RT55 or RT55i owners

Polksaladanni · September 2009

Freebee.

Repost/Retitle/ Everyone back from the holidays post. Please don’t flame me for double posting here and in speakers in hopes of finding a RT55 owner might see this offer of free parts and services.

Modded some RT55's last year and forgot to return the extra caps. (I order double the amount and hand measure all to get matching sets per speaker pair) Usually mail them back for a refund but....So! I have 3 out of 4 pairs needed for a upgrade.

Have 2 of each:
Bennic-16uf that measure 15.99uf and 16.01
Solen-3.0uf that measure 3.0001 and 3.005
Dayton/Bennic-.47uf in Film&Foil OR Metillized Poly for a very slight attenuation on the tweeter.

All that is needed is the 9uf MP (I recommened the Clarity PX because it fits in the XO, under the board and they (Madisound) have the exact value needed) and your XO's shipped to me to install for free. These will get you 1% or less tolerence as compared to 10%.

The caps are getting old and unstable in these. That's why I replaced mine. One of the 9uf caps wouldn’t hold a stable value at all, when measured. The 16's were out of spec also.You will be shocked at the difference it makes across the board. These speakers are well worth reviving. They are extremely well constructed 1 inch "old school" MDF box and, IMO one of the best of the old school Peerless Trilam tweeters. The crossover RT70i silk/poly is a good one also.

Anyway you can get the caps at Madisound and Mills resistors, if you must.

I'll do a lotto if several people are interested. I will help you over the phone with some tricks to disassembly and other mods you can do while waiting.

Here is what the finished product looks like. With out glue.

Paul

PS-If you know someone who has some in use and they dont come here that much. Tell em about it.
Hate to throw these caps in the thrash.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73196

Ron-P · September 2009

I have a pair of RT55's, I use them as my main's in my theater, but honestly, I'd have no idea what, how, who, when or why I'd know even what to do with what you're giving away.

messiah · September 2009

would these apply to my RT35i's?

Polksaladanni · September 2009

I'll corect ya! 8^)

35’s?..
No, it only applies to the 55 and 55i. The capacitor values are different each model.

I have a pair of RT55's, I use them as my main's in my theater, but honestly, I'd have no idea what, how, who, when or why I'd know even what to do with what you're giving away.[/B]

You pull your XOs send them to me with the 9uf caps. I do the rest and mail back! For $5.00?

I looked at the drawings for the 25,35,55,600,800, RT70i and the RT3000. Each one has specific values per driver performance, box size and cascading XO’s or non cascade, etc.

The closest drawing I could find was the satellite speaker for the RT3000.
Which is basically the 55’s with a cascading XO for the 6.5” drivers.

I knew there was a reason I had an affinity for these speakers!

I remember now going to a demo of these and the SRTs a long time ago.

I guess I have a close facsimile of the 3000 system with a 15” sub pulling low end duty.

See below.

Paul

http://www.polkaudio.com/images/home/large/rosewood/rt3000p.jpg

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/recent/rt3000p

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/recent/srtsystem/

Ron-P · September 2009

Thanks very much guys. But, doing this would do what to the sound? Would it change it much, or at all?

Polksaladanni · September 2009

Remember the kazoo's that you would hum along to the music with when you were young?

Something like that. ;^)

Seriously, In my case, as soon as I hooked these speakers up I could tell they we a good speaker but, something wasn't quite right.

Unsoldered the caps, measured them. Walla! 1 dead, 3 at 20%+ tolerances.

I like these speakers for music now. Prefer them over some other Polks.

The only thing is, you have to have a big room for em for music, with the semi-horn loaded face plate on them. They are directional and the sweet spot is small when you are close to them. When I set them up, they are 20 feet away and about 12 feet apart from me.

Bottom line is they are almost certainly going to sound better than now because of the age of the caps.

If you aren't game for the help, don't do it. Someone else might come along who wants the service.

Paul

Ron-P · September 2009

At this point I'd say see if someone else wants them. I'm afraid it'd change the sound too much and then the 55's would not match with my CS400 center.

Thanks for all the info in response to my questions!

Poee7R · September 2009

This is a really cool Karma.

Wish I had a pair to take you up on your offer, someone really needs to jump on this.

Dave

Polksaladanni · September 2009

Then get one 12uf Clarity PX to match the 2-9ufs and you still have a timbre match.

Send me that crossover also with the 2 55's. It will take about 3 hours to do all of them.

Look at the tweeter curcuit for the 400 below. Not much to that curcuit in the first place...

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=31163&d=1202344653

It does have a simple cascade on the woofers as compared to the RT3000's

which evidently is nothing to worry about.

Paul

bassaholic · September 2009

I'm willing to give this a try however I too have a Cs400i center. PM me with details on how you would like to proceed. Thanks, Steve

Polksaladanni · September 2009

PM sent

Paul

bassaholic · September 2009

I'll gladly send a shout out as to how they sound/perform. Just be prepared for the review to be in "simpleton" terms.

Polksaladanni · September 2009

Guess I'm the **** with 4 more posts...

I'll quit posting so much in the future.

Geez this was way easy to pick a winner.

Talked to Mr. Bass. He's the epitomy of who I would have wanted to help.

Steve should be all fixed up within 2 weeks.

Paul

RT55 or RT55i owners

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