Polk Monitor 11 Confusion

Livinloud
Livinloud Posts: 43
in Vintage Speakers
I want to put this out there so anyone that finds themselves in a similar situation as I have been may find this and be saved some frustration.

I just bought a pair of Polk Monitor 11 speakers for what I considered a great deal. To be honest, I thought I was buying a pair of 10b’s. Not being super familiar with them but reading they are a good speaker I thought I would replace a set of ELAC B6 speakers as I have 2 pair of them. They were taller than I expected when I got them home so I measured and checked the series manual that came with them and concluded I had the Monitor 11’s.

I spent time researching and that’s where it went weird. 95% of the comments from people about Monitor 11 speakers on the web are actually addressing the (Model 11) or R.T.A. 11. Please note that the Monitor 11 speakers are not mirrored. The Mid Woofers are wired together and not configured different from the crossover. There is no foam under one of the mid drivers.

I have yet to find any good information or impressions of the Monitor 11. One source states the Monitor 11 was produced between 1982 and 1985. The components in mine state 1987 so that information is inaccurate.

I would like to get schematics of the crossovers and eventually upgrade them. Any help on that would be appreciated.

Based on my evaluations of my Monitor 11 crossovers they appear to be the same as the 10b crossovers. Can anyone confirm this? If this is correct would any modifications/upgrades for the 10b apply to the Monitor 11’s?

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Comments

  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    The M11 schematics in the main crossover schematics sticky is the Model 11 or R.T.A. 11 and not the Monitor 11.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,535
    edited February 2023
    95% of the comments from people about Monitor 11 speakers on the web are actually addressing the (Model 11) or R.T.A. 11.

    Wrong. You have the last version of the Monitor 11. The earlier versions had the Peerless tweeter and a different cabinet. The earlier version had a bit of an identity issue being called the Model 11, RTA 11, but correctly and truly the Monitor 11.

    The original Monitor 11 is a better speaker than yours having the Peerless and mirrored left and right cabinets with foam under one driver in each cabinet. They were designed that way to address the lobing issue of 2 side by side drivers.
    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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  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    edited February 2023
    F1nut, you are proving my point. I believe you that I have what you refer to as the later version. But there is very little info on it. Nowhere is it clearly differentiated that there is a later version. The statement you quoted is still true. Trying to find info on this speaker is nearly impossible.

    Post edited by Livinloud on
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,459
    @Livinloud Thanks so much for this info. GLIC aside, it turns out the Monitor 11 that came out in 1986 was even more unrelated to the 1982 Model 11 (R.T.A. 11) than I had imagined. The Monitor 11 seems to have been promoted much less than the Model 11 and both of them only appeared in Audio magazine Equipment Buyer's Guide, which was published in Oct every year, for that one year.

    You said you got a manual with the speakers? Can you post some pics of that?

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    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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  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    edited February 2023
    F1nut, attached is the manual of what I believe you are referring to as the original. While it may have been first, the manual refers to it as the Model 11 or the R.T.A. 11
    Post edited by Livinloud on
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  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    Here is a copy of the manual sourced from Polksda.com for documentation sake. The Monitor 11 described in this document is the speaker in question. It is more like a 10b XL(my moniker, not a real name) than the Model 11/ R.T.A. 11.
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  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    These are the pics of the manual that came with the speakers. It is the same as the manual sourced from polksda.com and has the monitor series specifications posted above.

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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,459
    @Livinloud Thanks. It is like the member of the family that everyone wants to deny exists or something, to the extent that the multi page advertisement in that Oct issue of Audio magazine with the listing in the Equipment Buyer's Guide, does not even mention it or show a pic of it, and your manual doesn't show it in the "family" photo lol.,
    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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  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    @Gardenstater Thanks for the info! I hope this thread can help bring clarity.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    edited February 2023
    Clarity is a precious commodity these days.
    Now I have another "Monitor" option to convert to an SDA hybrid.... If I can find a set :D
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,459
    edited February 2023
    There IS a forum member (sorry don't remember screenname) that has owned the ones you have and I took a couple of screenshots. Perhaps he will see them and come forward to give you some more info but it does seem to be the bloated overweight patient that is an embarassment or sumthin'.

    I don't know if he did a surgical removal or what but I see that his do not have the kick panel base (for want of a better term).

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    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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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,636
    It has side by side woofers, it may identify as a sda 2b, who are we to judge
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,459
    edited February 2023
    VR3 wrote: »
    It has side by side woofers, it may identify as a sda 2b, who are we to judge

    I was just joking. The mystery is why they didn't get behind it in any way, even to the point of keeping it hidden. I'm looking forward to the listening review.

    @Livinloud VSAT88 was the owner of those Monitor 11s and he sold them for $350. Perhaps he could fill you in on their sound.
    Post edited by Gardenstater on
    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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  • SeleniumFalcon
    SeleniumFalcon Posts: 3,779
    The yellow film type capacitor is made by KSC (King-Sun Capacitor) a Chinese manufacturer.

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  • Livinloud
    Livinloud Posts: 43
    edited March 2023
    @Gardenstater - thanks for the research you compiled in the following discussion. Good information.

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/195969/monitor-11-needs-help#latest
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,535
    LOL!!!
    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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