With or Without SDA Cable...

Driver_King
Driver_King Posts: 266
edited May 2010 in Vintage Speakers
No, I'm not asking if I should use the SDA's with or without the SDA cable.:p But I am asking, should I or should I not use the SDA cable when calibratig with Audyssey? My question really stems from the differences between using Pure Audio on my receiver versus regular stereo mode with Audyssey. With Audyssey on, the SDA effect is significantly reduced. Tomorrow, I planned on re-running Audyssey and I felt like getting some opinions. What do you think?
Home Theater:

Onkyo TX-SR805
Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

Polk SDA II fronts
Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
Post edited by Driver_King on
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Comments

  • Schurkey
    Schurkey Posts: 2,104
    edited May 2010
    "I" would do all the testing/calibrating with the equipment set up the way it will be in normal use. Therefore, I'd leave the SDA interconnect...connected.
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  • hangon
    hangon Posts: 228
    edited May 2010
    I have calibrated mine (Burr-Brown) with and without the SDA interconnect. When I leave it disconnected I miss about 1/2 of the frequency range. In another words they sound muffed in the mids and the low's. Leaving it disconnected you are not properly activating the dimensional drivers.
    Leave it connected and Bi-Amp your speakers.
    HT Theater

    SRS-SDA 2.3tl RDO's
    Custom Center made out of a RTA15tl
    Pioneer Elite SC-25 Receiver
    CineNova Grande 5 channel Amp
    Klipsch KA-1000-THX Sub Amp
    (2)Klipsch KW-120-THX Subs

    Basement System

    SRS-SDA 1.2 upgraded Xover
    Pioneer Elite SC-25 Receiver
    ADCOM GFA 5500
    ADCOM GFA 5503
    Yahama P7000S Pro Audio Amp
    dbx 120x-ds Sub-harmonic Synthesizer
    2-JBL 4645C Subs
    1-Paradigm SW2200 Sub
    Klipsch Reference in wall's
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  • jrgoswick
    jrgoswick Posts: 159
    edited May 2010
    Schurkey is right on here. Do it like you'd normally listen to it.
    Onkyo TX-SR705 AVR
    Onkyo M-501-Given to my father.
    Onkyo DX-C730 CD Changer
    Onkyo DV-BD507 Blu Ray player
    Onkyo CP-1036A turntable with Grado, Audio Technique, and Azden cartridges(GOT CARTRIDGE??)
    Polk Monitor 12's with RDO's and XO's
    Polk CS300 Center
    Polk Monitor Series 4 rears

    EBAY is like cocaine. At first you only look, next thing you know, your house is full of crap you have no idea why you own.:eek:
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited May 2010
    Usually, I leave the cable connected for calibration. It's just that when I switch to pure audio mode from stereo, the SDA effect is much more pronounced.
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • bsoko2
    bsoko2 Posts: 1,449
    edited May 2010
    Audyssey recommends not using the interconnect when calibrating or at any other time. I did have mine connected for a time and then redid the calibration and there was a difference for the better. The interconnect causes some distortion with some freqs via Audyssey.

    Bill
    My 2012 HT Room - http://www.avsforum.com/t/1416077/bsoko2-new-ht-june-2012
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited May 2010
    Is there any way to not get the distortion using the cable? Not using the cable would defeat the purpose of the SDA speakers.
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • Bobsama
    Bobsama Posts: 526
    edited May 2010
    Driver_King wrote: »
    Is there any way to not get the distortion using the cable? Not using the cable would defeat the purpose of the SDA speakers.

    Build a thicker cable. Other than that, not really. Some loudspeakers (especially those with dedicated bass woofers) should calibrate better without the SDA cable. Other than sound-staging being narrower, I didn't notice much of a difference between my SDA-1's with the IC and without the IC, though I haven't done extensive testing.
    polkaudio Monitor 5 Series II
    polkaudio SDA-1 (with the SL1000)
    TEAC AG-H300 MK III stereo receiver
    beyerdynamic DT-880 Premium (600 Ω) headphones
    SENNHEISER HD-555 headphones
    Little Dot MK IV tube headphone amp
    Little Dot DAC_I balanced D/A converter
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited May 2010
    It's pretty noticeable for me without the SDA cable.
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,138
    edited May 2010
    I use the cable always, and have great results with my Pioneer calibration system (MCACC).
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  • bsoko2
    bsoko2 Posts: 1,449
    edited May 2010
    Conradicles wrote: »
    I use the cable always, and have great results with my Pioneer calibration system (MCACC).

    When I had an Pio '94 it worked just fine with MCACC but not with Audyssey.

    Bill
    My 2012 HT Room - http://www.avsforum.com/t/1416077/bsoko2-new-ht-june-2012
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