New Owner of a pair of SDA-1a's
dts MA 7.1
Posts: 9
Hi , I"m new to this forum, and picked up used on ebay some 1a's for $550, in this day and age, i may have
over paid , but they are in good condition, what is the cost to upgrade them now. Thanks Nick.
over paid , but they are in good condition, what is the cost to upgrade them now. Thanks Nick.
Post edited by dts MA 7.1 on
Comments
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Hey Nick. Congrats on the speakers, and welcome to CP!:biggrin:
Lots of great info here... especially about upgrading SDA's. Search the vintage forum and you'll find many threads detailing all sorts of upgrades.
What did you have in mind? Most people find a big improvement by replacing the stock tweeters (SL-2000) with the modern replacement (RD0-194). Tell customer service you're a forum member and you'll get a discount.
Other common mods include adding spikes, replacing the stock gaskets, adding dynamat to the drivers and passive radiators, installing steel retaining rings, removing the polyswitches from the crossovers, and replacing the stock capacitors and resistors in the crossovers with better aftermarket parts.
The gaskets, dynamat, spikes, and jumping of the polyswitches can be done fairly inexpensively; redoing the crossovers and replacing the tweeters will cost more but will make a huge difference.
Do you have the interconnect cable? What will you be powering them with?2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
falconcry72 wrote: »Hey Nick. Congrats on the speakers, and welcome to CP!:biggrin:
Lots of great info here... especially about upgrading SDA's. Search the vintage forum and you'll find many threads detailing all sorts of upgrades.
What did you have in mind? Most people find a big improvement by replacing the stock tweeters (SL-2000) with the modern replacement (RD0-194). Tell customer service you're a forum member and you'll get a discount.
Other common mods include adding spikes, replacing the stock gaskets, adding dynamat to the drivers and passive radiators, installing steel retaining rings, removing the polyswitches from the crossovers, and replacing the stock capacitors and resistors in the crossovers with better aftermarket parts.
The gaskets, dynamat, spikes, and jumping of the polyswitches can be done fairly inexpensively; redoing the crossovers and replacing the tweeters will cost more but will make a huge difference.
Do you have the interconnect cable? What will you be powering them with?
What he said. . .the purchase of the 1A's is only the beginning. :cheesygrin:
Welcome to CP!"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 -
Thanks. i do have the "interconnect" and they are being powered with a B&K ST-202, not knowing much about the "guts"
of these speakers from your description, it sounds like there is not much left that's original, is that the case?. -
dts MA 7.1 wrote: »...not knowing much about the "guts" of these speakers from your description, it sounds like there is not much left that's original, is that the case?.
Open'em up and check. It's likely that they're still all stock, though. The seller would have advertised his upgrades if he made any. Most people don't mod them at all... just us polkies.:cheesygrin:2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
falconcry72 wrote: »Open'em up and check. It's likely that they're still all stock, though. The seller would have advertised his upgrades if he made any. Most people don't mod them at all... just us polkies.:cheesygrin:
I am not an SDA guy but I am assuming that he means that once you perform all those upgrades there is not much original that is left. Seems that the cabs, the woofers and passives, and the specs and basic configuration of the crossovers remain the same, but the tweeters and the crossover parts are replaced, which fi I understand correctly, retains yet improves upon the soul of the SDA sound and effect.Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
...he means that once you perform all those upgrades there is not much original that is left...
Ah ha. Yea, I think the only parts that are preferable to be kept stock would be the drivers, passives, and cabinets.
A seriously meticulous craftsmen could possibly build superior cabinets that stayed within spec, but his work would be the exception, not the rule.
The drivers, passives, and crossover specs cannot be improved upon while retaining any kind of Polk Audio integrity. (with the exception of changing non-TL spec to TL).2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
