The Illusive, Rare and Mysterious VS 25.

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averageguy
averageguy Posts: 5
edited March 2007 in Vintage Speakers
I used the term "mysterious" because that term has been included in the title of a couple threads in the forums about this speaker.
Won a pair of these on ebay earlier this evening - needed something shielded to replace my 5JR+ speakers.
Although similar in appearance to the 5JR+ they possess some obvious differences.
The tweeter doesn't look as nice and the terminals aren't as nice. However the cabinet is noticeably taller and deeper.
It would be neat to know the frequency response for these and the power handling. But what I really want to know is;
Are those two active bass drivers or one active and one passive as in the 5JR+?
Post edited by averageguy on
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  • averageguy
    averageguy Posts: 5
    edited February 2007
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    Well, browsing some threads produced this link http://polksda.com/ and all questions answered. Thanks to the gentleman that maintains that site.:)
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  • Polk65
    Polk65 Posts: 1,405
    edited February 2007
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    Congrats on a great deal for a rare vintage speaker. That passive radiator is unusual. A VS-19 pair showed up last year on the bay but "mysteriously" ended early. :rolleyes:

    polksda has great info lurking there. Kudos to him for maintaining it.
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  • jakelm
    jakelm Posts: 4,081
    edited February 2007
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    They look like monitor 4's with an added mw6500. The lower driver doesnt look passive to me. It looks like 2 mw6503's in each cabinet.
    Monitor 7b's front
    Monitor 4's surround
    Frankinpolk Center (2 mw6503's with peerless tweeter)
    M10's back surround
    Hafler-200 driving patio Daytons
    Tempest-X 15" DIY sub w/ Rythmik 350A plate amp
    Dayton 12" DVC w/ Rythmik 350a plate amp
    Harman/Kardon AVR-635
    Oppo 981hd
    Denon upconvert DVD player
    Jennings Research (vintage and rare)
    Mit RPTV WS-55513
    Tosh HD-XA1
    B&K AV5000


    Dont BAN me Bro!!!!:eek:
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited February 2007
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    VS= Video Shielded. Polk's first 'home theater' speakers, if you will. The original ad has them next to a cheesy (by todays standards) 22 or so inch tv.

    Spring clips on the rear?
    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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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited February 2007
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    I have a sales brochure with that lineup. It's nice to finally see a pair "in person".
    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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  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited February 2007
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    what did you end up paying for those. I was watching a couple pair on the bay myself, and opted to go for a Denon AVR 785s instead.I got tired of watching movies in 2ch and got the denon because it has pre-outs for all channels, so now I can use my adcom with the denon and have it hooked up the right way, instead of coble jobbed to my technics
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  • Deadof_knight
    Deadof_knight Posts: 980
    edited February 2007
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    Dude those are sweet lil things they look like a cross of the 4 jrs and the s6's that came out later on. Thats the 4 jrs tweeter and two 6 inches I bet ones passive
    :cool: " He who dies with the most equipment wins Right ? "

    Denon 3300 Adcom 535 BBe w/sub out 1 pr 4.6s 2 pr of 4 jrs Recent additions Samsung Lns-4095D LCD, Samsung hd-960 DVD, Monster HT-5000 Power center    ,HPSA-1000 18" sealed DiY home sub.:D
    Black Laquer 1.2tl's w/ upgraded x-overs and Tweets BI-Amped with 2 Carver tfm-35's Knukonceptz 10ga cables
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  • averageguy
    averageguy Posts: 5
    edited February 2007
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    Yes, they are spring clips and one of the drivers is passive or a "subwoofer" per the brochure on the site referenced above.
    Due to the cabinet size it is able to perform a little lower in the frequency range than the 5JR+, same power handling.
    I'm looking forward to auditioning the different tweeter.
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  • averageguy
    averageguy Posts: 5
    edited March 2007
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    Finally! These arrived today. Here are a couple of pictures to compare with the 5JR+.
    Is it possible these were slightly ahead of their time, with the shielded driver and deeper cabinet?
    They are actually several years older than the 5JR+.
    Based on a preliminary audition of the speakers, I do believe they sound a little more balanced than the 5JR+. I've held the belief that the tweeter in the 5JR+ is too much for that speaker - this is just something in my mind I'm no expert on speakers. I think the tweeter in the VS-25 works better with this setup.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited March 2007
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    averageguy wrote:
    Is it possible these were slightly ahead of their time, with the shielded driver and deeper cabinet?

