Just got my first big pair of vintage Polks!

teekay0007 · May 2013

Sounds like someone's hooked! :cool:

westmassguy · May 2013

repairmatt wrote: »

Allow me to use this emoticon: Attachment not found. Woww, does the soundstage get big! There are now sounds outside the speakers, almost holographic sounding. I can see now why you were saying I was listening to only half a speaker. I'll try more songs and see the difference between non-SDA effect and SDA effect, but the two I tried let me know the difference is very noticeable! One thing I did notice that is a slight determent is the midrange is much louder, almost overpoweringly so. However, I reserve judgement until I get the crossovers redone.

Once the crossovers are rebuilt, and you invest in new tweeters, the change will be dramatic.

nspindel · May 2013

repairmatt wrote: »

Woww, does the soundstage get big! There are now sounds outside the speakers, almost holographic sounding. I can see now why you were saying I was listening to only half a speaker.

Welcome to the rabbit hole, sorry for your wallet!

I used to own 1C's, they're great speakers. One issue with them is that the crossover isn't TL-moddable (get your read on to understand the TL mod...) so you are limited to only the RD-0194 tweeter replacement, you won't be able to use the 0198. But on the plus side, you can replace the tweeters now, without needing to do any crossover mods. That should be your first stop in terms of any tweaks. Call Polk customer service and order yourself four of the RD-0194 tweeters. Make sure to tell the good folks there that you are a Club Polk member, and you'll get a bit of a discount on the tweeters. I believe they still cost $48/tweeter including shipping for Club Polk members. You can swap those in for the SL-2000 tweeters you have now with no other changes. Your SL2000's can be sold for about $20/tweeter.

Congratulations on the new speakers, enjoy! And welcome to the club!!

PolkieMan · May 2013

hAhA :razz: I Told you !

The midrange is probably like that because of the crossovers.
Using the SDA Handbook I would, check all wiring and check all of the speakers are correct.
Then do the crossovers and then the 194 tweeters.
Nspindel is right they are $48 each free shipping but in Texas I had to pay tax, that was last August.

repairmatt wrote: »

Allow me to use this emoticon: Attachment not found. Woww, does the soundstage get big! There are now sounds outside the speakers, almost holographic sounding. I can see now why you were saying I was listening to only half a speaker. I'll try more songs and see the difference between non-SDA effect and SDA effect, but the two I tried let me know the difference is very noticeable! One thing I did notice that is a slight determent is the midrange is much louder, almost overpoweringly so. However, I reserve judgement until I get the crossovers redone.

nspindel · May 2013

I had to pay tax as well.

txcoastal1 · May 2013

FYI---There is a thread of favorite SDA music

Enjoy

locnguyen26 · May 2013

Welcome and Nice system!! congrats

dpowell · May 2013

westmassguy wrote: »

Once the crossovers are rebuilt, and you invest in new tweeters, the change will be dramatic.

+1 I had a pair of these before upgrading to larger SDA's and the XO mods and new tweeters made a dramatic change in SQ. If you think the SDA effect is good now, you should try following the proper SDA setup guide and then truly be amazed. Right now, they are too close together and too far off the back wall. The closer you get to proper SDA configuration, the more amazing the SDA is. Also, I highly recommend you spike them or set them on granite slabs to improve the bass response. Each little thing you do will get you closer to bliss.

dpowell · May 2013

repairmatt wrote: »

Allow me to use this emoticon: Attachment not found. One thing I did notice that is a slight determent is the midrange is much louder, almost overpoweringly so. However, I reserve judgement until I get the crossovers redone.

That's because the components on your XO's are past end of life and sound terrible. Also, if you are lacking bass, it is likely because they are sitting straight on carpet without proper spiking or something solid underneath them. Being too far out from the back wall can also screw up how they sound.

bored184 · May 2013

Congrats on your SDAs! SDA 1Cs were my first trip down the rabbit hole as well. Now I am looking to upgrade to even bigger polks :cheesygrin:.

custopper30 · May 2013

nice system you got there! Congrats on them!

repairmatt · May 2013

dpowell wrote: »

That's because the components on your XO's are past end of life and sound terrible. Also, if you are lacking bass, it is likely because they are sitting straight on carpet without proper spiking or something solid underneath them. Being too far out from the back wall can also screw up how they sound.

I am sure the components are past life. I had a pair of ESS speakers that I recapped and the difference between before and after was amazing, like the high filter on the amp had been turned off on the recapped speaker. I'm no stranger to how dramatic the difference is when you recap older speakers. Just to update on that, I got all but the 4.4uF caps, the order got messed up and they put in 5.6uF caps. :frown: Oh well. So, I'm having to wait for those, but I've got everything else.

