SDA 1B upgrade

vintagenut

Anyone here who is thinking about upgrading their SDAs, stop thinking and just do it. They really are a phenomenal speaker after modern upgrades. I just had my 1Bs upgraded with Sonicap gen 1 in the high pass, and Dayton 5% in the low pass. I also added all new mills resistors and Erse super q low resistance inductors. All I can say is WOW... So glad I didn't buy a new set of speakers, I would never have been able to afford this performance level in new gear.. Blows away every other speaker I've ever heard.. Amazing..

PolkieMan

And the other main reason if you like it, it is about the only way to have SDA that's why I still have mine almost 24 years

vintagenut wrote: »

Anyone here who is thinking about upgrading their SDAs, stop thinking and just do it. They really are a phenomenal speaker after modern upgrades. I just had my 1Bs upgraded with Sonicap gen 1 in the high pass, and Dayton 5% in the low pass. I also added all new mills resistors and Erse super q low resistance inductors. All I can say is WOW... So glad I didn't buy a new set of speakers, I would never have been able to afford this performance level in new gear.. Blows away every other speaker I've ever heard.. Amazing..

Schurkey

Upgraded my 1Bs a couple of years ago. Profoundly satisfied with them, except for the requirement to use common-ground amplifiers.
[edit] and the treble, which I have felt is too polite from the day I bought them in about '87. Replacing the 2-ohm resistor with a 1.5- or 1.75-ohm unit may take care of this. I went with a less-elegant solution, and never went back in to change resistors.

PolkieMan

I had Pioneer HPM-100 from 1976.
Stereo Review Mag spurred my interest once I heard them that was it.
I took me a week get things in order for the purchase, it was worth it.

vintagenut

Thanks for the reply's. All of my electrical work was done by westmassguy, another club Polk member. I have nothing but the highest regard for his work, and he is always willing to help with technical issues. Now I'm debating new finish and grill cloth. I also want to add a better interconnect cable. Enjoying Bad Company, Burning Sky on them as I type. I drive mine with an NAD 372 and it does a fine job. This amp and speakers seem to get along fine, my vintage receivers absolutely will not drive the SDAs. I do have an older JVC intergrated that does well with them. The SDAs have really made me realize how important it is to match amp and speakers, because the NAD doesn't sound nearly as good with any of my other speakers. It seem to thrive on the low impedance of the SDAs. Really opens them up.

westmassguy

vintagenut wrote: »

Thanks for the reply's. All of my electrical work was done by westmassguy, another club Polk member. I have nothing but the highest regard for his work, and he is always willing to help with technical issues. Now I'm debating new finish and grill cloth. I also want to add a better interconnect cable. Enjoying Bad Company, Burning Sky on them as I type. I drive mine with an NAD 372 and it does a fine job. This amp and speakers seem to get along fine, my vintage receivers absolutely will not drive the SDAs. I do have an older JVC intergrated that does well with them. The SDAs have really made me realize how important it is to match amp and speakers, because the NAD doesn't sound nearly as good with any of my other speakers. It seem to thrive on the low impedance of the SDAs. Really opens them up.

Thank you Sir, was a pleasure working with you as well. Wait till you get 200+ hours on them. The Sonicaps really show their stuff.