RTA12 b’s what are the best budget upgrades?

pmckeown214

I have a pair of RTA12b with binding posts snapped off. I am thinking of bringing them in to be repaired and maybe have some upgrades and maintenance. I’m new to all this but I love how they look and sound. What should I ask to be done?

Schurkey

1. If "budget" is a concern, fix 'em yourself. Why pay to have someone else do easy work?
2. First order of business would be to replace the broken binding posts. Multiple price points for replacement posts, from "Cheap Chinese" to "Insane".
3. Lift the fiber packing back into position. It droops down over time. FREE
4A. Verify that every driver is actually working. A toilet-paper or paper-towel cardboard core against your ear, with the other end directly in front of each driver in turn helps. FREE unless you find a failed driver.
4B. Replace the tweeters with the RD0-194 units.
5. Assure that the drivers and bassive radiator are appropriately sealed to the cabinet, and the cabinet itself is reasonably air-tight. FREE unless you find a problem.
6. If used on carpet instead of hard-surface floors, install spikes on the bottom of the cabinet. When it was me, I used Grade 8 hardware-store bolts with the heads cut off, and sharpened on a bench grinder. Ordinary flat washers and nuts to lock 'em into place. However, there's a vast array of premade speaker spikes at pricing from "reasonable" to "insane". I'm thinking that the standard Polk thread size is 1/4-20, but perhaps someone will confirm that.
7. Replace all the electrolytic capacitors in the crossover. This can be a stand-alone project, or part of a total crossover rebuild. Fresh/new electrolytic caps are dirt-cheap but most folks upgrade to film capacitors. Again, there's multiple price points ranging from "moderate" to "Just Plain Silly". Getting rid of the original aged-out electrolytic caps in favor of film caps is VERY recommended!
8. Replace resistors and perhaps inductors in the crossovers. Multiple price points.


Others will provide detailed instructions for each of these suggestions, and additional advice.

Sitka

Hi pmckeown - some pictures would really help. If your binding posts broke along with parts of your plastic cup they were attached to, you'll need new plastic cups. These speakers need an airtight seal to work properly. I recently completed a "budget" rebuild of RTA 12b's for about $800 in parts. Capacitors and resistors alone came to $500, copper binding posts and new internal wire + connectors came to $100, and my speakers had 2 midwoofers of the wrong kind - replaced with the right ones for $150. Worth every penny, they sound amazing.

tonyb

pmckeown214 wrote: »

I have a pair of RTA12b with binding posts snapped off. I am thinking of bringing them in to be repaired and maybe have some upgrades and maintenance. I’m new to all this but I love how they look and sound. What should I ask to be done?

If you love how they look and sound, why change anything ? You can fix those broken binding posts yourself . Parts express has what you need most likely. I would throw money at upgrading something else in your system as those old 12b's while nice for what they are, won't give you the return on investment should you start redoing crossovers and drivers.