Polk Audio STA 1.2TR...Major Disappointment :(

[JBLCanuck]

Wow,
I got home from a trip to Seattle on Saturday. I had the opportunity to buy a set of Polk Audio 1.2TR's. All my adult life I've heard people rave about these speakers. Most I've talked to have suggested that they blow away virtually any JBL. It seems every time I've seen these available, they're just too far away to consider. With the size & weight of them, shipping just isn't really an option. So this set in Seattle comes available for $1700 & I decide to buy them since I'm close & since I've free'd up a little more play money than I'd banked on.
I get home from Seattle with the Polks & a pair of early 70's RTR 280dr's that I picked up for $200.
Major lunchbag letdown on the Polks. My JBL240Ti's blow them away in virtually every department. They just sound muddy & not clean at all. Maybe I'm used to the JBL's...maybe my Adcom 565's don't suite the Polks but I'm very, very disappointed. Yes, I have the interconnect hooked up & yes, I've got my Adcom chassis grounded together...no, they don't sound good & all the speakers seem to be operating as they're supposed to.
On a better note...the RTR's blow both the Polk's & the 240Ti's away! They truly are amazing for $200! 4-10" drivers & 6 Peerless tweeters...they're just a very pleasant surprise to an otherwise very disappointing trip.
Anyone want a mint pair of Polk SDA 1.2TR's
As for these RTR's...Looks are deceiving
http://members.shaw.ca/missionkraft/rtr.jpg

[SEAWOLF97]

You should try some 4343's or at least some 250ti's

[robertbartsch]

Seven or eight years ago, I purchased 4 large "Klip Horn" floor standing speakers that were $600 a piece. They have 2 - 6 inch cone drivers and a small compression driver HF.

They totally SUK.

Same deal with a modern JBL center channel - garbage.

Unfortunately, modern speakers generally perform poorly.

Today's JBL Professional series drivers are one exception. I bought some components recently and made some speaker sets and I have had great results.

[Mr. Widget]

Wow,
I got home from a trip to Seattle on Saturday. I had the opportunity to buy a set of Polk Audio 1.2TR's. All my adult life I've heard people rave about these speakers.

I have never heard of them. Actually I have never heard anyone rave about any Polk speaker. Praise them for sure, as in good value, and a lot of bang for the buck.

On a side note, since I wasn't aware of them, I thought I'd Google them... Google is getting fast. All that came up was your post from yesterday!


Widget

[Mr. Widget]

Unfortunately, modern speakers generally perform poorly.

Maybe you mean modern cheap speakers? I recently heard a pair of Project Array 1400s and was thoroughly blown away by them. I'd place them ahead of any of the traditional large JBL monitors, L300s etc. Sure they are $5500 each, but with inflation that is like $1300 back in the '70s... about the same as the better monitors.


Widget

[JBLCanuck]

I have never heard of them. Actually I have never heard anyone rave about any Polk speaker. Praise them for sure, as in good value, and a lot of bang for the buck.

On a side note, since I wasn't aware of them, I thought I'd Google them... Google is getting fast. All that came up was your post from yesterday!


Widget

Sorry Widget, I posted that they were 1.2TR's....they are Polk SDA 1.2TL's.
Do a search...there will be hundreds of opinions...I couldn't find one negative one other than mine.
I guess you could call them modern but no more modern than 250TI's. I think they're from 1989. In 2 separate articles I've read, they rated them in the top 10 speakers of all time. I take everything I read with a grain of salt but I read as many good things about them as 4343's or 250Ti's...so I'm guessing I've done something wrong.
I think I've found out what that is & will keep you posted.
I'm not expecting miracles but for my $200 1970's RTR's to blow them away...kind of depressing, no?

[JBLCanuck]

You should try some 4343's or at least some 250ti's

Smart Ass!
Bring those 250Ti's up & I'll show you a set of $200 RTR 280dr's that'll give them a real run for their money!
So far, with 4 different sets of ears, the RTR's are batting 4-0 over the 240Ti's. They're wolves in sheeps clothing
If you ever get a chance to hear them...take a listen.
Similar principal to your Ohm's only 1-10" driver driving down & 1-10" driver on each of 3 faces. The base from these things is phenominal. A little missing in the middle but if you run these & a set of smaller speakers with a little better mid...I'd predict an incredible sound.

[SEAWOLF97]

Smart Ass!
Bring those 250Ti's up & I'll show you a set of $200 RTR 280dr's that'll give them a real run for their money!

they ain't goin anywhere.

Similar principal to your Ohm's only 1-10" driver driving down & 1-10" driver on each of 3 faces.

well, not really..the Walsh driver radiates off the backside of the cone in a 360 pattern. 1 driver, no crossover.
I found Julian Hersh's review to illustrate the principle well. see it at:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbullet...&postcount=133

Sorry Widget, I posted that they were 1.2TR's....they are Polk SDA 1.2TL's.
Do a search...there will be hundreds of opinions...I couldn't find one negative one other than mine.

I didn't read about any demo b4 purchasing $1700 speakers. Did you buy them "unheard" ??

the 91 blue book shows a SDA-SRS 1.2 with 15in passive (3k/pr.) and SDA-SRS 1.2tt at 1.7k ea.
but no SDA 1.2TL (looking at their list- stupid model naming conventions)

[JBLCanuck]

I didn't read about any demo b4 purchasing $1700 speakers. Did you buy them "unheard" ??

Tom,
I listened to them in a tiny livingroom with wood floors & bare walls. The guy had taken his whole livingroom apart to move but left the speakers hooked up so I could hear them. They were hooked to Carver amps & Pioneer preamp & cd so I basically resigned myself to the gamble.
I've read enough that I honestly didn't need to hear them...or so I thought
Anyway, like I say...I think I've found the problem. Apparently when you run these Polks with Monoblocks, you have to tie the negative speaker wires together. I thought you just had to ground the two amp chassis??
Oh well...we'll try it again & I'll let you know if they are what they're made out to be. One thing I can tell you is they are so huge it's borderline rediculous!
Wifey not happy with me

[Mr. Widget]

Sorry Widget, I posted that they were 1.2TR's....they are Polk SDA 1.2TL's.
Do a search...

Here they are... no wonder I am not familiar with them... I am not a fan of the pile of drivers approach to loudspeaker design.


Widget

[JBLCanuck]

I hear you, I've never been a fan of them either but if the sound is there...that's all I care about. In this case...it's not..so far!

[briang]

These are the "Stereo Dimenstional Array" Polks, right? The one's where the complex crossover sends a crosstalk cancellation signal to the "dimensional array" (that's why all the drivers) to enhance the Soundstage, correct?

I remember the Hype back in the 1980's, the Polks seemed so "cutting edge" back then...I've never heard a set though...

[JBLCanuck]

Yes, That's correct. That's why it's so important to have your amps on a common ground I'm told.
People rave about the soundstage from these speakers.
Don't get me wrong...I love JBL! I'm a JBL man through & through but I'm also open minded, & these get as good or better reviews than even the best JBL's.
I figured it was worth hearing for myself anyway.

[Mr. Widget]

These are the "Stereo Dimenstional Array" Polks, right?

Sounds like Bose to me.

I am a purist. I like to sit and listen to stereo in the sweet spot and enjoy the stereo effect as created by the musicians and engineers... that said, it can be fun to flirt with crazy phasy systems from time to time. Now, where is that Aphex aural exciter.


Widget

[JBLCanuck]

Sounds like Bose to me.Widget

Please Sir