In Praise of Trey dba "Vr3 Mods"
Moose68Bash
Posts: 3,843
When I started my quest for better and better sound from my stereo rig in the late fall of 2011, I had no idea where the Pied Piper of the Polk Forum aka DarqueKnight would lead me. I didnt even know it was a rabbit hole I was facing!
I had sought and acquired a pair of SDA SRSs, like those I had coveted some 22 years before.
Then, I went after a bigger, more powerful Perreaux amplifier, like the one I had coveted when I first heard it driving those SRSs in1989.
After I installed the SRSs and a close approximation of that big Perreaux amplifier, however, I realized that the vintage electronics just werent up to driving the SRSs to the level I sought. So, I bought the latest and greatest Perreaux preamp and monoblock amplifiers NOT COMMON GROUND, I need to emphasize and I had a big problem!
And then the fun began: On the advice of Perreauxs lead engineer, DarqueKnights Dreadnought came to the rescue! Building a rudimentary Dreadnought was a challenge even I could manage, given the clear and precise instructions DK provided all of us.
But, once the Dreadnought solved that frightening mismatching-ground problem, DarqueKnights irresistible piping in thread after thread led me to covet ever higher performance and requisite modifications of the SRSs. I had never imagined in my wildest fantasies where vintage Polks could go! Kind of like the Star Trek of the Kingdom of Audiophilia new worlds where no man except DarqueKnight himself had ever gone.
But DQ is an accomplished Electrical Engineer, and Im a mere mortal that is, a retired HR executive whose last close contact with a soldering iron was when he earned his novice ham radio operators license (KN9MXH) in 1958 (or thereabouts) and tried to assemble a Heathkit receiver.
August 2012: Enter Trey Roseman, doing business as Vr3 Mods, best described as the Equalizer for technically challenged newbies like me. With trepidation, I contacted Trey about building new crossovers with 21st century capacitors, resistors, and inductors; a Gimpod circuit board, and replacing the SDA inductors and binding posts with contemporary, audiophile-grade components.
Trey is remarkable to work with. Not only did he give sound advice about the components that should be specified in his projects, he gave me advice in a manner that made me confident that he sincerely had my interests in mind, not how to maximize his profit at my expense! I felt sure that he was in the business because he loves the work he does and wants to improve the sound his customers get from their speakers.
Furthermore, Trey had the patience and tenacity to give me, a real newbie, clear and concise instructions about how to remove the crossovers and binding post cups and package them for mailing, as well as to make very clear how the wiring harnesses should be labeled to make reassembly easy!
Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or more precisely the proof of the speaker mods is in the listening. And here Treys product exceeded my highest expectations.
Immediately after installation, the sound reproduction of my system was dramatically improved. Most noticeable from the very beginning was the improved reproduction of the music at significantly lower volume. As my wife and I put more and more hours on the new crossovers and other components, the vintage SRSs opened up like a fine old Burgundy.
The sound stage was wider, higher, and deeper. Highs were clearer, and transients faster and better defined. Midrange performance was dramatically improved, and bass was tighter and carried the timbre of instruments far more clearly.
After the necessary burn-in time, the performance of the speakers reached a level of realism that I had not expected. As I have noted in other posts, however, I began to hear more distinctly what I called a muddle in the middle of complex orchestral music. The question was, Was this a limitation of the speakers and their new components or of other elements in my system?
Since I installed the Vr3 Mods in my SRSs, I have introduced several other changes in my system including Audioquest Sky interconnects between the preamp and my monoblocks, a Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One 5.0 power conditioner on a dedicated circuit, upgraded power cords on all components. The muddle in the middle is virtually gone.
What does this say about Treys Vr3 crossovers and other mods? It says that they were up to the task of carrying their weight in rendering the best sound out of my system when these other supporting upgrades were added to the mix.
The strongest endorsement I can offer of Trey and Vr3 Mods is that I sent the crossovers and binding post cups from my SDA 1Cs to him for similar modifications. In the course of modifying them, he ran into a problem with getting the correct inductors. He explained the problem, kept me informed, and completed the work as expeditiously as he could.
