My new 4.1TL's are complete!

24

Comments

  • TennMan
    TennMan Posts: 1,266
    edited October 2012
    You might have covered this and I missed it but how do the these CRS+ sound compared to the 2B TLs that you upgraded?
    • SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
    • Crossover upgrades by westmassguy
    • Marantz 1504 AVR (front speaker pre-outs to Adcom 555)
    • Adcom GFA-555 amp · Upgrades & speaker protection added by OldmanSRS
    • Pioneer DV-610AV DVD/CD player
    • SDA CRS+ · Hidden away in the closet
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    TennMan wrote: »
    You might have covered this and I missed it but how do the these CRS+ sound compared to the 2B TLs that you upgraded?

    Better. But I have upgraded a lot of gear since then, so it's apples to oranges. My 2B's never enjoyed the benefits of my Krell amp!
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited October 2012
    Nice job!
    Very elegant looking CRS+.

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited October 2012
    Very nice work. I'm tempted to do my CRS's but they are the earlier twin tweeter version and think I may hold out for a set like yours.
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

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  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited October 2012
    Absolutely beautiful work you should be very proud of your workmanship.
    “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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  • TennMan
    TennMan Posts: 1,266
    edited October 2012
    nspindel wrote: »
    Better. But I have upgraded a lot of gear since then, so it's apples to oranges. My 2B's never enjoyed the benefits of my Krell amp!
    Thanks. Beautiful work BTW.
    • SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
    • Crossover upgrades by westmassguy
    • Marantz 1504 AVR (front speaker pre-outs to Adcom 555)
    • Adcom GFA-555 amp · Upgrades & speaker protection added by OldmanSRS
    • Pioneer DV-610AV DVD/CD player
    • SDA CRS+ · Hidden away in the closet
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  • gmjungbluth
    gmjungbluth Posts: 232
    edited October 2012
    Very impressive - what an amazing job. It's great to see someone take such care in the job and make sure it is done just right. Thank you for sharing with us.
    HT System:
    Marantz NR-1403
    Front: Klipsch CF-4
    Rear: Paradigm Atom V3
    Center: Boston Acoustic VR12
    Sub: Bowers & Wilkins ASW600

    2Ch:
    Restored Fisher 500C
    Yamaha P-500 Turntable

    Living Room:
    Harman Kardon 3380
    Restored Polk Monitor 7B

    Bedroom:
    Harman Kardon VR-3750
    Cambridge Soundworks Ensemble
    Polk PSW10

    In and out of rotation:
    KLH Model 6,
    Polk LSI7
    NAD 7100
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  • Thorton
    Thorton Posts: 1,324
    edited October 2012
    nspindel, thanks for the write up and the detailed pictures. Definitely looks like a fun and very rewarding project. Almost makes me want to start my own. Thank god I took wood shop back in 7th grade. Enjoy your speakers. _____________________________________________________________________________________
    AVR: Denon AVR-3805, AMP: Parasound Model 2250, Front: Polk RTIA7, Center: Polk CSIA6, Surrounds: Polk FXIA6, Sub: Polk DSW PRO660WI
    _____________________________________________________________________________________________
    Ethernet Filter: GigaFOILv4 with Keces P3 LPS
    Source: Roon via ethernet to DAC interface
    DAC: Bricasti M1SE
    Pre/Pro: Marantz AV8805
    Tube Preamp Buffer: Tortuga TPB.V1
    Amp1: Nord One NC1200DM Signature, Amp2: W4S MC-5, AMP3: W4S MMC-7
    Front: Salk SoundScape 8's, Center: Salk SoundScape C7
    Surround: Polk FXIA6, Surround Back: Polk RTIA9, Atmos: Polk 70-RT
    Subs: 2 - Rythmik F25's
    IC & Speaker Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, Signal Cable
    Power Cables: Acoustic Zen, Wireworld, PS Audio
    Room Treatments: GIK Acoustics
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  • rromeo923
    rromeo923 Posts: 1,513
    edited October 2012
    Look great. Only one problem. That ugly Yankees wall thing. Baltimore speakers dont like Yankees.

