it if an audiophile friend would bring a higher end amp over to determine how much room for improvement I might have.George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
The AR5 is a nice loudspeaker, as was the KLH Five.
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Yes, the cables are on top of my list for certain. I will start a search for Polk stands but that will take a while. For now I have a couple of cement blocks to keep them off the floor. I am still messing around with placement and the possibility that my modern turntable cartridge output is too high for the late 1970s tuner phono stage--vocals sound like the Chipmunks!
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In regards to stands, if you search around the forum a bit you should run across plans to build a pair. Actually, I found the attached plans.
