PSA: Polk Audio Computer speakers, extremely rare!

Jstas
Jstas Posts: 14,985
edited December 2003 in Flea Market
So rare even Polk Audio doesn't know they made them!

Polk Audio Speakers for SGI

The keyboard and mouse are from SGI and should be new enough to be PS2 so they are useable with a PC. About the same quality as a Dell QuietKey keyboard and mouse.

The speakers were made by Polk Audio for SGI. They don't have a name and no one at Polk Audio has any clue about them yet they do not deny the fact that they made them. The speakers are worth the 50 bucks alone! I already have 2 sets, one for work and one for home.

These are, hands down, THE BEST speakers of thier ilk (computer type speakers) that I have ever heard! They are an audio jewel! Even the discerning George Grand was impressed with them!

If you need speakers, grab a set of these if you can! You won't be dissappointed!
Expert Moron Extraordinaire

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Comments

  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,985
    edited November 2003
    Seems like this guy must have a pile of them from obsolete workstations or something:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3059686549&category=11223

    Search on his user name and piles of them should pop up!
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,985
    edited November 2003
    Another set in England

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3060217703&category=1486
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • brettw22
    brettw22 Posts: 7,623
    edited November 2003
    I dunno if the seller is the same, but back 10 months or so, there was a guy on there that was selling those speakers by the pallet. He also sold them in 4 pair boxes for somethin like $20-30 or so, just no power supplies for the things to get them powered up.
    comment comment comment comment. bitchy.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited November 2003
    I was pretty impressed with those. I never used them as computer speakers. I have a rig I use just for recording. I used to drive those from the variable headphone output on the Teac or Nakamichi cassette deck I was recording onto, rather than wear headphones.

    They sounded pretty damn good full-range, and I can only wonder how good they'd sound with a sub.

    George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,985
    edited November 2003
    Originally posted by brettw22
    I dunno if the seller is the same, but back 10 months or so, there was a guy on there that was selling those speakers by the pallet. He also sold them in 4 pair boxes for somethin like $20-30 or so, just no power supplies for the things to get them powered up.

    I don't think it is the same guy. All his sets explicitly say they have power supplies. So unless it is the same guy and he got the power supplies, I think it's different. It seems this guy got a bunch of obsolete SGI WinNT workstations or older SGI Octane workstations and is parting them out as surplus for a company somewhere. I see guys do this alot at computer shows and other geek-fests.

    Either way, they are very nice speakers and I'm sure one could find a power supply suitable enough to power these speakers.

    The power supply has the following info:

    Sino-American is the company name on the PS
    Model #: A71816D AC Adapter
    Class 2 Transformer
    Input: 120V 60Hz 50W
    Output: 18.5VDC 1500mA
    UL Listing #: 20J8 E82323
    SA Listing #: LR60353

    It should be easy enough to find a suitable replacement. I'm sure that places liek Radio Shack, All Electronics or even a Fry's would have generic power supplies capable of supporting these speakers. It shouldn't be too difficult to build one yourself either. All you need is the class 2 transformer and a circuit diagram that lays out the regulator for the power supply.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • woodyjacobs
    woodyjacobs Posts: 706
    edited November 2003
    Well, I need some new computer speaks so I bit on this one. Got them for $25 including shipping, which is less than I paid for my old jbl's that are too ugly to keep. These look sharp and I'll let you know what I think as far as sound goes. Although internet **** can only sound so good.
    system 1:
    Athena: AS-F1 mains, AS-C1 center, AS-B1 surrounds, AS-P400 sub, Yammie RXV-730, Rotel RB-976 driving front stage, Samsung BD3600 Blue Ray, Denon DVD2900 for sacd/cd , jbl n24awII on the deck, samsung 40" 1080p lcd

    system 2:
    XBox 360 Spherex 5.1 system, HK DVD38, Phillips CDC 926 CD changer, Phillips 32" LCD

    2 channel
    NAD 1600 pre, NAD 2400 THX amp, Phillips CDC 926, Linn extra speaks, crappy TT
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,985
    edited November 2003
    Woody, did you get those speakers yet? I'm interested in hearing what you think about them.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

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  • woodyjacobs
    woodyjacobs Posts: 706
    edited December 2003
    Haven't received them yet...holiday shipping I guess. They were sent last Tuesday and have to travel cross country so I will probably get them today or tomorrow. I'll post what I think when I get them.
    system 1:
    Athena: AS-F1 mains, AS-C1 center, AS-B1 surrounds, AS-P400 sub, Yammie RXV-730, Rotel RB-976 driving front stage, Samsung BD3600 Blue Ray, Denon DVD2900 for sacd/cd , jbl n24awII on the deck, samsung 40" 1080p lcd

    system 2:
    XBox 360 Spherex 5.1 system, HK DVD38, Phillips CDC 926 CD changer, Phillips 32" LCD

    2 channel
    NAD 1600 pre, NAD 2400 THX amp, Phillips CDC 926, Linn extra speaks, crappy TT
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  • woodyjacobs
    woodyjacobs Posts: 706
    edited December 2003
    Hey I finally got the speakers on Friday and have had a chance to listen to them today and I agree, these are some really nice computer speakers and a steal at $25 shipped

    First impression out of the box was that they are a lot bigger than I expected, about 9" high with the little stands (which allows the port to breathe - and these do actually move some air, surprisingly enough) and 6" or so deep. But that explains why they get halfway decent bass response out of a 3" paper cone woof.

    Bass isn't their strong suit of course, but they are tolerable without a sub even when you crank them up a bit, which is more than I can say for most other computer speakers. Of course, being a bass-head I had to hook up my old JBL media sub, so now I have a pretty rockin' little pc system...much better than the old jbl speakers.

    I was impressed that they had seperate bass/treble controls and a mini-plug headphone jack. There is also a subwoofer out. The controls are very small though...tough to turn that volume knob...easier just to control volume through the pc.

    If anybody is in need of some computer speakers, search these things out on ebay and snap 'em up. I paid the starting 14.99 price (plus 10 shipping)...they are certainly worth that, and still a good deal at the 'buy it now' price of $25 plus shipping.
    system 1:
    Athena: AS-F1 mains, AS-C1 center, AS-B1 surrounds, AS-P400 sub, Yammie RXV-730, Rotel RB-976 driving front stage, Samsung BD3600 Blue Ray, Denon DVD2900 for sacd/cd , jbl n24awII on the deck, samsung 40" 1080p lcd

    system 2:
    XBox 360 Spherex 5.1 system, HK DVD38, Phillips CDC 926 CD changer, Phillips 32" LCD

    2 channel
    NAD 1600 pre, NAD 2400 THX amp, Phillips CDC 926, Linn extra speaks, crappy TT
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