    Actually the Yankees are damn good. I hope we can get past Texas and get a chance to play them in the ALDS.
    I got static in my head
    The reflected sound of everything
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Haha! You should see all the Yankee decor in that room. You'd HATE it!

    I wouldn't mind beating Baltimore in the playoffs, that'd be fun!
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited October 2012
    Stunning work, 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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  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited October 2012
    nspindel Clear out your PM box, I'm off to eat lunch and expect it to be cleared out by the time I get back. :wink::razz:
    “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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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    gimpod wrote: »
    nspindel Clear out your PM box, I'm off to eat lunch and expect it to be cleared out by the time I get back. :wink::razz:

    Done!
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    edited October 2012
    Just amazing restoration! I would not change a thing. The light veneer looks very classy! This thread should be stickied in the DIY forum!
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • GospelTruth
    GospelTruth Posts: 403
    edited October 2012
    Awesome job! I like reading the stories behind the work. It reminded me of my first polks, 5jr+, that I bought in 1989 when I was in college. There was no way I could afford any of the SDA speakers back then, but I'm sure the salesmen liked watching me pick my chin off the floor walking into their main demo room with the massive SRS lineup. I stumbled on this forum while searching for parts to restore my 5jrs this past spring. Reading all the threads about SDAs brought me to purchase some 2Bs that I'm now enjoying immensely! Since then I've been doing things here and there to make them better. Not quite to the point you are at now, but hopefully someday.

    Wonderful story to read and excellent work. Thanks for taking the time to share.
    Speakers
    Energy RC-70 Mains, Energy RC-LRC Center, Energy RC-R (x4) Rear Channels, Energy RC-R (x2) Front Effects
    Polk 5jr+
    Polk SDA 2B
    Polk SDS 3.1TL
    Equipment
    Panamax 5510 Re-generator Power Conditioner
    Yamaha RX-V3800 Receiver
    Digital Sources: Sony CDP-X339ES CD Player, HHB CDR830 BurnIt Professional CD Recorder, Sony PS3, Oppo DV-983H DVD Player
    Analog Sources: Sony TC-K890ES Cassette, Nakamichi DR-1 Cassette, Technics SL-7 Turntable
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Tony was nice enough to reach out to me and let me know that he'd spotted an error in my crossovers, I'd connected the 0.4mH inductor to the incorrect pad. As a result, I had it wired in parallel with the 5.8uF cap and the 2R7 resistor. It should be in parallel with the tweeter. I fixed this error over the weekend. I had been noticing that the highs seemed a bit shrill and fatiguing, especially with female vocals, but I had dismissed this as just a symptom of everything needing to break in. By fixing this mistake, the highs have opened up a bit more and the shrillness is gone. Thanks to Tony for giving my work a spot-check and pointing out my error. Here are pics of the fixed crossovers:

    IMG_1244.jpg

    IMG_1246.jpg
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited October 2012
    Btw, I mentioned in the beginning that my work here is 0% innovation, 100% imitation. If you want to see a fine example of innovation, have a look here:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?133587-Goodbye-Binding-Post-Cup.-1.2tl-s
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited November 2012
    Very excited to soon be adding Larry's incredible stands into the setup. Looks like I'll be selling the original Polk stands soon enough. And my 1000VA Dreadnaught transformer is getting packed for shipment by Avel Lindberg. I love it when a plan comes together.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • audiocr381ve
    audiocr381ve Posts: 2,588
    edited November 2012
    Dude, incredible work.

    I'm glad Tony caught that error! You would have been sitting there wondering why your speakers SUCK after 200 hours of burn in!
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited November 2012
    nspindel wrote: »
    Very excited to soon be adding Larry's incredible stands into the setup. Looks like I'll be selling the original Polk stands soon enough. And my 1000VA Dreadnaught transformer is getting packed for shipment by Avel Lindberg. I love it when a plan comes together.

