Identifying your vintage tweeters

nadams

As we all know, the tweeter tells a lot about how old or what model your vintage Polk speakers are. The concept of this thread is for people to post detailed pics of their SL 1k/2k/2.5k tweeters, and what speaker they are from.

I'll start. This is an original SL1000 tweeter from a Monitor 5jr speaker, dated Feb 23, 1984-





When I bought the speakers, there was also one that had a warranty sticker on it. The front looked exactly the same, and the back had this sticker-



Anyone else? I'll take a pic of my SL2500's in my Monitor 10 Series 2's when I get home.

outlander

nadams,
Great idea considering this question has been asked and answered many times but always with a bit of confusion. The tweeter with the yellowish dome is the SL2000 and the tweeter with the black dome is the RD0194-1. The RD0194 is the Polk replacement tweeter for the SL2000.
O

outlander

Uh, it only let me attach one pic? Heres the SL2000.
O

ardvark1

I don't have a pic to add since I have four SL1000's in a pair of 1984 SDA-ll's. As for the RD0194-1, here is a quote from the instructions that come with it.

"You are receiving a replacement tweeter with the part number of RD0194-1, which is engineered to be the equivalent of the SL1000 and the SL2000, 1" dome tweeter's found on many of our Monitor, RTA and SDA series of speakers. The mechanical and electrical characteristics are the same, however there might be some relatively minor physical differences which can easily be dealt with."

The mounting instructions go on to say the original screw mounting holes might not line up exactly. As for my early SDA's, since the SL1000 is a smaller size tweeter, I will have to slightly enlarge the tweeter mounting cutout area. and relocate the mounting screw holes.

I know this topic has been covered to death, but I thought this post might help clear up any confusion as to what the RD0194-1
can be installed in.

nadams

Okay, here are some additional pics.

First, two shots of the Peerless replacements for the SL1000's. These replacement tweeters are no longer made (click here for a link to a datasheet for these Peerless replacements) . For reference, I purchased these from Parts Express when I first bought my 5jr's (check my joined date, that's when I bought them).





Now, here are the SL2500s in my Monitor 10 Series 2 Speakers. These tweeters have a manufacturing date of 1991 on them, and I'm convinced that these are the original drives from a late run of Monitor 10s. All of the drivers in both speakers, including the passive radiators, have the same dates on them.





Sorry about the blurriness of the pics. I'm shooting in low-light and my camera doesn't like that.

outlander

nadams,
Man, your SL2500's sure look an awful lot like my RD0194-1's. Are you sure that's the SL2500? Here we go again?
O

dorokusai

It's an SL2500. The dead giveaway is the foam ring around the dome....the RD0194 does not have this feature.

nadams

The foam ring is a good delineator. Also, the RD0194-1 is the replacement for the SL2000, my tweeters are marked SL2500 on the back.

Also, my speakers must've been in a high humidity environment at some point to make those screws rust like that. They've been like that since I bought the speakers in July.

outlander

Thanks guys, I didn't notice the foam ring the first time I looked at the pic's.

nadams

-bump-

george daniel

After reading this, I pulled my tweeters from my 5jr's,, they are stamped on the back ,,SL 2500, should I, could I (Sam I am) replace them with the newer Sl 2000's ?

Polk65

Originally posted by george daniel
After reading this, I pulled my tweeters from my 5jr's,, they are stamped on the back ,,SL 2500, should I, could I (Sam I am) replace them with the newer Sl 2000's ?

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/service/models/modelpartslist.php3?model=monitor

There were a few versions of the 5jr's made with the sl2500 tweeter. I have one 5jr+ pair with sl2000's and another 5jr+ pair with sl2500's.

If yours originally came with the sl2500 then your crossover would be matched with the sl2500/sl3000 replacement tweeter RD0198-1 not RD0194-1 which is the sl2000 replacement tweeter.

Gently unscrew your crossover and while holding the crossover in your hand look for a white label with a part number. Hopefully there is a part number that matches the chart on the above page.

nadams

There is nothing wrong with the SL-2500 tweeter. No need to replace them at all unless they're dead.

nadams

.... why?

You doing some late-night drunken searches again, sal?

DollarDave

Someone else posted a "can you identify this tweeter" thread and someone linked this to it for reference. Very handy.

nadams

Yep, IMO this should probably be a sticky... But then, I might just be partial to seeing my name at the top of the forum list

smilingassasins

Were can i find or buy this tweeter. Mines cooked

gdb

smilingassasins wrote: »

Were can i find or buy this tweeter. Mines cooked

There's a Ph.# for Polk at the top of this page, call em.;)

nduitch

What would you say the differences in sound quality are between the sl2500 and the rdo194?

ben62670

The 198 is the replacement for the 2500. Not the 194.

HB27

What tweeters are these? They're out of my 5Jrs teamed up with MW6502s.
4 ohm
Japan
8146g

cnh

That looks like a polycarbonate dome to me? Not sure who made it--that can't be original can it--seems too recent! What kind of speaker is that--because that does not look like any Polk dome I've seen?

Also, how about some shots of the SL-3000s, anyone???

cnh

HB27

The motorboard appears to have been cut out specifically for this tweeter. Gasket fits cutout and tweeter both. Screw holes appear to be unfazed so I presume it's an original.

nadams

Those appear to be monitor 4a's - http://polksda.com/monitor4a.shtml

I believe that's the sl1500 tweeter. Not used for very long.

nduitch

ben62670 wrote: »

The 198 is the replacement for the 2500. Not the 194.

Yes I know, what are the differences in sound between the sl2500 and the replacement for the sl2000(rdo-194).

HB27

nadams wrote: »

Those appear to be monitor 4a's - http://polksda.com/monitor4a.shtml

I believe that's the sl1500 tweeter. Not used for very long.

I've got 5jr's and 4.5's identical with same tweeters and clearly marked 5Jr and 4.5 on crossovers. Both cabinets are also same exact dimensions. Are these the same speaker with different labeling/numbering system?

seeclear

Those look like the tweets in my monitor 4's also.

HB27 wrote: »

What tweeters are these? They're out of my 5Jrs teamed up with MW6502s.
4 ohm
Japan
8146g

kcoc321

Smallies wrote: »

I could use a pair of 2500's. I put some in my SDA2's. My Finicky Phase Linear 700 delights in destroying sl1000's but last time I checked my 2500's are still working and not because they haven't been clipped 20 times.

Smallies, best to post a "Wanted" tread, you'll get better response. They Do show up from time to time. HOWEVER, the SL2500's are not a drop in replacement for the SL1000's, if that is what is original to your your speakers.
You might be better off getting some RDO-194's from Polk CS, rather than all the work to upgrade your Xover so you can use the SL-2500's.
Just my 2 cents.

kcoc321

Smallies, here is one for you:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96820

chandler9a

Smallies wrote: »

I could use a pair of 2500's. I put some in my SDA2's. My Finicky Phase Linear 700 delights in destroying sl1000's but last time I checked my 2500's are still working and not because they haven't been clipped 20 times.

I have some if you need them.

Aaron

dorokusai

I'll get a sticky thread locked in with a section for each tweeter in the next few days.

If anyone has additional pictures of their vintage tweeters, feel free to post them here as I'd like to have multiple photos of each one.