Polk SDA SRS 2.3 with Mono Block Amps

EvilMuffin
EvilMuffin Posts: 32
edited January 2014 in Troubleshooting
I was hoping someone knew whether or not Audio Research M100 mono block amps could have the ground bound together to work with my SDA's. I would really appreciate any help and hope I posted this in the right place!
Post edited by EvilMuffin on
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,441
    edited January 2014
    Call Audio Research they'd know for sure. Most mono's that is a no no....
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,546
    edited January 2014
    I seriously doubt it, but you should check with ARC.
    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

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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    Already have a call into them, said they would have to get back to me. Ive tried searching, someone keeps mentioning a transformer that would make it work, but I cant seem to find a link to buy one.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    Do you have 2.3's or 2.3TL's?

    2.3's = no to the transformer
    2.3TL's = yes to the transformer
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,441
    edited January 2014
    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?74472-The-AI-1-Dreadnought-Project-Pt.1

    the best way
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    It would seem I have the standard 2.3s.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    EvilMuffin wrote: »
    It would seem I have the standard 2.3s.

    Do you know the difference between the two?

    2.3's will have a blade/blade interconnect cable, as well as what we call doughnut drivers, two per speaker, and SL2000 tweeters.

    2.3TL's will have a pin/blade interconnect cable, and SL3000 tweeters..
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,441
    edited January 2014
    As tool said if your IC cable is Blade/Blade all is a no go no can do
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    I have pin and blade interconnects, but I also have the strange looking donut drivers. I am about to flip the speaker around and verify that I am not losing it.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,414
    edited January 2014
    I would not recommend strapping those amps together either. Better to mover them along and get a good quality common ground stereo amp.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    EvilMuffin wrote: »
    I have pin and blade interconnects, but I also have the strange looking donut drivers. I am about to flip the speaker around and verify that I am not losing it.

    If you have pin/blade then you might have a later model 2.3 set, but the donut drivers defiantly tell me you have 2.3's, and using the transformer will not work in your case..

    You will need to find a common ground amp, or an amp that you can strap the neg's on..
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    I have the pin and blade interconnect for sure, but I also have the donut drivers and Sl2000 tweeters. The serial number from the right speaker is SDA-SRS2 3026
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    They look like this. http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q207/bsufbfan/OriginalSRS23s.jpg
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    Yep, you have 2.3's...

    Great speaker, you just need to find the right amp for them..
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    Could they be used with the mono blocks at least in the short term by leaving the interconnect unplugged?
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    evilmuffin wrote: »
    could they be used with the mono blocks at least in the short term by leaving the interconnect unplugged?

    yes!!!
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    Alrighty, I will leave this system as I have it with my carver m4.0t in the long term and pick up some new speakers for my mono blocks, but I need something to play with this weekend!
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    Enjoy!!!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,546
    edited January 2014
    Hang on a sec. The AI-1/Dreadnaught CAN be used with the 2.3 or any SDA that has the pin/blade connectors.
    2.3's will have a blade/blade interconnect cable, as well as what we call doughnut drivers, two per speaker, and SL2000 tweeters.

    Larry, I've never seen a 2.3 that had the blade/blade connector.
    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

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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    F1nut wrote: »
    Hang on a sec. The AI-1/Dreadnaught CAN be used with the 2.3 or any SDA that has the pin/blade connectors.



    Larry, I've never seen a 2.3 that had the blade/blade connector.

    Are you sure?? Maybe I'm wrong, but when Kevin had his I could swear his was blade/blade, also he had the dual boards, and I thought that did matter..

    I hope I'm wrong here then, for the sake of this guy..
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,546
    edited January 2014
    I'm sure that the AI-1/Dreadnaught can be used with any pin/blade SDA. Is it possible some early 2.3's came with blade/blade? I'm sure it is as anything is possible during that time with Polk, but I've never heard of one.

    Bottom line, the OP can definitely use the AI-1/Dreadnaught.
    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

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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,237
    edited January 2014
    F1nut wrote: »
    I'm sure that the AI-1/Dreadnaught can be used with any pin/blade SDA. Is it possible some early 2.3's came with blade/blade? I'm sure it is as anything is possible during that time with Polk, but I've never heard of one.

    Bottom line, the OP can definitely use the AI-1/Dreadnaught.

    Well if that's the case, then I feel like an arse. I thought I was being helpful...

    Well then we need to help him build a dreadnought, That I cannot F'UP

    Maybe I should stick to working on work hours!! LOL!!!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,546
    edited January 2014
    LOL....don't sweat it, we all get stuff wrong from time to time. I know I have.
    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

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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited January 2014
    The 2.3's I just sold (donut drivers), has a pin/blade i/c. I "think" there was a 2.3 version (pre donut drivers) that might have been a blade/blade configuration.

    A picture from an early brochure http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Original-SDA-SRS-2-3-Speaker-Magazine-Ad-/281240769648?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item417b419470 kinda like the earlier version of the SRS 2 (blade/blade)
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited January 2014
    Hello,
    According to the M-100 schematic the "4 ohm" tap is the ground reference point, as opposed to the "common" tap. This is fairly common with ARC amplifiers. This would mean that if the "4 ohm" taps of the two amplifier could be connected together to give a left and right ground reference point for the speakers. Then the left and right positive terminals of the two speakers could be connected to the "8 ohm" or "16 ohm" taps. You would then select which one seemed to be better balanced sonically.
    Regards, Ken
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,546
    edited January 2014
    Nice detective work, Ken.
    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

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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited January 2014
    I remember dealing with ARC amps and other common ground devices, such as speaker selector boxes and headphone junction boxes when I was an ARC dealer.
    I love their products!
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  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited January 2014
    As far as I understand being able to use an AI-1 interlink with your SDA's and from looking at the schematics it seems to depend on the type of I.C. connector you have and crossover, it has to be a single board style crossover with a pin/blade type I.C. connector with the blade being directly connected to the black binding post. This was part of the internal modifications you had to do on the early SDA 1C's & 2B's in order to use the original AI-1 interlink. Some early (1987) blade/Blade SDA 1C & 2B could be modified to work work with the AI-1.
    F1nut wrote: »
    LOL....don't sweat it, we all get stuff wrong from time to time. I know I have.

    I never get anything wrong after all I am GOD. Now I may miss-speak or even flat out forget things from time to time but I'm never wrong.


    If anyone believes that I have a couple bridges and a very nice space needle I'd like to sell you.... Cheap!
    “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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  • zane77
    zane77 Posts: 1,696
    edited January 2014
    I have the 2.3’s with the donut drivers and it had the pin/blade connector (now Speakon) and I use a Dreadnaught interface for my BAT non-common ground amp and it works great
    Home Theater
    Onkyo PR-SC5508 Sharp LC-70LE847U
    Emotiva XPA-5 Emotiva XPA-2 Emotiva UPA-2
    Front RTi-A9 Wide RTi-A7 Center CSi-A6 Surround FXi-A6 Rear RTi-A3 Sub 2x PSW505
    Sony BDP-S790 Dishnetwork Hopper/Joey Logitech Harmony One Apple TV
    Two Channel
    Oppo 105D BAT VK-500 w/BatPack SDA SRS 2.3 Dreadnought Squeezebox Touch Apple TV
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  • EvilMuffin
    EvilMuffin Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    Ken, I appreciate the input, however I do not really follow what your saying. I am really new to this kind of thing. How are you saying I can safely connect them? I just do not understand what I need to connect the speakers to, to make it. "safe"
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