RD0-194’s no more?
Comments
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Does polk manufacturer them or do they someone else
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Polk engineered them and have them made to their specs.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 -
Yeah Ivan time flies. I knew they were going to stop support for old speakers. I just didn't realize that much time had passed. Always in the back of my mind I was telling myself to pack some away for a rainy day. The time is now before they are no longer made.
I've not had much going on with the rigs over the Summer, but I do poke my head in here from time to time. There will be some changes coming to the rig this Winter. For sure a new Legend pair and eventually a new Pass amp. Probably the L600's and a Pass XA25.
H9
DOOOO it.
😁
No pressure 🤣 -
Fyi, Cathy from Speaker Exchange just informed me that my order of 2 RDO-194 tweeters we're being sent directly from Polk. I thought Polk no longer stocked these? I paid more for the tweeters and a whole lot more for shipping to be told Polk will just send them. So what's going on?Likewise. I picked up a couple and some 198's. Fedex shows they're shipping from CA.
Same here but just glad I got em. Wish ida snatched em up when they were at a discount through Polk for forum member but the fault is all mine for not getting them.
Heck just glad the SDA 2As will be fully “pimped” since I will be installing them and rings which tops off all possible mods that can be done (unless I decide to spike them which I might just for giggles)…"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Last year when I called Polk CS for some RD0-194 and 198, they said they didn't have any more and would no longer stock them. Maybe they found some tucked in a warehouse somewhere.Stan
Main 2ch:
Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.
HT:
Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60
Other stuff:
Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601 -
After reading Everything, I'm gonna order a couple of 194 ( I already have some) & 198 for my future TL mod.
I should bump up my quantities for stock.
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EndersShadow wrote: »Same here but just glad I got em. Wish ida snatched em up when they were at a discount through Polk for forum member but the fault is all mine for not getting them.
I told CS I'm a CP member and he knocked off 20%AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
Pre Cary SLP-05
Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Rythmik F12 -
Last year when I called Polk CS for some RD0-194 and 198, they said they didn't have any more and would no longer stock them. Maybe they found some tucked in a warehouse somewhere.
Can I email Polk customer service? Or is calling better? -
I've always had best luck calling.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 -
EndersShadow wrote: »Same here but just glad I got em. Wish ida snatched em up when they were at a discount through Polk for forum member but the fault is all mine for not getting them.
I told CS I'm a CP member and he knocked off 20%
Oh well. Mine arrive Saturday so not sure anything can be done, and I’m just happy to have a pair at this point."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Dang! I think this is the most commented post I've ever started...
I called Polk CS directly this morning and ordered six 194's and two 198's with the forum discount. No questions asked, so it looks like that avenue is still open for the time being...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 🤩 -
Damn... you guys are worse than the virus preppers hoarding all the toilet paper early last year!
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Just got off the phone with Polk CS and they told me I grabbed the last pair of 194s---allegedly---
They also told me they have ZERO of 198s in stock and they will no support them.
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Knock on wood I haven't fried a tweeter in my 1.2tl's since I put my 1200+ wpc amps on them 3 1/2 years ago. And it's not because they don't occasionally get played at near live concert levels either.
But I was averaging a couple a year when I only had a 500wpc amp on them and it was always the 2nd one from the bottom on the left side.
I may have to try my unsteady hand at fixing one of the blown 198s as a backup now that they're getting tough to find........ just in case. -
EndersShadow wrote: »EndersShadow wrote: »Same here but just glad I got em. Wish ida snatched em up when they were at a discount through Polk for forum member but the fault is all mine for not getting them.
I told CS I'm a CP member and he knocked off 20%
Oh well. Mine arrive Saturday so not sure anything can be done, and I’m just happy to have a pair at this point.
Somehow Saturday was delayed by three days so they arrive tomorrow
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
motorstereo wrote: »Knock on wood I haven't fried a tweeter in my 1.2tl's since I put my 1200+ wpc amps on them 3 1/2 years ago. And it's not because they don't occasionally get played at near live concert levels either.
But I was averaging a couple a year when I only had a 500wpc amp on them and it was always the 2nd one from the bottom on the left side.
I may have to try my unsteady hand at fixing one of the blown 198s as a backup now that they're getting tough to find........ just in case.
I believe on yours that tweeter is the one least attenuated by resistors, it gets full throttle. -
...but why only the left side? Left amp goofy, clips before the right amp? Balance problem, more power to the left speaker? Speaker wiring or crossover problem, allowing more power to the left main tweeter--or not enough to the right main tweeter?
I've got four 198s for my SRS 2 pin/blade speakers, and maybe a usable 2000 plus the 2000s already in the SRS 2s. I suppose I should get while the gettin's good...but perhaps I'm too late already. -
...but why only the left side? Left amp goofy, clips before the right amp? Balance problem, more power to the left speaker? Speaker wiring or crossover problem, allowing more power to the left main tweeter--or not enough to the right main tweeter?
YesGustard 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 -
...but why only the left side? Left amp goofy, clips before the right amp? Balance problem, more power to the left speaker? Speaker wiring or crossover problem, allowing more power to the left main tweeter--or not enough to the right main tweeter?
I've got four 198s for my SRS 2 pin/blade speakers, and maybe a usable 2000 plus the 2000s already in the SRS 2s. I suppose I should get while the gettin's good...but perhaps I'm too late already.
I used to wonder the same thing. It did it with a single mc2500 and it was also the tweeter that would fail when I had a pair of bridged 2500's at 1000wpc. Going back even further it was always the same tweeter that would fail on my 2.3s with a 250wpc Bose 1801. I think using the older-more noisy amps had a lot to do with it. -
Does polk manufacturer them or do they someone else
In China, best I can tell. They're not marked that I've been able to find (which I think is a violation of import laws) so I can't tell for sure. It's why I've been reluctant to buy them.Polk engineered them and have them made to their specs.
