SDA 1C Upgrade Complete (with a few pictures)

Marty913
Marty913 Posts: 760
edited November 2011 in Vintage Speakers
I recently completed a couple of upgrades on my SDA 1C?s. Knowing how much you all like pictures (and bright, shiny objects in general), I thought sharing a few might be in order.

Many thanks go out to the forum in general for all the tips. A special thanks to Tony (gimpod) for his great XO boards, and for his advice & moral support with a few self-induced upgrade problems. Also, thanks to Larry (TOOLFORLIFEFAN) for his great rings.

I had already swapped out the SL2000 tweeters for RD0194?s a couple months ago so the recent upgrades included rebuilt crossovers, Larry?s rings, spikes, and new binding and I/C posts.

The parts used were a little different than most of the upgrades but I wanted to keep the cost reasonable, maintain overall quality, and draw from my SDA2 upgrade experience of a couple years ago. The caps were Dayton 1% and Solen 5%. Resistors were all Mills and binding / IC posts were some Dayton?s I already had and Vampires for the IC. Spikes were from SupercellAudio.

It?s earlier in the listening phase but the upgrade results are amazing. Others have mentioned the bass improvements but I think the real winner may be the mid-range clarity and the over SDA effect. I suppose the downside to doing several major things at once is that it prevents you from pinning down the exact effect of each upgrade. I can definitely live with that.

For those non-electrical types contemplating the upgrades, I have a MS Word document with my notes / tips. It won?t do the veterans much good so I won?t bore you with it here but it?s available. There might be something in it that will help someone out. Just PM or email me.
Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
Processor = NAD T747
Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
TT = Audio Technica
Post edited by Marty913 on
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Comments

  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited November 2011
    Very nice !
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • Oldfatdogs
    Oldfatdogs Posts: 1,874
    edited November 2011
    Nice work, what made you go with dayton over sonic caps? Just wondering.
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited November 2011
    nice work indeed.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • Marty913
    Marty913 Posts: 760
    edited November 2011
    Oldfatdogs wrote: »
    Nice work, what made you go with dayton over sonic caps? Just wondering.

    I know Sonicap's are well thought of by the forum members but they are more than twice the price, have a higher rated variation (5% vs 1%), and lower VDC rating (200 vs 250). I couldn't find any objective evidence they were better.
    Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
    Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
    Processor = NAD T747
    Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
    Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
    Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
    Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
    TT = Audio Technica
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  • Oldfatdogs
    Oldfatdogs Posts: 1,874
    edited November 2011
    Only reason I ask is I'm going to order parts for a monitor 7b upgrade. Some of the guys used Dayton and Solen,but now are using Sonicap's. Thanks Dan
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  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited November 2011
    Very nice job, Very clean the way it should be.
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited November 2011
    Very nice work!!! Your work will be rewarding..
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  • dpowell
    dpowell Posts: 3,068
    edited November 2011
    Congrats! You're going to love it once those caps break in. Some day you must try them on a tube amp...
    ____________________________________________________________

    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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  • drumminman
    drumminman Posts: 3,396
    edited November 2011
    Nice pics and good job!
    "Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited November 2011
    Very nice job!!! I hope you can live with the Solen's, the Clarity PX would have been a smoother, less fatiguing choice for about the same $$$ or less. I tried Solen's and just didn't like their sonic signature which is forward and a tad brittle compared to the Clarity PX. The Clarity has slightly better imaging properties as well.

    Again, very nice job, enjoy.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • Marty913
    Marty913 Posts: 760
    edited November 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Very nice job!!! I hope you can live with the Solen's, the Clarity PX would have been a smoother, less fatiguing choice for about the same $$$ or less. I tried Solen's and just didn't like their sonic signature which is forward and a tad brittle compared to the Clarity PX. The Clarity has slightly better imaging properties as well.

    Again, very nice job, enjoy.

    H9

    Time will tell on the Solens although so far they have not seemed too bright (it's early though). If they become an issue, it would be relatively easy to swap a couple caps. I used them on some SDA2's which were bright anyway (SL2000) and while they didn't tame any of the brightness, they didn't add to it at all. I have been pleased with the Dayton's however keeping in mind I'm comparing them to 23 year old factory caps. In that respect, it's hard to make a big mistake. It is difficult to A/B any of this stuff.
    Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
    Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
    Processor = NAD T747
    Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
    Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
    Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
    Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
    TT = Audio Technica
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  • SDA1C
    SDA1C Posts: 2,072
    edited November 2011
    Well done. I wonder? Are the binding posts the longs or the short? I hope they are short.

    Thanks, 1C
    Too much **** to list....
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  • Vette C6.r
    Vette C6.r Posts: 1,560
    edited November 2011
    I thought the extra wood on the front side is that of a 1B.

    Are they 1C's with extra wood on the front ??

    Great job either way. Love the new XO's board.
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  • SDA1C
    SDA1C Posts: 2,072
    edited November 2011
    MY 1c's have the 1x4 wood at the bottom...
    Too much **** to list....
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  • Marty913
    Marty913 Posts: 760
    edited November 2011
    SDA1C wrote: »
    Well done. I wonder? Are the binding posts the longs or the short? I hope they are short.

    Thanks, 1C

    The Vampire IC was short, the Dayton's were long. I took the mounting plate from the front side of the Dayton's and put it on the backside (inside). That took care of the thread-length gap. Either long or short will work.
    Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
    Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
    Processor = NAD T747
    Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
    Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
    Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
    Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
    TT = Audio Technica
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  • SDA1C
    SDA1C Posts: 2,072
    edited November 2011
    Awesome! I went short all around. Whew!

    Thanks! 1C
    Too much **** to list....
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