Must try MOD - Foam inside the stamped steel baskets - YES!

xschop

benjaminlea wrote: »

I completed this mod yesterday and can confirm my results are inline with the positive results of others who have completed it.

There has been a dramatic improvement in vocal and instrument separation. I don’t have the audio bs vocabulary to accurately describe what I’m hearing, though I’ll do my best.

Vocals are most definitely more present, clearer even. There is tighter delivery when I listen to acoustic tracts, moments of pauses are noticed in greater detail, when an artist takes a breath etc.

Vocals seem to come at me quicker and are speedier to drop off which for me, in my room, presents a soundstage like never before. Artists appear as if they are in front of me performing live and I didn’t have such detail prior to this mod.

Strings and other instruments are on another level. Again, a realness is presented to me that I didn’t hear previously but it’s the definitive separation in vocal and instruments that’s blown my mind.

I’ve done all mods except BH5 and to me this was the greatest mod I’ve done so far and very likley the easiest.

Armacell, scalpel and 30 minutes of your time.. insane return on investment.

I found the Armacell to be sticky but easily removable for those who might be worried about the finality of this mod. I assume if you didn’t like it, removing the foam would be just as easy as installing it.

But I doubt you’ll be removing it. Haha.

🙏🏻

I hit the likey button.

Gardenstater

Nice job stepping up to the plate Benjamin and I'm glad your results are in line with others! Your apartment is too clean lol.

gp4jesus

@ benjaminlea: did you cover all the magnet surfaces? Either way glad you’re enjoying the fruits of your labors😊

Tony

VR3

I think you guys need to try two layers of foam

Gardenstater

VR3 wrote: »

I think you guys need to try two layers of foam

I can only speak for myself when I say that the results are so good with what I've got that I'm not in a hurry, at least not just yet, to experiment with different materials and different thicknesses but I'm sure I will at some point

The possibility of trying the Passive is still there but I'm not at all sure that they would stand to benefit nearly as much. That should probably be thicker if attempted, and perhaps definitely open cell. I don't know if a timed delayed reflection that may also be out of phase is nearly as damaging to SQ in those low frequencies with a passive. I do believe that I got improvement in bass though and so does Jazzhead. Actually the way to test this might be to try it in an active driver powered subwoofer first. My Martin Logan's are stamped steel baskets as a matter of fact. If that improves articulation and texture of bass notes then that would be a go ahead to try it on the Passives.

xschop

Chimerawoofs....hmmm

plastic_avatar

benjaminlea wrote: »

I completed this mod yesterday and can confirm my results are inline with the positive results of others who have completed it.

What a beautiful setup you have!

And very tidy on the application.

Did you pre-cut and apply, or apply and cut out?

benjaminlea

Clipdat wrote: »

Looks like you also added a world-class DAC and a big boy integrated to your setup, I'm sure those made a pretty big difference as well.

I think having a decent amp and DAC only reinforces the value of this mod. I’ve been running that amp + DAC combo for a couple of months and true, it’s a beautiful combo. I got a noticeable bump in performance and sound..

Everyone told me to start my mod journey with my crossovers so I dropped whatever I dropped on Sonic Caps, Mills resistors, Cardas binding posts, Cardas Litz.. I recall in the neighbourhood of $900 and then another $300 to have the parts installed and crossovers rebuilt.

I wasn’t going to tackle that myself haha.

This mod however has blown my mind. My amp / DAC were close to $4000 and this mod set me back $30 and they return on investment is absolutely greater and not just by a few cents.

This should be the mod you start with. Good audio and sound quality ARE accessible to everyone but sometimes.. places like this forum and the people who sit at home in their mothers basements being the keyboard warriors they are discourage you. They bark at cheap mods and and or don’t give things a try that could yield incredible results for those who might just be watching from the sideline, unable to spend a few thousand on this or that when maybe they never really had to and this type of mod might have sufficed them on their journey.

