Anyone remember Polk's original Mini Monitor?

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Stew
Stew
edited October 2012 in Vintage Speakers
I bought my first pair of Polks in 1981, the original (I think) mini monitors. They had 4 or 4-1/2" mid-woofers and passive radiators, a 1" soft dome tweeter, and came with optional mounting brackets. Anyone remember these?

I put mine in the rear window area of a 73 Nova hatchback. Smooth and sweet sounding! Open the hatchback, turn the speakers around, instant outdoor music. That stereo was famous for miles around. Just wondered if anyone else has fond memories of these.
SDA 2B-TL (Sonicap/Solen/Mills, Erse Super Q, Rings, Spikes, No-Rez)
1000VA Dreadnought
Dared SL-2000a (Siemens & Halske TM 12AT7WA's, Brimar 5Z4G)
Jolida JD-100a (Sylvania BP TM Gold Brand 5751's), NAD C275BEE, Blue Jeans

RTiA3, Onkyo TX-SR605
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  • nadams
    nadams
    edited October 2005
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    Polk's got a pair on display at their headquarters in Baltimore-

    tn_med_100_0701.jpg

    I, personally, have never heard them, but I'd expect them to sound a lot like my old monitor 5's, just toned down a bit. I love how the tweeter is the entire width of the cabinet :)
    Ludicrous gibs!
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647
    edited October 2005
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    yup... but those in the photo aren't the very original version. The originals had uncoated drivers, and a trapezoidal box.
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  • Stew
    Stew
    edited October 2005
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    Those are the ones. I didn't realize there was a previous version. They made a sweet sounding car stereo!
    SDA 2B-TL (Sonicap/Solen/Mills, Erse Super Q, Rings, Spikes, No-Rez)
    1000VA Dreadnought
    Dared SL-2000a (Siemens & Halske TM 12AT7WA's, Brimar 5Z4G)
    Jolida JD-100a (Sylvania BP TM Gold Brand 5751's), NAD C275BEE, Blue Jeans

    RTiA3, Onkyo TX-SR605
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647
    edited October 2005
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    The ultimate speakers for one's mid-1970's Chevy van :-)

    "I gave a girl a ride in my wagon..."
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  • DracoAmericanus
    DracoAmericanus
    edited October 2012
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    I just found a set of these at a thrift store and mine have the coated mid driver and the optional
    mounts, the only bad thing is i need to replace the foam as i doubt they still make the driver, mw6500?
    There is no cure....
    Luxman M117, SDA SRS 2.3, rear monitor 10, back rear bose 4.2, valodyne sub and 2 Onkyo m-504 amps Onkyo TX-NR709
    8mm, 7.62x39mm
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  • DracoAmericanus
    DracoAmericanus
    edited October 2012
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    i don't know why they say mw6500 on the woofer as i know it's not, 5 inch woofer, maybe with the mw6500 magnet, it's a 5 inch driver, any one where i can find foam?
    There is no cure....
    Luxman M117, SDA SRS 2.3, rear monitor 10, back rear bose 4.2, valodyne sub and 2 Onkyo m-504 amps Onkyo TX-NR709
    8mm, 7.62x39mm
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy
    edited October 2012
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    The original mini monitor used 4.5" drivers made by Rola & CTS back in the day. These were the same drivers Bose used in their original 901s from 1968 -1973. Rola & CTS sold those drivers to everyone
    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/
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy
    edited October 2012
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    DracoAmericanus wrote: »
    i don't know why they say mw6500 on the woofer as i know it's not, 5 inch woofer, maybe with the mw6500 magnet, it's a 5 inch driver, any one where i can find foam?
    The surrounds shouldn't be foam, they originally came with treated cloth surrounds.
    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/
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  • DracoAmericanus
    DracoAmericanus
    edited October 2012
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    the passive radiator is treated cloth and i have no idea why the mains have foam but it all looks factory in construction and with the stickers, it's odd
    There is no cure....
    Luxman M117, SDA SRS 2.3, rear monitor 10, back rear bose 4.2, valodyne sub and 2 Onkyo m-504 amps Onkyo TX-NR709
    8mm, 7.62x39mm
    · Share on Facebook
  • westmassguy
    westmassguy
    edited October 2012
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    DracoAmericanus wrote: »
    the passive radiator is treated cloth and i have no idea why the mains have foam but it all looks factory in construction and with the stickers, it's odd
    Does sound odd. If they were mine, I'd pick up a couple 901 Series I drivers as replacements. You can purchase the original style polyvinyl coating or put a couple coats of high gloss, brush-on lacquer on the cones, and they'll last forever.
    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/
    · Share on Facebook
  • Stew
    Stew
    edited October 2012
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    FWIW, The pair I had from 1981 had treated cloth surrounds on the passive radiators and foam surrounds on the mids.
    SDA 2B-TL (Sonicap/Solen/Mills, Erse Super Q, Rings, Spikes, No-Rez)
    1000VA Dreadnought
    Dared SL-2000a (Siemens & Halske TM 12AT7WA's, Brimar 5Z4G)
    Jolida JD-100a (Sylvania BP TM Gold Brand 5751's), NAD C275BEE, Blue Jeans

