SDA-SRS 1.2tl Monoblock Suggestions
xoaphexox
Posts: 246
I have a pair of SDA-SRS 1.2tl in which I have:
- Replaced all caps with Soniccaps
- Removed polyswitches (replaced with Mills .5 ohm)
- Replaced all resistors with Mills
- Replaced binding posts with Cardas Rhodium over Silver
- Replaced stock jumpers with Cardas Rhodium over Silver
- Replaced stock interconnect cable with Audio Reasearch Master Series 10AWG
I am thinking about replacing the stock SL3000 tweets with RDO-198 in the future, also thinking about biamping with some mono blocks.
Right now I am running both speakers off one Pioneer SPEC-4 that has been rebuilt by Echowars of AudioKarma 'fame'.
Always burning with desire to tweak, I am looking for suggestions to perhaps replace the bottom end with monoblocks.
I was thinking about maybe the Kenwood L-07II, Adcom GFA-565, don't know.
What do you guys use?
- Replaced all caps with Soniccaps
- Removed polyswitches (replaced with Mills .5 ohm)
- Replaced all resistors with Mills
- Replaced binding posts with Cardas Rhodium over Silver
- Replaced stock jumpers with Cardas Rhodium over Silver
- Replaced stock interconnect cable with Audio Reasearch Master Series 10AWG
I am thinking about replacing the stock SL3000 tweets with RDO-198 in the future, also thinking about biamping with some mono blocks.
Right now I am running both speakers off one Pioneer SPEC-4 that has been rebuilt by Echowars of AudioKarma 'fame'.
Always burning with desire to tweak, I am looking for suggestions to perhaps replace the bottom end with monoblocks.
I was thinking about maybe the Kenwood L-07II, Adcom GFA-565, don't know.
What do you guys use?
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198
Post edited by xoaphexox on
Comments
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How do they sound with the Spec 4?
Have you tried any tube amps with them yet? I run my 1.2TL's with a 50 watt integrated tube amp. Sounds great with plenty of power.
I did the monoblock thing and IMO the tube amp beat that setup hands down.SDA SRS 2.3TL's
Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
SDA 2B TL's -
That is good to know! I have never forayed in to tubes - I hear a lot of good things about them - I guess I just haven't researched them enough. The threads I have read seem to lean towards high current high wattage solid state amps for these speakers.
I think the SPEC-4 sounds pretty good, actually, and I should probably just admit it's 'good enough' but I have been in a holding pattern for a while in this hobby and I think it's time to try something new
What kind of tube amp are you using?
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
Change the tweeters now and get a set of Larry's rings.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 -
Where do I get 'Larry's Rings"? Are they the brackets I have seen around? He is selling them now? It looked a bit too involved to make them myself (modifications to the metal with a dremel which I don't have) but if he is selling them "all set" count me in!
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
Where do I get 'Larry's Rings"? Are they the brackets I have seen around? He is selling them now? It looked a bit too involved to make them myself (modifications to the metal with a dremel which I don't have) but if he is selling them "all set" count me in!
Flea Market
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1174852-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
Thank you sir
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
Also apply Dynamat to dampen ringing to the driver and PR baskets. Get mortite at home depot and apply it to the inside edges of the outer extrusion of the drivers, passive radiators. For the tweeters, apply them to the rim of the tweeter covers.
And yes, deffinetly replace the SL3000s with the RD0198s.
You may want to apply Blackhole 5 to dampen renosance inside the cabinet.
Polkmaster 1.Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
He's getting Larry's rings, there is absolutely no need for Mortite.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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Parasound JC1 mono blocks...
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Okay, placed order for Larry's rings - and have put the RDO-198's on the short list. Will make a thread or add to another one when they arrive to document the procedure in case it helps others.
Thanks guys!
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
He's getting Larry's rings, there is absolutely no need for Mortite.
I noticed on Larry's list of "SDA Tweaks" he lists mortite as separate from his rings - does this mean that both tweaks are suggested or do the rings themselves decouple the speakers from the cabinet and as such you don't need mortite?
