MY POLK UPGRADE PROJECT
I own a pair of
Polk RTA-15TL. They were the top-of the line non SDA Polk speakers from 1990 to 1992. They were listed for
$1,400 back then and I paid $1,100 for them. These are the specifications:
Drivers
One 1 inch (25 mm) SL 3000 Dome Tweeter
Four 6.5 inch (165 mm) Trilaminate Polymer Bass-Midrange Drivers (6503)
Two 10 inch (254 mm) Sub-Bass Radiators, One High-Resonance, One Low-Resonance
Frequency Response
20 Hz - 26 kHz
-3 db Limits
35 Hz - 25kHz
Recommended Amplification
30-250 Watts/Channel
Impedance
Compatible with 8 Ohms Output
Efficiency
90 db
Size
43"H (109.2 cm), 12.5" W (31.7 cm), 15.5" D (39.4 cm)
Shipping Weight
77 lbs (34.9 kg)
Polk Audio has developed new silk dome tweeters (RD0198-1) that fit the Polk RTA and SDA models. They are about $150 a pair, but if you join Club Polk, you get a discount and they will charge you only $100. It is always a good idea to get your spouse involved. I asked Mrs. Big Daddy to call Polk and order the new tweeters. She is catching the upgraditis virus very fast. They arrived after a few days and I got busy. Here is a pictorial demonstration of how I replaced the tweeters.
This picture is taken with the old SL 3000 tweeter:
This is the Polk RTA-15TL speaker with the new RD0198-1 tweeter:
ADDING SUPER TWEETERS
Craziness did not stop with replacing the tweeters. I had to do something else and that something else cost me a lot of money.
The final step was to add a pair of ribbon super tweeters. Let’s hope this is the final step. Super tweeters cost from a couple of hundred dollars to a couple of thousand dollars. Initially, I was tempted to buy Townshend super tweeters, but they cost $1,400 a pair. After exhaustive research, I settled for a pair of
LCY 100K super tweeters from
E-Speakers.Com for about $580, including tax and shipping. Their frequency reponse are rated up to 100kHz with two built-in crossover settings. They also have a beautiful metallic case with locks. The
reviews are very good.
Attaching them is very easy. You simply connect them to the binding posts of the main speakers and place them on top of your speakers. You can tweak their position and direction a little bit until you get the desired sound.
The speakers sound so much better. I just listened to Dead Can Dance: Into the Labyrinth. The CD has a lot of high and low frequency music in it. I am not exaggerating, the improvement in sound is almost 100%. I hear things that I never knew existed on the album. After an added subwoofer, new tweeters, and a pair of super tweeters, I believe the speakers have been converted to $20,000 speakers.
This is a picture of the equipment that drive the Polk speakers.
Polk Audio Silk Dome Tweeters:
1-800-377-7655
http://www.polkaudio.com
2 x RD0198-1, $100 (with Club Polk discount)