Modifications to the RTA 15TL

1…4567810»

Comments

  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,655
    RESISTOR
    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

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fermenter
    Fermenter Posts: 8
    Finally got some time to work on this project. Cleaning oiling is done. Got to the bottom of an issue with my 2220B and started listening to these.
    Very happy with the condition of the bass drivers, clean all the way down to the known tubby Polk bottom end. Fortunately my room allows me to space them some from the back wall.
    Listened with the wrong tweeters first to get a baseline. Swapped in the RD0's. I pretty much noted the same as the OP here as they were even more edgy in the upper mid range.
    So then I sat and mulled over replacing the inductors feeding the woofers.
    Had some issue with the caps being sold out so spent some time on that too.
    In the end I decided to replace the woofer inductors and got all the crossover parts ordered.
    Popped in Cosmic Messenger to listen to the first track only.....ended up listening to 4.
    The bass on that one really meshed well on these speakers..
    Wondering about these old caps, the poly switches and my hearing....I feel there is little above 8 or 10k coming out of these..
    Now that old Marantz with 20 WPC drove these things to "Call the Police" levels with ease.

    I will post up some more thoughts after I get a listen with the updated crossover.

    Cheers!
    Main 2 Channel System:
    Yamaha CDX660, Harman Kardon 6650R
    Paradigm X-30 Active Crossover
    Marantz 240, Audax HM210GO with Klipch Horn Tweeter (Home Built)- Main Speakers,Peerless 831727, 10 inch pair loaded into Transmission line cabs -Subs
    Extras:
    Polk RTA15TL,Marantz 2220B,Polk 4.6
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 26,915
    The old Polks really thrived on high current amps so do not sell yourself short.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • skrol
    skrol Posts: 3,437
    edited January 28
    Fermenter, are you sure yours have the poly switches? Some of the early release ones had them but they were elinated in later versions and the 1.5 ohm resistor was increased to 2 ohm.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fermenter
    Fermenter Posts: 8
    Pitdogg2, 2 systems going but I am fairly sure everything is ending up in the living room.
    RTA s are hooked to the 2220B run full range for the time being. I dont want to blow the tweeters overdriving the 2220.
    I have a 100WPC (66??) Harman Kardon integrated main amp for the high pass that must go to repair again.
    Low pass duty is a Marantz 240.
    I would like to run the 240 full range with the RTA.s for a while but at the moment would have to carefully run straight from the variable output of the CD player....I dont have an extra pre amp.
    I may pick one up soon.
    Are you suggesting I am missing out without more power on tap?
    Cheers!
    Main 2 Channel System:
    Yamaha CDX660, Harman Kardon 6650R
    Paradigm X-30 Active Crossover
    Marantz 240, Audax HM210GO with Klipch Horn Tweeter (Home Built)- Main Speakers,Peerless 831727, 10 inch pair loaded into Transmission line cabs -Subs
    Extras:
    Polk RTA15TL,Marantz 2220B,Polk 4.6
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fermenter
    Fermenter Posts: 8
    Stan, yes this is a pair of earlier models: poly switches, round crossover boards, 1.5 resistor and RTA 15T (not TL) labels on the back, however they are new enough, and look so, to have all the internal bracing as far as I have been able to tell.
    Considering tweeter fusing after the crossover and wondering if any affect on sound quality.
    Main 2 Channel System:
    Yamaha CDX660, Harman Kardon 6650R
    Paradigm X-30 Active Crossover
    Marantz 240, Audax HM210GO with Klipch Horn Tweeter (Home Built)- Main Speakers,Peerless 831727, 10 inch pair loaded into Transmission line cabs -Subs
    Extras:
    Polk RTA15TL,Marantz 2220B,Polk 4.6
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 26,915
    Considering tweeter fusing after the crossover and wondering if any affect on sound quality.

    I'm normally against that, but the way you're running them with different amps or intergrated amps on each pair of binding post probably a good idea. A good Parasound, Sunfire, Aragon or other high current amp would be a better choice. I'm not sure what you're trying to do or accomplish by what you are doing.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fermenter
    Fermenter Posts: 8
    Pitdogg2, Trying to accomplish?
    I wanted a larger speaker than my Polk 4.6's for my living room and the 2220B.
    I wanted to move much or all of my basement system to the living room.
    Get two units serviced.

    Looking at all kinds of older speakers for sale I ran into the RTA's and didn't want to pass them up.

    I am just running the small Marantz till I can get the HK fixed.

    I dont think I will be using the active crossover and subs with the RTA15's.

    If the HK and RTA15TL dont sound well together I will look into your amp suggestions.
    As well I have been told older, larger Yamaha receivers sound well too.

    The HK at 100WPC and the Marantz 240 at possibly 120WPC should have plenty of current, we will see what the sound is like.

    Main 2 Channel System:
    Yamaha CDX660, Harman Kardon 6650R
    Paradigm X-30 Active Crossover
    Marantz 240, Audax HM210GO with Klipch Horn Tweeter (Home Built)- Main Speakers,Peerless 831727, 10 inch pair loaded into Transmission line cabs -Subs
    Extras:
    Polk RTA15TL,Marantz 2220B,Polk 4.6
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fermenter
    Fermenter Posts: 8
    Crossover mod update:
    Some of the component brands I wanted (Clarity, Mills) to get were sold out in the values I needed.
    Tweeter leg got Jantzen Cross Caps, Jantzen resistors and a Dayton inductor.
    Woofer leg got a 15AWG Jantzen inductor and a pair of Q4 Audyn caps.

    Just a quick listen:

    Wow.
    Pretty much noticing what has been said here by others but the to a greater degree than I expected. Much lower midrange harshness.
    Money well spent.
    The cymbals are back...it wasn't my hearing. Old caps or poly switches, something was bad it was the same with the SL2000's as it was with the 198's.
    Bass seams louder but tighter.

    I didn't compensate for the lower resistance of removing the poly switches but I am glad I didn't. Sounds right and that is with no rug on the floor at the moment.
    Big thanks to Decato and everyone else here!
    Main 2 Channel System:
    Yamaha CDX660, Harman Kardon 6650R
    Paradigm X-30 Active Crossover
    Marantz 240, Audax HM210GO with Klipch Horn Tweeter (Home Built)- Main Speakers,Peerless 831727, 10 inch pair loaded into Transmission line cabs -Subs
    Extras:
    Polk RTA15TL,Marantz 2220B,Polk 4.6
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • decato
    decato Posts: 189
    Fermenter wrote: »
    Big thanks to Decato and everyone else here!

    Excellent! I'm glad you're happy with your upgraded speakers.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter