PE alternatives to the Polk 65xx drivers????

[Kegger]

If that's the driver in these exact speakers it looks to be a 4ohm woofer.

Here is the Dayton driver in a shielded 4ohm version.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=295-308

 

[gyusher]

I am thinking about running my Monitor 4 in series for center. . .That would make them 8ohm (4 now)right??

 

[MarkAnderson]

Yup.

 

[ohskigod]

I am thinking about running my Monitor 4 in series for center. . .That would make them 8ohm (4 now)right??

I've done 2 mon 5's in a series for a center back in the day. works well, and yes, 8 ohms when wired in series.

 

[gyusher]

I did check out that driver. ., .One thing. . .The price was right.

I also noted a slick Vifa driver at 41.00. . . Just curious since the Polk driver is 48.00 with discount I was kinda curious how someone could do for about that same money. . .

I have learned several things since this thread was started. . . I might give that Dayton driver a whirl since it is less than half the price. . .

One more question; What would happen if I used an 8ohm driver where a 4ohm driver was???

The spares I have now are Polk 6500. . .8ohm drivers and I did use one in my Monitor 4s with excellent results. The M4(6502) is rated 4ohms and the 6500 is 8ohm. . .

 

[mhardy6647]

Pretty sure there's a second order, low pass XO on the 'woofer' in most of the Polk monitors. If so, switching to an 8-ohm driver will eff up the crossover frequency for it, assuming the XO was designed for a 4 ohm woofer.

 

[MarkAnderson]

One more question; What would happen if I used an 8ohm driver where a 4ohm driver was???

This will change the x/o frequency (assuming there is a low-pass filter) by about an octave. You can do it - it just might sound like sh!t . - Mark

 

[Paul C]

If your Polks are 4 ohm drivers, you need to use a 4 ohm driver, or you need to rework the crossover. The Dayton 4 ohm version mentioned above seems like a likely candidate.

Check these out

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=290-307

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=290-351

 

[gyusher]

I think I know those Dayton drivers. . .My friend built a pair of speakers using that driver/. . . Sounded just fine. . .

Look at this Vifa driver. . . Interesting. . .

 

[jhoyt]

[Thread Resurrection]

I'm seriously thinking about doing the same thing with a pair of Monitor 10a's I picked up last weekend. One speaker had both MW6500 drivers seized. Money is really tight, so I want to go as economical as I can. I tried for hours to recenter the magnets and secure them in place, but the magnetic force was just too strong for even superglue.

I am looking at the PE Dayton 6.5 woofer. It's dirt cheap, and has nearly identical resistance and impedance. However, the Q is quite a ways off. I don't claim to understand the concept of "Q", but the crossover points should not change.

Has anyone done this swap in the 2 1/2 years since this thread was last active?

Comparison of Drivers

Driver: Polk MW 6500 | PartsExpress (Dayton) 295-305
Fs: 31.0000 Hz | 33 Hz (Free air resonance)
Vas: 2.6486 ft^3 | .98 cu. ft. (Compliance volume)
Qts: 0.2190 | .33 Total Q
Qms: 1.3000 | 2.75 Mechanical Q
Qes: 0.2640 | .37 Electrical Q
Sd: 0.0130 M^2 | (Piston area)
Xmax: 3.1800 mm | 3.15mm (Cone excursion, linear)
Revc: 6.5000 ohms | 6.0 ohms (DC resistance)
Znom: 8.0000 ohms | 8 ohms (Nominal impedance)
Pmax: 35.0000 watts | 50 watts RMS/75 watts max rated power

 

[karlo]

sounds like i know what i need to do before fatal failure sets in:

jb weld the magnets of my polks to the baskets before it's too
late.... about a 3/16" bead, schmeared around the perimeter
of the joint should do..... $5 for epoxy vs: $200 to replace 4 drivers
in monitor 10's.

 

[Face]

sounds like i know what i need to do before fatal failure sets in:

jb weld the magnets of my polks to the baskets before it's too
late.... about a 3/16" bead, schmeared around the perimeter
of the joint should do..... $5 for epoxy vs: $200 to replace 4 drivers
in monitor 10's.

:yes:

Don't drop you speakers and you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[jhoyt]

:yes:

Don't drop you speakers and you shouldn't have a problem.

And don't let 'em get cold.

 

[Bigerik]

To be honest, I can't imagine being so tight on cash that I wouldn't get the drivers from Polk. If you are a Club Polk forum member, they will sell them to you for $48 SHIPPED! This is the exact same driver, with all the right electrical and mechanical properties of the original. With anything else you are saving a few dollars (maybe) to get something that may or may not work as well.

Also, lets think of the bigger issue. Polk is one of the few manufacturers who actively support their older product. You can pretty well get a factory replacement for almost any Polk driver of any age. On top of that, Polk even designs replacement drivers of better quality to use in their old speakers. For example, the RDO 194 and 198 is a drop in replacement for many of their earlier tweeters, works perfectly with the existing crossover and yet has corrected many of the early design flaws/problems. Again, for less than $50 shipped to your door in the CONUS. A company that is willing to do this deserves our support.

 

[RayW]

I tried for hours to recenter the magnets and secure them in place, but the magnetic force was just too strong for even superglue.

Check out this thread where Scootchu gives pics and description of his Polk magnet re-mounting jig. I've used a similar jig for repairs on a Pioneer HPM woofer and a JBL. Use a 2-part epoxy with a slow enough cure time that you can position the magnet and then let it sit. It's really not that tough. I used a paper feeler gauge to get things centered and both worked out well.

Ray

 

[jhoyt]

Check out this thread where Scootchu gives pics and description of his Polk magnet re-mounting jig. I've used a similar jig for repairs on a Pioneer HPM woofer and a JBL. Use a 2-part epoxy with a slow enough cure time that you can position the magnet and then let it sit. It's really not that tough. I used a paper feeler gauge to get things centered and both worked out well.

Ray

Just looked at the pics from Scootchu's thread, and that looks pretty doable.

 

[jhoyt]

To be honest, I can't imagine being so tight on cash that I wouldn't get the drivers from Polk.

I can. Not by choice, but by necessity.

 

[Bigerik]

I can. Not by choice, but by necessity.

No offense to you, but different priorities or view points I guess. I would eat sawdust for a couple of week to save up the 40 bucks to do the fix right, if I had to, rather than spend the money on something that ain't gonna be right, even if it is close. And those things from PE ain't even close.

 

[himm37]

Provided the bass is reasonably flat, most of a speaker's "sound" comes from its midrange and tweeter. It is the higher overtones that make an oboe sound different from a trumpet or flute.

Surprised no one else brought this up in 2 years; the 6.5" driver in Polks, is the mid range driver!

 

[mhardy6647]

and the woofer.