    RTiA3, Onkyo TX-SR605
    · Share on Facebook
  • westmassguy
    westmassguy
    edited October 2012
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    Stew wrote: »
    FWIW, The pair I had from 1981 had treated cloth surrounds on the passive radiators and foam surrounds on the mids.
    Strange that they would mix foam, and treated cloth. One lasts for generations while the other not so much.
    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/
    · Share on Facebook
  • Face
    Face
    edited October 2012
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    They used foam for higher efficiency...something not important on a passive radiator. By changing the surround from foam to cloth would be bastardizing the speaker.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy
    edited October 2012
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    Face wrote: »
    They used foam for higher efficiency...something not important on a passive radiator. By changing the surround from foam to cloth would be bastardizing the speaker.
    I'm well aware of that. As I stated earlier I've seen the very early mini-monitors with cloth surrounds on the driver and PR. Whether Polk originally produced them with cloth on both, and changed the design to foam and cloth, or someone changed them from foam to treated cloth on their own I don't know.
    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/
    · Share on Facebook
  • Face
    Face
    edited October 2012
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    Do you know if there are other differences between the two other than the surround? Crossover, etc...?
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • DracoAmericanus
    DracoAmericanus
    edited October 2012
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    the crossover in mine are similar to other polk monitor series crossovers i.e the huge choke and bad capacitors lol. I found a vendor for some foam that should fit and sound the same "hopefully"
    There is no cure....
    Luxman M117, SDA SRS 2.3, rear monitor 10, back rear bose 4.2, valodyne sub and 2 Onkyo m-504 amps Onkyo TX-NR709
    8mm, 7.62x39mm
    · Share on Facebook
  • Malbec
    Malbec
    edited October 2012
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    The original, first iteration mini monitor had a foam surround mid, peerless tweeter (no hole in dome) mounted in the middle and a cone style PR. The cabinet was a six sided box like a stage monitor firing up at about a 45 degree angle. The crossover differed with the schematic in the sticky which shows a 34uf cap and the original having a 33uf cap being the only difference.

    Here's a low quality phone pic of one in pieces.

    Attachment not found.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai
    edited October 2012
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    One of the biggest complaints to Polk CS back in the day when it was one person, was that when used as suggested by Polk as perfect rear speakers for your automobile.....upon returning to your car on a hot day you'd find that your speakers had looked like they exploded. The first few thousand models used an adhesive called DAP which had the amazing ability to return back into a liquid. When subjected to high heat and the speaker would literally fall apart.

    Between Russman, myself and a couple other Polkies, over half of the speakers in that hallway were donated by us.
    Mark
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • ftoddw
    ftoddw
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    Listening to mine right now. Sweet and smooth tx9cr6dv3v7j.jpeg
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  • xschop
    xschop
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    ftoddw wrote: »
    Listening to mine right now. Sweet and smooth tx9cr6dv3v7j.jpeg

    They really came with SL1000's?
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • boston1450
    boston1450
    edited February 2022
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    Nm
    Randy-Maine
    2ch-RTA15tl crossover upgrade
    by David WMG
    Yamaha cr1000 cr2040
    HT-Yamaha Parasound Acurus
    MIT BJC Cs1000p Polk Rotation
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  • boston1450
    boston1450
    edited February 2022
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    Now I understand somewhat :D I've seen the mini monitor in the past here on forum/ebay. These pics have the Peerless.
    Randy-Maine
    2ch-RTA15tl crossover upgrade
    by David WMG
    Yamaha cr1000 cr2040
    HT-Yamaha Parasound Acurus
    MIT BJC Cs1000p Polk Rotation
    · Share on Facebook
  • boston1450
    boston1450
    Options
    8b0z4jyjdmno.png
    tb1f2bxb4hqu.png
    Randy-Maine
    2ch-RTA15tl crossover upgrade
    by David WMG
    Yamaha cr1000 cr2040
    HT-Yamaha Parasound Acurus
    MIT BJC Cs1000p Polk Rotation
    · Share on Facebook
  • xschop
    xschop
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    The MWs look different too.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • boston1450
    boston1450
    edited February 2022
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    I dug a little & stated somewhere about Bose replacement woofers. Clothe surrounds on PR & foam surrounds. Interesting speakers
    Randy-Maine
    2ch-RTA15tl crossover upgrade
    by David WMG
    Yamaha cr1000 cr2040
    HT-Yamaha Parasound Acurus
    MIT BJC Cs1000p Polk Rotation
    · Share on Facebook
  • boston1450
    boston1450
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    ftoodw is powering those with a fair size receiver
    Randy-Maine
    2ch-RTA15tl crossover upgrade
    by David WMG
    Yamaha cr1000 cr2040
    HT-Yamaha Parasound Acurus
    MIT BJC Cs1000p Polk Rotation
    · Share on Facebook
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647
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    The woofer in the minimonitor was a version of the CTS "fullrange" (extended range, realistically speaking) 4-1/2 inch driver used in the Model Nine (and the earliest version of the Bose 901). A nice sounding driver, actually, and FWIW.

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  • Skimmer
    Skimmer
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    I had an original pair and wish I still had them. The foam suspension of the speaker cone finally went.
    Had a Datsun hatchback at the time with Altec Lansing's house speakers in the back that I took out to put the Polks in.
    Best damn car speakers I ever had in my opinion. If they ever made them again I'd get a pair in a heartbeat.
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  • skrol
    skrol
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    There is a pair available on FB Marketplace for a modest $600. (Not affiliated)

    bust3gj3xmj2.png
    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
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2
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    Holy cow, crack must have gotten real expensive!
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