Monitor 5A driver - fixable?

adam2434 · April 2007

I have the opportunity to pick up a pair of 5A's locally for $40. The guys says the are in good shape (no pics) but that one driver (not sure if it's the driver or passive) has a 1/4" tear. He says they work fine.

It this something that can be fixed with a little glue or sealant or do you think the driver would need to be replaced?

Think this deal is worth it?

Thanks,

Adam

MillerLiteScott · April 2007

Probably a good deal but the speakers have to be sealed(air tight) in order to operate properly. You can call Polk Audio customer service or even look on ebay for a replacement driver or passive radiator. I have a pair of 5's and they are a very good speaker for their size and relative cost.

Enjoy,

Scott

ben62670 · April 2007

Buy them. A replacement woofer is only 48 shipped, and passives are cheaper.

mhardy6647 · April 2007

You can most likely fix it with GC Service Cement (available from, e.g., www.tubesandmore.com or www.partsexpress.com ). If it is more than a small tear or not clean (and don't laugh) a single ply of toilet paper and some model airplane dope or "Cutex" will provide an excellent repair. Repair from the back if esthetics are important. This is a classic old-time serviceperson's technique.

adam2434 · April 2007

Thanks for the input.

I figure that even if I had to replace a driver, they'd be worth the $90 total investment, assuming they're in decent shape otherwise.

I've actually heard of the tissue paper repair for paper cones. Wasn't sure how it would work on a laminated driver though. I'll also check out the GC Service Cement.

I plan to check them out Monday.

Also, should 5A's have the Peerless tweets?

heiney9 · April 2007

$40 is a great deal. Is it the mid driver or the passive that's damaged? Repair for either one is a good solution, but I don't believe the passive rads. are availbale from Polk any longer. They do show up on e-bay from time to time, but you really never know what you are getting. The only id driver avail new is the MW6510 which is slightly different than the original in the 5b which is a MW6502. The MW6510 will work fine if you go that route.

For $40 you can't go wrong even if you have to source parts or repair them. I paid $50 w/shipping for a single 5b. I have some extra sl2000 tweets if you are in need of those also that I will sell reasonably.

I have a single 5b that IF I don't sell as a whole unit, I might part it out. The drivers and PR are in excellent cond. I'll keep you in mind if I go that route. I have a polkie interested in purchasing the single 5b for a center channel.

Good luck and jump on those for $40 if you have a need for them.

H9

As mhardy says they can be repaired using his classic technique w/o much worries of any sonic degredation.

heiney9 · April 2007

adam2434 wrote: »

Thanks for the input.

I figure that even if I had to replace a driver, they'd be worth the $90 total investment, assuming they're in decent shape otherwise.

Also, should 5A's have the Peerless tweets?

I have $200 in mine with x-over upgrades and new RD0's so they will be worth it.

I believe they should have the peerless if they are 5A's (inspect carefully to make sure they are original). I'm not sure if Polk actually had a "5A" or if the Polk community dubbed them "5A". I'm thinking the original 5 was just called the Monitor 5. All of the early Monitors looked like the photo
in this thread.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=617279&postcount=3

H9

adam2434 · April 2007

H9, thanks for the potential offer.

I'll try to determine if the tear is in a driver or passive before I check them out, but nontheless, I feelin' that I should go for it - total sucker for decent local deals (whether I need them or not).

adam2434 · April 2007

I learned that the tear is in the driver, not the passive.

Still plan to check 'em out Mon.

adam2434 · April 2007

Well, I got them today.

Bad news is that the diver with the tear was not even a stock Polk driver. Also, the pr in that speaker also had a tear in the surround, which the guy claimed to not be aware of.

I was kinda pissed, feeling that he misrepresented them. Since I had already driven about an hour out of my way, I offered him $20 and he took it. I figured for $20, I could look for replacement parts or sell the single good one to a Polkie looking for a single. Also figured that I saved them from further abomination.

