Should i buy these SDA-2A?

leftwinger57

For a $100 if the driver is still available is a good deal. I just checked on the SDA HANDBOOK and 2As have only 1#d driver called 6510 as opposed to my 2Bs which have a 6511 and 6503. One of my 6503s went and I got a perfect replacement on E-Bay for $19. Also I did see a new i/c for a stout $85 on there just a few days ago. One other thing listen to WestmassGuy, Dave knows his sh$t concerning most all generations of SDAs.

F1nut

Well, the wheels came of this bus. Look, I know what both of you are saying and both have good points. One doesn't need gobs of power to drive SDA's, but it sure as heck doesn't hurt as they do perform better when feed a high current diet. On the other hand, an AVR is not the best choice for 2 channel music. In the case of the early SDA's, which are rated at 4 ohms nominal I think it's a very good idea to have a power amp rated to drive them. The AVR's that are rated to drive 4 ohm loads restrict current, so they really aren't capable of 4 ohm loads.

As for the non-common ground issue, there isn't an AVR made that isn't common ground, but when it comes to a power amp and you don't know for sure, it would be best to be positive before hooking it up to your SDA's. Like Troy said, most power amps are common ground, dual mono amps can or cannot be and mono blocks are always non-common ground.

I do get sick of seeing the, you need 200wpc to drive SDA's. That got stuck in someone's head and gets repeated as if it was written in stone. There are numerous variables making each application different. Perhaps a better suggestion would be the old saying, if the first watt sucks, why bother.

Troy is a good friend, we've known each other a long time and I like David, he's a good guy too. Since I am still President of this club I'm issuing an executive order, ya'll shake hands.

westmassguy

Perhaps we should have a "Beer Summit" for that hand shake. We have some nice micro-brews around here.

BDT

I'm cool with that....I'm not trying to pee in anyone's cornflakes at all and I really didn't mean to start a Urinary Olympiad, so if Dave took offense, I genuinely apologize. It was not my intent. Beer is on me.

Jesse "I spit on receivers" the peacemaker? Huh??

Again, my whole point was just exercise some common sense. Yes, all things being equal (that's a big IF) more power is better but as Jesse pointed out, if the first watt sucks, why continue?

BDT

George Grand

westmassguy wrote: »

This conversation is over, and I'll stick with my original opinion, that you must be an absolute joy to be around. Have a great day!

He's a lot more fun than the Johnny come lately know-it-alls.

westmassguy

It's all good Troy

cascius

Lol, I'm glad the discussion is over.

I have some questions regarding the different upgrades that I can do. I've been doing some research but a lot of time I get results for the SDA-2 or 2Bs rather than 2As. Usually when I find a relevant discussions they point to Web pages that are long gone. Can anybody help to point me in the right direction or thread?

westmassguy in particular, I saw your thread (linked in your sig) and it sounds like you would be able to give me some nice pointers.

Upgrading to speakon cable seems trivial, so I don't think I need help with that. I do have some Dynamat laying around, which of course I'd gladly use if necessary.
By the way, what the hell is the TL upgrade? I keep seeing mention of it, but don't have a clue...

I'm not afraid of soldering things or drilling holes, but in all honesty I have no clue about how to choose caps and rebuild a crossover. I'd be very interested to learn how to do that though.

Thanks!

- Olivier

PS: I know I'm getting ahead of myself since I don't even have the speakers yet but... I can't help myself ;P

westmassguy

I'd be happy to walk you through it when you're ready. The "TL" Mod refers to modifying the Hi-Pass Section of the Crossovers to use the RDO-198-1 Tweeter, instead of the RDO-194-1 Tweeter. Both are excellent tweeters, but the 198 has a bit more detail than the 194. The 2As, and 86' CRS+ are not sanctioned by Polk for this Mod. It was discussed at length in a thread years ago, and the consensus was it should work. To my knowledge, I was the 1st to actually do it, and report my finding. Since then, I've done it for many others. The 2A and 2B Hi-Pass Sections as essentially Identical, except for one resistor in the shunt.

cascius

Sweet, thanks in advance!

I'm also considering refinishing the veneer, maybe with this:




I think it would help "modernizing" them quite a bit.

westmassguy

cascius wrote: »

Sweet, thanks in advance!

I'm also considering refinishing the cabinets, maybe using this veneer:



I think it would help "modernizing" them quite a bit.

Your photos didn't post

cascius

Thanks for the info. I reposted them. Hopefully that will work this time.

cascius

So it looks like I might be able to score some 2Bs for $150. That would be a better choice/deal right?

westmassguy

Depends on condition. They will be easier and less expensive to upgrade than the 2As.

cascius

Darn, they're already gone... posted yesterday and already sold.
maybe by some fellow polker.

teekay0007

cascius wrote: »

Darn, they're already gone... posted yesterday and already sold.
maybe by some fellow polker.

That happens a lot! