Interesting

MillerLiteScott
MillerLiteScott Posts: 2,561
edited March 2010 in Vintage Speakers
No Affiliation

http://baltimore.craigslist.org/ele/1625391357.html

Scott
I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
Post edited by MillerLiteScott on
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  • nikolas812
    nikolas812 Posts: 2,915
    edited March 2010
    Very interesting. Sure would like to have them and know more about them...




    Nik
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited March 2010
    Interesting...

    But, I'm not seeing much that looks different from a standard RTA12.:confused:
    The nirvana inducer-
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  • anton.chigurh
    anton.chigurh Posts: 239
    edited March 2010
    comfortablycurt wrote: »
    Interesting...

    But, I'm not seeing much that looks different from a standard RTA12.:confused:

    Cherry?
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited March 2010
    anton.chigurh wrote: »
    Cherry?

    I'm not sure if the originals came in cherry...I think some of them did.

    Most of them were a walnut vinyl veneer though.



    Either way...it would be easy enough to wrap a pair of RTA12's with some different veneer and pass them off as "custom built". I'd want some kind of proof of the custom built status...
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
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  • nikolas812
    nikolas812 Posts: 2,915
    edited March 2010
    comfortablycurt wrote: »
    Interesting...

    But, I'm not seeing much that looks different from a standard RTA12.:confused:


    Who knows. I'm thinking maybe its just the wood. He says its Real Cherry. I don't recall seeing any with that type of grain/character in the wood either. I thought they were all walnut veneer or something like. Not cherry.


    Wouldn't really matter to me how much is done to them as long as they were truly one offs for one reason or another. I've always wanted a pair of those speakers also...


    EDIT: YOU GUYS BEAT ME TO IT!:D



    Nik
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,464
    edited March 2010
    I thought the all were Walnut veneer. If they are real wood(cherry) that would certainly make them a bit of a rarity. I would love to have them form my collection.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • nikolas812
    nikolas812 Posts: 2,915
    edited March 2010
    comfortablycurt wrote: »

    Either way...it would be easy enough to wrap a pair of RTA12's with some different veneer and pass them off as "custom built". I'd want some kind of proof of the custom built status...



    That was my first thought as soon as I seen them.


    I wrapped my Lsi9's in Maple...





    Nik
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  • BottomFeeder
    BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
    edited March 2010
    Cherry? Huh. Never heard of a pair being built in cherry. Wonder if he's got some walnuts that he thinks is cherry? From the camera angle, they look like walnut to me.

    Anyone axe him?
    "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
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  • stubby
    stubby Posts: 723
    edited March 2010
    Fairly sure they came in either walnut vinyl or oak veneer. Not cherry.

    stubby
    SRS 3.1TL
    Harman Kardon Citation 5.1
    Anthem AVM2



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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,754
    edited March 2010
    Custom what? Cherry what? Those pics are so bad how could anyone tell?

    BTW, aged walnut can look like mahogany, even cherry depending on the original stain color used.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,393
    edited March 2010
    I just emailed the guy to get more info. They are just about 15 minutes from my house. I am also wondering if I know his friend.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • mmadden28
    mmadden28 Posts: 4,283
    edited March 2010
    Here's an older thread discussing wood veneer on some RTA-12's
    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51997
    ____________________
    This post is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to be considered flaws or defects.

    HT:Onkyo 805, Emotiva XPA-5, Mitsu 52" 1080p DLP / polkaudio RTi12, CSIa6, FXi3, uPro4K
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    Pool: Atrium 60's/45's
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited March 2010
    Does the fact that they may or may not have been wrapped in some different veneer by a Polk employee really make them any more valuable?

    IMO? Not in the slightest bit.

    That's assuming that the only differences are cosmetic. If there are actual differences in the crossover architecture, or custom/different drivers or something of that nature, they may very well be worth a bit more.

    It's hard to tell in the pictures though really. Structurally, they look the same as an RTA12 normally would. The veneer looks like it could be cherry...but, there again, with the pics it's hard to tell.
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited March 2010
    Perhaps at the time it was made it was in pre-production and this is a pre-production RTA12, before the model was part of the Polk line up.

    Wasn't Stu involved heavily with the RTA12 design?

    or perhaps the seller is full of doo...doo

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,393
    edited March 2010
    I did receive an email response. The seller is not sure what is custom about his particular speakers. His friend did indeed work for Polk but is tragically no longer with us.

    I asked the seller if he could send additional info including pictures.

    Would the RTA12's be considered an upgrade to my RTA11TL?
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited March 2010
    skrol wrote: »
    I did receive an email response. The seller is not sure what is custom about his particular speakers. His friend did indeed work for Polk but is tragically no longer with us.

    I asked the seller if he could send additional info including pictures.

    Would the RTA12's be considered an upgrade to my RTA11TL?

    Some may disagree, but i'd say... no.

    But not a downgrade either. Just different.
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,393
    edited March 2010
    Apparently the Polk engineers were given some liberty to play and develop some of their own creations. I have not seen them since they are in storage, but apparently the guy I know has his own SDA "signature" series, signed by himself of course. Some of our common friends have custom Monitors. I believe the difference is mainly in the XO.

    The speaker business always seems to become a balance between engineering and marketing and economics. You would not want your lower end product to sound too close to the higher end. There are some things that went into the prototypes that were good ideas but never made it into production mainly due to cost or marketing. That is why things like electrolytics are used in the XO and PR's were not damped. But this is how you produce a very good sounding speaker at an affordable price. It also gives us more room to play and enjoy the improvements brought out by our tinkering.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,393
    edited March 2010
    The speakers are RTA12Bs with the Peerless tweeters. The seller says, "The serial number is R12B16101. On the very top speaker the number is 75141081, the two mid speakers are, SR142/17, and the bottom speaker is SR278/6."

    The numbers for the two MWs and the PR don't register anything with me. I am wondering if the XO is custom as it does not seem to match either of the RTA12B schematics listed in the forum. It uses a fuse vs a polyswitch and I don't see any resistor.
    Stan

    Main 2ch:
    Polk LSi15 (DB840 upgrade), Parasound: P/LD-1100, HCA-1000A; Denon: DVD-2910, DRM-800A; Benchmark DAC1, Monster HTS3600-MKII, Grado SR-225i; Technics SL-J2, Parasound PPH-100.

    HT:
    Marantz SR7010, Polk: RTA11TL (RDO198-1, XO and Damping Upgrades), S4, CS250, PSW110 , Marantz UD5005, Pioneer PL-530, Panasonic TC-P42S60

    Other stuff:
    Denon: DRA-835R, AVR-888, DCD-660, DRM-700A, DRR-780; Polk: S8, Monitor 5A, 5B, TSi100, RM7, PSW10 (DXi104 upgrade); Pioneer: CT-6R; Onkyo CP-1046F; Ortofon OM5E, Marantz: PM5004, CD5004, CDR-615; Parasound C/PT-600, HCA-800ii, Sony CDP-650ESD, Technics SA 5070, B&W DM601
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  • MillerLiteScott
    MillerLiteScott Posts: 2,561
    edited March 2010
    The Xover components look better than the one normally seen in stock Xovers.

    Maybe Mark may have some insight?

    Scott
    I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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  • stubby
    stubby Posts: 723
    edited March 2010
    He got the MW and PR numbers off the rubber surrounds.

    stubby
    SRS 3.1TL
    Harman Kardon Citation 5.1
    Anthem AVM2



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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited March 2010
    stubby wrote: »
    He got the MW and PR numbers off the rubber surrounds.

    stubby


    +1

    The drivers model numbers will be on the back of the magnet. I believe that number is simply a stock number for the rubber surrounds. Don't quote me on that though.



    With this new info...this is becoming a bit more interesting. Sounds like the differences are a bit more than simply cosmetic. I wonder how they sound.:confused:
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,754
    edited March 2010
    That is, without question, walnut.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited March 2010
    F1nut wrote: »
    That is, without question, walnut.

    Forgot to mention that in my last post. That's definitely not cherry. I agree, it's walnut.
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
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  • Bad Maxx
    Bad Maxx Posts: 19
    edited March 2010
    I have to ask, what makes anyone state that they are not cherry veneered? Cherry and Walnut are nearly impossible to distinguish from a picture, and this is a mighty poor picture. Here is Cherry wood stained with walnut lite which is a very light color, I don't have any cherry wood stained darker, but is it possible that the speaker is cherry?
    My Everyday Home Audio Equipment.
    Marantz SR7000, Marantz MA500, Akia X-200D Reel to Reel, Yamaha CD-S2000, Polk LS-50 speakers, Boston Acoustics HS40 surround speakers, RH Labs SPX-2 subwoofer. Polk CS-350 Center.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,754
    edited March 2010
    If you look at the picture skrol posted in #19, it is clear from the grain pattern and the pores that it is walnut. Cherry does not have open pores like walnut does.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Bad Maxx
    Bad Maxx Posts: 19
    edited March 2010
    Looking at skrol's picture I would agree, it is walnut. (my bad) Grain pattern is a tough call on it's own, I built custom cabinets for quite a few years and cherry wood is my all around favorite furniture wood, but you would be surprised how many people misidentify cherry depending on the stain used. But you are correct the "pores" are a give-away in this case.
    My Everyday Home Audio Equipment.
    Marantz SR7000, Marantz MA500, Akia X-200D Reel to Reel, Yamaha CD-S2000, Polk LS-50 speakers, Boston Acoustics HS40 surround speakers, RH Labs SPX-2 subwoofer. Polk CS-350 Center.
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