Best Placement For SDA 1 Speakers?

Sulla
Sulla Posts: 12
edited July 2010 in Vintage Speakers
Does any one know what the best placement for SDA 1 speakers is? Thanks
Post edited by Sulla on
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,138
    edited June 2010
    I've tried many different locations all with different kinds of results. It will greatly depend on the room size. Check the owners manual for more information, but here is my current set-up:

    Room size = 24' x 23' (very "live" room)
    speaker location = about centered on the 24' wall
    Distance between speakers (measured by the inside edge of cabinets) = 6.5 feet
    Distance from back wall = 9.5"
    Both speakers perfectly level per a bubble level

    I sit about 7.5 feet back dead center in the sweet spot.

    Try different locations and see what sounds best to you.

    Remember these two general rules:
    make sure they are level and parallel to the back wall (no toe-in)
    closer to the back wall = more bass
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,138
    edited June 2010
    Ooops forgot...Welcome to Club Polk Sulla!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited June 2010
    Try 3 feet from the side walls,and about 12 inches from the rear,, then tweak as necessary for bass response(rear wall).Good luck and welcome to CP.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited June 2010
    Thanks for the help. I will do the best with the odd shaped room I have:)

    And thanks for the welcome guys.
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  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited June 2010
    Welcome to CP Sulla!

    One more thing, DO NOT toe in your speakers.
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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited June 2010
    Good I was going to ask about that :)
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited June 2010
    Welcome to CP! Which SDA 1's you running? I have mine about 8' apart, 4 feet from the sides and 7" from the back wall. Still experimenting.
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited June 2010
    Thanks for the welcome:)

    I believe they are the first generation SDAs. They look exactly like this picture I found online including the signature edition plate. http://img88.imageshack.us/i/recentpictures014kz4.jpg/

    My speakers are exactly 8 feet apart since that is how wide my screen is and they have to be on each side of it. And and they are about 8 to 10 inches from the wall I really cant more them out any more. Then on one side the sidewall comes up at an angle for a few feet then strait out. And on the other I have a short side wall right next to the speaker that comes out like two and a half feet past it. Its really pretty terrible the way the room is setup haha. But these speakers have sounded better than anything I have had in there.
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited June 2010
    I have my SDA2's about three foot from the side wall almost a foot off the back wall and about 7ft apart from each other. The room I am in is not very lively but when they were close to the back wall they lost alot of bass response to a stairwell in the wall behind them.

    Best placement for me seems to be a perfect pyramid between me and the speakers. Facing perfectly straight forward. Don't toe them in or it will mess up the sound.
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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited June 2010
    OK thanks joe:)
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,694
    edited June 2010
    SDA 1a is closer to what you have. First gen SDA had ports where the signature plate is and the upper MW's had a enclosed box behind them.

    I have the very same speaker.:D:D:D:D
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited June 2010
    pitdogg2 wrote: »
    SDA 1a is closer to what you have. First gen SDA had ports where the signature plate is and the upper MW's had a enclosed box behind them.

    I have the very same speaker.:D:D:D:D

    They are definitely SDA1's but my SDA2's are the same 1st generation speakers and only have slight differences between them, Cabinet Size and driver count. But otherwise they are very similar in placement. As are most of the SDA's And SRS systems.
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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited June 2010
    Ahh ok thanks. I need to read up more on the SDA line of speakers.
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  • maandjojo
    maandjojo Posts: 293
    edited June 2010
    Best placement for your SDA1's are in my house.
    I'd use them for my surrounds. Ok so I guess that's out of the question.
    I really believe that some of you place them to close together. Eight feet apart is quite a bit. Given enough space from the sidewalls and they are going to expand the soundstage.
    One of the things that SDA speakers are noted for. My 1.2TLs' are 7 ft. apart and more than 6 ft. from any sidewalls. I sit about 9 ft. from the frontline and those babies shine.
    Play with a bit, all rooms will differ a great deal.

