Anyone remember Polk's original Mini Monitor?
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Stew
Posts: 645
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.
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
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
Post edited by Stew on
Comments
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Polk's got a pair on display at their headquarters in Baltimore-
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! -
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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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 -
The ultimate speakers for one's mid-1970's Chevy van :-)
"I gave a girl a ride in my wagon..." -
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 -
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 -
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 everyoneHome 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/ -
The surrounds shouldn't be foam, they originally came with treated cloth surrounds.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?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/ -
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 oddThere 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 -
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.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 oddHome 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/ -
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 -
Strange that they would mix foam, and treated cloth. One lasts for generations while the other not so much.FWIW, The pair I had from 1981 had treated cloth surrounds on the passive radiators and foam surrounds on the mids.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/ -
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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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.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.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/ -
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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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 -
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. -
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.
MarkCTC 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. -
Listening to mine right now. Sweet and smooth
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Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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Now I understand somewhat
I've seen the mini monitor in the past here on forum/ebay. These pics have the Peerless. ..
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Randy/Maine -
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The MWs look different too.Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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I dug a little & stated somewhere about Bose replacement woofers. Clothe surrounds on PR & foam surrounds. Interesting speakers..
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Randy/Maine -
ftoodw is powering those with a fair size receiver..
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Randy/Maine -
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.
