SDA2 system showcase

jaygax
jaygax Posts: 153
edited December 2011 in Vintage Speakers

Comments

  • jaygax
    jaygax Posts: 153
    edited December 2011
    sorry for the messy cables. i cant do a customize behind the wall cable installation. im just renting the place. it'll just have to wait 'til we get a new home.

    speakers:

    front: Polk SDA2
    front presence: klipsch quintets
    center: klipsch synergy SC1
    surround: Polk RTI4
    surround back: klipsch quintets
    subwoofer: BIC Acoustech PL200

    AVR = yamaha RX-A1000
    amp = adcom GFA 555II
    sony PS3 500gb with 500gb external Wester Digital HDD
    philips DVD player
    dishnetwork DVD
    Asus Athlon 64 dual core 3800+ with 2tb ext Toshiba HDD for ps3 streaming via TVersity
    HP HDX18 18"laptop with blu ray
    apple iphone and ipad for the yamaha RX-A1000 app.
  • jaygax
    jaygax Posts: 153
    edited December 2011
    thanks to Mr. Aaron Chandler for sending me the pin-blade interconnect cable for the SDA2s for free! thank you for letting me experience the SDA effect on a 2 channel stereo mode. feels like a very wide soundstage when you close your eyes. i can feel michael bolton's vocals in front of me. amazing feeling on the strumming of guitars on the eagles' hotel california hell freezes over. i LOVE SDA!!!!!!
    lastly, thank you Mr. Matthew Polk for the SDA technology. you are the god of audiophiles!!!!
  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited December 2011
    Oh I think that is another SDA grin. Ditch the Yammy and get a pre and the SDA grin gets even bigger. I'm running mine on a 2ch only system as my Denon bit the big one about a year and a half ago. Monitor 7's make a nice match for surround sound.
  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited December 2011
  • jaygax
    jaygax Posts: 153
    edited December 2011
    Oh I think that is another SDA grin. Ditch the Yammy and get a pre and the SDA grin gets even bigger. I'm running mine on a 2ch only system as my Denon bit the big one about a year and a half ago. Monitor 7's make a nice match for surround sound.

    actually, thats what i have in mind. getting those SDAs in a two channel setup in a a different room exclusively for audio listening. what do you have in mind for a PRE thats compatible with my adcom GFA 555II? i guess i'll just have to get an adcom PRE too.

    the SDAs for my HT setup will be replaced by a pair of RTI12s or LSI15s. what do you suggest? that would be my next year project. money, money, money!!!! :biggrin:
  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited December 2011
    I had pic turned off because I have a ridiculously slow connection, but manually viewed the pic...had to start laughing. My wife's uncle is who I got My SDA2s from and he had the same klipschs (center/surrounds) you do with a pioneer receiver on a very similar looking stand. At one time I had a GFA 555 and A GFP 555 running my setup. I am now using a B&K pro mc 10(pre amp) and a Parasound HCA 1000A. The Parasound is more accurate and renders finer detail than the adcom, but does not have the power or bass weight of the adcom. Now if I could find something that had both I would be in heaven. If you really want to know what SDA is all about you need to get a half way decent turn table and some CLEAN records going through them. SACD is not a bad choice either. Soon I will find out how DVD-A sounds through them. As of right now I do not have a decent source to play anything on because of a fire earlier this year, but that will be changing thanks to the generosity of jflail2 and the Oppo he is sending me. enjoy your SDAs
  • jaygax
    jaygax Posts: 153
    edited December 2011
    thanks for the additional insights dudeinaroom. havent heard a parasound yet. okay, i want a parasound/adcom combination too. :biggrin:

    what a coincidence on the klipsch speakers!!!! hey, im just starting out on this hobby and i got those from ebay. and the wife factor sucks!!!! hush! hush! im tired of arguments.
  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited December 2011
    The best source I have heard on my SDAs was a thorens turntable that I was fixing. I sooo did not want to give it back. Another spot to not forget is your interconnects. I have only tried a few and I think Kimber Kable PBJs are a good place to start. I auditioned a pair when I had the Adcom setup and my ears liked the difference YMMV. Right now I have monster cables and would love to ditch them. Before I can even think about cables I have to replace all the inputs and outputs on my preamp as they are all corroded and have smoke residue that I can not completely remove.
  • pjsjr
    pjsjr Posts: 31
    edited December 2011
    Here's a picture of my SDA 2A set-up. I wrote my story of trials and errors with powering them here http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?126397-SDA-2A-ohm-reading-help-needed in post #13. Preston

    1yn91i.jpg
  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited December 2011
    Very Nice!

