No more SDA drivers available for SRTs

ben62670

Good to hear. You know its cost a lot for a small run right? Polk Rocks:)

treitz3

Man, that's great news Brody! Congrat's!

brody05

Yeah, I guess the cost would be more, I am very happy they are doing the right thing but to be honest really I think they should be making some more with no suitable option. Maybe it is just me or something we expect in NZ with regard to what we are used to.

I think there will be a lot of SRT owners happy with this, I cant wait to have them back to 100%

dorokusai

It's nice to see you so humble in your your request that they support a dead loudspeaker, just because they should. I'm sure the hundred or so SRT owners are setting up parades, I know I am.

brody05

dorokusai wrote: »

It's nice to see you so humble in your your request that they support a dead loudspeaker, just because they should. I'm sure the hundred or so SRT owners are setting up parades, I know I am.

Having another bad day.........

2000 SRTs made, and still the best and most expensive speaker Polk did, if they didn't support these as Matthews very own baby's then what would you call it, sound business decision????

dorokusai

You know how many SRT owners I've met or seen on this website since 2003? Polk Audio homebase? 9. They supported that loudspeaker for more than a decade. I guess you simply can't satisfy everyone.

It's very nice to see the positive response from Engineering concerning a replacement driver....now you can sleep again. Hopefully you'll continue to update this thread throughout the year(s). Meanwhile, I'll be hoping they make that driver in another color.

John30_30

brody05 wrote: »

Having another bad day.........

2000 SRTs made, and still the best and most expensive speaker Polk did, if they didn't support these as Matthews very own baby's then what would you call it, sound business decision????

Huh-huh. He said sound business. Huh-huh.

Good news for you brody, very fortuitous stroke. Not many businesses will do that, but how about that? What other speaker companies are gonna man up like dat awesomeness?
Anyone?
Bueller?

Hope you get the joy out of them all this has led up to.

Jstas

brody05 wrote: »

2000 SRTs made, and still the best and most expensive speaker Polk did, if they didn't support these as Matthews very own baby's then what would you call it, sound business decision????

Um, that's a very subjective argument and honestly, after speaking with the man in question himself, he doesn't confirm nor deny that the SRT system is his "baby's". He speaks highly of them but he also speaks quite highly of quite a few other speakers from Polk, past and present as well.

That is far from a sound argument to justify a rather unconventional decision though. To make yet another run of drivers for a speaker system that has been out of production for a good while now, a lifetime in the electronics world, is pretty close to financial Seppuku. Mainly because there is no guarantee that those squeaky wheels needing the grease will even buy the said replacement drivers. If they don't, they are again, left with a stock pile of unwanted drivers taking up storage space in a warehouse that costs money and kills profits supporting a product that Polk hasn't seen a profit on in probably a decade. It's nice to support your customers, even if they did buy the product second hand. But if all the companies in the world did what you think they "should" do, they'd go broke supporting old products that probably aren't even owned by the original purchasers anymore. That's not a good business practice if you want your business to remain viable and still be putting food on your table, a roof over your head and clothes on your back.

John30_30

Jstas wrote: »

Um, that's a very subjective argument and honestly, after speaking with the man in question himself, he doesn't confirm nor deny that the SRT system is his "baby's". He speaks highly of them but he also speaks quite highly of quite a few other speakers from Polk, past and present as well.

That is far from a sound argument to justify a rather unconventional decision though. To make yet another run of drivers for a speaker system that has been out of production for a good while now, a lifetime in the electronics world, is pretty close to financial Seppuku. Mainly because there is no guarantee that those squeaky wheels needing the grease will even buy the said replacement drivers. If they don't, they are again, left with a stock pile of unwanted drivers taking up storage space in a warehouse that costs money and kills profits supporting a product that Polk hasn't seen a profit on in probably a decade. It's nice to support your customers, even if they did buy the product second hand. But if all the companies in the world did what you think they "should" do, they'd go broke supporting old products that probably aren't even owned by the original purchasers anymore. That's not a good business practice if you want your business to remain viable and still be putting food on your table, a roof over your head and clothes on your back.

