RTA 15tl in the house!

[zarrdoss]

Well I picked these up today from the pawn shop after waiting the 30 days required by law. I got them home and hooked them up, for a 20 year old pair of speakers that are not modded one bit all I have to sat is WOW. I will have to evaluate further but so far I am really impressed. I don't what exactly will happen to these, but pretty sure they have found a home for a while. I found out the person who pawned them and he is someone I know and do horse trading with from time to time, turns out he has had them since new and they have been in storage for the last 15 years. They are in really great shape. enough rambling here are some pics.

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[leroyjr1]

Did you get a good deal?

[zarrdoss]

300 out the door

[cstmar01]

nice! not a bad price if you ask me either!

[leroyjr1]

300 out the door


Nice price. How do they compare to the rta11's you have?

[zarrdoss]

I have not got a chance to compare yet, it will be interesting though, I have modded the 11's with new tweets and x-over upgrades, while the 15's are bone stock, even with the mid-woofer mud flap.

[WastelandWand'r]

Always wanted to try a pair of those, made for the sides of a big screen if you ask me.
The only pair I have laid my eyes on were listed at considerably more then that.
Enjoy them.
Nathan

[cnh]

Nice....tell us what they sound like 'before' and 'after' you mod them. They should have some BASS authority!

cnh

[disneyjoe7]

Sweet and rare speakers very nice. :)

[maxilla]

BEAUTIFUL BEASTS! Wow! You are soooo lucky. 300 bucks is nothing for those babies.

[zarrdoss]

Thanks guys! it might be a little while before these get modded as I have too many projects going right now. lol

[concealer404]

What is up with the tops of them? Is that a piano black finish?

[DaveHo]

What is up with the tops of them? Is that a piano black finish?

Glass or Lexan if IIRC.

-Dave

[Toolfan66]

What is up with the tops of them? Is that a piano black finish?


Smoked Lexan, I just put 2 of the 15tl cabinet's out with the trash..:eek:

[zarrdoss]

Smoked Lexan, I just put 2 of the 15tl cabinet's out with the trash..:eek:

sacrilege!

[greyford1979]

Wow those are some beautiful speakers, that's a lot of speaker for $300. Very nice indeed!

[zarrdoss]

Wow those are some beautiful speakers, that's a lot of speaker for $300. Very nice indeed!

Thank you! when I get my Dayton 18" sub project done we will be rocking!

[greyford1979]

Thank you! when I get my Dayton 18" sub project done we will be rocking!

I hope you have plenty of distance between you and your neighbors lol:p

[Vette C6.r]

Great score !!!



Very Sexy !!!!

[zarrdoss]

Well I was going to wait for a while to upgrade but could not wait, so the RDO-198's are in and the cross-overs are re-built. These have to be some of the cheapest and easiest cross overs to re-build, these are the later models with no polyswitches. as soon as they burn in I will do an a-b comparison to the RTA11t's. pics

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[stubby]

Nice! Keep us posted on the sound improvement. One day I WILL own a pair of these.

stubby

[Cramer1]

nice speakers, I never have heard them, but I bet they are a sweet pair!

[zarrdoss]

Thanks, I turned them on and left right away, I don't want to listen to them right now and leave a bad taste in my ears lol.

[leroyjr1]

looking good!!!

You wasted no time.

[geoff727]

Looks great. Makes me glad I jumped on my 15tl's when I did.

What's your impression of the 15tl's compared to the 11tl's (pictured in the 1st post)?

[comfortablycurt]

Awesome!! We need listening impressions now!!!


The 15TL's are one of the vintage Polk's that I'm definitely going to try out someday.

[Echosphere]

Cmon!! Don't leave us hanging! :)

[zarrdoss]

it will be a while before a comparison can be made, I need to let these tweeters and caps break in first. don't worry I will update when I get there:)

[cstmar01]

hmm I've got to mod mine yet. The only thing I like better on yours is the wood grain sides rather than black like mine.

[fafner]

Could someone please explain why new tweeters and or midwoofers in vintage Polk speakers need to be "broken in?" Also also what what does that phase mean in this context? Thanks. (Still wanting to learn as much as I can about the details of these wonderful speakers :)

fafner

[zarrdoss]

Way to early to tell, but I will say this, if the 15's keep on sounding better they will win. Clearer and better highs. bass seems stronger on the 15's but a little tighter on the 11's. Yes I have them hooked up to an Onkyo receiver for now, its real easy to switch between speakers with the remote. I will let them keep on playing and post the results, maybe I can get some more people for their opinions as well.

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[zarrdoss]

Could someone please explain why new tweeters and or midwoofers in vintage Polk speakers need to be "broken in?" Also also what what does that phase mean in this context? Thanks. (Still wanting to learn as much as I can about the details of these wonderful speakers :)

fafner

Hi everything mechanical and electrical or both needs to be broke in before it starts to function normally.

[Echosphere]

Way to early to tell, but I will say this, if the 15's keep on sounding better they will win. Clearer and better highs. bass seems stronger on the 15's but a little tighter on the 11's. Yes I have them hooked up to an Onkyo receiver for now, its real easy to switch between speakers with the remote. I will let them keep on playing and post the results, maybe I can get some more people for their opinions as well.

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Nice pics! Love the vintage stereo rack! lol

[falcon377]

Great speakers, I have been trying to get a pair locally for years, with no luck.



_______
Mike

[restanim]

Low bass frequencies do not travel well on concrete floors. You'll get better bass response on a wood built floor. I went through this at my other house with my 1.2tl's. Now that they are on a wood built floor, the bass is astoundong.

Mike

[restanim]

Oh, and by the way, those are great looking speakers :)

Mike

[maxilla]

restanim is right. That is a terrible location to test speakers -acoustically speaking-. Wood floor is immensely better, and best if you put a thick carpet on top of it. This way you'll get MASSIVE bass out of the 15TLs. Guaranteed.

[zarrdoss]

bass response in my living room, wood floor and carpet, sucks. but I do have vaulted ceilings, my basement sounds great though. not that particular location though mainly where I break in the caps and tweeters. but where I have my main HT on the other side its great. but generally no concrete is not ideal.

[zarrdoss]

Oh, and by the way, those are great looking speakers :)

Mike

thank you! I really like them so far.