Should I trade my SDA 2B for B&W 801

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hauxon
hauxon Posts: 161
in Vintage Speakers
Well I have a little dilemma. I've have a pair of Polk SDA 2B studio (black) I bought new in 1991. They are in near mint condition and I really do like the sound. I have't done any upgrades but have been planning to do a TL mod and recap for some time.

But recently I saw a pair of 1981 B&W 801 Series 80 speakers for sale here in Iceland. The speakers need a little TLC. The current owner was planning on restoring them but says he lost interest since he has too little time for the project. The tweeters need new diaphragms and he's afraid he does not have the skill or patience to replace them. Other than that the speakers are fine according to the guy.

I offered my SDA 2B's + $500. He said he will probably take my offer but wants to think it over. I know I can fit new diaphragms since I've done it before (on a KEF tweeter). But for those who have heard both do you think it's a worthwhile upgrade? Is it wise to trade my perfect SDA's for a broken B&W 801? Should I rather just do the TL mod and recap my SDA 2B's? I know the B&W 801 have a legendary place in hifi history, the monitor of choice for many recording and mastering studios for a decade or more. ...but then there in not really much wrong with the SDA.... help! :smiley:
SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,067
    edited December 2017
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    I wouldn't. You'd be trading $900-1,000 for a $2,000 pair of speakers, about double the value, but what if there's more to their problems than he says? If they are worth fixing why wouldn't he do it? Why would he be willing to lose 50% value in a trade? Are they in poor cosmetic shape?

    If you had a car worth $10,000 that needed a single repair and was "otherwise fine" would you trade it for a running $5,000 car? You'd take the monetary loss because you have too little time? No way.

    Who knows, though. That's just my gut feeling.

    If you really like the SDA sound stage, you'll regret it. I get it's not for everyone but if that's what you enjoy, there's no other speaker that can get close to them in that regard.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
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  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 161
    edited December 2017
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    Well he's selling them low because they need tens of hours of work and possibly few hundreds dollars for parts. He has already sanded and oiled the bass cabinets and they do look beautiful. ...hmm, but you're right ..in a way
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • BlueBirdMusic
    BlueBirdMusic Posts: 2,076
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    No don't do it! Consider buying them if you must have them.
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"


    Harry / Marietta GA
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  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,755
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    If youre on the fence about getting rid if them, I would reconsider.

    I purchased my 2B studios 2nd hand about 4-5 years ago, they were still stock at the time, and I thought they sounded pretty good. I was powering them with an average AVR but they surely needed something with some more kick.

    Once I TL'd them, all new caps and resistors, added rings, BL5, spikes.....they were taken to a whole new level, you really can't compare the two. Add in a good amp and things changed dramatically.

    If you enjoy the SDA aspect, then the 2BTL ranks high in the list. I agree there are better speakers for critical listening, but you're going to pay for them.

    The 801 is Indeed a fine speaker, but you need a good amp to run them. Tough call, two different animals....I agree that I would buy the 801 then compare to a modded 2B.
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  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 161
    edited December 2017
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    Well I plan to keep my current amplification. NAD M51 preamp/dac and NAD C272 2x150W RMS power amp. This setup works great with the Polks and I have no reason to believe that it won't be a good match for the B&W.
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,528
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    Here is how I would approach it.

    How hard/easy are the SDA's to acquire in Iceland? If they are something you could trade out and then find another set easily if the B&W dont suit you, then perhaps do it.

    However if they are something that you COULDN'T easily find another set of, I'd see how common those B&W's are compared to the Polks and then debate if you just wait for a different pair comes along, or buy those outright, compare them and sell the loser.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 161
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    We are only 350.000 people in Iceland. Everything is rare...

    It might be a good idea to have both , do the TL mod and compare. ...but expensive and time consuming.
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,559
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    hauxon wrote: »
    It might be a good idea to have both , do the TL mod and compare. ...but expensive and time consuming.

