Do you still own your first pair of Polk speakers?

[BlueFox]

First Polks were a pair of SDA-2 bought in 88 or 89. Still have them, but they are now gathering dust sitting in the dining room (storage area for old audio equipment). I should find a home for them with someone who will fix them up. The cloth covered side panels feel off due to a poor glue job at the factory, and I tried to glue them back to no avail. Also, have three other models of book shelf Polks sitting in the dining room since they were part of my HT journey. I would buy one model, say it sounds great, and then buy the next level. I finally ended up with LSi15s and an LSiC for the HT. Now that I think of it there must be 3-4 subs also sitting in there, and another CS speaker.

[pjsjr]

My first Polks were/are RTA 8t...they're playing Bad Company/Bad Company right now:D. Preston

[lwesker]

I still have all my vintage Polk speakers, though some are sitting idle.

SDA-1C are still my main speakers from sometime in the '80s and until I die, although a rattling cone has brought me to this web site to find replacement drivers. Seeing a lot of tempting talk on crossover upgrades and better tweeters. I could be doing a lot of speaker renovation.

Two pair of M3 and a CS101 are my surrounds/center, although idle since we rearranged the living room and I am putting off the effort of rewiring everything until we settle on new HDTV/Receiver/Furniture.

A pair of Monitor 10 for the basement.

--
Lawrence

[hearingimpared]

Welcome to Club Polk lwesker.

[Blinddog]

R50's from Fry's in 2005 for $149. They are on loan to some sonically challenged friends with the understanding that they come home to papa if they replace them or no longer need them. Those are still by far the best inexpensive non-vintage speakers I have ever heard.

[Knucklehead]

R150's i bought about 3 months ago....LOL

[Evanguy2004]

I bought my Monitor 10's Series 2 Speakers in 1991 and I still use them everyday! I haven't done anything with them except move to three states with them in tow. I absolutely love them!! I might consider never buying another pair of main speakers

[bcline]

I bought my set of Monitor 5b speakers in 1989 as soon as I had graduated college and started to make a little money. I have been using them for the last 20 years and just recently have purchased a used set of SDA-2A speakers. The 5b still sounds great and I'm considering a crossover upgrade on them to see if I can get the improvement everyone seems to think you will get.

[No3pencil]

Yup, my RT-3s purchased from Nobody Beats the Wiz in 96 or 97

[BrentMcGhee]

absolutley!! my RT55i's actually just last month turned 8 years old (yes i do know the exact date that i bought them and yes i do throw them birthday parties)

I still am so happy with these speakers like they day i bought them!

[chunny]

I don't want to sound too old for you guys but I bought my first pair of Polk speakers on November 20th 1982. They are RTA 12 B's and after almost 27 years they are still going strong and sound better than ever.

[civilian]

I still have every Polk Speaker I have bought. The Rt55's were my first and now are my surrounds.

[Ender]

Still have my first Polk speakers which I got a month or two back... SDA 2A and SDA SRS 2. :D

[rdupre]

I bought my first pair of SDA 1Cs in 1989 with oak tops for $1188. I still have the receipt. I have them on my AV system as my left and right speakers. They are awesome in stereo mode too. They look like the day I bought them. I can't tell you how many people ask me about them the first time they are in my media room.

I have another pair of SDA 1Cs that I got off of EBAY in 2004 that I am using as my rear speakers for the AV system.

[danz1906]

I still have my RT55is

[HK/PA Fan]

Yes, Monitor -10A's purchased in Groton, CT in 1983. Vinyl walnut with original fabric. Look almost as good as they did when I pulled them out of the boxes. Still sound sweet and with only one replacement tweeter installed about 6 years ago. Is there any value in these old monsters? I love them, but they're taking up valuable real estate in the den.

Just got rid of the PA boxes about 2 month's ago.

George Jones

[Mojori]

Yes ! M3II's, just rebuilt them.

[White Light]

Polk Model 7 Monitors, Driven by any of the following...Modified Dynaco Mark III's, Hafler 220, Mackie 1440i, Crown 350

[theelviscerator]

I guess my definition of rough is actually GOOD SHAPE.

[dsnash]

I have a pair of Monitor 10B's and a pair of SDA - CRS 's...bought them while stationed in Germany in the mid to late 80's - still have them today, not interested in getting rid of them...just bought a YAMAHA RX-V659BL to drive them...although I want to run 7.1...not sure what I am going to add to them to finish them off...suggestions would be appreciated.

[GaryW]

I still have my Monitor 10"s I bought new in 1986 and a pair of SDA SRS 2 I bought in February. They are fantastic.

Gary

[polishmafiaboss]

I still have my Monitor 10, Series 2's that I bought in 1991. I need a new tweeter for one of them, tho. They are driven by a Carver HR-752. They are still some of the best sounding speakers I've ever heard. Would love to get a pair of SDA's......

[StantonZ]

They were a pair of Monitor 4's that were my main speakers in my college dorm room. They have been my (dual) center channel speakers for over 10 years now, and still sound great (very clear dialog).

[slack56]

I can't remember the exact year I bought my 10A's, late seventies maybe. Currently I have add a cs400, FX 500's and a RT2000p for a rear center (CC $100). My son was listening to some hip hop with just the 10A's and a gun shot in the song nearly scared him to death. Jim said he ducked, even in my basement. Needless to say, with the rest of the speakers and my home made JL audio sub, it makes my home theater somewhere everyone loves to watch movies.

[beardog03]

I just went to the end of the post, but......

Yes !

I still have the rt15`s and the Rt2000i`s...
I also have the 245 center that I got with them....

Of course the 2000i`s are hardly even broken in, and are basically used for speaker stands now..

I put a piece of thin foam on top and have the LSi`s on them for the surround system


I will probably always have these speaks......I really like them still

[JackStraw]

Yes I do 5jr+ 2 series purchased in 1992 I've been listening lately to Grateful Dead Road Trips Vol.2 No. 3 "Wall of Sound" and it's outrageously great as usual

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/products/recent/monitor5/

[kawizx9r]

Yep! RT1000P's, the "i" wasnt even out yet or else I wouldve picked up the blue woofer look.

[nguyendot]

Yup! RT F/X rears from over 10 years ago!

[madmike]

I got my monitor 5b's in 1986, still sound sweet, have had to replace the tweeters with a pair out of my Reynolds Advance A22 towers when I lost a tweeter, would like to replace with new Polk tweeters, I think the tweeters out of the A22's are peerless but not sure.

[Flash21]

I still have my Monitor 10Bs, purchased new in 1985. Real oak veneer. $600 was a lot of money for a guy fresh out of college!

[danz1906]

No:(

[hearingimpared]

I have a set of Polk Audio RTA 15T's for sale, but can't figure out how to post a thread to put them up for sale. This web site is incredibly non-intuitive.

Welcome to Club Polk. I suggest you read the rules.

[dvh]

Greetings fellow enthusiasts. This is a very cool forum and thread! Been a proud owner of my RTA 15TL's since 1988. Now I'm going to have to dig the receipt out to verify the exact date and cost. Wow - that's over 20 years of enjoyment! It was a high price tag to pay back then--something like $890, but when you think about I'm down to an ownership cost of less that $45 per year ;)

I've moved at least 8 times over this time period and each time I pack them up into the original boxes, which are starting to look pretty ragged; however the speakers look as good as the day I purchased them. I had to order new grills about 10 years ago. Anyone else have that problem where they only glued the fabric to the covers and after a while the fabric starting coming unglued? When I called Polk they had brand new covers in stock AND amazingly enough they were glued and stapled! Wish I would have ordered a couple SL3000's back then ;)

I have since bought a set of Def Tech BP7001SC's and don't think they sound much better and def cost a lot more money!

[JohnLocke88]

Greetings fellow enthusiasts. This is a very cool forum and thread! Been a proud owner of my RTA 15TL's since 1988. Now I'm going to have to dig the receipt out to verify the exact date and cost. Wow - that's over 20 years of enjoyment! It was a high price tag to pay back then--something like $890, but when you think about I'm down to an ownership cost of less that $45 per year ;)

I've moved at least 8 times over this time period and each time I pack them up into the original boxes, which are starting to look pretty ragged; however the speakers look as good as the day I purchased them. I had to order new grills about 10 years ago. Anyone else have that problem where they only glued the fabric to the covers and after a while the fabric starting coming unglued? When I called Polk they had brand new covers in stock AND amazingly enough they were glued and stapled! Wish I would have ordered a couple SL3000's back then ;)

I have since bought a set of Def Tech BP7001SC's and don't think they sound much better and def cost a lot more money!

Even less when you consider you could sell them today for a couple hundred in a heart beat.

[dvh]

Even less when you consider you could sell them today for a couple hundred in a heart beat.

Wow, I would have guessed more like $400-500 for a mint set in black walnut, but I don't follow the prices. If they are only $200, I might look to pick another set up!

[CaligulaPolk]

yes i still do

[Bubinga99]

Hi folks, I have a pair of SDA SRS 2.3TL's. In a box somewhere I probably have the original receipt, but it was somewhere around 1991 that I bought them. They've been my primary speakers ever since.

One has been a bit flakey lately (highs cut in and out, and/or sound staticy), which is what brought me here. I found a schematic on another thread so I hope to narrow it down and later post to the troubleshooting thread.

I found a document listing some measured values for other models. Is there a similar document for the 2.3TL's?

[hearingimpared]

Welcome to Club Polk Bubinga99!

[RCFGuitars]

One has been a bit flakey lately (highs cut in and out, and/or sound staticy), which is what brought me here. I found a schematic on another thread so I hope to narrow it down and later post to the troubleshooting thread.



Welcome to CP! I'm sure others will chime in, but it sounds to me like the polyswitches that protect your tweeters may be the culprit. I have been told that they commonly require replacement. It is not a big deal, and Polk will send them to you for no charge.

[Bobsama]

It's debatable. The SDA-CRS+'s that were on long-term free-lease for about a decade and a half were never mine but they're still with my family. They've since been returned. On the other hand yes, I still own the SDA-1's that I bought a few weeks back.

[madmike]

Here are some pic's of what I have. Missing in picture is my Carver DTL-200 CD player.

[JohnLocke88]

Wow, I would have guessed more like $400-500 for a mint set in black walnut, but I don't follow the prices. If they are only $200, I might look to pick another set up!

No, I'm sure they'll sell for more, I was just trying to make a point that you were not factoring in the residual value into your per year calculation ;)

[roguesam]

Bought as insurance replacement speakers after burglary in Minneapolis circa 1985...Still using them, and just picked up the Sony STDRN 1000 to compliment the Samsung Plasma (PN50B550) that I found last week at Fred Meyer's department store for $899.00, minus $50 Miller Lite mail in rebate. Killer price on the TV, I gotta tell any and everybody that'll listen about THAT price...sorry to bore you guys...

[Peabody67GTO]

I still have and use my Model 10 Studio Monitors I bought in 1984.

[THEJERMON]

Sure do. Bought them in 2008. SDA 2's. :)

[speedster2333]

I haven't been around long, but I still have mine which are the LSI9's

[xcapri79]

Still have my RTi100's but the amps need to be fixed.

[maxilla]

I'm still nuts about my RTA-15TL that I bought back in 1990.
I just found a pair of black RTA-15T and now I own them.

[maxilla]

Wow, I would have guessed more like $400-500 for a mint set in black walnut, but I don't follow the prices. If they are only $200, I might look to pick another set up!

No way you'll find a set of RTA-15T or TL in great shape for $200. I've been looking for years and the best deal I could find was a pair of black RTA-15T for $300. And they are in OK shape, not great plus one tweeter is blown. The good thing is that I saved on shipping...I traveled 140 miles to get them in my truck.
They look awesome, so beautiful regardless of the few cosmetic flaws on the cabinets. Unfortunately the previous owner wasn't too careful with these beauties.
I'm so very happy with them now.

[Tandberg & Polk]

Yes, I still have my RTA 12's.

[dpowell]

I just bought my first pair of Polk speakers (the exact pair) back from the guy I sold them to 5 years ago. A pair of RT2000P's. Going to replace my RT800's in the garage rig.

[GTB]

Nope.....monitor 10's bought in late 80's were traded in on my SDA 2Bs in around 91. The 2Bs are still rock'n, in fact last night it was Blue Man Group's Blue Ray pounding away for almost 2 hours.

So freak'n awesome that I'm playing it again today.

Greg

[danz1906]

Nope, not my first pair(RTiA5s),but I have my second pair(RT55is):D

[STORMINORMAN]

Yep. A pair of Monitor5 Jr.'s purchased in 1987 for $259.00 because they sounded pretty close to my Yamaha NS1000's at low volume levels. Just dropped beneath the old $1/month investment level...

Bought a perfect pair of black RT15i's yesterday for $70 for surrounds.

p.s. 1st post!

[concealer404]

Nope, sure don't. Although i have seen my old beloved Polk VS-25s being passed around Craigslist lately like a bong at Woodstock. I keep trying to rescue them, but always miss out by hours.

[woodsman10b]

nope, sure don't. Although i have seen my old beloved polk vs-25s being passed around craigslist lately like a bong at woodstock. I keep trying to rescue them, but always miss out by hours.

lmao! :d

[concealer404]

lmao! :d

I'm serious. They've been sold 3 times in the last 2 months. For less than i initially sold them for. I want them back. They were nifty, they were rare, they sounded ermmm.... alright at best.

Come to think of it, not real positive why i want them back.

[LONG TIME BUYER]

yes i still have mind. there not polk audios ,im not sure they were around when i got these. i have had to replace the woofer surrounds ,but they still sound good for 70s speakers and look good. i can still hear my dad say, son its easier to take care of something than to have to replace it.

[Andrew2112]

Yep, SDA 1C's bought them in 1989 from Hi Fi Buys in Atlanta. They have been retired for a couple of years since I build a new 5.2 polk audio HT setup but I cannot seem to part ways with them. My wife keeps asking me when am I going to sell them since they are not in use anymore and I keep answering 'soon honey soon....'

[cnh]

I haven't been at this Polk thing as long as you all. So my first POLK speaker was a sub (PSW12)...which was OK but had tons of port noise at higher volumes and took over 2 months to place 'right' and set right in order to tame the PORT! I don't use that sub anymore....but I keep it as a momento of the 'first' piece...it actually isn't that bad for music if it is set LOW you can't push the volume too much!

Since I'm on PSW subs. Why doesn't Polk do something to the PSW10 to eliminate its PORT noise because it has the same problem and tends to bottom out easily....Why not SLOT load that box to cut down the distortion thereby making it a nice little low priced starter sub! Can it cost that much to redesign the same box just a bit?

cnh

[rallison]

Happy to note that I still own my first speakers, purchased in 1982 with money from my first real job...a pair of Polk Monitor Series Model 10As with the Peerless tweeters. I still have the boxes, instruction manuals, promo material, and (!) receipt, for that matter. They've been in storage the last few years, but after stumbling across this forum I've hauled them out for a listen. Now I might just need to build some replica Polk stands for them...

[Telerding]

On 6/12/91 I bought a used set of SDA SRS speakers from the OO for $1100.

My wife hated them due to their size. I still have them and she still hates them.

Great speakers, but probably time to upgrade the drivers and the xovers!

Very early units, I think. S/Ns 1020 and 1057.

I am now looking for an Adcom or Emotiva amplifier to properly drive them.

[ANWKLO]

Happy to note that I still own my first speakers, purchased in 1982 with money from my first real job...a pair of Polk Monitor Series Model 10As with the Peerless tweeters. I still have the boxes, instruction manuals, promo material, and (!) receipt, for that matter. They've been in storage the last few years, but after stumbling across this forum I've hauled them out for a listen. Now I might just need to build some replica Polk stands for them...

She is beautiful:)

[domflane]

t15 bookshelves, bought them on black friday for $50 last year and have been hooked ever since, now i have a full 5.1 setup

[dpowell]

Not any more. Just sold them to fund the SDA 1C's.

[nhojdrof1@yahoo]

I have always loved them. The tweeters seem to have stopped working so I am going to need to get them repaired.

[billinrio]

I bought my 7B´s in the early 1980s, and still have them.

[DaveHo]

Sadly no. I bought my 10B's back in 87 when i was 16. Sold them about 10 years later for a pair of DefTech Bp30's. Those are long gone also, but I wish I had the 10B's back.

-Dave

[Lasareath]

Damn!!!!! Candylicker's Thread still Active!!!

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAA

[richamor]

Yes. First set purchased 11/07/2009.
Still going strong:D

[Malaka]

I still own my mint condition, never abused original Polk 'Monitor 10' speakers that I purchased new back in the mid 80's, and have 'babied' them all these years (covered when not in use; dusted clean every now and then, etc.). You can see pics of them under the name 'Malaka' in 'System Showcase' on this site!

I've owned many speakers since then (many sold), but I always come back to the 'Monitor 10' speakers, and Magnepan. There is something truly synergistic and magical with the Polks. They are true 'high end' speakers in many regards.

Enjoy!

P.S. Matthew Polk is a GENIUS!

[rallison]

She is beautiful:)

Thanks, ANWKLO! And that pic was taken before I cleaned 'em up. Now they positively glow.

[TideFan]

Sadly, no. I bought my first pair of Polk speakers (Monitor 7's) in 1983 right after I got my first real job. In August of 1984 I traded them in on a new pair of SDA CRS's which I still have and just last week upgraded the caps and resistors. They are burning in and sounding better every day. I also own a pair of Monitor 5b's and a pair of RT25i's. In my opinion the newer models don't compare to the vintage models but I may have good ole day's syndrome.

P.S. Matthew Polk is my leader.

[gvimhoof]

Yes. I bought a pair of Monitor 7's back in college in 1991 and I still have them. Planning on doing a rebuild as soon as I finish another pair of speakers to use while these are down.

[headrott]

This is my first post. I have been reading a lot over the past 1 1/2 years and have gained a lot of knowledge about redoing the capacitors for the crossovers, etc. in my SDA 2Bs (did the TL mod on them). I appreciate everyones pictures, advice and help in doing mods. This forum is great.

Anyway, that's off topic. Yes, I still own my Monitor 10 speakers I bought in 1992, but I recently got a pair of 3.1TLs and am thinking about selling the monitors. We'll see how long it takes to actually do it.........

[LPN]

RTA 15 TL set upgraded with the RDO-198-1 tweeters.

[20hz]

Yes I still have my LS50's bought new .
They always sound great so much so they still surprise me !
(I drive big subs using the ls as 100 hz up)

[Soundmind]

I bought my first pair of monitor 12 series II in 1987. Not in use right now. Im going to learn a few things from you all before I decide what to do with them. Currently enjoying my LSI 9s very much.

[motohead9]

They're RTA 12s. I need to replace the tweeters on these old dudes. I'm not sure how to identify which model they are. I'll try to describe them as best as I can. The cabinets are 28in tall and the front grills go to the bottom of the box. The total height is 32.5in. PCB for x-overs is light green. Ser.#s on x-overs are 22-03000 & 03001. Monitors are 12-05277 & 05278. Tweeters are flat black soft dome (with a little hole in the middle) and mounted vertically. If this is enough info, maybe someone can help with what tweeters these are and what I can replace them with. I see on my owners manual for these that I bought them on 2-11-80. :eek: So....Happy 30th Anniversary!!! These are currently my fronts and have been for 30 years. Whew, that's got to be a lot of hours!
Thanks, all
moto

[gsxr141]

I am still using my first polks. I got everything in december of 97. I have replaced one tweeter on the rt10's, and the speaker in the psw150, but other than that they all sound great.

[BuckeyeTim]

Yep, S10s in black. In 93 I think, would have to check receipt, which I still have, along with boxes, bags, and original styrofoam end caps. And still in mint condition.

[Jebtha]

I bought my SDA-CRS speakers in college, '85 or '86, for about $750, I think. Ran them with a NAD integrated amp until that was stolen a few years later -- my whole system was in boxes in the living room when they broke in, and they took the amp but not the Polks -- too heavy I guess.

I got twenty great years from these speakers, but sadly they're in their boxes now; my wife wanted speakers that could be shoved into the corners of our living room and toed in, so we went with a pair of Definitive Technology towers. They're nice, but I would've been very happy to stay with the CRS's.

[wayne3burk]

Yep -- I bought my SDA 1C studios from the Base Exchange at Hellinokon Air Base, Greece in 1990. They were the Demo pair and they were being discontinued. I got them for $800 for the pair / no boxes.

I've had them ever since but just got them hooked up again in the last 2 months after having them "put away" for about 13 yrs.

[cincycat13]

Yep. Still got em .. no idea what to do with them. 2 RT8s, 2RT5 , CS1 , PSW-150 and even 2 M1s in white. Was a good HT set up for my room at the time...1995 flashback.

[jwm2]

Actually i just bought my first set of polk speakers about 2 months ago. I had originally bought a sony HT system where the AVR and DVD player were built in but was very dissappointed by the limited amount of supported surround sound features and modes. So i sent it back to amazon.com, got a full refund (including shipping) and bought a Onkyo 607 from newegg. I then bought a set of polk 5.1 speakers from amazon (rm6750) and had that going for a couple of weeks. I felt the front speakers lacked depth so i then upgraded them to rti4s (front L & R) and a csi3 for the center channel. Then i was satisfied with the sound but felt the subwoofer wasn't doing as good of a job as it could. So i bought a psw111 and have been thrilled by the way the system sounds. The sound is phenominal and playing games on the 360 and ps3 have been even more immersive. I can't believe i went the last 10 years without any HT setup :/

[mjg]

Yes,
Model 5. Don't remember the year I bought them, But used to run them hung on the wall way back then. Just got them out again to use in a bedroom system, and they still sound great.

[N5061R]

Yes. Polk SDA SRS 2.3 purchased 1991 or so.

[JBurg]

Yup, I still have mine. My first set of Polks were Monitor 10's. My dad bought them new in college, and gave them to me a few years ago. It was these speakers that got me addicted to Polk, and I have since purchased a pair of TSI 400's.

[hearingimpared]

Yes. Polk SDA SRS 2.3 purchased 1991 or so.

Have you upgraded the tweeters or rebuilt your crossovers with better caps and resistors?

[fafner]

I still have two thirds of 3 sets of SDA 2's that I bought when they were first introduced. I am sooooooooooo sorry I sold the one pair when I downsized my house.

fafner

[john bevan]

hi im still loving my polk rt12's bought them whn they where released in the 90's and there still working and lookin great.
may be some one here can help me as i have some where along the way lost one of the gold jumpers that linked 2 binding posts on the back of one of them not a major prob as im biwiring them but would like it if i could find one some where.
any ideas where i could get one?
regards john

[hearingimpared]

Welcome to Club Polk John Bevan. I wouldn't worry about the "gold jumpers" as they were less than desirable sonically. If you ever discontinue biwiring and go back to normal function, then some 12 ga pure stranded copper wire from Radio Shack will do you better.

However, if you must have the original jumpers you can call Polk Customer Service and they will take care of you. The phone number is at the top right of this page.

[brijar]

RT12 bought in the mid 90's still in use and sound great. I am replacing one of the 6 1/2" drives though since my cat decided to slice it open. Luckily Polk still has parts available to do this.

[hearingimpared]

RT12 bought in the mid 90's still in use and sound great. I am replacing one of the 6 1/2" drives though since my cat decided to slice it open. Luckily Polk still has parts available to do this.

Welcome to Club Polk brijar. There are many cat stories here. I can't imagine what I would do if I had a cat and he ripped up my speakers. I have a big pooch who occasionally gets too close to my speakers and that big tail has pounded the passive radiator. . . guess what, my reaction to it has caused him to stear clear of them.:eek::D

[jonicont]

Original owner of a pair of lovingly cared for 2B's. In my living room for 23 years. Hoping to find someone local to do the TL upgrade for me

[SwedePolk]

Original RTA 15TLs, still going strong, I like them a lot still, and they have some stiff competition from a lovely pair of 1.2tl.