Now, he has given me advice about how to build power cords for my CD player and preamp, including both materials to use (e.g., Supra Rondo Lo Rad 2.5 cable) and how to achieve a 9-AWG equivalent cord with shotgun construction.
I am not a seasoned audiophile who can call up all the right terms to describe how my speakers were improved by Treys fine work, nor am I a technical expert who can provide scientific data to verify the differences in performance that I and more important, my wife hear.
I am, however, a customer and now a friend who has complete confidence in Trey and who appreciates the exceptional work he does with sincere concern for the product he delivers and the experience his customers have throughout the process of modifying their speakers with Vr3 Mods products.
As Toolfan66 says, Trey for Polkie of the year!
Pictures of a new and old crossover and of the new SDA interconnect cables Trey fabricated with my prototype plywood Dreadnought enclosure and the new SDA inductor installed in one of the SRSs:
I had sought and acquired a pair of SDA SRSs, like those I had coveted some 22 years before.
Then, I went after a bigger, more powerful Perreaux amplifier, like the one I had coveted when I first heard it driving those SRSs in1989.
After I installed the SRSs and a close approximation of that big Perreaux amplifier, however, I realized that the vintage electronics just werent up to driving the SRSs to the level I sought. So, I bought the latest and greatest Perreaux preamp and monoblock amplifiers NOT COMMON GROUND, I need to emphasize and I had a big problem!
And then the fun began: On the advice of Perreauxs lead engineer, DarqueKnights Dreadnought came to the rescue! Building a rudimentary Dreadnought was a challenge even I could manage, given the clear and precise instructions DK provided all of us.
But, once the Dreadnought solved that frightening mismatching-ground problem, DarqueKnights irresistible piping in thread after thread led me to covet ever higher performance and requisite modifications of the SRSs. I had never imagined in my wildest fantasies where vintage Polks could go! Kind of like the Star Trek of the Kingdom of Audiophilia new worlds where no man except DarqueKnight himself had ever gone.
But DQ is an accomplished Electrical Engineer, and Im a mere mortal that is, a retired HR executive whose last close contact with a soldering iron was when he earned his novice ham radio operators license (KN9MXH) in 1958 (or thereabouts) and tried to assemble a Heathkit receiver.
August 2012: Enter Trey Roseman, doing business as Vr3 Mods, best described as the Equalizer for technically challenged newbies like me. With trepidation, I contacted Trey about building new crossovers with 21st century capacitors, resistors, and inductors; a Gimpod circuit board, and replacing the SDA inductors and binding posts with contemporary, audiophile-grade components.
Trey is remarkable to work with. Not only did he give sound advice about the components that should be specified in his projects, he gave me advice in a manner that made me confident that he sincerely had my interests in mind, not how to maximize his profit at my expense! I felt sure that he was in the business because he loves the work he does and wants to improve the sound his customers get from their speakers.
Furthermore, Trey had the patience and tenacity to give me, a real newbie, clear and concise instructions about how to remove the crossovers and binding post cups and package them for mailing, as well as to make very clear how the wiring harnesses should be labeled to make reassembly easy!
Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, or more precisely the proof of the speaker mods is in the listening. And here Treys product exceeded my highest expectations.
Immediately after installation, the sound reproduction of my system was dramatically improved. Most noticeable from the very beginning was the improved reproduction of the music at significantly lower volume. As my wife and I put more and more hours on the new crossovers and other components, the vintage SRSs opened up like a fine old Burgundy.
The sound stage was wider, higher, and deeper. Highs were clearer, and transients faster and better defined. Midrange performance was dramatically improved, and bass was tighter and carried the timbre of instruments far more clearly.
After the necessary burn-in time, the performance of the speakers reached a level of realism that I had not expected. As I have noted in other posts, however, I began to hear more distinctly what I called a muddle in the middle of complex orchestral music. The question was, Was this a limitation of the speakers and their new components or of other elements in my system?