They are 5A's per the label. Look to have Peerless tweets (black with small hole in the middle). Cabs are decent, with a couple minor dings. Grill cloth on one is pretty rough - would probably replace it on both.

H9, if you decide to part out your single, and if the part #'s jibe, I'd be highly interested in your potential offer.

I'll also look into Polk replacements and post some pics later in the week when I get a chance.

heiney9 · April 2007

adam2434 wrote: »

H9, if you decide to part out your single, and if the part #'s jibe, I'd be highly interested in your potential offer.

I should know by this weekend, I'll keep you posted. The parts should have the same sonics. They might look slightly different.

H9

adam2434 · April 2007

H9, thanks, let me know.

adam2434 · April 2007

Though I'd post some observations and subsequent questions regarding these 5As.

Sound:
I've only briefly listened to them, really more like just tested them for issues other than the obvious driver and pr issue in one of them.

Bass - I immediately noticed that the 5As have much less bass than I expected vs. my 7Cs. I expected a difference, but it was much more than I expected. The 5As sound more like bookshelf speakers, while the 7Cs could pass for full-range.

I also noticed the the driver and pr have much less excursion. The 7Cs driver and pr will really move with bass notes played at moderate levels. The 5As movement is much more tame. I tightened all the screws to ensure air-tightness prior to listening. So I wonder if this is normal (the drivers are different in the 5As), or maybe I should try new/additional gaskets? I do not hear any distortion from the driver, and it doesn't rub when I carefully push on it. So I don't think it's bad.

Highs - Because of the lower bass output, these 5As (Peerless tweets) have a brighter tonal balance vs. the 7Cs (even with the 7Cs SL-2000 tweets). Maybe, the Peerless are more detailed, and that's what I'm hearing. I'll reserve final judgment until I have a proper working pair.

Funky grills (see pic):
The frame is cut in an interesting shape near the tweeter, with much of the frame covering the area around the tweeter. I would not think this would be good for high freq dispersion, but hey, Polk are the experts. Anyone have any experience/comments on this grill design? I'm thinking I may route a more typical open grill frame when I get around to replacing the cloth.

Adam

heiney9 · April 2007

Not sure I understand

. The drivers were not Polk drivers and your PR has a tear. These 2 things will negatively impact the sound so I'm thinking once you get them squared away with the correct driver and repaired/replaced PR you won't have the same sonic issues.

Are your 7's stock or do they have the x-over's refreshed, if so, that will make a huge difference. The 7's should do a bit better in the bass area and the peerless is superior to the sl2000, but they should sound very similar.

H9

adam2434 · April 2007

H9, only one of the 5As has a non-Polk driver and damaged pr, both on the same speaker. The other speaker is fine/stock and I was only comparing that one.

The 7s have stock crossovers.

heiney9 · April 2007

adam2434 wrote: »

H9, only one of the 5As has a non-Polk driver and damaged pr, both on the same speaker. The other speaker is fine/stock and I was only comparing that one.

The 7s have stock crossovers.

Got it..........I think you'll be suprised when you get them both up and running so I wouldn't get too discouraged yet. And yes that is a funky looking grill :eek: .

H9

jakelm · April 2007

Look at the early brochure. In the picture on the first page to the right in back of the picture is standing a Monitor 5. Inlarge the the picture, You will see the funky grill.

http://polksda.com/pdfs/EarlyMiscFlyer.pdf

jakelm · April 2007

The flyer shows my 7b's with peerless. Very early 80's. 81 - 84, I think

adam2434 · April 2007

jakelm wrote: »

Look at the early brochure. In the picture on the first page to the right in back of the picture is standing a Monitor 5. Inlarge the the picture, You will see the funky grill.

http://polksda.com/pdfs/EarlyMiscFlyer.pdf

Yep, that's looks like the grill sans cloth. Looks like a molded baffle in those pics.

And yep, the driver and passives from my 5As are from '82 and '83.

Monitor 5A driver - fixable?

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