[Hillbilly61]

Yep, SDA 2Bs bought in 1988. After a several year rest, they are my full time HT mains. I need to upgrade/refresh their crossovers and, maybe, swap out their SL 2000 tweeters, but they still work like a champ!

Today, I watched two movies that during the low bass transients, I could hear the glass rattling in the frames of mounted wall paintings. Last night, I felt my couch moving from another movie with their bass response....

[lhester]

I have my M 10s from 1986. I sold them to my dad in 1990. He died four years ago and I got them back. I have upgraded the crossovers and need someone to talk me in to replacing the SL2000s. LH

[hearingimpared]

I have my M 10s from 1986. I sold them to my dad in 1990. He died four years ago and I got them back. I have upgraded the crossovers and need someone to talk me in to replacing the SL2000s. LH

Call Polk Customer service and tell them you are a forum member and order, I believe RD0194's. Your ears will thank you for it.

[joelll]

I bought a used pair of RTA-12's in June 2000 for $200. I had to call Polk Customer Service to find out what I'd just bought!

They were in use up until I temporarily moved into a small condo, as soon as I have more space available, they'll get set up again.

[ericks0ns]

Purchased my SDA-2's back in 1983 from Atlantic Stereo in New Brunswick NJ(long since out of business). I still have them (and love them).Just purchased a pair of original pair of SDA-SRS from a guy in Connecticut.Amazingly, car broke down on the way back and had to have it towed with the Polks on a flatbed.What an experience!

[Toolfan66]

Everytime this thread gets bumped up I kick my self for selling my RT55i's, and RT35i's

[Deadof_knight]

The rt-55s are sweet ....bump

[timpeace]

My first set of Polks were Monitor 10Bs bought while stationed in Okinawa in the late 80's. Sold them to my brother for $200 including stands. Bought them back a few years later (with stands) for $200. That was the agreement. Now they sit unhooked next to my sda-2bs. I can't let them go again...

[Hillbilly61]

Yep,

I got my SDA 2Bs back in 1988 for $900. Dealer closeout and, as I recall, they were listing for $1200 then. I have never looked back and the pups are currently doing front duty in a HT/2ch dual mode.

It is getting time to put them to "sleep" for a while to replace certain crossover components. Not upgrade, as I like the sound the way they came off of Polk's factory floor.

[ranczar]

Hi folks. Forum newbie here.

Yep, still got'em. Model 10's purchased in 1977; serial numbers 49716 and 49432. Still sound great. Originally driven with a Sansui 771 (40w/ch), and now by a Sansui 8080DB (85w/ch.)

I've seen here and there, references made to upgrades and retro-fits to various Polks. Can someone point me to the appropriate section of the forum to find out if my old Model 10's are candidates for any upgrades?

I just picked up a pair of Monitor 5's on eBay tonight, so I'm also looking to see if they're upgrade-able.

Thanks for any guidance.

[scottfox]

I have gone thru many pairs of speakers until I bought my 1st set of Polks- Moitor 10's in April of 1981- $480. Still have them, still love them. Since then added a Polk CSI20 Center & M4 rears. And a pair of Mon 5 JR+ in the bedroom. Well, times have changed, so I have supplemented the 10's in the theater with a 12" HSU VTF2.3 subwoofer. Yes the 10's have good bass, but they can't reach down to 18hz, certainly not with good volume. I have never sold any of the Polk speakers I ever bought. Rounding out the system are a Pioneer 50" Kuro KRP-500M Plasma, Panny BD60, Toshiba HD-A3, Fios HD Motorola cable box w/DVR, WD TV Media server w/2 hard drives, All connected to an Onkyo 606 receiver via HDMI.

[hearingimpared]

Welcome to Club Polk scottfox! That's a nice, clean looking setup you have there.

[Wade Spradley]

Polk Monitor 5JR's purchased at Hickam AFB, HI main exchange for $225.00 pr, in April/May 1990. Not too long after getting out of AF tech school. Being an A1C, funds were tight.

[cristo]

Original owner of my Polk Monitor 10a speakers bought in the early '80's.
Just re-did the crossovers with better components a week ago, just a few weeks after discovering this forum.
They had SL1000 tweeters in them for most of their life, since the late 80's, which I got from the original dealer
who suggested to me that they were an improvement of the original ones.
Just put the original Peerless tweeters back in last week.
I think the 10as are now ready for another couple decades' use.

[Earthy]

Bought my first Polks, LS70's new in 1993. Still see daily use in my home theater. SDA SRS 2.3TL's came into my family about 1992. Now they are mine!

[JJD49]

Yes. RT2000p purchased in 1997 along with a Yamaha RX-V2092 receiver. Added a CS350 center in 1998. In 1999, added a pair of RT35 front effect speakers, moved the RT2000p to the rear and replaced them with RT3000p up front. And just recently replaced the CS350 center with a CSi A6. Looking to sell the CS350 if anyone is interested.

[Ron Temple]

no...:p

[LeftCoast]

I bought my first polks a couple of months ago.

I still have them.

[GrChick]

I still have my Monitor 5jr bought from Tweeter in New Haven, CT.

Then Monitor 10's....Then....More 10's Then some 7's ... Then the 1000p, 800 and then Rt3000p and now SDA2b's.

[aviator]

The first ones - still have the boxes, manual, receipt and the 4.5s I bought from Dennis at Creative Stereo, Thousand Oaks, CA on June 16th, 1989 for 243.00 plus tax.

3 weeks later I bought a set of 1.2TLs from him for $2998 plus tax and I still have them, the boxes, manual and receipt. The manual and serial number stickers say 1.2 not 1.2TL, the boxes were made saying 1.2 and had big stickers plastered on 'em to say 1.2TL. I recall reading somewhere that 1.2TLs came out in 1990, but I got these in 1989 and yup they came with SL3000s.

[The_Boomer2]

Bought my SDA SRS in 1985 or 1986 and still have them. Thanks to information in this forum, I upgraded the xover in the last few months and are they sounding better than ever. Always enjoyed the sound.

