Polk SDA 1C's

2»

Comments

  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    Rd-0194's are in. Initial impression is that of a bit more detail and more depth of image. That is with 15 minutes of listening on them. Less harsh. Look forward to these getting better.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    Less than an hour later I am pretty happy w/these tweeters.

    I feel that I can listen to them at much lower levels w/ the vocals much easier to listen to.

    Getting psyched!
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    Oh my god! I just had the best stereo experience of my life!

    Sgt Pepper's MFSL UHQR 24/96 vinyl rip.

    These new tweeters have made my speakers sound better than I was hoping for . With only 2 hrs in.

    The RD 0194 upgrade is worth every penny and more (imo).

    Wow. I feel that I am now an official club member.

    Polk SDA's are the best!!!:smile:
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    Up until now I was concerned about the IC cable maybe not working or the room not being conducive to SDA's. I am no longer concerned. I would have never thought that a tweeter upgrade would make such a difference. Now I get the SDA sound. Now I can sit and listen with extreme pleasure for hours. YES!
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited March 2011
    Hahahahahaha! Welcome to the club :-)

    Next up, crossovers :-)
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    So what can expect from a crossover upgrade?
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited March 2011
    A mind-blowing improvement in sound quality, and a fat credit card bill :-)

    Seriously, the benefits are enormous. Assuming the rest of the audio chain is high quality, the crossover rebuilds will amaze you. The tweeter is the first thing to do only because the harshness of the SL2000 would counteract many of the benefits of the crossover upgrades. Now that you're a believer after doing the tweets, if you're really looking to improve sound quality, crossovers are next for you.

    The crossover upgrade involves removing the passive subwoofer, and then accessing/removing the internal electronics boards. Replacement capacitors and resistors are put in place of the stock components, and the polyswitch is generally removed and replaced either with just a jumper or a .5 ohm resistor. Many people (myself included) have also replaced the large inductor with one with a lower DC resistance. There are many varied opinions that you can find on this forum with respect to brands of these components. The cost of the upgrade is very much dependent on which brand of capacitors you choose. I used Sonicaps, which are in the more expensive category, and have NO regrets.

    If the idea of using a soldering iron is a bit too scary for you, have a look at this thread:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111988

    Something you may want to consider....
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited March 2011
    Also, besides the tweeter upgrades and crossover rebuilds, there are a few other things you may want to consider:

    1) Mounting the speakers on spikes. I did this last year and the bass tightens up considerably by decoupling the speaker from the floor.

    2) Replacing the stock driver and tweeter seals with Mortite caulk. The better the seal, the better the sound.

    3) Using Dynamat to dampen the spokes on the metal baskets on the drivers and the passive radiator. These elements do resonate, so dampening them eliminates the resonant frequencies.

    4) Binding post replacement - I've replaced the posts on mine, and also used normal speaker posts to replace the connector for the SDA cable, which allowed me to use higher quality speaker wire to build a new SDA cable. I don't think the posts have all that much effect on sound quality, but the better SDA cable certainly did.


    I haven't done 2 & 3 yet to mine, but the stuff is on order from Amazon already :-)

    Since you have 1C's my first recommendation would be to remove your passive radiators (the large, flat component on the bottom) and photograph the electronics inside. 1C's were a model where Polk seemed to vary the insides, so posting a few photos of the internals here would help to give you more precise advice. Also a pic of the SDA connector on the back of the speakers.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited March 2011
    I believe rromeo923 is impressed with his upgrades so far. Wait until he here's them with upgraded crossovers.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    I took a look at the crossovers the other day. Looks pretty simple, not a lot there. I am pretty sure these are the single ones. I will post a picture.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    Well I was wrong. There are two crossovers in each speaker. I will post pics as soon as I figure that out.

    The interconnect is just one wire going to the blade/blade connection. Hmmmm.

    This is fun. I would love to learn more about electronics and how they work for amps, preamps and speakers.

    If anyone can recommend some reading I would appreciate it. Very much a novice.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited March 2011
    Not the best pics but hopefully they reveal enough to know what i have.

    I am ready to start the crossover upgrade (at least learning) and pricing out the parts.

    TIA

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/59202507@N03/?saved=1
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited April 2011
    Yup, those are just like mine. 1C's with the blade-blade interconnect for the sda cable. Do me a favor and take one more pic of the inside, showing the internal wiring of the sda connector. I'm looking to see if one of the connectors is simply shorted to ground. If that's the case, you've got one of the same "in between" 1C's as I have. There was a lot of interesting debate over my 1C's when I got them, have a look at this thread:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70442
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited July 2011
    When I bought the speakers the craigslist ad said they would come with a picture of Sandy Gross with the speakers to authenticate their origin. However, when I picked them up there was no picture included. I was told that I bought them to soon and that Sandy was out of town an no picture had been done.

    Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet Sandy Gross and have some pictures taken with him and my/his old speakers.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/59202507@N03/5966289179/in/photostream
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/59202507@N03/5966845900/in/photostream
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/59202507@N03/5966845714/in/photostream

    :smile::smile::smile:
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • restanim
    restanim Posts: 227
    edited July 2011
    1C's are just amazing.
    polkaudio

    Currently Own:
    RTA-11T Light Oak, Aug/2011 to present
    SDA-CRS+ Aug/2011 to present
    RTA-11T Black, Dec/2013 to present

    Previously Owned:
    SDA-SRS 2.3 May/1990 to June/1991
    SRS 1.2TL June/1991 to May/1995
    SDA-1C Aug/2005 to Dec/2011
    SRS 1.2TL Sept/2009 to Sept/2015
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SDA1C
    SDA1C Posts: 2,072
    edited July 2011
    shack wrote: »
    Given the history of those speakers...I would not even consider modding...I would leave them stock.


    +1 on that!
    Too much **** to list....
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited July 2011
    Well I told Sandy that I swapped out the sl2000's and was considering doing the caps and resistors. He seemed interested about the mods but he is clearly more excited about his new Golden Ear speakers. He said " You really got to hear my new speakers, they are... well you just have to hear them." The person who introduced me to Sandy is getting a pair and invited me to listen when he received them.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • michaeljhsda2
    michaeljhsda2 Posts: 2,184
    edited July 2011
    Nice story.
    SDA SRS 2.3TL's
    Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
    Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
    SDA 2B TL's
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited July 2011
    shack wrote: »
    Given the history of those speakers...I would not even consider modding...I would leave them stock.

    I don't agree. The speakers do have an interesting history, but really.... so what? The guy hasn't bought these speakers to be museum pieces, he's using them and wants them to sound as good as they can. I would do everything you want to them to get them to sound as best they can.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited August 2011
    nspindel,

    How did you "spike" your 1C's??
    I bought some spikes from meniscus audio (group buy).
    Just wondering what you did to put them on. There currently little wooden tabs that act as feet. Do they come off? Did you put the spikes in the same location?
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited August 2011
    That's precisely what you'll want to do - pull those feet out, then you'll need to drill the base to whatever spec is necessary. I used t-nuts to do mine.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter