The Polk Audio Monitor Series Model 9 and Model 9A

[mhardy6647]

Since these early Polk Audio products just came up, off topic, in another thread... here's a thread on these interesting atavisms :-)

Some links from Polk posts past (obtained by searching "piezo" - the Model 9 was the only Polk product to date to use piezo tweeters AFAIK)...

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38805
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46915
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50681
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59927
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88622
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99614

The astute reader will quickly realize that I know very little about these loudspeakers :-P

[HTguru1982]

Very interesting. That's for posting those links. Looks like I'll be busy for a while!

[nadams]

Sounded pretty crappy, and were an attempt to knock-off Bose, IMO. A pair were purchased by some members of the forum and donated back to Polk to be included in their "hall of fame" at the HQ.

Certainly not anything to write home about, but an interesting piece of early Polk history.

[mhardy6647]

Sounded pretty crappy, and were an attempt to knock-off Bose, IMO. A pair were purchased by some members of the forum and donated back to Polk to be included in their "hall of fame" at the HQ.

Certainly not anything to write home about, but an interesting piece of early Polk history.

Did you hear them?

The 9As I have are quite respectable sounding. I heard the original Model 9s a long time ago at JHU - never under circumstances where I could say whether they sounded good or bad (the drinking age was 18 then). I wouldn't be at all surprised that the original 9s weren't great - but the 9As, with Peerless silk domes like the 7 and 10, are not bad.

[Tony M]

[QUOTE=mhardy6647;1635786]Did you hear them?

The 9As I have are quite respectable sounding. I heard the original Model 9s a long time ago at JHU - never under circumstances where I could say whether they sounded good or bad (the drinking age was 18 then). I wouldn't be at all surprised that the original 9s weren't great - but the 9As, with Peerless silk domes like the 7 and 10, are not bad.[/QUOTE]

I agree, not bad at all to me either. I own a pair of what we're talking about. They are the 9B.

But many would question my listening rooms' acoustics..:tongue:

[mhardy6647]

...
I agree, not bad at all to me either. I own a pair of what we're talking about. They are the 9B.

But many would question my listening rooms' acoustics..:tongue:

The Nine Bee, eh? The plot thickens.
Pictures or it didnt' happen! ;-)

[Tony M]

The first 9's-...9A


9 had nailed on grills (9) and then velcro connecting discs (9A). and both had that Philips(?) driver w/wizzer cone.

The 9B has Velcro connectors and peerlees tweeters. and those bose style driverss.

That's what I think.. Below is one of mine. I love their sound!

By the way, what is the front of this speaker? The tweeter side?

[mhardy6647]

The original Nine had the 4" extended-range CTS "Bozo" drivers, at least based on the scanned info on teh interwebs, and the Motorola piezo tweeter. The 9As in my basement have a Peerless silk dome tweeter in 'em.

Based on the photo below - I believe they're supposed to be positioned with the tweeters facing the back wall.

The Philips twincone drivers mentioned in the previous post are very cool drivers, but I've never seen any (photographic) evidence of 'em on Monitor Series Model 9s of any flavor.


This page scan, from [img]www.polksda.com[/img], is AFAIK the original commercial incarnation of the Nine.

[Tony M]

Ok ,
I'm sorry.

Originals had the bozos... So mayby there's only 2 versions with the 1st version being two styles of tweeters..

I have never seen the other philips drivers either. If I bought these with that piezo teeter, I'd be inclined to upgrade that myself. But these bozos put out some serious sound and bass don't they. I thought the tweeter was for the rear...wierd huh?