Puchased in Atlanta, and they have moved with me to the coast of GA through two houses. Drove them with an Adcom GFA 555 for 25 years, and changed amps to the Parasound A21 and and P3 preamp this past December.

They are good to go for another 25 years. Hard not to like the SDA SRS sound.

[Michael8it]

Nope. Bought a pair of 5B's in 1987. Parted with them long ago, but just found a pair of 1RTA 12's and love them.

[CoachP]

I purchased a pair of SDA 2a's in the early to mid 80's. Still have them and am enjoying them. Upgraded tweeters to the 194's. The crossover network will be the next upgrade. I've changed amp, processor, disc player but not these speakers.

[breal74]

Still have my S6's I bought in 1993. They have survived college and two kids and are still in great shape.

[TouchOfEvil]

I do not. I upgraded and sold the other ones to my friend. At least this way i still get to visit them from time to time. He just thinks i come over to hang out pshhhh.

[drumminman]

Bought my RTA 12C's from a local dealer in August '84. In the last 3-4 months I've rebuilt the crossovers, dynamatted MW's and PR's,internally rewired them with teflon insulated OCC copper, mortited the MW's and PR's, installed spikes.

I'll use them for another 20 years! :biggrin:

[bzpolksda]

I still have my SDA CRS's from 1985:biggrin:
I had a Yamaha R-100 receiver powering them and a Carver CD player & Nakamichi deck:smile:
They're still hooked up to the Yammy & Carver but the Nak has moved on.

[saemark30]

Had the 5B's and now the 7's. Would recommend hanging onto the vintage Monitor series.

[SDA1C]

Yep! Trying to blow them up as we speak!:cool:

[EndersShadow]

I have my Monitor 60's in my office. Even when I get my 2 channel rig upgraded they will stay as my wife wants me to hang onto them since they are her christmas gift to me from our first year together.

So they will go in a closet somewhere and probably into a garage rig at some point lol....

[deronb1]

RTA8Ts as well. 1989 and still have them,

[SDA1C]

RTA8Ts as well. 1989 and still have them,

Damn! I so want a mint set of those in the studio version.

[deronb1]

I am not familiar with the studio version. What are the differences?

[SDA1C]

IDK I just assumed it was the black vinyl. Maybe there wasn't any other version made. I guess I should have said I want a black vinyl version instead lol.

[deronb1]

no biggie. Polk has made a gazillion speakers. I was thinking of painting them, but I don't want to screw them up.

[SDA1C]

Perfect shelf surrounds for my application. I found a set but they want 150 plust 125 to ship lol. Not doing that lol!

[deronb1]

shipping is always the caveot. I am looking at a pair of RTi12s for 350.00. Might sell the RTA8ts if I do. I would kill me though. They are like part of the family.

[deronb1]

SDA1C, I cannot open up a PM on this computer (am at work and cant open pop up blocker)

[SDA1C]

SDA1C, I cannot open up a PM on this computer (am at work and cant open pop up blocker)

No worries. I just didnt want to derail any worse:biggrin:Get back later if you have time?

[TouchOfEvil]

reported post 377

[shaneybob]

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showpost.php?p=939261&postcount=220

Reported way back when, but here's a pic. The other looks just as good and the grills look mint as well, except for the logo pins. They're my baby's for sure :wink:

http://shanemoorephotography.smugmug.com/OddsnSods/Odds-n-Sods/i-PBzd5P9/0/XL/DSC8347-XL.jpg

[deshart1959]

Vintage or not and how long have you had them and what model are they. Give as much info as you want or as little. Pics optional.

I bought my 2b's (studio vinyl walnut) used in the early 90's for $650 I think. They are all original except I bypassed the polyswitches and added a capacitor to the tweeters. I use them the most out of all the speakers I own (about 6 pair, 4 pair are polks). They are part of my solid state rig where I listen to the radio and vinyl and cd's of course.

Yes, since 1984, SDA-CRS.
Why this guy banned??

[heiney9]

Why this guy banned??

For being a lunatic nut job. :wink:

Best leave it alone

H9

[deshart1959]

For being a lunatic nut job. :wink:

Best leave it alone

H9

OK, thanks Mr. H9, saw you stick up for me the other day. I'm not a lunatic.
I'm tempted to tweak the world around me sometimes, but I'll be a nice guy here.
Dave

[heiney9]

In all seriousness he had a way of being unrelenting about certain subjects he was asked not to talk about by the mods. He was even temporarily banned and let back, but he continued to self destruct and become very irrational. Sometimes you just wear out your welcome.

I say tweak away, but you'll certainly be scrutinized a little bit for it, many here aren't push overs. :biggrin: No worries.

H9

[falconcry72]

...In the last 3-4 months I've rebuilt the crossovers, dynamatted MW's and PR's,internally rewired them with teflon insulated OCC copper, mortited the MW's and PR's, installed spikes.

I'll use them for another 20 years! :biggrin:

What, no RD0's???:confused::biggrin:

[deshart1959]

In all seriousness he had a way of being unrelenting about certain subjects he was asked not to talk about by the mods. He was even temporarily banned and let back, but he continued to self destruct and become very irrational. Sometimes you just wear out your welcome.

I say tweak away, but you'll certainly be scrutinized a little bit for it, many here aren't push overs. :biggrin: No worries.

H9

Understood H9...

(inching towards 100)

[skrol]

Still got 'em (RTA11TL) since new in 1991, in spite of my wife wanting me to get rid of them!
Stan

[BlueFox]

Yes, SDA-2, but they are sitting in the dining room gathering dust. Along with a pair of Monitor something, two something else (I do not feel like moving stuff to get the model numbers), two LSi7s, and an LSiC. Along with a ton of subs, both bought and free. For a while every time you bought a Polk speaker from Crutchfield you got a free sub.

Four LSi15s, and a PSW1000, are still running the HT.

[rromeo923]

Monitor 7B's bought last year!

