Proud new PolkAudio owner, but...

Old John

Knowing that PolkAudio was a name I needed to look for on my junkets to the thrift stores, I was really happy to come across a pair of Monitor 10s today which I gobbled up for $30. Cabs and grills a little rough but fixable and all drivers looked good. Got them home and hooked 'em up to a Luxman R-117 and thought they sounded great at first but then noticed that there was no bass coming from one and that the 6.5 inch drivers in that same speaker were putting out very weak and distorted sound also.

I've read a thread where it was determined that a fellow Monitor 10 owner had siezed drivers that needed to be replaced. Is that my problem or is something else causing the one speaker to malfunction? Would someone tell me what model 10 I have? 1987 is stamped on the back of one of the drivers.

Thanks for any info and advice.

McLoki

If you can post a pic of your monitor 10 (without the grills on), we may be able to tell you what series it is. It is the tweeter we are really looking for to define the series.

If there is no sound coming from one of the drivers, does it move at all (if you push on it)? I am guessing it is siezed and has to be replaced. Call Polk Customer server (be sure you mention you are a club polk member for a slight discount and free shipping) and get another one. (describe the problem to them first, they are really good at troubleshooting over the phone.)

Great snag on the monitor 10's, they often go for over $100 so even with the replacement driver, you should be below that. They are a fun speaker to listen to - I have a pair myself playing away in the basement system and like it alot.

Welcome to Club Polk.

Michael

Old John

Michael... thanks for the information. The tweeters in these speakers have the small hole in the center. I'll post a picture when I can get time, but I'm pretty certain of that. After my initial post, I went back and checked out the problem again. Both drivers seem to be seized. They push out a little sound, but hardly move when I push against them. That means a greater expenditure than I can afford right now to fix them, so maybe I'll sell them... or try to find a pair of drivers on eBay? I"d really like to keep and restore them.

Old John

Face

You have Peerless tweeters. It would definitely be worth restoring your speakers to working condition again.

danger boy

they are worth finding drivers for... pull one of the 6.5" drivers out.. and in small letters in will have the model number of something like MW6502 or similar to that.. maybe someone on here might have one or two you could buy from them..

good luck though. and welcome to club Polk

nms

On a different note, your tweeters (Peerless) are very well thought of: don't replace them unless they don't work.

Old John

Thanks for all the helpful information and encouragement. You've reinforced my interest in restoring the speakers and as of now they have become a project.

Thanks also for the welcome. This site seems to be one of the few places where a person can be met with civility and friendship. I'm impressed by the vintage audio community in general. It's really refreshing. I'm also surprised by the level of support offered - both official and unofficial - by PolkAudio. So far I've not run into that with any audio company.

I'll post the model numbers of the drivers tonight and see where we go from there.

Old John

NJPOLKER

John,
How old are you?
Drew

Fireman32

Good luck with the restore and welcome to the forum.

wingnut4772

NJPOLKER wrote: »

John,
How old are you?
Drew

John, what are you wearing?

What's your favorite colour?








He he j/k welcome to Club Polk.

Mike Kozak

I bought a pair of Monitor 7cs and both tweeters were junk and one of the mids was siezed. Polk hooked me up nicely and now they sound fantastic!! I have had many speakers and I must say I like the sound of my Polks the best by far!!!!!

Also the excellent advice I get here on the forum, great group of audiophiles!!!

Old John

You're wierd. I like that. I used to live in California.

Old John

In answer to NJPOKER, I'm 71. Thanks for asking. Wingnut... that comment about being wierd was meant for you, not Mike Kozak. Now that I've messed up this thread trying to be cute - the siezed drivers are the MW6503 model. Anybody have any?

I pulled one of the tweeters and it was marked as a SL2000. They seem to be working fine. Are they good tweeters?

Old Old John

wingnut4772

Old John wrote: »

In answer to NJPOKER, I'm 71. Thanks for asking. Wingnut... that comment about being wierd was meant for you, not Mike Kozak. Now that I've messed up this thread trying to be cute - the siezed drivers are the MW6503 model. Anybody have any?

I pulled one of the tweeters and it was marked as a SL2000. They seem to be working fine. Are they good tweeters?

Old Old John

As long as you like it.:p

Mike Kozak

Polk will sell you MW6502s for 48.00 each Old John, mine are perfect

cfrizz

Welcome John. Enjoy your restoration project.

Darla, this is the USA not Britain we spell it COLOR!:p;):D

Marty913

"I pulled one of the tweeters and it was marked as a SL2000. They seem to be working fine. Are they good tweeters?"

At the risk of starting a war, I think the SL2000 is a pretty good tweeter (especially compared to the SL1000). I'd say try them out, get used to them, then think about an upgrade.

A Luxman R-117? Wow, mid-80's power and incredible headroom. You obviously appreciate the "road less traveled" :cool:. Great stuff.

Marty (another old guy)

Boywonder

Old John, it appears that this forum has SL-2000 lovers and haters, they either swear by it or swear at it. Apparently, the SL-2000 has a +3db (or more) spike in response around 12Khz-13Khz. The replacement tweeter is a silk dome RD-0194 available from Polk for $48/ea club price which has a much flatter response. Some people like the 12khz-13khz "sizzle", others do not.

Old John

Thanks for addressing my question about the tweeters. I realize that there are probably not many audio issues that a bunch of audiophiles will all agree on, but your comments have at least clued me in to what I'll be dealing with. I'm really anxious to get these speakers working.

Marty... yes I love the Luxman R-117. I have the 115 as well. I've only been collecting seriously for about 8 months but have picked up so much interesting stuff I can't decide what are my favorites. Right now I'm listening to an Anita Baker LP by way of a Sansui G-7500 through a pair of Large Advents...wondering how it could get any better.

Old John:D

wingnut4772

cfrizz wrote: »

Welcome John. Enjoy your restoration project.

Darla, this is the USA not Britain we spell it COLOR!:p;):D

I was channeling Madonna.

Marty913

Old John wrote: »

Thanks for addressing my question about the tweeters. I realize that there are probably not many audio issues that a bunch of audiophiles will all agree on, but your comments have at least clued me in to what I'll be dealing with. I'm really anxious to get these speakers working.

Marty... yes I love the Luxman R-117. I have the 115 as well. I've only been collecting seriously for about 8 months but have picked up so much interesting stuff I can't decide what are my favorites. Right now I'm listening to an Anita Baker LP by way of a Sansui G-7500 through a pair of Large Advents...wondering how it could get any better.

Old John:D

Actually I agree with Boywonder that the "silks" are probably the way to go so I'm not one of the haters. I'm more of a "how will I know how good the silks are if I don't listen to the 2000's for a while" type of person.

A Sansui G-7500? Was that the one that was "quad adapter ready"? You need to buy more Polks, John.:rolleyes:

Old John

Marty913 wrote: »

Actually I agree with Boywonder that the "silks" are probably the way to go so I'm not one of the haters. I'm more of a "how will I know how good the silks are if I don't listen to the 2000's for a while" type of person.

A Sansui G-7500? Was that the one that was "quad adapter ready"? You need to buy more Polks, John.:rolleyes:

Yes, the G-7500 has the switch for the 4 Channel Adaptor. It's a really great receiver I think. 90 watts/channel. Yes, I think I need more Polks also...but this is the first pair of vintage Polks I've found... so when I find 'em I'll try to buy 'em.

Old John

tonyb

Welcome John,in your search for some older polks,check your local craigslist as they come up often.And don't forget about right here in our own fs section.Lots of quality stuff going on for rock bottom prices.Glad to see your getting your audio feet wet.