Also, on the bass, I am finding no lack of it whatsoever, in fact the bass is almost as strong as my Pioneer HPM-100's, except tighter and a lot more accurate. If anybody has heard the HPM's, you know how much bass they have. I forgot to mention this, but the back wall is a 14 inch thick brick wall, as are the right and left walls, so it reflects very well. The SDA effect, while I haven't been able to experiment a lot with speaker placement, has a rather wide sweet spot, I'm able to move about 6 inches right or left and it sounds the same. Any further and the speakers sound lopsided. The effect is very wide and accurate, with pianos, guitars and other instruments that sound outside the speakers and vocals placed precisely in the middle of the two speakers. I have no complaints about the SDA effect at all, but I will be trying different placements as much as I can in the currently limited space I have.

repairmatt · May 2013

Caps have arrived! I first did the left speaker only and hooked them up. Instant, perceivable difference across the whole range, mid-bass is tighter and more defined, mids and highs are much clearer and the definition is amazing. I get excited to hear both recapped, so I do the other one and play the test tracks again. :eek:

Wowww. Drums, especially toms, elect a "Wow!", the attack and decay is almost a perfect reproduction of what they sound like live. Pianos are full sounding and well imaged, I know that pianos are hard to reproduce well, but I've heard several live performances and the only thing I can see missing between live and these is the soundstage, but I know that has to do with the way they are setup currently. Vocals are unbelievably clear and defined, both male and female. Cymbals are precise and defined, I've yet to find something that doesn't sound good on these. The whole sound of them is simply amazing, the new caps and resistors bring a clarity and definition that I didn't realize was missing from them! The bass is, amazingly, also improved, I didn't think replacing the caps would improve it, but it sure did! Accurate, very tight and very powerful bass, the room shakes with some passages if I turn it up. I know that a burn in time will make them sound even better, but the difference is very real already.

nspindel · May 2013

Have you ordered the new tweeters yet? The new tweeter will make an enormous difference as well.

dpowell · May 2013

Awesome, glad you are enjoying them!

repairmatt · June 2013

Wow, I didn't realize I hadn't updated this thread! I've had them playing and burning in for a little over a month now and I have fallen in love with these things even more. One of the reasons being: I completely rearranged my audio room! They are now a little over 4ft apart and about 12 inches off the back wall, the difference that made was astounding. More separation, which I expected, but the most surprising thing was they gained more detail! I can pick out details I couldn't hear before, and they are presented with amazing clarity. The midrange settled down as well with the new components, they are now very well balanced and an utter pleasure to listen to

I did not end up doing the tweeters, there was only a small amount of difference between the SL2000's and the RD-0194's, enough to where I would never notice if I wasn't comparing them side by side. I couldn't justify the cost for so little a difference. I have a friend who has some (which is how I found out how they sound in mine without buying them myself) and he said the same thing when he tried them out in his. Not trying to say people shouldn't do it, but for me they weren't an improvement worth making.

Here is my new setup! (note: the amps on the speakers are because I'm trying them with and without weight on top of them, as I heard that can make them tighten up.)

F1nut · June 2013

The difference between the SL2000 and the RD0194-1 is HUGE! If you're not hearing it, something is very wrong.

westmassguy · June 2013

Very Very wrong indeed. There is a profound difference between the two. The SL2000s have a very nasty resonance spike around 12-13 KHz. The 194s are smooth as silk compared to them.

TennMan · June 2013

If you truly want to see a noticeable difference in the sl2000 compared to the 194, put the 194s in for a few days and then try to go back to the sl2000. You will certainly notice a difference when you do that.

nspindel · June 2013

You sure they're in phase? Wow, those tweeters used to hurt my ears.

repairmatt · July 2013

nspindel wrote:

You sure they're in phase? Wow, those tweeters used to hurt my ears.

They are in phase, I checked all the driver's connections against the schematic when I recapped the crossovers and they were all connected correctly. To me they sound very smooth and extremely detailed, no harshness at all. With everybody saying that they have a bad resonance spike of about 12-13kHz I'm wondering if my room is absorbing it or something?

As it is, the sound is phenomenal, there were a few points in some songs I felt I could reach out and touch the singer or instrument, the presentation was so lifelike. I am very happy with them for sure, it's not like I'm hearing things that cause me to go "That's not right" or anything like that.

F1nut · July 2013

No room can absorb that tweeter. Anyway, as long as you are enjoying them......

PolkieMan · July 2013

Well the 194's sound smoother to me but the main thing is your happy and the SDA is working properly.

MAD · July 2013

Those 1C's look very sweet especially in black and the fact that the previous owner worked for the pentagon makes for an interesting story. You're making me jealous.

I am a new owner of SDA SRS 2 equipped with the sl2000 tweeters... I definitely find that I can handle the tweeters better with different amps (I have no issues with hitachi mosfets but with other amps at higher volumes the tweeters get a bit stingy for lack of a better word).

I have a set of HPM 100's as well and find these polks blow them away in terms of bass.

I am very psyched about the crossover recap and the tweeter upgrades. I think I'm going to triamp.... a monoblock each for the tweeter array then a beefy common ground one for the mids/woofers.

Mike

Just got my first big pair of vintage Polks!

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