Since I installed the Vr3 Mods in my SRSs, I have introduced several other changes in my system including Audioquest Sky interconnects between the preamp and my monoblocks, a Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One 5.0 power conditioner on a dedicated circuit, upgraded power cords on all components. The muddle in the middle is virtually gone.
What does this say about Treys Vr3 crossovers and other mods? It says that they were up to the task of carrying their weight in rendering the best sound out of my system when these other supporting upgrades were added to the mix.
The strongest endorsement I can offer of Trey and Vr3 Mods is that I sent the crossovers and binding post cups from my SDA 1Cs to him for similar modifications. In the course of modifying them, he ran into a problem with getting the correct inductors. He explained the problem, kept me informed, and completed the work as expeditiously as he could.
Now, he has given me advice about how to build power cords for my CD player and preamp, including both materials to use (e.g., Supra Rondo Lo Rad 2.5 cable) and how to achieve a 9-AWG equivalent cord with shotgun construction.
I am not a seasoned audiophile who can call up all the right terms to describe how my speakers were improved by Treys fine work, nor am I a technical expert who can provide scientific data to verify the differences in performance that I and more important, my wife hear.
I am, however, a customer and now a friend who has complete confidence in Trey and who appreciates the exceptional work he does with sincere concern for the product he delivers and the experience his customers have throughout the process of modifying their speakers with Vr3 Mods products.
As Toolfan66 says, Trey for Polkie of the year!
Pictures of a new and old crossover and of the new SDA interconnect cables Trey fabricated with my prototype plywood Dreadnought enclosure and the new SDA inductor installed in one of the SRSs:
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.
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.
Post edited by Moose68Bash on
Comments
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Phil,
It is comments like this that make this worth it.
Thank you for such kind words and I look forward to our future contact!
I must mention that Phil is a gentleman and a scholar, second to none!
Thank you sir!- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
Trey,
You are welcome!
I apologize for the screwy appearance of the pictures -- that is, the oversized version of probably the least important picture. I have no idea how or why the third picture is huge and the first two are small. I have a lot to learn about this Forum, as well as stereo equipment.
PhilFamily 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. -
Nice write up. Sid the Kid has come a long way.......you have no idea.
Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Very nice write up!!
DQ hahaha!!! Now I'm hungry for a blizzard. -
Very nice piece. Trey keep up the good work.
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Nice review!"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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Very nice write up!!
DQ hahaha!!! Now I'm hungry for a blizzard.
How many times I went over that piece, and I still missed a typo! :sad: I guess I concentrated too much on trying to fix the problem with the pictures.
DarqueKnight, please accept my apologies.
On the other hand, I wouldn't mind a DQ Blizzard this morning!
Cheers!
PS: Toolfan66 and F1nut, thank you for your kind words. "Sid the Kid?"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. -
Nice write up. Sid the Kid has come a long way.......you have no idea.
I can remember when Trey first came to C.P. I was also new here. He was about 12-13 yrs. old and had more questions than anybody could ever answer. Borderline "Annoying" :biggrin: He has learned far more than I'll ever know about all things Audio, and taken his passion and turned it into a viable business. I applaud his efforts and his work is second to none. -
Nice write-up. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Craigb]Beach Audio[/b]: Rega RP6 (mods) - AT33PTG/II - Parks Budgie SUT - PSAudio NPC * Eversolo DMP-A6 * Topping D90iii * Joule-Electra LA-100 mkIII * Pass Aleph 30 * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 2.3tl (mods) * PSAudio PPP3
Beach Study: Pro-Ject Stream Box S2 Ultra & Pre Box S2 * Pass ACA * DH Labs SS Q10 * Brines Folded ML-TQWT RS 40-1354 * PSA Dectet
Beach Master: WiiM Pro * Dayens Menuetto * Zu Libtec * Dynaudio Audience 50
Beach Den: Bluesound Powernode 2i * DH Labs SS Q10 * Zu Omen DWII * Richard Gray RGPC
Town Study: WiiM Pro * Chord Qute (Pardo) * Elekit TU-8600 * MIT S3 * Revel M22 * Beyer DT-990 * Shunyata Hydra 2
Town Den: Music Hall mm5.1se - Denon DL-103r - Jolida JD9ii (mods) * WiiM Pro * Cary xCiter * Rogue 99 Magnum * Schiit Aegir * MIT S3 * Polk SRS 1.2tl (mods) * Dectet * Bottlehead Crack - Senn 600
Town Porch: WiiM Pro Plus * Sunfire Sig II * Canare 4S11 * Magnepan 1.6 * Dectet -
Nice write up. Sid the Kid has come a long way.......you have no idea.
