My Polk Monitor 12 Find

I was lucky enough last year to find a great pair of RTA 12c’s at an Estate Sale and my luck continued on Saturday when I found a pair of Monitor 12 Series 2 speakers. There does not seem to be too much info out there on the 12’s so I am guessing they were not big sellers but I will defer to the experts here to fill me in on their History.
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Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    TheKid wrote: »
    I was lucky enough last year to find a great pair of RTA 12c’s at an Estate Sale and my luck continued on Saturday when I found a pair of Monitor 12 Series 2 speakers. There does not seem to be too much info out there on the 12’s so I am guessing they were not big sellers but I will defer to the experts here to fill me in on their History.

    They still aren't set up properly.
    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

  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22
    F1- All the speakers shown sound just fine where they are for the room and my listening position.
  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    What are the other two pairs?
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    TheKid wrote: »
    F1- All the speakers shown sound just fine where they are for the room and my listening position.

    You don't know what they could sound like until you have a proper set up. That's not it.
    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

  • BDT
    BDT Posts: 212
    I'm having Sid flashbacks.....

    BDT
  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22
    Nightfall wrote: »
    What are the other two pairs?

    The pics in my stereo room are Polk RTA 12C- Polk 12’s - Rogers BBC Monitors (LS3/6)-Fried Model C. All of them are powered by a Adcom 555 amp/565 preamp combo. The Fried’s are driven by a Mini-Watt tube amp and the 565 pre
  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22
    BDT wrote: »
    I'm having Sid flashbacks.....

    BDT


    Either a Sid Barrett reference I don’t get it a forum reference over my head....
  • ken brydson
    ken brydson Posts: 8,638
    TheKid wrote: »
    BDT wrote: »
    I'm having Sid flashbacks.....

    BDT


    Either a Sid Barrett reference I don’t get it a forum reference over my head....

    Ironic on many levels 😄
  • lawdogg
    lawdogg Posts: 449
    So how do they sound??
    <3 my 3.1TLs

    I will fix your shifted magnets for free. :)
  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22
    lawdogg wrote: »
    So how do they sound??
    Very good! I play them with the RTA-12c’s and the two create a single sound field that is great and produces a wide spectrum of sound. Waiting to hear back from Polk on upgrading the tweeters since I have that is a worthy tweak.
  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,646
    TheKid wrote: »
    lawdogg wrote: »
    So how do they sound??
    Very good! I play them with the RTA-12c’s and the two create a single sound field that is great and produces a wide spectrum of sound. Waiting to hear back from Polk on upgrading the tweeters since I have that is a worthy tweak.

    I am going to guess that your definition of "very good" means that you can "hear music playing". :#
  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited August 2019
    Viking64 wrote: »
    TheKid wrote: »
    lawdogg wrote: »
    So how do they sound??
    Very good! I play them with the RTA-12c’s and the two create a single sound field that is great and produces a wide spectrum of sound. Waiting to hear back from Polk on upgrading the tweeters since I have that is a worthy tweak.

    I am going to guess that your definition of "very good" means that you can "hear music playing". :#


    Rather pugnacious of you...
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    TheKid wrote: »
    lawdogg wrote: »
    So how do they sound??
    Very good! I play them with the RTA-12c’s and the two create a single sound field that is great and produces a wide spectrum of sound. Waiting to hear back from Polk on upgrading the tweeters since I have that is a worthy tweak.

    what is it you need to know?
  • mlistens03
    mlistens03 Posts: 2,767
    Welcome to the rabbit hole/Club Polk! If your username is any indication, then I was in the same boat as you. When I joined the forum I was 14 years old, and I had just bought some LSi25s. I was also running multiple speakers but these guys set me straight. 1 pair at a time! :)

    I'm 16 now, and because of these guys my stereo sounds better than ever before (And better than most I've heard.) So while their advice might seem crazy sometimes (More speakers = better, right?) They usually know what they are talking about.

    You're doing much better than I was when I first joined, you are well on your way to audiophilia. :)
  • The OP has his very own Wall Of Sound, sweet.
    2 channel: Anthem 225 Integrated amp; Parasound Ztuner; TechnicsTT SL1350; Vincent PHO-8 phono pre; Marantz CD6005 spinner; Polk SDA2BTL's; LAT International speaker cables, ZU Mission IC's and power cables all into a PS Audio Dectet Power center.

    Other; M10 series II, M7C's, Hafler XL600 amp, RB-980BX, Parasound HCA-1500 amp , P5 preamp, all in storage. All vintage Polk have had crossover rebuilds and tweeter upgrades.

    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.

    Imagine making politics your entire personality.
  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22

    [/quote]what is it you need to know? [/quote]

    I was looking to see if they still sold the replacement tweeter but looks like I have to it elsewhere.

    Thanks to those for the positive comments and to FestYboy for reminding me that 12c’s are 4 ohm so no bueno to run them in parallel with the 12’s.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    The replacement tweeter for the monitor 12 would be the RD-0189 to replace the SL2500

    The replacement for the RTA 12c will be the RD-0194 to replace the SL2000/1000

    Call Polk customer service let the know you are a member here for a discount and free shipping.
  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,471
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    The replacement tweeter for the monitor 12 would be the RD-0198 to replace the SL2500

    Fixed. Don't want to confuse the newb.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    edited August 2019
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    The replacement tweeter for the monitor 12 would be the RD-0198 to replace the SL2500

    The replacement for the RTA 12c will be the RD-0194 to replace the SL2000/1000

    Call Polk customer service let the know you are a member here for a discount and free shipping.
    Thanks Dave

    Yes i fat fingered and mistyped, the correct number is in bold just like Dave correctly fixed for me
  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    The replacement tweeter for the monitor 12 would be the RD-0189 to replace the SL2500

    The replacement for the RTA 12c will be the RD-0194 to replace the SL2000/1000

    Call Polk customer service let the know you are a member here for a discount and free shipping.

    Thanks! I had sent them an email and they told me the parts are no longer available. Perhaps a phone call might be better. I had not thought about an upgrade to the RTA’s but it makes sense. My cost to both pairs of the speakers for only $60 out of pocket so putting a couple of hundred for tweeters still has me ahead of the game.
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,708
    Polk is no longer stocking RD0194 or RD0198 tweeters, but Midwest is taking over.

    https://www.midwestspeakerrepair.com/shop/home-audio/tweeters/polk-audio-1-tweeters/polk-audio-sl2000-1-inch-dome-tweeter/

    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

  • TheKid
    TheKid Posts: 22
    F1nut wrote: »

    Thanks! I will check them out.
  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,471
    F1nut wrote: »

    This is not a good sign for future availability. Polk has, until now, been proactive in support for older speakers. IMHO, by outsourcing that role, they've effectively said it's not a priority.
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,475
    DaveHo wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »

    This is not a good sign for future availability. Polk has, until now, been proactive in support for older speakers. IMHO, by outsourcing that role, they've effectively said it's not a priority.

    D&M do not want to support any speaker more than 5yrs. told to me straight from Polk CS 3 months ago. Of course Polk folks think differently but they no longer have much say it appears.
  • pkquat
    pkquat Posts: 742
    edited August 2019
    F1nut wrote: »
    Polk is no longer stocking RD0194 or RD0198 tweeters, but Midwest is taking over.

    When it was mentioned RD0198's were getting low last month I called polk to get some of the last remaining ones. They were out, but told me a new batch of RD0194 and RD0198 were arriving in September. I actually got two call backs regarding this and was assured the tweeters were not getting discontinued.

    On the other hand shortly after I got a bunch of Sound United confirmation emails about another customers T series drivers order that included detailed information. :# I called an left repeated messages that something was messed up but Sound United never called back or fixed the issue.
  • BDT
    BDT Posts: 212
    I'm actually pretty surprised that they have been stocking them this long.....


    BDT
  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,438
    One would think that how many people we see come thru here that upgrade there tweeters & others we dont know, who also upgrade - that MWS will continue to carry them. I hope that is the case. I'd like to expand into bigger SDA speakers that I've owned & be able to get tweeters... The price I saw seems affordable. Not sure what shipping is
    ..
    ..
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    Randy/Maine
  • Well I spent a lot of time A/B the 12’s with the RTA 12c’s and as can be expected the RTA’s are just significantly better. Decided that just makes sense to upgrade the RTA tweeters and just drop those tweeters into the 12’s. Not a upgrade I know but no sense in putting out more money than I need to given where these fit given other speakers I own. In the meantime I brought my Hafler 300’s to see how they match up with the 555/565 combo.cfv1sbofr80y.jpeg