[falconcry72]

Polk Audio speakers I've owned, in chronological ownership order:

:mad: = sold
:smile: = still own

RT-7 :mad:

RT-16 :mad:

RT-3 :mad:

RT-1000i :mad:

CS-350LS :smile:

RTA-12C :smile:

Monitor 5B :smile:

Montior 10B :mad:

SDA-2B :smile:

SDA-1C :smile:

[fiero11]

I still own my first Polks...a pair of CRS+ and SDA 1C's and 10B's from the late eighties. Still love them and they sound great.:smile:

[wayne3burk]

nope -

I sold my original 1990 SDA-1Cs studios this summer

.... and my new to me Monitor 10s two months later...

so basically i'm a polkless club polk member -- banned for life???

[saa115]

I used to walk by this store in undergrad called Paul and Tony's in State College, PA. I would drool all over the Polk's that they had on display and finally was able to purchase my first pair in Dec of '91. I paid ~ $400 for the black monitor 5s and paired them with the Denon PMA 980R, the first Denon int amp with a remote control. I'm happy to say that I still have those monitor 5s as the fronts in my basement paired with the RM6750 sub, center and surrounds and a Denon AVR 1709 and a 58" Panasonic HDTV. I'm in the process of upgrading to RTi A3s. the M5s will go back upstairs to be mated back with the PMA 980R, on which I just fixed the faulty input selector.
The M5s have been with me for almost 20 years and I have a real fondness for them. I think I will keep them as long as they continue to pump out great sound. Good times.

[Gatecrasher]

After listening to some of my buddy's Polks over the years, I finally sprung for the complete RT5000 system listed in my signature in 2002.

All of the speakers are in absolute mint condition complete with the original boxes and packaging.

I've upgraded the other audio components in my system but have no intention of replacing the RT5000 speakers with anything else.

They sound too good. :wink:

[Michael8it]

Nope. First pair were 5b's. Now I have RTA 12's

[RickTfromAZ]

Yup. A pair of RTA15tl's. Bought em new. I went in and drooled over the 1.2tl's and then bought what I could afford at the time. Finally got a pair of 1.2tl's a couple of years ago. Only took almost 20 years!

[PreCd]

Yes! I bought a pair of SDA2As in 1986 and upgraded them to 2Bs a year or so after. Kept them by my side but did not run them much at all till now. Organized me a listening room, modded them, recapped them, recapped my preamp and amp...........need I say more. Loving it.

[bcline]

Purchased my Monitor 5bs from California Sound when I got my first job out of college in 1988. Still have them and have recapped them. However, they are in storage for my kids someday as I replaced them with a set of SDA-2As which I purchased a couple of years ago. I also now have a set of 7c speakers... but I will never let go of those 5bs. They still sound and look like new speakers.

[gmcman]

First pair was my RT800's, purchased new back in 1999. Hefty pricetag back then ($800) considering what's avail now but I don't think I can part with them.

[rebuy]

No, gone.

[20hz]

yup bought my ls50's new , dont think i will ever get rid of them .

[Luigi1951]

Yes. Model Nine. Bought them upon graduating in 1974, and still occasionally listen to them. Contrary to some opinions re: them I still think they sound good although I have to admit they sounded better when driven by Kenwood 6200 receiver.

[cwsmith68]

Yes. I traded a pair of Cerwin Vega AT-8'S and a pair of Bose cubes for a Pair of RT 55i's a few months ago. Love 'em! I now have RTA 12 b'S, mONITOR 10 B's and 5JR's!
Had Polk in my car for 7 years now:biggrin:

[Mark Syd]

I still have my Polk s10 speakers from the early 90s and I love them! Back then they were top of the line in the series and they still are awesome speakers now. Why would I replace them?

[Texun2]

I have my 7B's that we bought when we were first married, I hate to even say what year the was:rolleyes:

[dsthornberry]

I still have my SDA SRS 2.3tl that I bought new in July of 1990 at Sheffield Audio in Houston Tx
on Fondren Rd at 59 South, tax and all was about $2700.
They have only been moved once 15 miles to the house I am in now, since October 1992.
They have always been in the living room as the main attaction
I did the tweeter(s) upgrade last year.

[vstarkwell]

Yes!!! my Polk Monitor 5Jr+ Series 2 currently on loan. Since then I had a pair of Monitor 10 A's, which I've since sold and currently have a pair of 7C's & SDA II's

[OldmanSRS]

I still have my SDA SRS 2.3tl that I bought new in July of 1990 at Sheffield Audio in Houston Tx
on Fondren Rd at 59 South, tax and all was about $2700.
They have only been moved once 15 miles to the house I am in now, since October 1992.
They have always been in the living room as the main attaction
I did the tweeter(s) upgrade last year.

I heard my first Polk speakers (SDA SRS) down the street on Fondren just North of Westpark in 1987. It might have been Sheffield or something else. Anyway, I was hooked but they wanted $3,000 plus tax. Several months later I bought my 1.2's in Greensboro NC for $2,650 shipped to Houston. They have been with me since including a round trip to Saudi Arabia, back to Houston, and now in TN. I've owned them longer than about anything else I have.

[inspiredsports]

I've never sold a set of Polks.

I still own my first (1987) Polks as well as my second, third, fourth and 5th sets.

I'm negotiating with a guy (nice set of CRS+'s on local CL) right now and won't sell them either if the seller takes my offer.

[deronb1]

Got my RTA8Ts in 1989 and still have them. Replaced the caps and am thinking of getting RD0s. Thats it, will have them forever.

