got nOhr monkey pod drums?

jqp · « **on:** 21 Feb 2007, 02:14 am »

A recent post has inspired me to do some research and post a few pics of the monkey pod drums...

If you have nOrh monkey pod drums, let us know what you have and how they are doing...

This is the raw materials for the original nOrh drum cabinets. Monkeypod, or rain tree wood is plentiful in Thailand, and is used to make the thai drums that originally inspired the nOrh speakers. Early drums had problems cracking outside of the Thailand climate. nOrh modified their manufacturing by baking the drums for at least a few weeks in a kiln and letting them sit before finishing the drums. They also replaced all cracked drums or credited for an upgrade...

The log sections are turned on a lathe to shape the outside, and then to cut out the inside. The drum walls are 1".

Here are some 3.0s. Although different stains were used, the wood is the same.

This is the 5.1 with a Walnut stain.

This is the 6.1. An exotic looking speaker!

This is the 7.0 with the Scanspeak drivers

The order of product introductions went like this:

The nOrh 6.0

The nOrh 6.5

The nOrh 5.0

The nOrh 7.0 - at the time the flagship model and the best seller. Different Scanspeak tweeters could be requested.

Then came the 4.0 (new $400/pair) and the 5.1 (new $500/pair)

The nOrh 3.0 (new $250/pair) Sold like hotcakes at RMAF a few years ago...

cody · « **Reply #1 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 08:17 am »

mine is in storage
if i have time i will take a picture of it.
i believe its one of the few wooden 6.9
will post them soon.

jqp · « **Reply #2 on:** 22 Feb 2007, 04:44 pm »

Quote from: cody on 22 Feb 2007, 08:17 am

mine is in storage
if i have time i will take a picture of it.
i believe its one of the few wooden 6.9
will post them soon.

Wow I did not realize there was ever a wood 6.9. I think it is the same drum as the wood 9.0s and 7.0s and 6.5s?

Definitely get some pictures!

savoybrown · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Mar 2007, 09:38 pm »

i have a set of the original 6.5 wood speakers, with 3 wood 4.0s. i just bought 2 marble 9.0s from oris98, and will take pics of everything when i get them all settled in their new home.

i do have a question though. i am in the process of upgrading the standard woofer & tweeter in the 6.5s to the ones used in the classic 7.0s. i have already sourced the scanspeak 9300 tweeter and the scanspeak 15w8530k00, but need the upgraded crossovers. i have been trying for about a year to get michael to quote me a price, but haven't had any luck to date.

does anyone know where i can get replacement crossovers?

Johng316 · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 04:48 pm »

I have a pair of the monkeydrums in 4.0. I've owned them for 6 or 7 years now, and they perform flawlessly. Finish is great, no cracking. I'm using them as rear surrounds currently with SM 6.9's in front and a marble 4.0 center.

Just Sunday I had some friends over for a movie. Before the film, a (lady) friend of mine said, "Oh, I just realized those were speakers! Wow, I thought they were some kind of artwork. They are beautiful!"

John

jqp · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Mar 2007, 05:46 pm »

Lenny!

sas · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 04:43 am »

Quote from: savoybrown on 3 Mar 2007, 09:38 pm

i do have a question though. i am in the process of upgrading the standard woofer & tweeter in the 6.5s to the ones used in the classic 7.0s. i have already sourced the scanspeak 9300 tweeter and the scanspeak 15w8530k00, but need the upgraded crossovers. i have been trying for about a year to get michael to quote me a price, but haven't had any luck to date.

does anyone know where i can get replacement crossovers?

The ScanSpeak 8530-K00 (revelator) is the driver used in the Norh 9.0's. The 9.0's also had the scanspeak 9900 tweeters.

The 'classic 7.0' used the 18W-8545-00 woofer from Scanspeak. It also shipped with various tweeters (all scanspeak) -- the 9300, the 9500 and the 9700 -- and therefore (I assume) slightly different crossovers.

I once asked Norh the price of a crossover, and was quoted something like $75 a piece (ie $150 for both speakers).

In my experience, the easiest way to upgrade Norh speakers is:

1. Replace the existing drivers (they are vifa probably) with ones of the same dimensions (ie they fit into exactly the same holes in the baffles) or slightly larger. I'm not sure what the drivers are in the 6.5, but bear in mind that the 8530 is a small driver -- meaning you may have to rip out the 6.5 baffle and replace it. The baffle is glued and nailed in, and basically impossible to remove. If you can, measure your 6.5 driver cut outs and post back here.

2. Forget the passive crossover, go active and biamp. You will not regret it. If you are handy with a soldering iron, get a kit from marchand, ESP or somewhere else. You'll need 2 stereo amps, but you won't need to buy norh crossovers or make your own (a PITA). You also get added flexibility in choosing drivers -- instead of the 9300/9500/9700, why not try the cheaper but excellent Peerless HDS tweeter (for example). Or instead of Scanspeak, try the Usher clones (8945 + 9950) from parts express, which are also excellent. Biamping may sound daunting, but it isn't.

sas · « **Reply #7 on:** 23 Mar 2007, 04:49 am »

forgot to say I had original monkey pod 6.0's -- which I upgraded to 9.0 with the DM crossover (superb), and then tried biamping (even better). Sadly the drivers were badly damaged in a move. Insured but still need to reorder the drivers.

I also had the 6.1 'classic' with vifa drivers. In the process of upgrading these drivers, similar to the ones used in the 7.0's, but also for biamping.