Just trying to get all my eggs lined up.
How about Dynamat - is there a suggested amount/part number for this tweak? I have not purchased Dynamat before.
Thanks so much - look forward to doing these tweaks!
Link: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103506
For example, is this it? http://www.amazon.com/Dynamat-10425-Xtreme-Wedge-Sheet/dp/B00020CAVA/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp_T2
and
http://www.amazon.com/Frost-B2-Mortite-Caulking-19-ounce/dp/B000LNODSQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IH7H2QKKP70ZF&colid=2Q99WGO6BED11
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
The rings create a much tighter seal and reduce energy transfer to the cabinet. The use of the rings negates any sealing benefit that the Mortite might provide. My personal experience with Mortite and the rings together was less favorable than with the stock gaskets and the rings.
You want Dynamat Extreme, not the regular Dynamat.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 -
Parasound JC1 mono blocks...
Touche! I should have specified that I am on a budget. Ideally <$1000 for the pair of blocks as opposed to the ~$6,000 the pair of Parasounds would require.
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
Actually the opposite would be true,the tight coupling would increase energy transfer into the enclosure,whereas a compliant mounting like Mortite would damp some of the energy transfer.The rings ...reduce energy transfer to the cabinet.
The rings are a great idea and IMO bass and midrange detail and definition improve with tighter driver/enclosure coupling. -
I'm looking at it as the less vibration or energy transfer to the cabinet the more accurate the driver can produce what it's being fed. However, your notion would explain why I didn't think it sounded as good using the Mortite with the rings.
I hope we can hear from others on this matter.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 -
M. Polk summed it all up, nicely. Mortite is to effect an air seal between the driver basket and cabinet baffle that will flatten out so much as to allow a solid contact/connection/coupling to occur. The "best" solution, sound wise, would be to simply set the drivers in the baffle using a hard setting glue/adhesive/resin.......until one goes south! I might try it using Titebond II and MWs that have been JB Welded. Worst case.....a pencil torch flame or similar to "relax" the glue and allow removal.(and disposal :biggrin:) Don't even get me going on an annealed copper gasket possibility!!!:eek:
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Mr. Polk used Mortite because they could not afford real speaker gaskets at the time.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 -
F1,
Your comment is correct, but it could be misleading. Matthew Polk's response to my November 2008 inquiry about SDA driver seal replacements was as follows:
"The idea here is to provide the best possible connection between the drivers, tweeters and PR's and the baffle. That means using the thinnest gasket that will actually provide a seal. However, there is a higher performance alternative. In the early days before we could afford to tool gaskets we used a product called Mortite which was a gray flexible clay-like material sold as weather stripping and for sealing up leaky windows in winter. We would roll it out, by hand, into round wire-like cords and apply to the driver baskets before bolting in place. I always felt that it did a better job of connecting the drivers to the baffle.-MSP"
Although Mr. Polk said that they used Mortite before they could afford precision cut gaskets, he also said:"I always felt that it [Mortite] did a better job of connecting the drivers to the baffle.".
Polk switched to cut gaskets because they took much less time to install...and time is money. He recommended Mortite to me as a higher performance alternative to foam gaskets and plainly stated that he always felt that Mortite did a better job of connecting the drivers to the baffle.
Of course, just because Mortite is better than foam in absolute terms does not mean everyone will like the sound.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
I figured it would only be a matter of time before you chimed in.
Thanks for posting his thoughts on the matter in their entirety as I didn't recall all of it. Although, I don't agree with them, especially if one installs Larry's rings.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 -
I applied Mortite on the speakers and noticed a dramatic improvement in bass response. Just recently, I added Larrys rings, yet left the Mortite in place.
I did not notice a difference in sound, but then again, I dont get much time as I used to with listening to my 1.2TLs.