I am considering the possibility that they are "rationing" them; allowing small purchases for genuine consumers while preventing hoarders from buying large quantities for later re-sale.Last year when I called Polk CS for some RD0-194 and 198, they said they didn't have any more and would no longer stock them. Maybe they found some tucked in a warehouse somewhere.
I recognize that this makes little sense. If you have a hot product--why would you limit sales?
IS IT POSSIBLE that some CS reps can't find stock of these tweeters because nobody uses the full part numbers with the "-1" at the end? (i.e., RD0-194-1) Or they're searching for RDO (Oh) instead of RD0 (zero)?
Their supplier is unreliable? They get new shipments, but at irregular and unpredictable times and quantities? For example, their supplier only manufactures these tweeters when their "other" product lines are stagnant, to "fill in" between other jobs?
Overall, I don't "get it".vader540is wrote: »Just got off the phone with Polk CS and they told me I grabbed the last pair of 194s---allegedly---
They also told me they have ZERO of 198s in stock and they will no support them.
Swallowed my pride, called Polk Customer Service this morning. I am still in their records from my previous purchases several years back. 4 RD0-198-1 plus 2 RD0-194-1 ordered, 20% discount applied. $320-ish with tax and shipping. Shipping from Parts United, San Berdoo, CA. Should have them in "a week to ten days".I suppose I should get while the gettin's good...but perhaps I'm too late already.
They did not give me any grief about wanting four '198s. Never said or implied anything about low quantities. I was told I got the "last two" 194s, though.
Tomorrow, someone else will get the "last two" 194s??? And the day after, yet another person will get the "last two"???
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If there's a sufficient ongoing market for them it's likely various vendors will continue to ask for them for import from the factory. At least a couple dealers on Ebay as of this morning are still selling 198 or 194 models and listing stock. These things aren't expensive to produce. They're run of the mill soft dome tweeters even if they are good ones.
To me the only thing special about them is the Polk logo on the faceplate. Of course there's no guarantee that they'll be in spec or high quality in future if Sound United/Polk isn't getting to spot test them. -
I hope someone else steps up and fills the gap. I sadly do not have the cash to call up Polk and stock pile a few 198s or 194 for future use. The joys of trying to raise a family on teacher salaries.Speakers: TL Monitor 10s, RTA 11TLs, Fortes, Thiel CS 1.2
Amplifiers: ]Ashly FTX 2001 III, Dynaco ST-70, DIY F6
Pre: Adcom GFP 750, Aikido Tube Pre -
I hope someone else steps up and fills the gap. I sadly do not have the cash to call up Polk and stock pile a few 198s or 194 for future use. The joys of trying to raise a family on teacher salaries.
There may be forum members who have stocks of them for good members who have a need. I had a dozen RD0194s in my closet for a few years until I decided to no longer have the old SDA speakers.
Not sure what the latest word is on the mid-woofers. I think the loss of exact replacement models of those would be a much bigger deal. Not much of a market these days or production for doped paper drivers.
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I just got off the phone with Polk CS and apparently they managed to find exactly two RD-0194 tweeters in their system. They are en route to my house.
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Tomorrow, someone else will get the "last two" 194s??? And the day after, yet another person will get the "last two"???call4randy wrote: »I just got off the phone with Polk CS and apparently they managed to find exactly two RD-0194 tweeters in their system. They are en route to my house.
Marvelous. Good for you.
Crazy that Polk would operate this way. I guess you can buy two '194s, but not more than that at a time.
I hope they didn't pull "my" two '194s off the shelf, and package them up for you.
First Guess: We're both going to be happy to receive our tweeters, Polk has plenty, they're just limiting sales for reasons of their own.
Again, I don't understand this attitude, but it is what it is. -
I just recived my 194's but there is no marking for + and -
nevermind... i can see the red now... my cones and rods needed to get adjusted to the light.
any help?
M7's 1982 Peerless tweeters
M5's X2 (1981 Peerless tweeters, 1988 with upgraded tweeters)
M4's X2 both with Peerless tweeters
M5Jr with SL1500 (in the garage, they sound great)
M4.6 series2 X2 with upgraded tweeters
SDA 2 with upgraded tweeters -
Used to be one tab was red.
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Just got my pair in the mail. I checked them to make sure they weren't damaged. I also looked for polarity markings and like @pitdogg2 said, one of the tabs is dyed red on each of them.
I honestly can't remember if that means it's positive or negative but the polarity markings on the old SL2000 that these replace should be the same so it's a one for one match.
Then again, you could just ask someone here as at least one of them will know for sure.Expert Moron Extraordinaire
You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you! -
Red = positive, which equates to the black wire😉
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I will GUESS, that replacement tweets will be available in the future for some time, whether from polk or others. That said, I dont plan to chance it. I have 2 of the rdo194's ordered for spares for my shop speakers, sda crs. I plan to get a full set of 6 rdo198's soon for spares for my main squeeze, the SDA-SRS 2.3TL set I just got done upgrading in a big way.
Once I have all these on hand, plus my old sl2000 and sl3000 tweets, I should be ok for a long while.
Worst case in the future, I have to find the closest available tweeter and make modification to fit them in. NO, I do not want this to happen.
I too am worried about MW drivers in the future for my 2.3tl's. Perhaps I will get a couple spares of those too. Have not decided. I do have 2 mw spares for the sda crs already.