I was going to mention something along those lines. We had much entertainment at his expense back when he was what, 12? He grow'd up good! -
Nice write-up. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Craig
You are welcome and thanks for your kind words, Craig.
And thanks to you guys for clearing up the meaning of the allusion to Sid the Kid!
PhilFamily 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. -
I think you made Trey blush!!!
I too am working with Trey, he is a great guy to work with. I ordered some caps from him a couple of months ago for a crossover upgrade project. I received the order in a timely fashion, but later expressed concerns (buyers remorse) if I made the right decission to go with my original purchase or if I should have gone all-out with the very best that Trey has to offer.
Trey understood my concerns and after much research (and debating with myself) for a couple of months, I expressed to Trey that I wanted to send the caps back. He kindly offered and gave a prompt refund (I have him working on another speaker related project for me, so I received the cost difference back). The caps were unused. I then went ahead and purchased the best caps that Trey has to offer which I should receive next week.
Everything that is mentioned in this thread about Trey I totally agree with. He is a true audiophile and is a pleasure to work with while keeping our best interests in mind.Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
Nice write-up. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Craig
Yes, A very good write-up Phil, love it when a plan comes together, makes everything worthwhile. N'joy -
Nice review on your experience.POLK SDA 2.3 TLS BOUGHT NEW IN 1990, Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-198
POLK CSI-A6 POLK MONITOR 70'S ONKYO TX NR-808 SONY CDP-333ES
PIONEER PL-510A SONY BDP S5100
POLK SDA 1C BOUGHT USED 2011,Gimpod/Sonic Caps/Mills RDO-194
ONKYO HT RC-360 SONY BDP S590 TECHNICS SL BD-1 -
I'll jump on the Trey love fest. My SDA-1C and RTA-12C sing because of his handy work. Great write up.
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me too. i have done nothing but ask small questions, ask for a little advice, and bought a few caps and resistors to do my own work.
prompt emails, prompt shipping, and genuine interest at my progress and needs... besides just being an all around great guy, i think if he had extra time he could teach seminars on what real customer service can and should be.Polk Lsi9
N.E.W. A-20 class A 20W
NAD 1020 completely refurbished
Keces DA-131 mk.II
Analysis Plus Copper Oval, Douglass, Morrow SUB3, Huffman Digital
Paradigm DSP-3100 v.2 -
You guys are just too kind...
Thank you all so much and I look forward to our future encounters!! - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
If you ask real nicely, Trey will even come to your house to install the crossovers (provided that you are within a 10 mile radius from his house). RickSpeakers: Polk 1.2TL w/VR3 mods and Dreadnaught interconnects
Amplification: ARC Reference 110 w/KT150s; Cary Audio SLP-05 w/Ultimate Upgrade
Vinyl: VPI HW19 MK III (Heavily Modded); Origin Live Silver Tonearm; Hana ML Cart; Pete Riggle VTAF; VPI TNT Platter; SAMA; Iphono3
Digital: Aurender N100H; Benchmark DAC1 -
Rick is a gentleman and a scholar... He even provides an audience... Aka... The cats.... Haha- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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I will be writing a review myself soon. Had my LSi15s and LSiC upgraded and it was totally worth it. I wish more companies had customer service as good as Trey, certainly would make life easier haha.
