SDA-1a audition

newbie308
newbie308 Posts: 767
edited May 2011 in Vintage Speakers
After about a year of buying the components needed to rebuild the crossovers (read lack of funds), I finnaly hooked up my SDA-1A speakers. I feel like I've entered manhood at age 42 I'm no longer an SDA virgin! The ordeal was an uphill battle, but the end result was spectacular. I think I need a cigarette, and I don't even smoke! I read many of the posts on this forum, and drew from them what I could (The schematics were invaluble. thanks!). The result was well worth the effort and the wait. Now I can drive my wife nuts with the eternal system tweeking to discover perfect sound!

My meager 2 channel system consists of:
Thorens TD280 turntable
ADCOM GTP-500II
Carver TFM-35
POLK SDA-1A signature speakers

My first attempt ended with a series of blown fuses, so I started pulling crossovers and speakers back out of the cases and found the both tweeters in the right speaker case had loose magnets? The magnets were pinching the voice coils, and shorting them. I went to my shop and made some brass shims to evenly space the magnet cores while I reattached the front plates with super glue. The repair seems to have worked, but the tweeters work but they sound scratchy, so I need to replace them. Is it worth upgrading all the tweeters to peerless, or should I stay with the original
SL1000's and only replace the two in question?
Sources: Technics SL1200MKII | SME3009 Tonearm | Monster Alpha 1 MC cartridge | Oppo UDP203 disk player | Nikko NT-790 analog tuner | Musical Fidelity Trivista 21 DAC | Preamp: Threshold SL-10 | Amplifier: Threshold Stasis 2 | Speakers: Snell Acoustics C/V | Kimber 12-TC bi wire speakers | Analysis plus Oval 1 preamp to amp | Wireworld Eclipse 7 DAC to Preamp | Wireworld eclipse digital IC Oppo to DAC | Audioquest Quartz tuner to preamp |
Post edited by newbie308 on
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Comments

  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited May 2011
    I would replace them. I had SL1000 and they are horrible.

    There is a Polk Replacement but you need to do some woodwork to make them fit correctly. The RDO-194 is the Polk replacement.

    I have seen others speak about a Peerless copy but i have not had ears on it. It is not a peerless merely a copy..
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  • newbie308
    newbie308 Posts: 767
    edited May 2011
    Thanks I'll look into those. How extensive is the woodwork? These cases are beat (not by my hands), so I don't mind cutting into them if needed.

    I was considering recovering these cases with new veneer, but the corners are seriously dammaged, and I'm not sure what would make a good substrate to fill the dents (Bondo?)! Maybe I will keep an eye out for someone selling cases and just replace these.
    Sources: Technics SL1200MKII | SME3009 Tonearm | Monster Alpha 1 MC cartridge | Oppo UDP203 disk player | Nikko NT-790 analog tuner | Musical Fidelity Trivista 21 DAC | Preamp: Threshold SL-10 | Amplifier: Threshold Stasis 2 | Speakers: Snell Acoustics C/V | Kimber 12-TC bi wire speakers | Analysis plus Oval 1 preamp to amp | Wireworld Eclipse 7 DAC to Preamp | Wireworld eclipse digital IC Oppo to DAC | Audioquest Quartz tuner to preamp |
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited May 2011
    The screw holes don't line up, so you have to plug the holes that are there and drill new ones and you have to shave out some of the hole to fit the magnet through.

    It isn't bad just figured i warn you.

    And if you want to know, I would buy the Polk Replacement over a Peerless copy. I am certain of Polk's quality control and not sure of the copies. I trust Polk.

    As far as your cabinets go, Bondo works quite well for things like this. So does certain types of wood putty.
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited May 2011
    post #5 by promobank6 reported as spam for removal
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
    MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
    PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,450
    edited May 2011
    Joe08867 wrote: »
    The screw holes don't line up, so you have to plug the holes that are there and drill new ones and you have to shave out some of the hole to fit the magnet through.

    Thats why I'm waiting for Larry to make some more tweeter brackets. That way i could inset the RDO's and have the bracket compensate for the new holes I'd need to drill. :wink:
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,450
    edited May 2011
    By the way I have had the same problem with my SL1000's. In mine the pole piece came unglued and pinched the VC which ruined the tweeter I bought spares until i could afford the RDO's after the XO rebuild.
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