SDA's are hooked up, but they don't like my Cary...

fishbones
fishbones Posts: 947
edited December 2010 in 2 Channel Audio
Well, after alot of messing around with room placement of my new (to me) SDA 1C's and wondering where the "magic" was of the SDA sound (yes, I have the IC hooked up)...I figured out that my most prized piece audio gear (tubed Cary preamp) does not work with the SDA's :mad:!

The Cary SLP-30's circuitry design requires that the neg/pos terminals be switched at the speaker terminal (out of phase) for it to be "in-phase". Because of it's simplistic (or pure) design, circuitry to switch the polarity to the correct ones was left out of the design.

This polarity switch seems to knock-out the SDA effect. Must be because the speakers share the same ground? It's unfortunate, because whatever they did to design this unit, it sounds AWESOME! I thought I would never sell it. It has always stood out above anything I put against it. The reversed polarity has never been an issue before, so I never thought of it. After hooking up a CDP with volume control directly to the amp and changing the speaker terminals back to correct phase...there was the SDA sound that I was missing. So, now I have to hunt down something that will work with these babies. Anyone have preamplifier suggestions for something that will sound as good as my beloved Cary tube? What does the Cary sound like to make a suggestion for the next one you ask?...

...Well, it has smooth (non-edgy) top end, without being rolled off. Awesome solid bass that is extended and controlled. And a nuetral sound that isn't a warm gushy tubey sound - just clean. The unit was about $900 new and was well regarded. I'm sure there is better out there, but I've always liked it. I would like to be under $800 (preferably under $600). I would love something with a remote (always wanted one) but would not be a deal breaker if there was a great sounding unit without one.

Thanks,
Troy

EDIT: It doesn't have to be a tube unit, btw.
..... ><////(*>
Post edited by fishbones on
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Comments

  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,775
    edited December 2010
    Have you tried not switching the polarity at the speaker terminals? Won't sound any different, and the SDA effect should work fine.

    Another option would be to open up the pre, and correct the polarity to the output jacks. Seems like Cary should have corrected that in the design before manufacturing.

    Or you could make a cable from the pre to the amp that reverses the polarity. Probably not worth the bother though, when you can just change it at the speaker terminals.
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  • fishbones
    fishbones Posts: 947
    edited December 2010
    Thought the tube guys would be all over this?
    ..... ><////(*>
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited December 2010
    Try something from Rogue, or try and grab a Sunfire tube pre.
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited December 2010
    I had a Cary with inverted polarity. Just didn't invert the cables at the amp's output as WM2 suggests. Sounded great, and I don't think anyone will notice a difference when changing absolute phase.

    The bad news.....if you played the SDA's with the amp's positives going to the SDA's negatives, something very bad might have happened. Don't do it.
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  • fishbones
    fishbones Posts: 947
    edited December 2010
    Ricardo wrote: »
    I had a Cary with inverted polarity. Just didn't invert the cables at the amp's output as WM2 suggests. Sounded great, and I don't think anyone will notice a difference when changing absolute phase.

    Did you run that Cary on SDA's? How did you have it hooked up (the way Cary suggested or normal)? I did try it both ways...both ways made it sound "off", each different, but both strange. The only way it sounded normal is when I hooked an old CDP with volume control directly to the amp and bypassed the Cary (normal polarity).
    Ricardo wrote: »
    The bad news.....if you played the SDA's with the amp's positives going to the SDA's negatives, something very bad might have happened. Don't do it.

    Too late! It was the first thing I did and didn't even realize it could be an issue. Nothing drastic seemed to happen? No popping, clicking, wierd noises, static, smoke? The 1C's "sound" seem to have the top end rolled off (to me) and a somewhat boxy tone in those upper frequencies, but that's comparing to my previous experience with speakers? Don't know if anything could have happened in the crossover somewhere? They don't seem to sound drastically different than when I auditioned them upon purchase?
    ..... ><////(*>
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