    Joe
    Joe
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  • AKE13
    AKE13 Posts: 2
    edited June 2010
    Hi All...........I am kind of new to this club and first time respond to posts.........I like Polk speakers and as hobby have collected quiet few models over the years. The picture Sulla posted attracted me to write and ask your opinion about the SDA I have at home. Mine looks exactly same as that picture, but grill is not same color and is kind of dark brown. How do I know when they were made and if they are SDA original, 1, 1a or what?! Also what amp do you recommend? I have a Sansui receiver that look same as the one in that picture, but did not try that with SDA yet! Would anybody give me some inputs? Thanks.
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited June 2010
    Hi AKE and welcome to CP! With SDA's make sure your amp is common ground and can handle 4 Ohm loads.
    ____________________________________________________________

    polkaudio Fully Modded SDA SRS 1.2TLs + Dreadnaught, LSiM706c, 4 X Polk Surrounds + 4 X ATMOS, SVS PB13 Ultra X 2, Pass Labs X1, Marantz 7704, Bob Carver Crimson Beauty 350 Tube Mono Blocks, Carver Sunfire Signature Cinema Grande 400x5, ADCOM GFA 7807, Panasonic UB420, Moon 380D DAC, EPSON Pro Cinema 6050
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  • Bobsama
    Bobsama Posts: 526
    edited July 2010
    dpowell wrote: »
    Hi AKE and welcome to CP! With SDA's make sure your amp is common ground and can handle 4 Ohm loads.

    Original SDA-1's are quite nice. I have a pair myself in the living room. I actually pushed the speakers to be about 8" from the back walls (can't get that much closer thanks to kickboard heat radiators). The key is to sit away about the same distance from the speakers. I actually have to move the recliner to the sweetspot when I want to listen, since I don't have free reign of the room.

    And double-warning; make sure your amp is common ground and can handle 4-ohm loads!! My SDA-1's, at least, are 5-ohm loads according to the little booklet.
    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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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited July 2010
    maandjojo it would be interesting to have several of them for surrounds:)

    I will I had a bigger room to exerment more oh well. And thanks for all the help guys.
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited July 2010
    For surrounds, you can use the vintage Monitor speakers, like the Monitor 5's. They use identical drivers and tweeters as your SDA's.;)
    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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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited July 2010
    Ahh OK great. I will keep my eye out for some:)
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited July 2010
    Sulla wrote: »
    Ahh OK great. I will keep my eye out for some:)

    There are always some on eBay. They usually sell for anywhere around $60-$100 a pair. :)

    Edit: Here is a pair similar to my 5Jr's. ;)
    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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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited July 2010
    Yes I was looking they really are not bad. I just wonder about matching timber compared to over all range etc. For example right now I have HPM-100 for my side speakers.
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited July 2010
    Sulla wrote: »
    Yes I was looking they really are not bad. I just wonder about matching timber compared to over all range etc. For example right now I have HPM-100 for my side speakers.

    Timbre was my number one concern when looking for surrounds, as I wanted to have a natural sound stage across the room. The 5Jr's have identical tweeters and midrange drivers and have identical timbre to the SDA speakers. The integration is really something else. It's really like being surrounded in a circle of sound with the Monitors as surrounds.:cool:
    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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  • wayne3burk
    wayne3burk Posts: 939
    edited July 2010
    i can pick you u pair of polk 4As for 30 bucks from my local goodwill -- if you want -- cabinets are in excellent condition -- grill cloths have a couple of snags -- grill cover posts are missing 2 on each speaker catty corner.

    let me know
    Yamaha RX-V2700, EMI 711As (front), RCA K-16 (rear), Magnavox Console (Center & TV Stand), Sony SMP-N200 media streamer, Dual 1249 TT =--- Sharp Aquas 60" LCD tellie
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  • Sulla
    Sulla Posts: 12
    edited July 2010
    Hmm will have to try some when I get the cash etc. I normally make it a rule to by things as they come along. That way I get much better deals:)

    What part of the US do you live in Wayne?
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  • AKE13
    AKE13 Posts: 2
    edited July 2010
    dpowell........thanks for comment, I need to do some more research on common ground amps, I know I was advised not to use SDA with dual mono design or bridged mono.......
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