I had 2 wow moments today.. Have a listen to these two tracks by Norah Jones

- Thinking about you

I’ve heard this song so many times but I’ve never heard what I heard at about 1:30 into it. There is this static filter layered on top of the track that comes in and out. At first, I thought I had some electrical issue, noise etc but I played the track multiple times and realised I was hearing things I’ve simply not heard before.


- Until the end

Just a damn good track, the separation and instruments are sublime. Her vocal sit so clearly on top of everything else that’s going on..

Everything is sounding sublime!

benjaminlea

xschop wrote: »

I hit the likey button.

Of course you did. You supplied some of the parts! 😍

benjaminlea

Gardenstater wrote: »

Nice job stepping up to the plate Benjamin and I'm glad your results are in line with others! Your apartment is too clean lol.

Thank you sir. I had this crazy dude on the other side of the world telling me how good his foam mods and dynamat mods were that I simply had to give it a try!

😉

benjaminlea

gp4jesus wrote: »

@ benjaminlea: did you cover all the magnet surfaces? Either way glad you’re enjoying the fruits of your labors😊

Tony

Hey Tony,

I only coveted the outer baskets with dynamat and the inner the foam. I epoxied my magnets when I first took ownership of my speakers.

🤗

benjaminlea

plastic_avatar wrote: »

What a beautiful setup you have!

And very tidy on the application.

Did you pre-cut and apply, or apply and cut out?

Thank you! To be honest @Gardenstater shipped me the pre cut materials.

The foam core was impossible to find in Australia and he was kind enough to give me some of his. His initial pieces were very close to my MW shape/size but I did go back in with a razor blade and tidy everything up and get both the dynamat and inner foam ad close to the basket shape as possible.

It’s fiddly work but I encourage you all to try it. I’ve done all but the BH5 mod (including purchase a new amp and DAC during this time) and for me personally.. this and @xschop MW brackets have yielded me the biggest sound improvements and have been my cheapest investments so far.

Side note, if anyone has some BH5 they’d be happy to ship to me.. please let me know! I’m sure there are some offcuts sitting round in someone’s house needing a new home.

benjaminlea

@F1nut why the lol - care to share a thought?

xschop

[/quote]

This mod however has blown my mind. My amp / DAC were close to $4000 and this mod set me back $30 and they return on investment is absolutely greater and not just by a few cents.

This should be the mod you start with. Good audio and sound quality ARE accessible to everyone but sometimes.. places like this forum and the people who sit at home in their mothers basements being the keyboard warriors they are discourage you. They bark at cheap mods and and or don’t give things a try that could yield incredible results for those who might just be watching from the sideline, unable to spend a few thousand on this or that when maybe they never really had to and this type of mod might have sufficed them on their journey.

[/quote]

Couldn't agree more with this statement.
I'll share a recent comment in a conversation of a PM...

"I can confidently say this, now that I have rebuilt and modified these classic Polk monitors and SDAs. .. If you don't take the time to do the small, accumulated mods, like Dynatted baskets and MWs, tweeter bezels even, (RDOs specifically), reinforce baffle and MW attachments, BH5 on back walls, and Gstater's latest revelation of foam inserts to MW inner basket frames.....The most expensive capacitors on the planet won't help, until all the mechanical limitations/shortcomings are addressed."

benjaminlea

xschop wrote: »

Couldn't agree more with this statement.

Sounds like it’s time for the *must do mods* list to be updated and likely, an order change too.

Jazzhead

To update my experiences - I've been listening with a skeptical ear since I did this one and I hear no downsides. Maybe, perhaps, you have to give them a bit more mojo to get the same sound level. I agree this mod should be added to the "must do" list. It's definitely a best gain for least expense. I feel that every recording I have heard since doing this has been rendered with greater realism. Additionally, with this mod, if you push your speakers hard (I usually listen at lower volumes) they maintain a greater degree of composure.

xschop

I keep stopping the CNC mill at the shop to listen to the modded 8TLs. I could hear Donald Fagan taking breaths in between verses (I.G.Y.). Didn't hear that before.

F1nut

benjaminlea wrote: »

@F1nut why the lol - care to share a thought?

