Pok's first speaker design, information?
John in MA
Posts: 1,010
I can't remember where I heard this, it's been years. Suddenly surfaced in my head and I thought I'd ask.
At some point I recall reading that Polk's first speaker design was to be some sort of Bose-style driver array, but it ran afoul of their patents and had to be shelved. I gather the result of this was the first Monitor series that used some of the array's intended components.
Is this true, and does anyone have more details? This has probably been posted in the past but my search-fu is weak.
At some point I recall reading that Polk's first speaker design was to be some sort of Bose-style driver array, but it ran afoul of their patents and had to be shelved. I gather the result of this was the first Monitor series that used some of the array's intended components.
Is this true, and does anyone have more details? This has probably been posted in the past but my search-fu is weak.
Post edited by John in MA on
Comments
-
Actually, the very first Polk was more of a PA/sound reinforcement speaker, apparently. You refer to the Model Nine. Plenty of references here.
I have a pair of the 9As, which replaced the Motorola piezo with the Peerless silk dome. Contrary to prevailing opinions here, I think they sound pretty good!
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19965
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38805
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25734
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50681
info may be found here:
http://www.polksda.com/srsad.shtml -
Thanks, I didn't know what to look for. So was the Model Nine the original design, or did they actually have plans for a Boseish speaker that were cancelled?
-
THe latter. The legend has it that they had all these 4" extended-range drivers they couldn't use for Bose knock-offs, so they designed the Nine :-)
I heard the story in the mid-1970s (ca. 76) from Polk's first retailer, John Dorsey, at Soundscape in Baltimore. It does in fact seem to be true.
If you get up this way sometime, you can give a listen to the 9As I have. -
The 'Bozo' never made into production, whether or not a prototype was ever made - I have no idea.Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
-
Any idea if it was intended to be a direct physical knockoff or just use the same principals?
-
Good 9A photos here:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=631854&postcount=16 -
A direct knockoff, according to the legend.
FYI, a photo of the very original Polk-branded product is at:
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=460738&postcount=28 -
Live sound ported bass box?
