Model Nine?

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polksda
polksda Posts: 716
edited April 2014 in Vintage Speakers
I've never seen nor heard the original Polk Model Nine speakers. What were they like compared to the Monitor line that came after? They look kinda funky.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited February 2005
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    They are funky, I've only seen pictures, never heard one.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2005
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    Any pics you can post? I've never seen them.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • polksda
    polksda Posts: 716
    edited February 2005
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    This is the only picture I have.
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  • okiepolkie
    okiepolkie Posts: 2,258
    edited February 2005
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    Interesting.
    Do they have any of them at HQ in their hall of vintage speakers?
    Tschüss
    Zach
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,020
    edited February 2005
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    Originally posted by okiepolkie
    Interesting.
    Do they have any of them at HQ in their hall of vintage speakers?

    No...

    What? Polk actually had a FR speaker? No tweet... very...interesting...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited February 2005
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    I'm not sure what to make of that picture, but the cabinet on the left has a tweeter up at the top. Is this a front/rear shot of a single speaker?
    Ludicrous gibs!
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited February 2005
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    They were 4" drivers, the front has the single driver and Piezo tweeter.

    The rear shows the other active drivers, and a passive radiator.

    Tour, you saw a picture of these when Stu showed up at TPGII.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,020
    edited February 2005
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    BIPOLAR POLKS??

    I WANT TO FIND A PAIR OF THOSE - NOW!

    w00t w00t...

    My Gross musta been behind some of that ;)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited February 2005
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    No, Sandy was a marketing man, had nothing to do with the design here.

    This was around the time a 'B' company was developing the first 901 series. Rumor has it, a speaker name of 'Bozo' was tossed around, but thought better of.

    That is all.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited February 2005
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    aha.. that's what i thought
    Ludicrous gibs!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited February 2005
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    Originally posted by RuSsMaN
    Tour, you saw a picture of these when Stu showed up at TPGII.
    Nope... no recollection of that...

    I musta been high on "Dee-Lite" at the time...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,029
    edited February 2005
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    They had a pair of the 9's at the student pub (Rathskellar) at Johns Hopkins (Matt's alma mater) when I was an undergrad there. They were painted white (inexplicably).

    According to John Dorsey at Soundscape: the "Bozo" story is at least partly true. They were going to build 901 knockoffs, but got a 'cease and desist' letter from the attorneys at the Cambridge company later to be located on the Mountain (the Landfill) in Framingham, MA. Left with boxes full of 4" FR drivers, they came up with the Model 9. I didn't know until now that they also had a piezo tweeter!

    The ones at JHU were the only ones I've ever seen. They used them for general sound reinforcement, and lasted for quite a few years.
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  • jwm
    jwm Posts: 1
    edited February 2005
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    I was a salesman in a stereo store in State College, PA (Watson Equipment Sales, WES) and we were one of the first stores to sell the polk's. The model 9 was a rear firing tower that was sensitive to placement from walls. All and all not the greatest sounding speaker. In my opinion the 7 was the best sounding with the 10 close but not quite as good. I have been looking for a pair of nines for old time sake, can't find them anywhere! If anyone has a pair for sale please let me know.
    Thanks
    Jim
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited February 2005
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    Welcome aboard Jim. I agree with your thoughts on the 7's, short of the statement regarding the 10's being 'close'.

    As far as the 9's go, the line starts to the left friend. Good luck.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited February 2005
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    that model 9 is like the Studebaker Avanti of speakers. :p

    kinda weird, kinda freaky looking.. kinda just bizzare.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • supasoul20
    supasoul20 Posts: 1
    edited May 2006
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    Hey I'm moving so I have to sell my Polk Model 9's. They're in great shape, sound good. They're in San Diego now, first $80 takes them. See pic. (pnin22@yahoo.com)
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2006
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    cool supasoul20 and welcome to Club Polk. Hope you stick around.

    tell us how you came to aquire those Model 9's? Did you buy them new? Yard sale, or given to you by someone? Just curious.

    thanks
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited May 2006
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    If he'll ship, I'll take 'em.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited May 2006
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    BDT, If no one has the time, I will pony to Tejas.
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited May 2006
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    As in pick them up and take them to Texas? That would be AWESOME.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited May 2006
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    If someone here gets these I will pick them up and drive as far as Tejas. Hopefully someone in AZ or NM can pony too.
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  • dcmeigs
    dcmeigs Posts: 707
    edited May 2006
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    I bought some SDA-1As off ebay a couple of days ago and the guy gave me some manuals and brochures. One of them is entitled "The Experts Rave About Polk". By experts I think they are refering to the magazines like Stereo Review, Musician, High Fidelity, Audiogram and Off the Record. It contains reprints from all those publications.

    One of the articles is an undated reprint from the Washington Post that looks to have been written in the mid 80s. Pictured in the photos is a pair of SDA-1s. Here is a couple of paragraphs.

    The firm later contracted with a District (DC) retailer to make 700 speakers. The retailer took delivery on about 200 of the speakers, leaving the three (men) with "a lot of parts." Turning adversity aside, Polk used the parts to make the first of the company's line of high-quality speakers in November 1973.

    The Polk Model 9, the first speaker marketed under the Company's name, "sold well enough to get us into business," Klopfer said. About a year later came the Polk Model 7, a relatively low-priced speaker using high-quality components, and Polk was in the fast lane.

    End Quote
    The world is full of answers, some are right and some are wrong. - Neil Young
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited May 2006
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    It wasn't the first Polk speaker and after you've heard them once, not much need to keep them on the quest. They're interesting and a pair has since been donated to the Polk museum, thanks to a couple Polkies.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • dcmeigs
    dcmeigs Posts: 707
    edited May 2006
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    It's in the paper. It must be true.

    OK, I'll bite. So what was the first Polk speaker?
    The world is full of answers, some are right and some are wrong. - Neil Young
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited May 2006
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    If I can find the picture, I'll post it. It's a big ugly, dance club looking speaker.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited May 2006
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    Yeah. PA speakers.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • jtgranby
    jtgranby Posts: 887
    edited May 2006
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    Is this the pic?
    JT
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited May 2006
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    Yep, that's the one....thx Jim.

    There are a couple others from the beginning, but if they still exist it would be a miracle.

    Here's one of the first "Car" speakers :D Original Mini-Monitor with angled cabinets for rear deck placement. I should have taken a side view....you get the idea. They were quickly discontinued due to the DAP assembly process disintegrating when in the sun for too long.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • dcmeigs
    dcmeigs Posts: 707
    edited May 2006
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    Yeah Baby! What do you think the wife would think of a set those beauties in the living room?
    The world is full of answers, some are right and some are wrong. - Neil Young
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited May 2006
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    Polk65 wrote:
    If someone here gets these I will pick them up and drive as far as Tejas. Hopefully someone in AZ or NM can pony too.

    Shoot me an email at: troy.dion@charleston.af.mil or PM me if you wouldn't mind helping out w/this...I'm in no hurry for these, thought they would be cool for Polkfest.

    Troy
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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