Sometimes there's P.R. that money can't buy any other way. Seeing as Polk are an ongoing business, it' s a very good investment in that PoV.

brody05

dorokusai wrote: »

You know how many SRT owners I've met or seen on this website since 2003? Polk Audio homebase? 9. They supported that loudspeaker for more than a decade. I guess you simply can't satisfy everyone.

It's very nice to see the positive response from Engineering concerning a replacement driver....now you can sleep again. Hopefully you'll continue to update this thread throughout the year(s). Meanwhile, I'll be hoping they make that driver in another color.

Well I guess most SRT owners aren't into forums, or maybe they just get chased away by the older 'schoolyard bullies', I know of three on this forum in NZ alone and we catch up regularly.

This is not the first time they have re run these drivers and at $10,000 for a set I would expect the boundries of support with parts to be pushed beyond the norm, I dont think that unreasonable at all.

ben62670

Hey Brody why don't you order us some Infinity Kappa tweeters, or any other driver while you are at it? How about Carver Amazings? Guess what buddy you are SOL. Stop whining. I for one am tired of it. Polk CS is the best I have seen in audio. If you don't like it. Sell the SRT's and get something better. I hope they send you a box of tissues with the drivers.
Ben

brody05

Jstas wrote: »

Um, that's a very subjective argument and honestly, after speaking with the man in question himself, he doesn't confirm nor deny that the SRT system is his "baby's". He speaks highly of them but he also speaks quite highly of quite a few other speakers from Polk, past and present as well.

That is far from a sound argument to justify a rather unconventional decision though. To make yet another run of drivers for a speaker system that has been out of production for a good while now, a lifetime in the electronics world, is pretty close to financial Seppuku. Mainly because there is no guarantee that those squeaky wheels needing the grease will even buy the said replacement drivers. If they don't, they are again, left with a stock pile of unwanted drivers taking up storage space in a warehouse that costs money and kills profits supporting a product that Polk hasn't seen a profit on in probably a decade. It's nice to support your customers, even if they did buy the product second hand. But if all the companies in the world did what you think they "should" do, they'd go broke supporting old products that probably aren't even owned by the original purchasers anymore. That's not a good business practice if you want your business to remain viable and still be putting food on your table, a roof over your head and clothes on your back.

Its called customer service, Polk has a brand name to maintain and the cost of these would in part be buried into the original purchase price, they know there will be reruns of drivers and as above, this isn't the first time they have rerun this driver. We are not talking about mass money to make these drivers, the parts list is limited and I dont think they will be loosing out on a lot of $ by making some more.

Warehouse storage, well overheads is a day to day expense of running such a major company, I am sure they can manage.

Why is everyone making out this is going to be such an expense to them, these drivers can be used in other models also, the problem is they have run out of all the alternatives such has 5808 and 5802. For a business to remain viable it needs to maintain its brand name and as the SRTs were the flagship and still the most expensive by far and something they should keep up, they sold a new pair in 2001 in NZ so 7 to 8 years is not a stretch in my opinion.

And besides, I am happy to pay for the price they put on them, at least I know I will be getting a good driver that will last and hasnt been abused. Maybe people should think about how they would feel if they were in my position?????

brody05

ben62670 wrote: »

Hey Brody why don't you order us some Infinity Kappa tweeters, or any other driver while you are at it? How about Carver Amazings? Guess what buddy you are SOL. Stop whining. I for one am tired of it. Polk CS is the best I have seen in audio. If you don't like it. Sell the SRT's and get something better. I hope they send you a box of tissues with the drivers.
Ben

Yet another constructive comment from the guru's.

shack

Even the auto mfgs quit making replacement parts for their vehicles after a certain number of years. Its is nearly impossible to make and maintain parts for an infinite period and it is fiscally irresponsible for a company to do so. If Polk maintained a supply of spare parts to cover every request by every individual for every product they ever built...you are talking about millions upon millions of dollars for stuff that may or may not be needed. It would require huge amounts of space and a very detailed inventory system. It is simply not practical from a cost or a logistics standpoint.

