The Polk Audio Model 9A

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mhardy6647
mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
in Vintage Speakers
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Polk brand, and the fact that I actually managed to snap some photos of them yesterday, I thought I'd share some images of one of my prized bits (two bits, I suppose) of Polk Audio ephemera. :)


https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/123228/the-polk-audio-monitor-series-model-9-and-model-9a
(sorry the links are all kaput)

52222999518_ded27e87ce_b.jpg

52221978197_5a7ab8f850_b.jpg

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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,203
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    Is that a felt anti-diffraction pad on the Peerless (unholy) ?
    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
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
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    It's dense crepe rubber (or foam rubber) -- and I don't know if that's a Peerless hiding behind it or not!
    I almost tugged one off to see yesterday... but I demurred.

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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,725
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    That's a classic Peerless. Where doth the binding posts reside?
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,856
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    On the bottom.
    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

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
    edited July 2022
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    F1nut wrote: »
    On the bottom.

    Correct -- it is as @F1nut says.

    I would think it's a Peerless, but there has been chatter on these very fora about some other soft dome tweeter(s) appearing on early Polk products, so I am hedging my bet. ;)

    51294321276_337c913a43_k.jpg

    2uxwve0cct5e.png
    source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324114061663?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=324114061663&targetid=1263433204774&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9002419&poi=&campaignid=14859008593&mkgroupid=130497710760&rlsatarget=pla-1263433204774&abcId=9300678&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQjwidSWBhDdARIsAIoTVb1RbmhSJl8NfePjaB8HJf4ObegiaIe431A4HQdNZU6oZemqwlcImNIaAivMEALw_wcB
    I mean, for all I know, Peerless may have made this tweeter as well, but it certainly differs from the classic silk dome Peerless us old guys associate with Polk "Monitor Series" loudspeakers of the mid to late 1970s.

    24293215254_3dc8110a18_c.jpg

    ^^^ this is a "hol(e)y Peerless" in one of my Monitor Series Model 7As, s/n 4900 (purchased as demos by me in 1978).

    EDIT: Looking at the 9A photo I took yesterday, the dome itself does look like the Peerless.
    I may work up the gumption to peek under the foam rubber. :#
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
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    Here's the somewhat interesting description for the tweeter in that auction link above :p
    Super Rare Polk Audio Tweeter. I don't know the model number that it came out of but i have never seen another one anywhere. It was in a small tower speaker with 4 mid woofers, 3 with the tweeter in the front of the box and one in the rear. The tweeter works great and has the crossover mounted on the back on the magnet. There is a sticker with numbers on the face it could be the model number idk? Condition is Used. Shipped with USPS Priority Mail.

    I report, you decide. B)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
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    The original, crossoverless :p (well, in terms of traditional electrical XOs) Polk Model Nine. B)

    qvrs6rxf5uip.png
    source: https://polksda.com/pdfs/ModelNineManual.pdf

    Not sure where I snagged this image of a later (?!?) brochure -- maybe from this august forum, or maybe from an eBay auction?

    3y4y5sv7246v.png

    Perhaps (???) that's a Monitor 9A, with a real tweeter ;) as opposed to the Motorola piezo?
    I am just speculating, here. :#



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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,203
    edited July 2022
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    It looks pretty close to this Audax Tweeter except for the terminal mountings not being on the faceplate:

    https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/audax-soft-dome-tweeters/audax-tw025a1-12x9-1-textile-dome-tweeter-with-ferrofluid/

    Edit:

    I guess this is it:

    http://audax.com/archives/HD12X9D25 - Catalogue 1986.pdf

    18p99gvcbd7p.jpg
    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
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,725
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    I didn't/cannot see the 9 and 3 o'clock lead tabs on yours protruding from foam. Hence assumed 'em Peerless. Classy none-the-less.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,203
    edited July 2022
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    xschop wrote: »
    I didn't/cannot see the 9 and 3 o'clock lead tabs on yours protruding from foam. Hence assumed 'em Peerless. Classy none-the-less.

    Yeah me too. The foam rubber hides them but if you zoom in on the brochure you can see the terminals. Apparently the Monitors in the brochure didn't use the foam rubber.

    PS: This was a lot more exciting than Al Capone's Vault :p
    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
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
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    I am still trying to work up the gumption to de-foam one of them :#
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,725
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    Just unscrew it or the rear top MW and take a lookie.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,856
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    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    I am still trying to work up the gumption to de-foam one of them :#

    Don't do it.
    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

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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,094
    edited July 2022
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    Thanks -- I needed that!
    (seriously)


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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,856
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    B)
    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

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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,203
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    I agree. That foam rubber will probably be destroyed in the process. If you remove the tweeter, it looks like they used Mortite and interestingly the XO is secured to the back of the tweeter using some of that same foam rubber in between(?).

    84zgf8bajk0l.jpg
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,092
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    Very cool, I had forgotten about these over the years. Thanks for sharing.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • SIHAB
    SIHAB Posts: 4,529
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    Good morning,

    I'll bite, how do you set them up?
    Did the idea work??
    Speakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
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  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 309
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    Rarities for sure!! B)
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,019
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    I found a pair in a pawn shop.

    Tried to sell them a couple of years ago. No bites.

    I think I'll keep them now. :D
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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