Are these Monitor 10s?

BigMac

I took some music with me that I know very well and listened to them for a little over an hour. The guy said I could bring them home and try them out but I didn't want to go through all the hassle of boxing them up and such. The Dali speakers are an ok looking speaker but I could not see spending $1000.00 on cosmetic improvements only. Right next to those though were a $7000.00 pair of Dynaudio speakers (very beautiful speakers) and they did kick the crap out of the 10s but I would expect that,lol. I did wonder if I would ever stumble upon a pair that sounded almost the same as the 10s. Little did I know these speakers were all of 10 minutes from me the whole time.:D

gdb

One thing to be aware of....the cases need to be airtight for the passive radiator to function properly. after your repair of the open joint, gently push in on the PR and hold it in, the 6.5" drivers should travel outwards and then very slowly retract to their resting position again. If this doesn't happen...you need to determine where the leaks are and seal them. All drivers,including the PR have foam gaskets for a seal, a lot of "polkies" use DarqueKnight's Mortite method to effect a better seal and as a result,improving the coupling between the drivers and the baffle/panel they're mounted to. There are capacitors and resistors that can be replaced in the crossovers that will make these speakers sound better than when they were new also. Have fun and good luck !!:) link to Mortite thread below:

Oh yeah, make sure that you use some strips of wood under the clamps to avoid marring the cabinets!!

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74524&highlight=mortite

jimbo1421

gdb wrote: »

Oh yeah, make sure that you use some strips of wood under the clamps to avoid marring the cabinets!!
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74524&highlight=mortite

Not to worry, gdb. My last career was as a furniture maker for 11 years. Thanks for the Mortite link and the airtightness requirement. I am starting to think about a complete refurbishment and all that entails. I might as well take them all apart and do everything that is needful.

Jim

gdb

jimbo, you going to strip them and apply some nice veneer ?

jimbo1421

gdb wrote: »

jimbo, you going to strip them and apply some nice veneer ?

I haven't decided that yet. I think I will make the repairs and upgrades to get them sounding their best. A few touch ups with a wood toned marker pen will make them presentable. I will also keep an eye on the local Craigslist for Monitor 7s since I have heard so many good things about them. They may be better for my small living room (13' x 19'). Once I have settled down with a pair, then I will think about real wood veneer.

Jim

gdb

Cripes....your LR dimensions are almost the same as mine and I alternate between SDA1As and SRS2s with no problem at all !!!:eek: I also spent a number of years in a custom furn./cabinet shop, I now have a setup at home with some old,heavy (cheap) Rockwell/Delta stuff. If I can ever stop buying audio stuff, I've got to get a Biesemeyer fence and a power feeder. I also need to replace my worn out vacuum press so that I can veneer again without having to use every clamp I've got. They produce any mesquite veneer out there? Might look very nice !! Good luck

wizzy

Heck, if you're a furniture maker you could simply replicate the exact interior dimensions and bracing and rebuild the entire speaker out of 1" thick burled walnut with a Piano finish.

That would be sweet.

W

BigMac

I want to veneer my m10 and do a few things to them to make em' look mint. I have been looking at different veneers but cannot decide on which one. I find one that I really like but then they say it is a soft wood and I think that may not be the best idea. Last thing I want is to spend alot of time and money getting the speakers looking really nice only to bump into one and have a nice little indention. Wish I knew more about woods and which ones would work best for this type of job.

I bet there is a good number of people in the NC,VA,MD,DC, area that need some type of work done to their speakers that we should try and set up a fix-em-up day. Everyone brings their speakers,any tools they may have that will help with speaker repair and the like. Of course it could not be a major job like a rebuild because of time. It would be a fun way to increase your knowledge,see some speakers you have always wanted to see or hear, plus meet some fellow Polkies and enthusiast. I can already see myself doing the M10 mods with a little help since I have never done any of this stuff before. Just an idea.

jimbo1421

First things first: fix the air leaks and get the electronics refurbished if needed; maybe replace the tweeters. Then if I really love them, deal with the appearance or even build new boxes. These could even have the 6 degree tilt back built into them.

BigMac: Since veneer, whether softwood or hardwood, is so thin, it is the hardness of substrate which really matters as far as resisting dents is concerned. Medium density fiberboard or particle board is stout enough to resist denting, even from a moderately hard blow. The worry with veneer (or wood grain vinyl) is scratching or abrading through it. That's hard to fix.

Jim