    I can't tell from the photos, so it leads me to several questions about the placement of the SDA's.

    -- Is the left cabinet about 5-6" from the back wall?
    -- Is that 5-6" "taken up" by the fireplace brick behind the right cabinet (keeping the fronts of the two cabinets are in the same plane)?
    -- Is the fireplace open behind the right cabinet?
    -- Is there a noticeable difference in bass output between the two cabinets?
    -- Is the left cabinet raised by something of similar material to make it higher to compensate for the thickness of the hearth under the right cabinet?
    -- I can tell you are dealing with the immovable nature of the fireplace, but have you tried the outside edge of each cabinet 36" away from the side walls?
    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
  • pjsjr
    pjsjr Posts: 31
    edited December 2011
    inspiredsports, thanks for your reply, this picture might answer some of your thoughtful questions.

    2libeb5.jpg

    Both speakers are sitting on the carpet, are level and on the same plan. Five to six inches from the back wall, not the fireplace.

    As you can see the left speaker is next to an equipment cabinet the right is next to the rack. I don't notice any difference in bass from either. I haven't place the speakers equal distance from the side walls, thinking that would be to far apart and I'd have to place the TT wal mount again:rolleyes:. Thanks, Preston
  • evhudsons
    evhudsons Posts: 1,175
    edited December 2011
    I love my parasound 1500. Just ordered off eBay an adcom gfa555. I was wondering which one I should use for my SDA or for powering my subwoofer. Dont forget to spike your speakers. Shocking results for a really cheap upgrade.
    Polk Audio SDA CRS+ crossover 4.1TL by Trey/VR3 (Rings and custom stand by Larry)-Polk Audio SDA SRS2 crossovers by Trey/VR3Parasound HCA1500aYamaha rxa-3070 with musicast-Celestion SL6S presence,- sl9 surround backNHTsuper1's surroundMagnepan SMGParasound 1500pre- Sofia "Baby" tube amp - Monitor Audio Silver RX2 Marantz 2230/B&Kst140Technics 1200mk2 Gamertag: IslandBerserker I am but a infinitesimally small point meeting the line of infinity in the SDA universe
  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited December 2011
    pjsjr wrote: »
    inspiredsports, thanks for your reply, this picture might answer some of your thoughtful questions.

    2libeb5.jpg

    Both speakers are sitting on the carpet, are level and on the same plan. Five to six inches from the back wall, not the fireplace.

    As you can see the left speaker is next to an equipment cabinet the right is next to the rack. I don't notice any difference in bass from either. I haven't place the speakers equal distance from the side walls, thinking that would be to far apart and I'd have to place the TT wal mount again:rolleyes:. Thanks, Preston

    Got it. I was also curious about the original poster's situation.
    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
  • jaygax
    jaygax Posts: 153
    edited December 2011
    pjsjr, are those SDAs the same as mine? very beautiful stereo setup. cant wait to get my own house and get a room exclusively for the SDAs.
  • dudeinaroom
    dudeinaroom Posts: 3,609
    edited December 2011
    evhudsons wrote: »
    I love my parasound 1500. Just ordered off eBay an adcom gfa555. I was wondering which one I should use for my SDA or for powering my subwoofer. Dont forget to spike your speakers. Shocking results for a really cheap upgrade.

    Try them both in each spot and see which you like better. If it was me I think it would end up being adcom on the sub and parasound on SDA's YMMV. If it's and 8ohm single channel sub either of those amps bridged should drive the sub with no problem.
  • pjsjr
    pjsjr Posts: 31
    edited December 2011
    jaygax wrote: »
    pjsjr, are those SDAs the same as mine? very beautiful stereo setup. cant wait to get my own house and get a room exclusively for the SDAs.

    Yes, SAD 2A, one tweeter, two 6.5s and the PR. Disc Jockey upgraded the tweeters and crossovers before I bought them. Preston