    Welcome to the world of Audio.

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  • MrBuhl
    MrBuhl Posts: 2,419
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    Having not head the B&W's, I can only comment as above, that if you take the time to do the TL on your 2B's, you will be rewarded with some of the best sound Polk makes IMO. They supplanted my modded 1c's (surprisingly to me).
    VA HT HK AVR20II, Sony S9000ES CD/DVD/SACD, Polk Audio RC80i / Polk Audio CSi3, 60" Panasonic Plasma, Nordost / Signal Cable A2 / Wireworld / Pangea / Magic Power
    VA 2 Channel Focal Electra 926 speakers, Pass Labs X150.5 Amp, Eastern Electric MiniMax Preamp (Tutay mods), Eastern Electric Minimax CDP (Scott Nixon mods), Music Hall mmf 5.1 Turntable, Parks Audio Budgie Phono Pre , Audioengine B1 streamer, MIT S3 IC's / MIT Shotgun S3 Speaker Cables / PS Audio power cables
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,795
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    Is it wise to trade my perfect SDA's for a broken B&W 801?

    It wouldn't be wise to trade for or otherwise acquire a working B&W.

    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,684
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    I gotta agree with F1 here. B&W stands for bags and wads... because that is what you'll need to keep them up and running.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,095
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    Keep the SDA’s. Every B&W speaker I have heard are too forward in their presentation, so much that it can sound like the performers are sitting on your lap rather than on stage where they belong.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • rpf65
    rpf65 Posts: 2,127
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    Keep the SDA's.

    Pretty sure you'll hate yourself about a week after you got the B&W's up and running if you go through with that deal.
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  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 161
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    Well in the end the seller got a higher bid and to be true I'm reliefed. I'll order the RDO-198 in the morning an give myself th TL mod for christmas. I also need to order 5.8uf caps, right?. Any specific brand more popular than the other? Sonicap? Clarty Cap? Maybe same brand as I woukd be using in a future crossover recapping?
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,679
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    I guess I'm a little late chiming in, but as an SDA lover, I would say keep them. Those 198's will sound way better than any 1981 B & W. Your ears will thank you. :p And do any mods you can. All will be worth it.
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,314
    edited December 2017
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    Did the B&W 801 come with the Variable Bass Alignment Filter & Equalizer t to make them sound right? Also, how big is your room? I am not sure if that amp is 4-2 ohm stable. Although NAD is usually solid at 4, I am not sure about 2.

    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,314
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    I think you not getting the 801's is your better choice.
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    I'll be odd man out and say I'd go for it. I'd rather throw time and money at 801's. In the end you'll end up with an Aston Martin instead of a Ford Focus.
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  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
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    Keep em both and get em up abd running. Then decide.
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  • gmcman
    gmcman Posts: 1,755
    edited December 2017
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    Slapaho wrote: »
    I'll be odd man out and say I'd go for it. I'd rather throw time and money at 801's. In the end you may end up with an Aston Martin instead of a Maybach

    Fixed it for you..... :p
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,095
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    The OP already pointed out the deal fell apart.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • RandyCroissant
    RandyCroissant Posts: 475
    edited December 2017
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    sda 2bs should never be compared with a Ford Focus. I think more like a 69 Camaro SS good old American muscle. Easy on the eyes, fun to drive, and very nice sounding B)
    Yamaha RXA1030, Yamaha CD-S2100, Yamaha AS-2200, Bluesound node 2i
    Polk SDA2btl highly modded
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Sorry. 2B's don't impress me even a little bit. Not wanting to insult anyone or hurt feelings. I just don't care for them.
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  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 6,679
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    Slapaho wrote: »
    Sorry. 2B's don't impress me even a little bit. Not wanting to insult anyone or hurt feelings. I just don't care for them.