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Today, my wife and I put in a CD that is a bit off the beaten track for us -- David Johansen and the Harry Smiths from Chesky Records. This is their 1999 Chesky recording; frankly, I can't read the title of the disc on the brochure.
While the music is not our usual fare, the sound reproduction is absolutely extraordinary.
The SRS are about 12 feet apart, center to center. The "sweet spot" is a virtually perfect apex of an equilateral triangle in front of them.
The sound stage extends about six feet outside the speakers on each side. The depth sounds and feels like it is about 10 feet with the front edge about six feet in front of the sweet spot, and the height rises about a foot above the top of the speakers.
The singer is perfectly positioned; he appears virtually right in the middle and in front of the instruments. The instruments are well located with the drums up and behind the singer. The bass is on the left and slightly further back than the singer. Guitars and banjo are right or left and on the same horizontal plane as the singer.
The timbre of each instrument comes through clearly and accurately. Some of the special sound effects -- electric guitar and percussion -- are profoundly effective. Transients are clean and precise, regardless of the instrument and the frequency range.
Bass is tight and punchy -- very clear and affective. And I mean "affective," not effective -- my wife and i feel the bass as well as hear it. (It is effective, too!)
This quality of reproduction is as close to the sound of a live performance as I've ever heard from a stereo system.
I can't resist comparing the sound of the SRS1.2s to the 1Cs, on which I recently completed comparable mods (with a lot of help from Trey and many other Polkies). At this point, the SRSs seem to produce a softer sound and greater detail at lower volumes; the 1Cs a brighter sound with somewhat more bass emphasis. These are two different systems in two dramatically different location. Both sets of speakers reproduce sound remarkably well -- extraordinarily pleasing over extended listening sessions. I love them both! :biggrin:
As my wife put it, "This is not a singer we would normally like, but the sound is so good you have to listen to it!"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. -
Here is a list of all mods on my SDA SRS1.2s:
1. Installed RDO 194 Tweeters
2. Installed Crossover Upgraded by Vr3 Modsa. Gimpod Boards
b. Clarity Capsi. Tweeter Network: Clarity Cap ESAs
ii. Midbass Network: Clarity Cap SAsc. Mundorf Mox Resistors3. Custom SDA Interconnect Cables by Vr3 Mods
d. Jantzen Perfect-lay Inductors: Board-mounted & SDAa. Supra Rondo 2.5 Cable4. Custom Aluminum Binding-Post Plates by Vr3 Mods
b. Neutrik speakOn NL2FC Male Connectors (Speaker Ends)
c. Banana Connectors (Dreadnought Ends)a. Upgraded Binding Posts5. Dreadnought SDA Amplifier Interface per DarqueKnights Design
b. Neutrik speakOn NLJ2MD Female Jack Receptacles for SDA Cablesa. Avel-Lindberg 1000VA Transformer6. Larrys Brackets & Rings by Toolfan66
b. Enclosure Designed and Assembled by Myself
c. Cardas CCGR Binding Postsa. Brackets for Tweeters7. Black Hole 5 Installed behind Tweeters, MWs, and on Sides in Cabinets
b. Rings for MWs and PRs
8. Dynamat Xtreme on MW and Passive Radiator Baskets
9. Acousta Stuf Polyfill to Replace Stock Polyfill
10. JB Weld on MW Magnets
11. Custom-cut Gaskets for PRs (1/4 Neoprene Material)
12. Spikes: Meniscus Extra Points SetFamily 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. -
It's obvious you went all out and used the best of everything in your speakers. I noticed you used RDO-194 tweeters, which are excellent, but I was just wondering if there was not a way you could do a TL upgrade, using RDO-198 tweeters, on either pair of your speakers?
- 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
- SDA 2BTL · Sonicaps · Mills resistors · RDO-198s · New gaskets · H-nuts · Erse inductors · BH5 · Dynamat
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It's obvious you went all out and used the best of everything in your speakers. I noticed you used RDO-194 tweeters, which are excellent, but I was just wondering if there was not a way you could do a TL upgrade, using RDO-198 tweeters, on either pair of your speakers?