Think real hard, you might get there.

xschop

If you pontificate real hard, you'll already have been there.

benjaminlea

F1nut wrote: »

Think real hard, you might get there.

You’re the keyboard warrior and barrier of entry to accessible sound I’m talking about. You’re a horrible human.

If someone doesn’t align with your opinion, thoughts on gear or mod choices, you let them know when the most value you could add would be your silence and learning to shut your mouth.

You told me to buy an “audio grade amp for audio” and weren’t impressed by my comment in return, implying my Crown XLS 1002 wasn’t worthy of using for home audio and quickly became hostile.

You troll threads like this throwing slights by way of ‘lols’, lurking in the shadows again.. adding zero value.

You’ve got no place knowing what I’m going to tell you but I’ll share anyway because it relates to your pathetic reaction to my post in which I assume you find it funny I now have upgraded my amp to a Rega, maybe something you consider an “audio grade amp for audio”.

My mother died in December and what small estate she left me I used to upgrade my audio and I wouldn’t have been able to afford to otherwise. I choose to use that money to purchase something that will bring me joy in the deepest and darkest time of my life, not because some idiot on a forum threw shade at my amp choice to begin with.

I don’t have a lot of money. The choices I make to upgrade components, parts and do modifications come at a great cost and usually some saving hence my statement about the barrier of entry to mods and what joy can come from a $30 investment like the foam mod @Gardenstater has stumbled upon.

Forums are communities and communities are where people come together and share what they love most. For the most part everyone in this community has been amazing to me.. everyone except you and all because I didn’t align with your view on an amp.

How pathetic.

benjaminlea

How is it that the worst behaviour comes from the “ President of Club Polk” ?

Why do you think it’s acceptable that you effectively bully people on this forum? There’s no shortages of stories and examples why it’s tolerated blows my mind.

Maybe it’s time for a new president.

plastic_avatar

Sounds like it’s time for the *must do mods* list to be updated and likely, an order change too.

That's part of the goal for my 1c mod thread

So many of the mods I've accumulated, with the help of the amazing modders here, are just great mods for *any* vintage Polk. I thought I was compiling info for my pair of 1c, then realized there isn't anything so far that's 1c specific. It's all just neat things to try! From basket foaming to phase plugs, from the Dreadnaught to tweeter protection, it's all applicable to so many models.

I'll have something put together after I finish my 1c craziness in a couple of months

F1nut

benjaminlea wrote: »

How is it that the worst behaviour comes from the “ President of Club Polk” ?

Why do you think it’s acceptable that you effectively bully people on this forum? There’s no shortages of stories and examples why it’s tolerated blows my mind.

Maybe it’s time for a new president.

I've forgotten more about audio than you'll likely ever know. I will not be insulted by someone like you. Grow up.

Listed.

benjaminlea

F1nut wrote: »

I've forgotten more about audio than you'll likely ever know. I will not be insulted by someone like you. Grow up.

Listed.

The irony here is real. Forgotten your manners too it seems.

The bullying continues by way of what.. threatening to have my banned for calling out poor behaviour by the proclaimed president himself?

plastic_avatar

I have an idea:

https://forum.polkaudio.com/categories/vintage-speakers/club-listed

Gardenstater

LOL's when someone shares their experiences is grown up behavior? By what twisted logic?

benjaminlea

Gardenstater wrote: »

By what twisted logic?

Zero logic.

benjaminlea

Look.. do the foam on your MW, it’s a no brainer. That’s the real focus of this thread.

It’s such a simple mod that yields incredible results and very easily reversible if it’s not for you.

On a side note.. Thank you to all the people who PM’ed me in support. It’s nice to know the community is strong and alive. This space should be inclusive and diverse and as soon as individuals start bullying and attempting to use their imaginary power to staunch and scare you.. you should call it out. It’s unacceptable.

This is and always should be a safe space where everyone feels included.

Everyone.

💙

VR3

Guys... I love the passion but you are entering trolling territory

xschop

What we have here... is a failure to pontificate.
And the new Legend drivers could use the foam and Dynamat too.