Looking at a pair of Polk Audio Model 7b's for Sale

Hello All,
I'm looking at a pair of Polk Model 7b's for sale. They are missing the grills and have Peerless tweeters. They are asking $150 and are not the original owners. I'm the original owner of a pair of Polk 5's and I'm looking to add a little more bass to the system. I can't hook a subwoofer to my amp, so let's stay off of that rabbit trail.

The Polk 7b's are in decent shape, not great, and somebody put metal corner reinforcements on them, so the cosmetics are a little goofy. I did the "push in on the woofer" test and the mid instantaneously came out as I pushed the woofer in.

Questions:
1. My Polk 5's are exactly the same way on the woofer test and they still sound great, so I think this is okay, please let me know if it's not.
2. Is $150 a decent price for these speakers as described?
3. Is there anything else I should be aware of?
4. I know the glue holding the magnets can get old and fail. If I need to replace the woofers (drivers), mid's, or crossovers, is there a source for them? Thanks much in
advance.

Comments

  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    You can add a sub if your sub has speaker inputs and outputs. Speaker from amp would go to sub, speaker out from sub goes to speakers. Folks do it all the time.
  • MDN
    MDN Posts: 16
    I don't have a sub and couldn't find useful info online about how to connect one. I even contacted Denon, no luck there. That's why I am not looking for that option, thanks though.
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,136
    If you get a subwoofer with speaker level inputs you will not have any problems with any amplifier.

    Missing the grills and with goofy corner protectors I wouldn't pay over $125 but would try to get them for $100.
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Crown D150 amp
    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
  • MDN
    MDN Posts: 16
    George, thanks for the input. I don't have a subwoofer connection on my amp, only two sets of speaker jacks, so if I connect a sub to it, I would need a filter I believe, plus some type of Y connector. That's where the info on the net gets blurry.

    Being that you own a pair of 7B's, do they provide enough bass to not need a sub? I have a Denon receiver with 100W/channel x2. Thanks
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,136
    edited April 2023
    MDN wrote: »
    George, thanks for the input. I don't have a subwoofer connection on my amp, only two sets of speaker jacks, so if I connect a sub to it, I would need a filter I believe, plus some type of Y connector. That's where the info on the net gets blurry.

    Being that you own a pair of 7B's, do they provide enough bass to not need a sub? I have a Denon receiver with 100W/channel x2. Thanks

    If you buy a subwoofer with speaker level inputs, also known as high level I believe (not all subs have them), you only need two sets of speaker output binding posts. You can use bananas for your speakers and spades for the subwoofer or you can use spades for both and just put them both on the post, sandwiched together. There will be separate speaker wires going to both your main speakers and the sub. You can use the lowpass crossover and the gain control on the sub to adjust for your room. This is the way I use mine.


    I don't feel my 7Bs have enough bass for my taste and my subwoofer -3dB point is at 24 Hz whereas Polk's quoted specs for the 7B are 33 to 20.5kHz +/- 2dB. It is very much about the acoustics of your room too. I like to feel slam when the music is supposed to have it. I've done mods to the 7Bs that have helped a lot in that area but I would never go back to being without a sub.
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Crown D150 amp
    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
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    8ehmgt607jkn.png

    Speaker in and out.

    Speaker output from amp to speaker input at sub, output from sub to your speakers.

    George we are both trying to explain the same thing.


  • MDN
    MDN Posts: 16
    Thanks for the input George and pittdogg2. Pittdogg2, what model of Klipsch sub is that?
    George, what sub are you using?
    Thanks
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    I'm not sure @MDN, I was trying for a good picture to show you. Many older subs had these in and out's for speakers. I prefer them over RCA for music.
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,136
    edited April 2023
    I feel better sticking to what I am personally familiar with which is my Martin Logan Dynamo (original) which does not have the speaker level outputs although there are some subs that do. Mine only has the speaker level binding post inputs (L and R channels), RCA line level inputs and outputs: LFE In, Right In, Left In, Right Out, Left Out, Sub Out.

    a pic of my sub from eBay seller:

    lhvh3whmfair.png
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Crown D150 amp
    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
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    All you need are speaker (high) level in connections. Run speaker cable from the binding posts on your receiver to the sub. Connection done.

    That's way too much money for the condition of those 7's. About $100 too much, IMO.
    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

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    This SVS SB-1000 is worth considering.
    2til5pdb1r3l.jpg
    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

  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    edited April 2023
    Not to make this a sub thread, but the speakers run full range when both the speakers and the sub are cabled from the integrated's speaker terminals, right?

    You only get high pass filtering benefit to the speakers if you cable it like @pitdogg2 notes, with speaker cables into the sub from the integrated, then out from the sub to the speakers? (this would probably need to be confirmed in the sub's documentation. I think I read someone say the high pass filtering is not necessarily the case for all subs with speaker level ins and outs)
    I disabled signatures.
  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 305
    I have two pairs of Monitor 7B speakers. Pair 1 doesn’t have low bass, although they easily pass the sealed box test.

    Pair 2 does have bass and goes down to 30 hz. (Tested with a VC centering cd)

    Pair 1 is out of rotation now.

    I use my speakers for 2 channel, no home theater. I like realistic audio.
    Pair 2 gives me that.
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,136
    It would be interesting to find out why the one pair goes lower in the bass department than the other one.

    Where'd you get the VC Centering CD and what does it have on it?
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Crown D150 amp
    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
  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 305
    It only has a 30 hz sine wave.
    Many years ago I bought some woofer foam on ebay. The seller included it. His screen name eludes me, but I’m sure he’s still on there.
    I was refoaming a bunch of Ohm speakers at the time.
    I like to refoam without removing the dust cap which is especially important on Ohm speakers that have the logo on the cap. iak5ih4zg4eo.jpeg
  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 305
    Seller is "looneytune2001". He still includes the cd with certain foams...