    Not really, as it was a simple design for another application. The Monitor series set the bar and established Polk Audio as a real company. The VS series was short lived and unloved.

    They were one of the first direct forays into the HT market segment. The fact that they are shielded just means it has a bucking magnet.

    It's very cool to see a pair and I have no doubts I would grab a set if found in my travels. Enjoy them, as you have been and I agree, the SL2000 is horrible. That being said, the replacement silk dome tweeter(#RD-0194) is the missing magic for that entire series.

    Happy Listening!
    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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  • averageguy
    averageguy Posts: 5
    edited March 2007
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    What does HT Mean?
    I think I meant ahead of their time in the sense that it's common for more recent designs to have a deeper rather than wider cabinet and shielded drivers. Wasn't that sort of rare at the time these were made?
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  • DollarDave
    DollarDave Posts: 2,575
    edited March 2007
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    Just a guess, but probably HT means "Home Theater".
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  • notified
    notified Posts: 175
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    upgrade to a lcd tv and shielding wont be a issue anymore
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  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,650
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    topinska wrote: »
    I've got a pair of these I would like to sell and see go to a good home. They still sound great but unfortunately the cabinets are a bit dinged and what looks like cat damage to one of the grills.

    Welcome to CP. Unfortunately you cannot sell here without 100 posts.
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  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,650
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    notified wrote: »
    upgrade to a lcd tv and shielding wont be a issue anymore

    9 year old thread...
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,338
    edited January 2016
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    Since someone resurrected the thread and if anyone is interested...here is some info on the VS25.
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    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • TCK
    TCK Posts: 231
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    Interesting, don't think I've seen these. The VS25's look like the forerunner to the RT55
    - SDA 2B (1989, Oak Tops, 194s, Spikes)
    - Monitor 7B (1982 Peerless, Sonicaps, Mills, Dynamated, JB Welded, Binding Posts)
    - SVS SB12-NSD (2 in Flat Black)
    - SVS SB 3000 (Gloss Black)
    - Pioneer SC-1222K AVR
    - Marantz MM 7055 (5 Ch Amp)
    - Pioneer PD-D6 SACD Player
    - Marantz NR1403 AVR
    - Sony UBP-X800M2 (4k Blu-ray)
    - Sony UBP-X1100ES (4K Blu-ray)
    - Adcom GFA 555
    - Monitor 5 (194s, Side Surrounds)
    - Monitor 5Jr+ (194s)
    - LG OLED65CXPUA (4K OLED TV)
    - LG 55UN7300PUF (4K HD TV)
    - RT35i (Cherry)
    - CS400 (Center)
    - CS350 (Center)
    - F/Xi A4 (Rear Surrounds)
    - RT25 (Rear Surrounds)
    - Audioquest Cables



    " But boy do I remember the strain of her refrain " LG
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  • lawdogg
    lawdogg Posts: 450
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    So one of the 6.5" drivers is used as a subwoofer? Interesting. Any idea what the crossover looks like?
    <3 my 3.1TLs

    I will fix your shifted magnets for free. :)
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,071
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    I don't believe it's actually a subwoofer in the sense that you're thinking, it's just a passive radiator. On the old spec sheets for the vintage Polks, Polk calls the passive radiators a "fluid coupled planar subwoofer".
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • lawdogg
    lawdogg Posts: 450
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    Got it. What does it look like from the back? Is it mass loaded?
    <3 my 3.1TLs

    I will fix your shifted magnets for free. :)
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