Is there any speaker out there that can do what an SDA does???

nooshinjohn

Bob...

I love a good car analogy. Let's say you have a 1965 Corvette that you bought new, and you have loved like a baby. You have cared for it, done all the proper maintenance and such, but now she's got a blown motor. It still runs, but has none of the qualities you fell in love with but the body style, and even that is getting tired.

You want a new car that will give you all the fun and excitement you had with the old, but your budget is the same as what you had when you first bought it. You are not going to get anything close to what you have for the money, but you just don't feel like restoring it.

Now lets flip this to your speakers. There is not a single part of them, besides the drivers, that has not exceeded their lifetime, and the same can be said of your amplifier. They need to be restored. In order for them to be returned to their previous glory, they need to be recapped, wiring inspected, and updated where appropriate. New tubes for the preamp is also a very wise move, as those tubes are not doing you any favors, as Jesse pointed out.

No other speaker is as well regarded here, outside of the TL's as the SDA-1c, and many here prefer it to the big boys. We are not trying to bust your chops here, but rather trying to help you understand that as these speakers are now 30 years old, there are a few things needing to be done to make them go another 30. Your crossovers could very well be the reason you are having driver issues, so lets help you tackle those first. We can also help you with selection of a new amp. It is entirely possible that you can take the speakers you are ready to give up on and turn them around, get that new amp and still be well under your budget that you set for new speakers.

I would not even consider getting new speakers until that amp was at least sounded out by a qualified technician, or replaced with something else.

bobt

I would have to guess you do not get IT, the divers Polk sent me at the time,, made in 2000 something I don't know were it was made but did not work... they POP if pushed to hard\
Not a problem of the amp or any thing else.. there bad,
What Polk may send me this time If the guy from Polk tells me it's good,

Maybe this will work. If not i'm looking for a better speaker.

I would have not liked mr F1 NUT. He should shut up... But of course he has something to say.
I have been a computer guy for years, I have been a musician, for even more.
I have played music across the country. I've played in the red onion in ca, In Chicago
pretty much all over the place... . Been in the studios .. analog 24 track.

If you think I don't know what i'm doing.. get a grip.
If you think your pile of 30K lists of posts .. of i should know crap is for the most part stupid...

BlueFox

bobt wrote: »

I have been a computer guy for years, I have been a musician, for even more. I have played music across the country. I've played in the red onion in ca, In Chicago pretty much all over the place... . Been in the studios .. analog 24 track.

That is a lot of experience. Although off-topic, out of curiosity, do you think power cables, speaker cables, and interconnect cables make a difference in sound quality?

nooshinjohn

My speakers also popped when pushed hard, but only when I had an inferior amp driving them. My speakers also popped when my capacitors in my crossovers were dried out and no longer operating within spec.

What we are saying is that there is more at work here than just a bad driver. Until you are willing to accept that and look for a cause and then apply the proper solution to your problem, you will get nowhere.

If your amp is, as I suspect, more than 15 years old, it may also be a problem.

Do you live here in L.A. I would be happy to show you just what a pair of properly cared for SDA's can do when paired with gear capable of driving and far more importantly, controlling them.

Lets just say I can accurately reproduce a live AC/DC concert here in my living room, and match it right down to the SPL... no pops at all, and all my drivers and tweeters intact.

Until you are ready to listen to and comprehend the advice being offered, you will be sadly mistaken if you think the solution to your problem is just a stupid bad driver. I would suggest the stupidity lay elsewhere...

bobt wrote: »

OK.. Again.. there is nothing wrong with the amp. I have had these speakers since new in 1986 or 1987.. whatever don't remember. They play great. I have replaced MW 6511"s before..no problem from Polk, I even replaced the cross over in 1 speaker
from Polk...but now there is really no back up for these speakers.

We ARE the back up for thee speakers. We are not a call center in India trying to get you to do something that has not ben tried, proven and successful time and again. He ll man, 95% of what we do was suggested and approved of by the very engineers that designed them.
If it is help you want, I will help. If you want instead to argue with the very people that want nothing more than to help you, then I guess you are on your own.

oldrocker

I remember that episode when Bart won the white african elephant.

Later, Homer offered up the elephant for sale.

A guy shows up saying"well Mr. Simpson, I am in need for a white african elephant and I need him today" but I don't know".

Homer said what the heck are you talking about? He's an elephant, the guy responds "well maybe he is and maybe he isn't.

Homer responds " he likes peanuts"...

F1nut

If you think I don't know what i'm doing

I don't think you don't know what you're doing, I KNOW YOU DON"T.

bobt

If this is not junk cables , per say, not sure you could hear the difference

tonyb

Wowza....did this ever take a left turn....downhill, with no brakes. lol

Bobt,
Dude...relax, and save some money for charm school. The guys are trying to help you isolate the problem, and your coming back with attitude. Being a musician doesn't make you a speaker repair specialist. How about you listen to the guys who repair SDA's for 30 frickin' years...maybe a good thought ? All your doing is inviting unhelpful responses.

Now, to your question. A speaker than can fill a big room with no sub, Legacy Focus. As others have mentioned though, your amp is somewhat of a lightweight as amps go, your pre isn't doing you any favors for a bright top end and the tube in the Jolida, yeah there's better. Lets not forget cabling either as yet another means of warming up the sound some. Everything in the chain plays a part into the final sound you'll hear.

The def tech speakers or the Golden ear's are more so built for Home theatre than music. Doesn't mean you can't use them for music, just that there are better out there.