Again to use the auto mfgs as an example. If an older model is so popular that it gets to the point that there is a demand for parts beyond their typical shelf life...they will sell the molds and dies and rights to an aftermarket supplier. The Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro are good examples. If the demand is significant enough (and with the Mustang and Camaro it is) you will see many of the parts reproduced (BUT NOT EVERY PART...just the ones in demand)...but not by the OEM.

If there was a big demand for the Polk drivers in question there would be an after supplier willing to make them. There must not be such a demand.

ben62670

brody05 wrote: »

Yet another constructive comment from the guru's.

I spent a lot of time looking for replacement drivers for you(your welcome:rolleyes:). I do not get paid to do research for you. Now you have a 3 page thread bashing the company that is helping you. If it were up to me. I would just say that we don't ship to NZ. Again try to get drivers from another speaker company from a line of limited run speakers that has been discontinued for over 10 years.
Get bent.

Jstas

brody05 wrote: »

Its called customer service, Polk has a brand name to maintain and the cost of these would in part be buried into the original purchase price, they know there will be reruns of drivers and as above, this isn't the first time they have rerun this driver. We are not talking about mass money to make these drivers, the parts list is limited and I dont think they will be loosing out on a lot of $ by making some more.

Warehouse storage, well overheads is a day to day expense of running such a major company, I am sure they can manage.

Why is everyone making out this is going to be such an expense to them, these drivers can be used in other models also, the problem is they have run out of all the alternatives such has 5808 and 5802. For a business to remain viable it needs to maintain its brand name and as the SRTs were the flagship and still the most expensive by far and something they should keep up, they sold a new pair in 2001 in NZ so 7 to 8 years is not a stretch in my opinion.

And besides, I am happy to pay for the price they put on them, at least I know I will be getting a good driver that will last and hasnt been abused. Maybe people should think about how they would feel if they were in my position?????

Polk Audio sucks at customer service. Yeah, sure buddy, whatever you say. :rolleyes:

How is it being as self-important as you are?

Again, expensive or not, the SRT system is old and out of production. Polk's original response was essentially that you are out of luck because this product is well passed it's end of life. That is not an unreasonable response.

Also, judging by your statements in this thread, you are not the original purchaser of your SRT system. Therefore, the original manufacturer's warranty does not apply to you. Any issue you have with the speakers is honestly, your problem. If you ask me, just the fact that Polk Audio is willing to support you, a 2nd maybe even 3rd or 4th hand owner, speaks volumes about their commitment to customer service and their customer.

What every body is on your case about is that you, for some reason, think this is unacceptable. We have all bought used equipment and we all understand that this is a risk we all take. That is why we all frequent communities such as this one where people with similar interests can actually help us where it is not economically feasible for the original manufacturer to do so.

But you, instead of taking advantage of this tremendous resource, decided that you would rather trash the company you are begging for help and alienate the community that is most capable and is the most resource intensive to actually help you solve your problem.

You're winnin' friends and influencing people there, sport.

I think I'm with doro and I'm gonna call Polk Audio and beg them to make this next speaker run in hot pink with dust caps that light up electric purple. I mean, afterall, you said you didn't care about the cost.

John30_30

ben62670 wrote: »

I spent a lot of time looking for replacement drivers for you(your welcome:rolleyes:). I do not get paid to do research for you. Now you have a 3 page thread bashing the company that is helping you. If it were up to me. I would just say that we don't ship to NZ. Again try to get drivers from another speaker company from a line of limited run speakers that has been discontinued for over 10 years.
Get bent.