[Thomasjclark45]

I purchased my first pair of polks M50's only a couple of years ago and I love them. I tired polks becuase I had owned polk car audio and was very impressed by their perfomance vs. the price.
I do still own my very first surrond speakers from 94, they are the paradigm Micro's. I bought them from a local audio dealer, back before there was the big box stores. They were very enthusiastic about the Canadian company of which I had never heard of before. I also bought the small center that went with the set. Back then I paid 150 for the Micro set and 115 for the center. Earlier this year I inherited some of my fathers set up, which he bought at the same time. which included the Paradigm Atoms and the PDR10 sub. I have to say that it is amazing that these 18yr old speakers still work as good as the day I bought them. Unfortunately the Center channel mid foam surround has now rotted and been torn. The mesh grill loosend up over time and fell off during the last move I had and tore. Such a shame. I wanted to stay with the Paradigm system, but quickly found out that their pricing/quality was way above what I could afford or need. The down side of these, is that they don't quite match with my Polks. I currently am planning to replace them with Polks, but since I just Spent over $700 this year on my HT, which is chump change compared to many of you, my wife will put a hold on my future spending for a while. I would like to get the M40s to replace the Atoms as my front Highs and replace the micro's which I am using for my center with a CS2 which should give me a good match for the M70's and M50's that I have. I just seems the more I spend, the more I want to spend. It is a never ending circle, with each upgrade, there is another upgrade that will make it that much better.

[audiocr381ve]

Yes!

[zoraduntov]

Yes
Still have my SDA SRS 2 . Relaced them with B&W 800D . I don't think ill ever sell them .

[PryingEars]

Got serious about audio in high school. Tried many brands of speakers and ended up with a new pair of Polk Monitor 10s. Loved them then, love them now. Listening pleasure since 1983.

[saganized]

Still own my RTA 8t's purchased ($469.48) in 1990. Since I can't seem to add them to my System Showcase (not sure why), please permit me to "showcase" them here, next to my LSi15's! And happy to say, I've been a Polk Audio fan since the first time I laid ears on the RTA 8t's...they still sound as beautiful as they look! :smile: 65269

[scottfox]

Purchased my original polk Monitor 10's w/Peerless tweeter 4/6/1981 in Fairfield, CT for $480. Still have them with me in Dallas, TX. Could never let them go. Incorporated into my home theater with CSi20 center & Monitor 4 surrounds.65403

[saganized]

Nice, scottfox! My heart was set on Monitor 10s when I was in the military back then (but I ended up with Infinity SM 120s because they were all I could afford :frown:). Hey, I like that HDTV, too...a 5080? I have the 4280 and totally love it. (But doggone it, the 55" LG OLED shown at CES 2012 makes me want to start saving pennies again!)

[chosenalready]

I went into our local sound store looking for a replacement for my Pioneer SX-3700 that had given up the ghost. The shop had Yamaha, Macintosh, Denon, and JVC lines for sale. While checking out the choices for equipment they took me into the listening room to check out some new Denon equipment and it was hooked up to some 2B's. After a little of listening I was sold. But at the time in needed equipment first and only had funds for that. I walked out with Yamaha components. A few months later I returned and spent for time listening to the 2B's and 2.3TL's as these were the only SDA's that they had in the store. After much consideration and a little negotiation I purchased the 2.3TL's for $2,300.00 for the pair and I still have them today. Best stereo purchase I ever made.

[kevinsullivan]

Early 1980s, Monitor 7s, listening to'em right now. Having done a thing to them. They still sound great. I should probably replace gaskets and maybe re-cap'em?

[richimage]

65566
I bought these SDA2s in Germany after selling stereo equipment part-time at Mainz Kastel... just decided to set them back up with the Soundcraftsmen/dbx equipment from the same era and found the Red cable post was broken at the wire hole. Does anyone know if the post can be replaced or do I just need to open it up? Please reply to rich at rt2inc dot com.

[jass5150]

double post

[jass5150]

I bought my first and only set of Polks in 1998 as floor models from circuit city. RT7 fronts, cs101 center (it was the only polk center they had) and RT3 rears. My wife blew out the center last year, so I replaced it with a CSi3.

The reason I never replaced them was because so far, I haven't found anything that really beats the RT7s when set up properly. I know there are better speakers and better polks, but there is something about them. People hear them and go "holy crap, what are they"...even guys with much better gear than me. :lol: Believe it or not, they are paired with a cheap KLH subwoofer which somehow blends perfectly with them once I set the gain just right. I have grown quite attached to them even though my wife thinks they are ugly. Someday, I will upgrade the fronts and the RT7s do surround duty. But I'll never sell any of them.

[TheRealSpinner]

Considering I just bought my first pair of Polks (SDA-2B) 2 weeks ago, yes I still have them. :-)

[kritiana08]

Still have my first 1985 Monitor 10B's. Added a few more Models since. Now have seven pairs of Polks.
SDA1C's purchased 2/25/1989 from Stereo Lab in Columbus, OH for $1500. From the receipt it looks like they threw in the AI-1 N/C. I'm listening to Brandenburg Concertos through them right now.

None of the stores I bought equipment from exist anymore, such a shame. I called a shop in the Columbus area a few days ago and the salesperson was clueless, builds lots of confidence.

I may go a different direction soon, switching from Carver 4.0t's to a Bryston 4BSST. Oh, and my Sony ES is dying a slow death...grrr:(

[michael1947]

For Richimage...Yes you can fix it right up and will only take an hour or so. Radio Shack has some binding posts that actually fit right in and cost about 5 bucks. You get the pair, remove the old business being careful as the crossovers (guts) look really delicate. I didn't have to solder anything just push-on clips for connections and it all works and looks great. The new ones look a little different as they are newer. Mike

[Charlie51]

Still have the Polk 4.5's (got around 1989) and getting ready to attach them to my Marrantz 2230 in the bedroom. Got the marrantz about the early 70's. Still sounds loud and smooth for only 30W per channel...

[Stagerguy]

I still have my Monitor 5's. I purchased them in 1987, they were retired around 2000 due to tweeter failure. I figured they were not worth reviving, then I discovered Club Polk. I have since replaced the tweets, but discover a driver is also shot. Currently bidding on one on eBay, can't wait to fire these up and get some burn in time on the tweets.

[bmbguy]

Considering I just bought my first pair of Polks (SDA-2B) 2 weeks ago, yes I still have them. :-)

I'm with ya -- I've had my SDA-2As about five weeks now. I think it's safe to say I'll have a pair of SDAs until the day I die.

[Denon Frank]

My son has my first Polks (RT7 and CS101). He will not get my LSi-15's (doesn't have the gear to drive em.) Those will be available to some lucky Northern CA polkie at a very good price once I get enough posts to place em in the forum classifieds.