As far as I know, there is no path to upgrade the 1Cs to make them 1C TLs. Others on the Forum know far more about this than I do, and perhaps they will confirm my opinion or correct it.
With respect to my SDA SRS1.2s, if I were to start this process over again, I might try to do the upgrade to the RDO 198s and the TL mod. At the time that I began the upgrades, I was under the impression that taking that route was risky and difficult. Somewhere I had read that changing the inductors to effect that upgrade was not a good idea. Since then, others (e.g., DarqueKnight) have asked the same question and have implicitly indicated that I should have/could have done the TL upgrade.
I have not heard the SDA SRS1.2 TLs; so, I do not know the sonic improvements achieved by the TL upgrade. The fact that Polk Audio invested a good bit of money in it, however, suggests that it must be significant and probably worth the investment.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. -
Nice write up. Sid the Kid has come a long way.......you have no idea.
Hehe...yes he has.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Very nice write up moose68bash. I am just beginning my mods to my 1.2's. Bought the RDO-198 and it begins. I am so glad to hear your experience was very positive and can not wait till the finished product. Like yourself I ran into the dreaded non common amp issue and will most likely have to install a dreadnaught. If I may ask is yours installed inside the cabinet of the speaker? Also did you build it yourself? I can barely write my name let alone hold a soldering gun. LOL
Thank you
MCOW4S SX-1000, Adcom gfp-750, Polk 1.2tl, W4S DAC 2 DSDse, 2012 mac mini (mod), JRivers ver. 19, WD Cloud NAS 2 t.b., Monster Cable AVS-2000 signature, Doug's Alpha I/C & Doug's biwire 6' speaker cables -
Not Moose68Bash, but I can answer your question. Do not install the Dreadnaught inside either speaker cabinet. You want it more or less out in the open away from things affected by a very large transformer or things affecting it.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Like yourself I ran into the dreaded non common amp issue and will most likely have to install a dreadnaught. If I may ask is yours installed inside the cabinet of the speaker? Also did you build it yourself? I can barely write my name let alone hold a soldering gun. LOL
Thank you
MCO
Here you go: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?129829-The-AI-1-Dreadnought-Project-Pt.2-Upgrade-to-1000VA-Transformer&highlight=Dreadnought+darqueknight
A great "how to" by a polk master."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 -
great thread to find and read. Thanks
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Very nice write up moose68bash. I am just beginning my mods to my 1.2's. Bought the RDO-198 and it begins. I am so glad to hear your experience was very positive and can not wait till the finished product. Like yourself I ran into the dreaded non common amp issue and will most likely have to install a dreadnaught. If I may ask is yours installed inside the cabinet of the speaker? Also did you build it yourself? I can barely write my name let alone hold a soldering gun. LOL
Thank you
MCO
Guys like F1nut know a lot more about this "stuff" than I, but perhaps my experience can be helpful because, like you, I'm not that good with a soldering gun or iron.
I built my own Dreadnought, and it is located outside the speaker cabinets (I've never heard of one being placed inside a speaker cabinet). Actually, I've built two Dreadnoughts -- one for my SRS 1.2s and one for my 1Cs. I use the Dreadnought with common ground amp on the 1Cs because I hear a definite improvement in sound reproduction with the Dreadnought vs. the stock SDA interconnect cable. I used Toolfan66's enclosure for one Dreadnought, and I designed and fabricated -- with the help of a machine shop and anodizer -- an enclosure for the second. I've posted pictures of the results in a couple of threads. One has a Toroid of Maryland transformer; the other has an Avel-Lindberg transformer from a group buy pulled together by a member of the Forum.
Integral, critical, essential -- whatever word you like best -- to all the mods on my speakers was Trey of Vr3 Mods. As I've said several times, along with many others, Trey's work is extraordinary, and you should engage him to help you. You won't be disappointed.
Good luck on your work on your speakers. There many knowledgeable, great folks on this Forum who will give you guidance throughout. Darqueknight's work and documentation is extraordinary!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.
