Monitor 7 ?'s

[adam2434]

Might take a look at these Monitor 7s for sale locally. The pictures aren't very good, but can anyone tell what version these may be.

Looks like they have the silver coil tweeters, which I believe are not as desirable as other tweeter types.

The guy is asking $100 for the 7s and an iPod dock (which I don't need). Seem like an OK deal if they're in good shape?

Thanks,

Adam

[danger boy]

Ummmm. my best guess would be that they are Monitor 7 B's OR C's. and that price seems fair to me.. they look to be in very good condition. Or if there was a Monitor 7 series II they could be those.. i'm not sure if there was or snot. hee hee hee

http://www.polksda.com/

[gandyj]

My monitor 7b's have a fuse on the back and the wires for the tweeters go down at a 45 degree angle from the center.
Joe

[adam2434]

Well, I picked them up today. Cabinets have a couple small dings and scratches, but other than that, they're in good condition. Not too crazy about the fakey vinyl wood grain though. Cleaned them up and tightened everything down tonight.

One thing that doesn't seem right is that the red binding post is on the right side of one speaker and left side of the other. All other speakers I've had are consistent - for example, red on right for both speakers. Since the nuts can be completely removed and since there are no other markings for +/-, I think the nuts may have been accidentally switched on one speaker. Any thoughts before I remove the plate to check wire colors? I switched speaker wire polarity on one speaker, but didn't really notice a difference in a brief test.

I only listened to them briefly, but the thing that hit me is how laid back they are compared to my LS90s and some other speakers I have. They seem kind of dull and lacking in detail so far, compared to what I'm used to.

[danger boy]

that is odd adam2434... did you power the Monitor 7's with the same gear as your LS90's? how many drivers to those LS90's have in compairson to the 7's? do the LS90's have a sub bass radiator too.. or are they ported? just curious is all.

[adam2434]

Yes, same gear. LS90s have four 6.5" drivers and a trilam tweeter, ported, no passive radiators. LS90s are known to be somewhat forward sounding, but they they sound "right" to me compared to other speakers I've had over the years.

[adam2434]

After taking the plates off and checking the wires from the posts, the post nuts were reversed on one speaker. No biggie, but I wonder how long someone was listening out of phase.

Also noticed that the pr's were dated from '89 and '90, so these 7s are a late version.

[jakelm]

7 series 2.

And compared to the LS90's, they will have a flatter sound. More natural IMO

[adam2434]

Based on the negative things I've read about the silver coil tweeter, I was expecting them to be bright and harsh. But I'm not hearing that at all. In fact, they may be too mellow for my liking. Things like snares and cymbals sound pushed back into the mix, which zaps much of the energy and dynamics I'm used to hearing. Vocals also sound a little congested and have less presence.

Maybe they'll grow on me, or maybe I just like the trilam tweeter better. Just my opinion - we all hear differently and have different preferences.

Folks who have replaced the silver coils with silks - what are the improvements you experienced?

[danger boy]

Folks who have replaced the silver coils with silks - what are the improvements you experienced?

to me the dynamics and highs were just as good with the silk replacements as with the silver coil ones.. BUT, with the silks my ears did not fatigue as they did with the silver coil ones.

My hearing isn't great either. so i had a difficult time telling the difference.. and my silks are burned in now for about a year. :)

[heiney9]

What you describe adam seems very odd. I've owned a few pairs of Polks with the sl2000 and I would never describe the sound of the tweeter that way. It has dynamics, imaging and detail in spades. They just have a nasty spike at 15kHZ that can get annoying with extended listening. Perhaps you are having other issues.

FYI, the series II had a different tweet either the sl2500 or sl3000 which yours do not have.

H9

[adam2434]

What you describe adam seems very odd. I've owned a few pairs of Polks with the sl2000 and I would never describe the sound of the tweeter that way. It has dynamics, imaging and detail in spades. They just have a nasty spike at 15kHZ that can get annoying with extended listening. Perhaps you are having other issues.

FYI, the series II had a different tweet either the sl2500 or sl3000 which yours do not have.

H9
That is strange. Both tweeters sound the same and do not sound distorted/damaged, so I don't see an obvious issue with them. When I took the binding post plates off, the crossovers looked stock, but maybe I'll snap some pics and post.

It's not that these 7's sound bad. It's just that they have very much less detail/extension/airiness compared to my LS90s. These 7's highs remind me more of R30's and R15's - subdued, not very detailed, and subjectively less involving.

Could my 7's tweeters be "bad" in some non-obvious way that could be affecting how detailed they sound? Or, maybe the LS90's are significantly more detailed and extended to my ears, and I've become accustomed to their sound.

The pr's are dated from '89 and '90 and the tweeters say "silver coil" and have the opaque domes, which I assume makes them the infamous SL-2000. The tweeter mystery could have one of the following explanations:
1) Everything is original and these are not Series II, or are an early/oddball Series II before conversion to the SL-2500/3000.
2) They are Series II, but the tweeters were replaced with older SL-2000's.
3) The pr's are not original (newer replacements), making the 7's an older model where the SL-2000's could have been original.

Maybe CS can help with this one. I'll shoot them an email.

Thanks for all the input so far.

Adam

[adam2434]

Got a quick and informative reply from Kim in CS:

"If the tweeter domes are a solid black, then this is the original SL2500. The SL2000 used a black mounting plate with a semi translucent plastic dome, The Monitor 7 series II used the SL2500 and was manufactured from 1990 through 1992. The part number for the crossover used in the 7 Series II was BE0700-B. The Monitor 7C used the SL2000 and was manufactured from 1984 through 1990. The passive crossover part number used in the 7C's was BE0700-A."

So, the 1st explanation above appears to be correct and they are late 7C's from 1990, right before the switch to Series II and the SL-2500.

Regarding the lack of detail - still not sure if there's something wrong with the tweeters/crossovers (doubtful because the issue would have to be in both speakers) or if it's just a major difference in sound vs. the LS90s that I'm noticing. Nonetheless, I still haven't experienced the harsh, fatiguing peak with these 7's.

[schwarcw]

Hmmm! Interesting. I'm sure they'll sound different than your LS90's. Most listener's like the natural presentation of the 7 series. The only way to tell is compare your speakers to another pair of 7's. You live too far from me otherwise you could come over and listen to mine.

[adam2434]

Nice offer, Carl. If I were closer, I'd take you up on that!

I have to say that they are sounding pretty darn good. I'm noticing more detail than I originally did - almost like they've opened up since I've had them, if that's possible (maybe they hadn't been played in a while). Probably more like I've become accustomed to their sound.

I would have to say that they have a pleasant and listenable sound, kind of understated - they don't draw attention to themselves. I wouldn't give up my LS90's for them, but I'm glad I own a pair. They're keepers.

Down the road, I may replace the tweets with silks. But right now, they're sounding fine in my workout area in the basement.

Adam

[Polkersince85]

Placement of the 7 is critical. Do you have the tilted stands? These were designed to be mounted at a slight upward angle in order to align the drivers. An equilateral triangle setup with the speakers angled toward the listening position will get the best stage.

[adam2434]

No, they're not set up for anything close to critical listening. They're on a shelf that puts the tweeters about at ear level when I'm standing. They're in the unfinished part of my basement, probably around 30 x 30 ft or more. I'm sure they'd sound much better per your reco.

If I ever put them in a real listening position, have any idea what the stand angle should be? I would make stands in a friend's workshop.

[schwarcw]

Adam, check out This (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24335&highlight=Monitor+stands)

Carl