    Since I haven't seen original neither Larry's stands, what are the differences on those? :question:

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited November 2012
    Mystery wrote: »
    Since I haven't seen original neither Larry's stands, what are the differences on those? :question:

    Larrys stands shoot awesomeness and glitter out in a 360 degree angle on all sides. Thats all you need to know :smile:.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited November 2012
    The originals are in my photos in post #3. See this thread for Larry's:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?119192-SDA-CRS-Custom-built-stands..&highlight=crs+stands
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • Moose68Bash
    Moose68Bash Posts: 3,843
    edited November 2012
    Neil,

    Beautiful work and a great write-up.

    I'm sorry to be so late to the "party," but better late than never!

    It is work like yours that make it possible for newbies like me to begin the mod process on our speakers, even if we accept that we can't do all that you did on our own.

    Thank you.

    Phil
    Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.

    Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One.

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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited November 2012
    Moose68Bash wrote: »
    Neil,

    Beautiful work and a great write-up.

    I'm sorry to be so late to the "party," but better late than never!

    It is work like yours that make it possible for newbies like me to begin the mod process on our speakers, even if we accept that we can't do all that you did on our own.

    Thank you.

    Phil

    You're not late to the party at all! I've not even done an extended burn-in on these speakers yet, I'm waiting for the new Dreadnaught to be built and then I'm going to run them for 200 hours. Even with only a few dozen hours on these, though, they sound outstanding. I can't wait to see how they look on Larry's stands!

    Btw, I had an earlier thread just about the veneering. I didn't do all of this myself. I did all the electronics, but my brother-in-law did all the woodwork. It's important when you take on a project like this to know what skills you have and what you'd be better off letting someone else do for you. I'm very thankful that my brother in law is a skilled woodworker, this was a pretty easy project for him. I just stood around holding things still for him! I also know that if I were ever to put new grill cloth on the grills, I wouldn't even think of doing this myself, I'd get a skilled upholsterer to do this work, because I'd certainly screw it up.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • Mystery
    Mystery Posts: 2,546
    edited November 2012
    nspindel wrote: »
    The originals are in my photos in post #3. See this thread for Larry's:

    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?119192-SDA-CRS-Custom-built-stands..&highlight=crs+stands

    I see.
    So Larry's stands are heavier, prettier and overall better. ;)

    Klipsch RB81, KG3.5, B&W DM602.5, Polk.
    Subwoofers: Klipsch RW10, Triad ProSub Bronze.
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited November 2012
    They're way higher on the bad-**** scale.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • GlennDog
    GlennDog Posts: 3,120
    edited November 2012
    Very nice workmanship, Neil . . .

    I'm betting you as excited as I am for the 1 KVA Dreadnaught to arrive

    G
    AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
    Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
    Pre Cary SLP-05
    Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
    Mains Salk HT2-TL
    Rythmik F12
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited November 2012
    Yes, I'm pretty psyched for it. Although I'm not ready to build it yet, still need to order a set of binding posts. I wasn't expecting the transformer until December! But I've got my 800va Dreadnaught for now, I've always been very pleased with it. I'm just getting the 1000va on blind faith that it's better than the 800va, but the 800 is no slacker. I'm planning on selling it after I build the 1000 as a fully assembled Dreadnaught, so no DIY skills required in order to enjoy it.
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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  • Bugstyvy
    Bugstyvy Posts: 119
    edited November 2012
    Wow good work!!
    Mcintosh MC2300
    Mcintosh 2105
    Integra Pre amp 9.8
    Pro-ject Record Player
    Sony 200 disc CD Changer
    Basic Wiring
    60" Samsung Series 8
    SDA-1.2TL
    SDA-3.1TL (unused at the moment)
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  • nspindel
    nspindel Posts: 5,343
    edited November 2012
    I realized that I forgot to post pics in this thread of the 4.1TL's sitting comfortably atop Larry's stands. Don't know what I was thinking! The pictures do not even begin to do justice to these stands. Larry is an absolute master, and these stands are gorgeous. The paint job is exquisite, and you really can't see it at all in these photos. But I absolutely love them!

    IMG_1378.jpg
    IMG_1379.jpg
    IMG_1380.jpg
    IMG_1381.jpg
    Good music, a good source, and good power can make SDA's sing. Tubes make them dance.
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