    2B or not 2B. That is the question. And here's the answer: ^^^^^
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,795
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    The 2B's, especially when TL'd are an exceptional speaker.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • hauxon
    hauxon Posts: 161
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    Well, as I see it my SDA 2B are a bit like Porsche 944 turbo. It's got 50/50 weight, plenty of power and better handling than most exotic cars. But it's not a Lamborgini or Ferrari or even a 911. For the snobs it's just an Audi.

    The B&W 801 would have cost me a to fix it and probably also cost me more because my current NAD power amp would probably not be posh enough (or powerful). I'm fine with not having the absolute "best" and know my gear sounds better than most.

    Few weeks ago I visited a very nice store in Hamburg Germany, HiFi Klubben, and got to audition the 22.000 euro B&W 802 D3. It did sound good but not a world away from my home stereo and on some recordings I not sure it sounded any better, a bit too bristle at times for my taste. There simply isn't a perfect speaker for everything out there.

    I will continue to enjoy my Polks SDA and for people looking for high quality speakers at a bargain you can't really beat the 2B.

    Happy hollidays! ;)
    SRS 1.2 TL | SDA 2B Studio TL | NAD M51 preamp/dac | DIY SET 300B tube amplifier | Cambridge Audio Azur 851W | Chromecast Audio | RoPieee Roon Raspberry Pi endpoint
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 4,684
    edited December 2017
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    Just like your Porsche analogy, It's all about perspective. You can have your cake and eat it too. Get rid of that oxidized mylar/poly dome tweeter and be happy with the sound stage and clarity.
    As for the 944, get rid of the 4 cylinders and install 8. Eat 911 cake all day...

    https://goo.gl/images/xh6J4T


    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    F1nut wrote: »
    The 2B's, especially when TL'd are an exceptional speaker.

    I'll respect your opinion even though you respect no one else's. 2B's I've sat and listened to sounded okay but didn't blow me away. If the SDA IC wasn't connected they're just another mid-fi vintage speaker. SDA is the only thing they have going for them which you can get in a much smaller package. I own 1C's and Monitor 12 series 2's, neither of which impress me either. DKFREEBIRD's 1.2's are the only Polks that gave me goosebumps and made me say "Wow!" inside. That's my opinion about my experiences listening to different sets of Polk's old speakers, stock or modified. There are better speakers on the market for similar money especially after the costs of replacing the majority of the original Polk's original parts.
    xschop wrote: »
    As for the 944, get rid of the 4 cylinders and install 8. Eat 911 cake all day...

    https://goo.gl/images/xh6J4T


    Didn't Porsche try that with the 928? Didn't quite kill their 911 demand but some of those 928 models sure hauled ****.
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  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
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    I had 2Bs as well, modded by a pro. They were nice and did many things well, but off axis? forgetaboutit
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  • DollarDave
    DollarDave Posts: 2,575
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    Slapaho wrote: »
    F1nut wrote: »
    The 2B's, especially when TL'd are an exceptional speaker.

    I'll respect your opinion even though you respect no one else's.

    2B's I've sat and listened to sounded okay but didn't blow me away. If the SDA IC wasn't connected they're just another mid-fi vintage speaker. SDA is the only thing they have going for them which you can get in a much smaller package. I own 1C's and Monitor 12 series 2's, neither of which impress me either. DKFREEBIRD's 1.2's are the only Polks that gave me goosebumps and made me say "Wow!" inside. That's my opinion about my experiences listening to different sets of Polk's old speakers, stock or modified. There are better speakers on the market for similar money especially after the costs of replacing the ....

    The first part of this is an unnecessary snide remark.

    The second part shows that you don’t understand the design of SDA speakers, at all. The IC is REQUIRED to not only carry the out-of-phase content from one speaker to the other, but also completes the circuit and lets the SDA driver play content to reinforce the bass and mid-bass of that same speaker. They simply sound like poo without the IC in place. The fact is, if you listened to modified 2B’s and thought they sounded like midfi, then something else was wrong with your setup.

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