Part of your dilemma is you want big speakers that do bass well, and to reach higher spl's cleanly to fill that large room. That of course takes big speakers and most importantly a lot of current to push them. On a lower powered amp, trying to push big speakers to fill such a large room, your going to clip it and do damage to the speakers. That's what some of the guys are trying to convey to you. Open a beer, kick back, watch Honey boo-boo until some drool starts slipping out of the side of your mouth, whatever it is you need to do. Then come back and ask specific questions. You attract more bees with honey my good Sir.

BlueFox

bobt wrote: »

If this is not junk cables , per say, not sure you could hear the difference

Okay. That pretty much confirms my impression. Thanks.

nooshinjohn

BlueFox wrote: »

bobt wrote: »

If this is not junk cables , per say, not sure you could hear the difference

Okay. That pretty much confirms my impression. Thanks.

Jinjuku?

There has not been a more entertaining thread here since he had his number retired and enshrined in the Polk Hall of Shame.

oldrocker

Sorry for the left turn.
Dang gum "granpa's" cough syrup...

gudnoyez

Come on guys keep giving the guy advice, even though he won't take it. Advice from a knowledgeable bunch of people that would help anyone out is not good enough. He has owned more Polk speakers than most of you or us. I want to keep reading this for entertainment purposes. Getcha popcorn out people.

Sea

bobt wrote: »

Now I have a set of RTI 12's, they do most everything, plenty of bass, good soundstage ( for a normal speaker), but they are not all that warm, and on the high end can be bright.

As a long term owner of RTA12c's, I decided a couple of years ago to "upgrade" to RTi12's. An hour after I hooked them up I was very disappointed. I was using plenty of power - two Carver TFM-35. They certainly had a big sound but not very precise sounding. The highs were very bright and the lows muffled.

Well......long story short I sold them for half of what I paid and now I have two sets of vintage SDA's in addition to my original 12's. I have not heard the more expensive LS series Polks but my RTA12c's, SDA 1C's and SDA 2.3tl are in a different league than the RTi12's.

nooshinjohn

Looks like our friend Bob has gone away.... perhaps he is re-thinking his options.

tonyb

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Looks like our friend Bob has gone away.... perhaps he is re-thinking his options.

Maybe so John, I just don't get the altitude when asking for help on something then arguing the answers. Haven't seen that kind of attitude around these parts in a long time.

Moose68Bash

Seems to me there are, at least, these three options to characterize him:

1. He's just an "SD" -- that is a "S--t" Disturber.
2. He is truly ignorant, doesn't know it, and doesn't care to have anybody question his intelligence by offering advice -- even though that is what he puports to be seeking.
3. He just wanted to dump on Polk because he believes that the speakers are no good or that he got screwed by the company.

teekay0007

Kenneth Swauger wrote: »

First, while listening take one of your hands and place it, edge on vertically, against the bridge of your nose. Think of Curley deflecting one of Moe's double eye pokes.

I don't think he was quick enough with the deflection and Moe got him!!


N'yuk N'yuk N'yuk!!

Conradicles

He was here a few years ago with the exact same post and BS. Search bobt.

F1nut

Ah yes, how could I forget bobt and his spearker cables.....LOL

http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/80453/spearker-cables-fact-or-fiction#latest

ken brydson

F1nut wrote: »

Ah yes, how could I forget bobt and his spearker cables.....LOL

http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/80453/spearker-cables-fact-or-fiction#latest

Oh the memories...

nooshinjohn

You are just getting senile there Jesse, as am I. I now feel like a fool for even responding to this thread to offer any assistance whatsoever. Thanks for that link. Whatever happened to Xcrapi???

boston1450

F1nut wrote: »

Ah yes, how could I forget bobt and his spearker cables.....LOL

http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/80453/spearker-cables-fact-or-fiction#latest

very interesting thread. Read 1 page & couldnt take it & didnt have 10 hours to read it all. Is he related to PFB. I did notice this has been mentioned here

BlueFox

Wow. 2009, that was a while ago. If I remember correctly that was when I was starting on my learning phase of just much power and cables can improve the audio experience.

leftwinger57

You've hears the initial answer to your original question a thousand times and it's still no. I was instantly converted even before I did my mods and then after banging heads went for all the mods and I'm not regretting it one bit. If I was looking for a speaker w/ huge sound stage, clarity, not a big foot print I would start w/ DCM Time Frame 600s the sweet spot of that line or up to Time Windows 1a or 3. Next up would be Vandersteen 3a sigs.

tonyb

How about we delete this thread....now there's a thought.

F1nut

I second Tony's motion.

Faustin

Spoil sports. Your no fun at all.

madmax

bobt wrote: »

I would have not liked mr F1 NUT. He should shut up...

This one made me laugh.

dpowell

gudnoyez wrote: »

He has owned more Polk speakers than most of you or us.

That may be because he couldn't figure out why any of them were popping and kept selling them to find a pair that wouldn't pop.

bobt

OK... I tried to fix this... MW 6511... I tried it fix this.. along time ago.
I tried 3 speakers they sent me.. they all did the same thing,,, they POP if pushed to hard, I put them in both speaker cabs.. did NOT make any difference,

What I got was crap COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL STUFF. Really, get a dam grip.
NOW in 2015,, IF and I mean IF they can send me the China replacement that works as good as the 1987 model... then i'm a happy camper.
I tend to think not, but you never know....

IF I can get the replacement driver.. that DOES NOT POP.. then maybe I will rebuild these.

Really if you think MY amp is bad, and that's the problem.. get a grit.