I busted my google trying to help you also, brody.

You're not worthy.

No, really.

brody05

shack wrote: »

Even the auto mfgs quit making replacement parts for their vehicles after a certain number of years. Its is nearly impossible to make and maintain parts for an infinite period and it is fiscally irresponsible for a company to do so. If Polk maintained a supply of spare parts to cover every request by every individual for every product they ever built...you are talking about millions upon millions of dollars for stuff that may or may not be needed. It would require huge amounts of space and a very detailed inventory system. It is simply not practical from a cost or a logistics standpoint.

Again to use the auto mfgs as an example. If an older model is so popular that it gets to the point that there is a demand for parts beyond their typical shelf life...they will sell the molds and dies and rights to an aftermarket supplier. The Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro are good examples. If the demand is significant enough (and with the Mustang and Camaro it is) you will see many of the parts reproduced (BUT NOT EVERY PART...just the ones in demand)...but not by the OEM.

If there was a big demand for the Polk drivers in question there would be an after supplier willing to make them. There must not be such a demand.

To use cars as you have, we are talking about the lambourghini model here not a mini.

I dont expect them to keep parts for every speaker ever made but as stated previously the SRTs were not cheap and as such should be supported for longer, polk obviously agree as they are doing some more drivers.

brody05

ben62670 wrote: »

I spent a lot of time looking for replacement drivers for you(your welcome:rolleyes:). I do not get paid to do research for you. Now you have a 3 page thread bashing the company that is helping you. If it were up to me. I would just say that we don't ship to NZ. Again try to get drivers from another speaker company from a line of limited run speakers that has been discontinued for over 10 years.
Get bent.

and I appreciated it but that doesn't mean I am going to sit back and be insulted for having high expectations on a company that I have supported over 15 years, I have had RT3000s, SRTs (original then sold to put a deposit on a house then bought 2nd hand), CS1000p, FX1000p, RT55i's (two pairs), CS350ls, RT1000, RT2000i's, PSW650, PSW150, RT 12's and others I am struggling to rembember and most of which were purchased new. Like I said, maybe it is a culture thing in NZ as things are different here in comparison to the US.

Dont be so precious and you are reading far too much into my original comments.

brody05

Jstas wrote: »

Polk Audio sucks at customer service. Yeah, sure buddy, whatever you say. :rolleyes:

How is it being as self-important as you are?

Again, expensive or not, the SRT system is old and out of production. Polk's original response was essentially that you are out of luck because this product is well passed it's end of life. That is not an unreasonable response.

Also, judging by your statements in this thread, you are not the original purchaser of your SRT system. Therefore, the original manufacturer's warranty does not apply to you. Any issue you have with the speakers is honestly, your problem. If you ask me, just the fact that Polk Audio is willing to support you, a 2nd maybe even 3rd or 4th hand owner, speaks volumes about their commitment to customer service and their customer.

What every body is on your case about is that you, for some reason, think this is unacceptable. We have all bought used equipment and we all understand that this is a risk we all take. That is why we all frequent communities such as this one where people with similar interests can actually help us where it is not economically feasible for the original manufacturer to do so.

But you, instead of taking advantage of this tremendous resource, decided that you would rather trash the company you are begging for help and alienate the community that is most capable and is the most resource intensive to actually help you solve your problem.

You're winnin' friends and influencing people there, sport.

I think I'm with doro and I'm gonna call Polk Audio and beg them to make this next speaker run in hot pink with dust caps that light up electric purple. I mean, afterall, you said you didn't care about the cost.

I am sorry, but I fail to see where I said anything about Polk customer service sucking....... and trashing the company, again I cant see that anywhere, you guys are far too defensive and reading more into what is there, please, highlight in my posts where I said anything along those lines, I wait with baited breath.

I am not in the habbit of making friends with people that react and act as above, fortuanately the forum is full of people that dont have to make snide remarks and bang their drums over such an innocent statement.

brody05

John30_30 wrote: »

I busted my google trying to help you also, brody.

