SDA 1b or 1c? Upgrades?

dan98svt

Hi all,
Looking at a set of SDA1b speakers that I think might be c. These are the studio version (all black and 43" tall instead of 44").
(1) How can I tell if they are b or c? Someone said something about SRS endcaps, but that doesn't tell me anything. I've looked at pictures but can't even find the b in black (did find 2 pics of the same speakers labeled as b and the other as c...). The sellers pictures are fuzzy but it looks like the interconnect cable plug is above the speaker connectors.
(2) Is there a sound difference between b and c? Different tweeter, mid-woofers or passive woofer? Different guts?
(3) If they are "blown", what would be blown; the crossover or the speakers? Is the crossover fixable if dead?
(4) Also, where would I get the guts upgraded if I think the sound could be improved? I don't know what caps are, much less how to upgrade them. Also, I can't find RD0194-1 tweeters anywhere online. Is this something that was done 10 years ago but nobody does it anymore?
Thanks for any help. Always been a Polk fan, but never had the financial opportunity to buy the nice ones before. (Looking for SDA SRS 1.2 if anyone is selling...)
Dan

Faustin

RDO 194 tweeters can be purchased direct from Polk. Tell them you are a club member to receive a discount. Not sure what model you are looking into. Lots of info here if you search around. Several members do upgrades to speakers for a living. Might want to check with member westmassguy. He has done plenty of upgrades and is quite knowledgeable. He has rebuilt crossovers for me.

pitdogg2

pull the drivers SDAb came with mw6509 I believe that SDA1c came with 6510's Either way pull drivers and let us know the MW numbers and will be more precise

Faustin

Maybe this will help with the identification.

http://www.gimpod.com/sda-id.html

MrBuhl

^^ great advice^^ , the SDA ID will get you sorted out - and basically everything is fixable and many fixes will upgrade the sound of your speakers in the process. +2 for David at DHS Speaker Service (*westmassguy here at CP) - he did my 1c crossovers, interconnect and binding posts - stand up guy.

gimpod

Externally the easiest way is to look at the I.C. (SDA Cable) socket if it's a Pin/Blade they are SDA 1C Studios. Be aware that the some early SDA 1C's came with a blade/Blade I.C. if this is the case you'll have to pull a driver to check the model number, The SDA 1B's used all MW 6509's and the SDA 1C's used 2 MW 6511's and 2 MW 6510's.

Basically the only difference's between the 1B's and the 1C Studio's are the drivers and crossovers (in most cases the 1C crossovers are cheaper to up grade) they both use the same tweeters, passivies and in some cases the cabinets I believe.

PolkieMan

Hopefully they are 1C Studios, they are better and newer but are of a more basic cabinet to save costs.
Regular 1C have wood top and bottom caps with fabric on sides like the big SDA's
Look at the back the SDA socket will be Pin (Hole) / Blade (Slot). Confirm this by pulling just one 6.5" speaker is it 6510 or 6511? Then you are good, 1Cs.
Read this,
SDA Handbook PDF 106 pages.
http://vr3mods.com/uploads/SDA_Handbook_2011_Rev2.pdf

dan98svt

So, they turned out to be the 1C Studio. They are 1 owner, and well taken care of. The only thing I found was a light scratch on top of the right cabinet and one tweeter has a small hole in it, but still sounds ok. The grills are near perfect.
The tweeters work, but these SDAs seem to be really midrangy. Got 4 new tweets (RDOs) in the mail. If that doesn't fix the sound some, I guess I can try my luck at soldering. I can't really afford to spend $300-500 more to have someone else do it.
I did have to take out the left cabinet passive and zip-tie the wires out of the way. They were bumping against the woofer and making some noise. Call it my first upgrade. My second upgrade was moving the turntable/stereo rack out of the way. These are taller than my Bose 701s and they feedback right into the cartridge.
If you know of some clear and precise DIY instructions on what/how to upgrade xover, please post where they are.

