my poor 10A's

slack56

Ever since I had to replace my original tweeters with those crappy 1000's I've fallin out of love with my speakers. Did the 10B's come with these tweeters? They must have had a different crossover because mine sound tinny.
I used to listen to music at any volume I wanted with no fatigue at all, now they are only comfortable at lower volumes. I repaired the coil wire that broke and put my original tweeters back in an it was like hearing an old friends voice, gave me goosebumps. So for a couple of years I got away with the repair job on my non polk tweeters.
Does anyone know who the original provider of tweeters was. I feel polk really hung me out to dry when they didn't offer the original tweeters anymore. If that wasn't bad enough the 1000's were twice as much as the old tweeters and of course I had to buy two (one for each speaker). What should have been 30 bucks turned into 150.
I recently purchased some RT2000P's to replace those 10A's but they just don't sound as good. The bass is a little better but the mids and highs seem washed out by pink noise or something.
I guess I'll just have to repair those damn tweeters and hope to get another couple of years out of them or look into the 10B crossovers.

Former Polk Fanatic

CHRIS

Try the SL2500 tweeters. They came with the Monitor Series 2, which I have and I like the sound. To me they are a little warmer feeling and less harsh, but thats my opinion.
Chris

slack56

The funny thing is I wanted to purchase those tweeters instead, but the Polk engineer insisted that the 1000's were the replacements. He wouldn't warranty the 2500's and I wouldn't be able to return them if they didn't sound right. He said the crossovers weren't compatible. Perhaps the 2500's aren't capable of playing as low a frequency and it would damage them. (conjecture) Either way I'm going to have to return the RT2000P's and try another brand. If I going to build a serious HT setup I want it to be timbre balanced (identical preferably) and I want that softer, warmer sound I got from my original polks.

Sadly Former Polk Fanatic

joelll

Hello,

If your Monitor 10A's are contemporary with my Monitor 12's (and I have a pair of the original design, not of the 12B, RTA12 or Series 2 types), then as far as I know, the proper tweeter is the SL1000 (which is also what's listed on Club Polk's parts listing).

Was another make of tweeter installed in your speakers? Have you considered experimenting with various other tweeters (make sure they can cover the crossover point)?

For what it's worth, the SL1000 tweeters in my speakers sound neither tinny or harsh, and sound very good to me. (And, for comparison I do have a pair of speakers with harsh tweeters, JBL2800's two-way bookshelf speakers... yuck! they're gathering dust now)


joel

gidrah

The 10Bs come with the SL2000 tweeter. I haven't had any of the sound problems you mention. The 10Bs also used different mid/woofers. The 10Bs use the MW6503, while the 10As used the MW6500 ( I think). I'm pretty sure they use a different crossover. Have you had the new tweeters for long? I've been told that some speakers need a break-in period.

CHRIS

Replace the crossover, simple job. Four screws and disconect the drivers. They pull out with the speakerwire connects. Polk sells the others for the different 10 series.
Just another 2¢.
Chris

slack56

For 200 bucks I could replace the tweeters and the crossovers in my 10A's for the ones in the 10B's built after 1985. Bada Bing Bada Boom I have new speakers for a tenth the price of my RT2000P's. If there is a polk engineer in the house let me know if this is a feasible solution to my dilemma. Or maybe some Trilaminate tweeters and crossovers, then I have timbre matched speakers for my Home Theater. I can't find my RT's on the model list. I'm guessing it would cost twice as much to convert to this setup.
My father has four 5JR's, they came with the SL1000 tweeters as original equipment and they sound much better than the 1000's do in my 10A's. To put it bluntly, as replacements for the pre Polk tweeter the SL1000's suck. I'm guessing the crossover is not exactly compatible with the newer tweeter.
I wish I knew then what I know now about how Polk just jerry-rigged my speakers with a different tweeter. I may have traded up before my year was up to the dahlquist speakers or even the SDA's. Atleast with the SDA's I would have the original parts of my speakers available instead of an inadequate work around. Ah if only they hadn't sounded so good originally.

Pig in a Polky mess

PS I gave the SL1000's a year of break in before I repaired the old tweeters. I have in fact repaired them again. everytime I do I unwind the coil by one more strand. There is no apparent difference yet but eventually the tweeter will reveal my tinkering.

slack56

Now that I have done more research I see there were multiple SL1000 tweeters. When I finally figured out they were peerless tweeters and went to buy a pair they were no longer available. (missed them by that much) What a waste. These poor speakers were only used by my kids for music (hip hop, rap). And HT for me. Had to switch out the 10A's for my Mission 770's. Another great speaker, another soft dome tweeter, and the funny thing is I've never lost a tweeter with these, only the Polks. Let's hope the RDO 194's revive these old friends.

edbert

WOW!!! That's a lot of research if it took you 8 years! :eek:

Glad to hear that you are getting them back in good shape and ready to rock again!