You're not worthy.

No, really.

I am at a loss to understand why you feel this, I think you guys are feeding of each others misinterpretations, read my comments before this thread went downhill and explain to me why....

ben62670

brody05 wrote: »

I am at a loss to understand why you feel this, I think you guys are feeding of each others misinterpretations, read my comments before this thread went downhill and explain to me why....

I have read all 3 pages, and ever post. I don't jump on band wagons. Jstas for one certainly doesn't. I have dealt with CS many times for myself and others. I know the guys at Polk were definitely working hard on a solution for this problem. I guarantee they were looking at drivers that may be dropped in. I am most certain they found drivers that would fit and be close, but Polk is not going to send out some drivers that don't fit the bill. They are having replacements made that are to the original specs. Here is list of typical specs to a woofer for an example.
Znom 8 ohm
Re 5.7 ohm
Le@1kHz .7 mH
fs 60 Hz
Qms 1.38
Qes 0.43
Qts 0.33
Mms 7.5 g
Cms - mm/N
Sd 86 cm2
BL 6.0 Tm
Vas 10 ltrs
Xmax 4 mm peak
VC

treitz3

ben62670 wrote: »

You should be praising Polk for having the woofer remade to the original specs, but I fail to see any appreciation in your posts.

Brody, Ben was one of the one's helping you out making you proud to be a member of this forum and I think I was as well. So was Sal [Lasereath] and others at Polk HQ and CS. There has been a team of people who have offered time, resources, personnel amongst other things of which many of them received not one dime for their effort. Polk has definitely gone above and beyond the call of duty here and they definitely spent more than a dime. I personally know that you have thanked me behind the scenes but please, at this point refer to the quote above.

If you don't see the big picture here then I can not help you.

ben62670

I appreciate you treitz, and many others:)
Thanks Tom
Ben

brody05

ben62670 wrote: »

I have read all 3 pages, and ever post. I don't jump on band wagons. Jstas for one certainly doesn't. I have dealt with CS many times for myself and others. I know the guys at Polk were definitely working hard on a solution for this problem. I guarantee they were looking at drivers that may be dropped in. I am most certain they found drivers that would fit and be close, but Polk is not going to send out some drivers that don't fit the bill. They are having replacements made that are to the original specs. Here is list of typical specs to a woofer for an example.
Znom 8 ohm
Re 5.7 ohm
Le@1kHz .7 mH
fs 60 Hz
Qms 1.38
Qes 0.43
Qts 0.33
Mms 7.5 g
Cms - mm/N
Sd 86 cm2
BL 6.0 Tm
Vas 10 ltrs
Xmax 4 mm peak
VC

brody05

for the record.

I am very appreciate and gratefull for all the previous offers of help and for the outcome with Polk making some more.

Doesn't change the point that some of you are too quick to judge or misjudge for that matter and go on the 'attack'.

Russ_L

I'm about to purchase two pairs of Monitor 10s. I'll need one more to complete a surround system. I know Polk has replacement tweeters for the 10s. Passive radiators should be OK and are (more) easily repairable. I'm wondering if the MW6501 or MW6503 mid woofers are still available?

To get the fifth Monitor 10 I'll probably be buying a pair so one of the two could be used for replacement parts if circumstances warrant.

brody05

Russ_L wrote: »

I'm about to purchase two pairs of Monitor 10s. I'll need one more to complete a surround system. I know Polk has replacement tweeters for the 10s. Passive radiators should be OK and are (more) easily repairable. I'm wondering if the MW6501 or MW6503 mid woofers are still available?

To get the fifth Monitor 10 I'll probably be buying a pair so one of the two could be used for replacement parts if circumstances warrant.

Good idea there, I wish we had more of a market over here like you in the US, things come up few and far between making spares a pretty limited option really.

Not sure about those drivers being available.

Good luck with it.