Thanks,
Dan

TennMan

Westmassguy, one of the forum members here, did my crossovers at a very reasonable price. You should contact him before ordering any parts to do it yourself.

Faustin

You can go to www.gimpod.com and look up schematics and parts list for your 1c's. You can also get the gimpod circuit boards to make mounting the new capacitors much easier. If you have never soldered or done anything like this before it may be a little tough to do. I had my first couple of crossovers redone by polk member westmassguy and then bought a solder station and began learning how to solder. I have now rebuilt several sets of Polk crossovers, but again it was a completely new adventure.

dan98svt

I've already received a few quotes. $200-250 for labor and shipping is out of my price range. The "good parts" run about $280 for both speakers.

dpowell

They will not sound good until you redo the XO's. They will sound phenomenal about 200 listening hours after upgrade. I modded a set of 1C studios before getting the 2.3TL's. You won't be disappointed with the investment.

If you want to try a few inexpensive things to improve bass response and eliminate the mid-heaviness while waiting for XO upgrade funds, try spiking them or put them on some granite slabs. Also make sure they are properly positioned 6-8" off the back wall which has a big impact on bass response.

Faustin

Some of the mods are not cheap. When I started digging in to this "hobby" 2 years ago, members kept referring to "the rabbit hole". I keeps going, and going, and..... Look at some youtube videos on soldering and get that education. I am sure members here would be happy to help and give advise. There are members here that have a ton of experience and knowledge. I am not an expert by any means, but I would be happy to give my 2 cents and offer help. Pm me and I would be happy to answer any questions if I can.

PolkieMan

They are running a good special 50 % off Sonic Caps till the end of January.

http://www.soniccraft.com/index.php

teekay0007

PolkieMan wrote: »

They are running a good special 50 % off Sonic Caps till the end of January.

http://www.soniccraft.com/index.php

Now THAT got me excited! However, in checking it out (Sonicap Gen I) in the likely necessary values (ie. 12, 20, 34 uF), the prices were only reduced by 10%.

The Mills MRA 12 resistors are marked down by 20%.

Am I missing something, PolkieMan?

Schurkey

dan98svt wrote: »

If you know of some clear and precise DIY instructions on what/how to upgrade xover, please post where they are.

Have you done electronics soldering before?

1. Remove and examine crossovers, note component values. Compare observed values to values posted on crossover schematic, hosted on this site. Photograph crossovers and connecting wires for future reference. Take notes of component and wire placement as desired. For most models, decide what you're going to use (if anything) for tweeter protection.

2. Order replacement capacitors and resistors. (Optional) for the latest two generation of SDA speakers, order replacement circuit boards from Gimpod. (Optional) Order replacement inductors only if you feel adventurous. When replacement parts arrive,

3. (If not using new circuit boards) Remove existing capacitors and resistors. (Optional) Remove inductors.
3A. (If using replacement circuit boards) Remove only those parts from the original circuit boards that you intend to transfer to the new boards.

4. Solder new capacitors and resistors into place. (Optional) Attach new inductors as required.

5. If you've removed a tweeter-protection polyswitch, install a resistor or jumper wire as desired to replace it.

6. Assure all parts have proper solder connections.

7. Put the bunny back in the box. Assure wires are connected properly. (Assure that the fiber damping/stuffing material is pulled "up" in the box, it tends to sag downward over time.)

PolkieMan

teekay0007 wrote: »

PolkieMan wrote: »

They are running a good special 50 % off Sonic Caps till the end of January.

http://www.soniccraft.com/index.php

Now THAT got me excited! However, in checking it out (Sonicap Gen I) in the likely necessary values (ie. 12, 20, 34 uF), the prices were only reduced by 10%.

The Mills MRA 12 resistors are marked down by 20%.

Am I missing something, PolkieMan?

That's what I get for just glancing a something real quick, sorry