7A with unique cabinets

odcics2
odcics2 Posts: 339
in Vintage Speakers
The original owner had the dealer put formica on them to match his decor at home better. 7v80z73zzjf2.jpeg
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Comments

  • DeRod
    DeRod Posts: 58
    Those look nice! I was thinking of maybe doing wood veneer on my 7s. Did you just get those? I got a pair a few months ago and changed out the old capacitors. Very inexpensive and makes a huge difference.
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  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,145
    Those are poor looking joints and with the sloppy caulking job on the tweeters it gets 2 thumbs down from me.
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  • DeRod
    DeRod Posts: 58
    Thats probably not caulking behind the tweeter. Its probably mortite that they used on the very early ones. I just got a pair of minis and they had it on there just like those.
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  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 339
    That’s mortite. These haven’t been messed with.
    Perhaps the joints looked better when new?
    Anyway, I think they look cool and are certainly unique. I have the original boxes too.
    As a plus they are airtight and sound great.
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  • DeRod
    DeRod Posts: 58
    I agree, sweet looking pair of 7s. Nothing screams 1970s like formica! I think they are awesome!
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,574
    I'm sure it made the cabinets stiffer.
    I'm also pretty sure they had a wood veneer, walnut maybe 🤔
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,502
    edited November 30
    I'm pretty sure that no "dealer" was installing walnut formica on Monitor 7s :)

    Somewhere I have a brochure that showed that, for a time, they were available with real wood walnut veneer.
    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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  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 339
    Gardenstater wrote: »
    I'm pretty sure that no "dealer" was installing walnut formica on Monitor 7s :)

    Just relaying what the old guy said...

    I'd think that the "dealer" would have sent it out to be reworked. The "dealer" certainly didn't do it in his back shop... Or did he?

    Maybe the dealer and original owner were buddies? Maybe it was a favor?

    I agree that the cabinets would be stiffer. That's always a good thing.
    The front edges are the original vinyl. Can't be seen when the grills are on.

    FYI - the back has no Formica.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,502
    Formica of the era definitely had a prominent inner substrate of dark brown phenolic, and the melamine finish layer was applied to that. Would be very obvious at the edges where one panel meets the other, and at the rear.
    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: 28,750
    Yeah I was going to say that formica is pretty thick

    Looks good from north Carolina and it's obviously held up a bit
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,502
    There was the thinner stuff recommended only for vertical surfaces (V32?) but I don't think this looks like that either. Color core came later I believe.
    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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  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 339
    The old guy called it "Birdseye", referring to the knots in the "wood".
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,750
    Looks like walnut to me

    https://www.materialbank.com/specified-solutions-forestree-rustic-knotty-walnut-1949142
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 339
    Yup, Birdseye Walnut.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,654
    Ugh!

    Definitely worn out formica
    Definitely mortite
    Definitely not birdseye anything
    Possibly supposed to be walnut, but Polk offered walnut vinyl, so why cover them with formica!?!
    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: 4,502
    0mu6otbsscm3.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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  • odcics2
    odcics2 Posts: 339
    These formica speakers are a lot lighter than Polk walnut vinyl.
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