I still have two more projects to perform internally on this speaker, then I will call it quits. That is until someone else comes up with something unique. :biggrin:
Now I am waiting for the tweeter rings, whenever Larry can get to it.Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
Lost an auction for a pair of Adcom GFA-565s tonight by a hair. Waiting for the box of Larry's rings to arrive....
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
My personal experience with Mortite and the rings together was less favorable than with the stock gaskets and the rings.
In place of Mortite, you can also use Armacell insulation tape.(TAP18230) This material is an adheisive backed compressible foam tape that forms a better seal than the stock gasket and is much easier to use than Mortite.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 -
I'm wondering if we overlooked the obvious (?) - when going with dual monoblocks - there should be a need for a new SDA cable since the common ground connection between left and right negative terminals is no longer physically connected (unless your dual monoblock amps have special circuitry) for your SDA speakers.
Perhaps even the Dreadknought that DarqueKnight made should be considered. Unless I am missing something, dual mono enclosures would mean the end of the common ground connection.
If this assumption is not correct, please explain.
Now all I need is an enclosure to complete my dreadknought.Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
PolkMaster1 wrote: »I'm wondering if we overlooked the obvious (?) - when going with dual monoblocks - there should be a need for a new SDA cable since the common ground connection between left and right negative terminals is no longer physically connected (unless your dual monoblock amps have special circuitry) for your SDA speakers.
Perhaps even the Dreadknought that DarqueKnight made should be considered. Unless I am missing something, dual mono enclosures would mean the end of the common ground connection.
If this assumption is not correct, please explain.
Now all I need is an enclosure to complete my dreadknought.
I follow what you're saying, and yes, the A1 (Dreadknought?) was something that would need to be included in the setup as to not ruin anything.
For now my disposable income was used on Larrys "rings" and eight RD0198-1's. We will see where this takes me. Either tubes or dual monoblocks is something I would like to explore down the road.
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
I am sure that anyone on this forum can make your life a whole lot easier - just sell us your SDA SRS 1.2TLs and you would have one less problem on your hands. :biggrin:
From there, we can tell you how the dual amp setup works out !!!
Are you doing a DIY dual monoamp, or are you going to buy a manufactured dual mono-amp?Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
To answer your question about the Dreadknought - it is something that DarqueKnight came up with as an alternative to an AI Cable - he found it to have superior results. This is something you would have to buy the parts and build it yourself. It will require additional speaker cabling for best results.
I have all the parts needed, except the enclosure. Hope to have that done this year.Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
PolkMaster1 wrote: »I am sure that anyone on this forum can make your life a whole lot easier - just sell us your SDA SRS 1.2TLs and you would have one less problem on your hands. :biggrin:
From there, we can tell you how the dual amp setup works out !!!
Are you doing a DIY dual monoamp, or are you going to buy a manufactured dual mono-amp?
For now I would like to hold on to my SDA-SRS 1.2TLs - I enjoy them, but I am the type that is always interested in the next 'tweak'. Having performed several thus far, I would like to take it a little further. These rings and tweeters should tide me over for a while now.
I have one small child and another on the way so two DIY monoblocks probably aren't in the cards for me - I like vintage, though, so I was thinking about maybe trying a model I have read good things about such as the aforementioned Kenwood L-series monoblocks. Maybe even tubes (I have never heard tubes - blasphemy, I know, but I am only 30 years old). I hear the Chinese Yaquin tube monoblocks are good - and affordable - so maybe I'll start there? I have a lot of research to do on the matter, but between finding the proper monoblock to buy and constructing the Dreadknought, it sound like I have a bit more saving and researching to do.
So, I will most likely lurk in this forum for a while :biggrin:
Burson HA-160D > Adcom GFA-5802 > Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl w/ Mye Sound Spikes, Mills/Sonicap XO, Larry's Rings, Dynamat Extreme, Cardas CCGR Binding Posts and Jumpers, Custom 10ga interconnect, Custom Gaskets, RDO-198 -
when going with dual monoblocks
Is that like 4 monoblocks?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 -
Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart.
