Looking for help identifying and dating fathers Polk Audio 10s

inv1ctus13
inv1ctus13 Posts: 2
in Vintage Speakers
Looking for some help.

Father retired about three weeks ago and in clearing out his restaurant/pull barn has decided to sell his Polk Audio speakers he purchased when he was about 16-17 brand new (1976/78 ish??) he told me he was gong to sell them for 200 bucks. Worried if they are more special than just “decent old speakers”

Can’t tell if they are 10a or b. I know they launched them in 1976 from what I can find. Googling the serial number doesn’t lead me anywhere. Mostly I just want to make sure he’s not giving away something far cheaper than it’s worth or if they are special enough that I should adopt them.

They still work great; but they have been truly used for 40 years. Anyhow, any help is very appreciated/opinions too.


2tdgq3cv9ng5.png

i7icrzll3bg1.png

ikwia75xwfn1.png

f4u9kgn1rte7.png

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Best Answer

  • DeRod
    DeRod Posts: 241
    edited December 12 Answer ✓
    $200 is about average price for those. If you're interested in adopting them and fixing them up, they are worth it. It would be a fun and rewarding project especially being your dads old speakers. He might even get a kick out of it too.

    They are probably 1978-1979 with the tag/stub. The tweeter was definitely replaced.

    Are both tweeters the same?

    If you open them the woofers and the crossovers should both have exact dates written on them.
    "Equality is a myth to protect the weak. Some of us are strong in the Force, others are not. Only a fool believes otherwise." - Sith Proverb.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Answers

  • slow_polk7
    slow_polk7 Posts: 54
    Shouldn't this early model 10 have peerless tweeters?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited December 12
    @DeRod You're right. Those silver basket midwoofers and passives would not have shipped originally with SL1000. And an LOL from f1 is basically a badge of honor around here 😉
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,686
    Something some seem to ignore. Polk changed just about everything on the fly back then, so it's entirely possible those tweeters are the original ones.

    Entertaining for sure...
    https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/1pk35v8/help_identifying_polk_audio_10s/
    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
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    They may have done some changes on the fly but they never had any SL1000 to ship out prior to 1984 when they had to stop using the Peerless.

    Have you ever seen any 1984 speakers that shipped out with silver basket midwoofers and passives?
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DeRod
    DeRod Posts: 241
    You could get in your time machine and go from 1984 back to 1979 😂

    That tweeter was probably a Polk factory replacement for a bad peerless, that’s why I ask if they were both the same.
    "Equality is a myth to protect the weak. Some of us are strong in the Force, others are not. Only a fool believes otherwise." - Sith Proverb.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 1,823
    Happen to have a time machine if anyone's in need....
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,077
    edited December 13
    Early Polk assembly line antics were and still are a mystery.

    We could conglomerate all the mystery threads here into a sub-forum. Name them the Eggnog Chronicles
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,686
    Gardenstater wrote: »
    They may have done some changes on the fly but they never had any SL1000 to ship out prior to 1984 when they had to stop using the Peerless.

    Have you ever seen any 1984 speakers that shipped out with silver basket midwoofers and passives?

    It's not may have, it's fact.

    Stop pretending you know all things Polk because you aren't even close.
    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
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited December 13
    F1nut wrote: »
    Gardenstater wrote: »
    They may have done some changes on the fly but they never had any SL1000 to ship out prior to 1984 when they had to stop using the Peerless.

    Have you ever seen any 1984 speakers that shipped out with silver basket midwoofers and passives?

    It's not may have, it's fact.

    Stop pretending you know all things Polk because you aren't even close.

    Egg Nog Noggin aside, that is exactly what I meant. I never claimed to "know all things Polk". Just another case of slander from you.

    And I admit when I'm wrong which you very rarely seem to do, this being a case in point. Those labels were pre 1979, at least based upon my 7Bs, so that would be another "on the fly change" according to you I guess. So you are saying these speakers are later than 1983 is that what you are saying??

    You seem to want to muck up every newcomer's thread.

    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited December 13
    We don't need no stinkin' time machines 🤣. We have old magazines.

    Here's a Polk advertisement with the early 10B with SL1000 and black basket midwoofers and passive radiators and you can see that the Polk Audio badge is now on the enclosure instead of the grille and the grille exposes the bottom panel edge of the enclosure.

    6tmcqez3jc0w.png

    So to the OP, you can pretty much rule out that yours are 1984 10B within reasonable odds. If Spock were here maybe we could get the odds.
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,077
    There'd be a direct correlation between 'nog alcohol concentration and vintage Polk speculation.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited 6:08AM
    Also, take a look at your tweeter route out and look at the gap around the SL1000 tweeter bezel. The SL1000 had a slightly smaller plate than the Peerless. DarqueKnight gave the measurements in his Tale of Five Tweeters epic thread. You can see that yours has a gap around the front plate. Should be about .045 to .050 in. margin around which looks about what you have.

    nmo1akse9xum.png

    Here's what the route out clearance typically looked like from Polk with the Peerless:

    dezcvbn949pp.jpg
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited 7:50AM
    SL1000: 4.485" x 3.039"

    Peerless datasheet: 114.5 +0.3 mm x 80 + 0.3 mm
    Peerless (one of mine date code 3577): 4.576" x 3.135"
    Post edited by Gardenstater at
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,077
    edited 7:54AM
    50 thousandths each side is easily discernible by eye, so this makes sense.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited 8:23AM
    Yeah. Yet another thing is that at some point they went to a silver color plated (tin probably) fuse holder and the picture from the OP is the unplated brass one. My 79 7Bs had the brass. I have a 1-28-83 M7 crossover where it is the silver.
    Post edited by Gardenstater at
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,077
    If you LOL'd, you need to visit the optometrist or lay off the eggnog...
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,686
    Look at that gap!
    gtdie8mrvoxt.jpg
    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
  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,077
    Mortite doesn't qualify for gap.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,751
    edited 3:54PM
    OK that is a sloppy fitted Peerless indicating they didn't always get it to fit right, especially in the early years and that white Mortite accentuates it. Can you imagine how sloppy that would've been with an SL1000 like in the picture OP posted? We're still waiting for you to address the 4 other issues (except by LOL'ing) besides the rout out gap, that are not in agreement with this being an early 1984 10B, which it would have to be to have shipped with an SL1000: 1) silver basket midwoofers and passives (like in that Peerless M10 you just posted a picture of), 2) The stapled on paper tag type label and high serial #, 3) Brass un-plated fuse holder not being in use at the time of the early 10B, 4) The grille OP shows is the early full frontal type with the Polk Audio badge being on the grille instead of the partial grille with the exposed Polk Audio badge on the bottom of the enclosure that I showed they were using in the early 10B.
    Post edited by Gardenstater at
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
    Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
    Onkyo A-8017 integrated
    Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
    iFi nano iDSD DAC
    iPurifier3
    iDefender w/ iPower PS
    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
    iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter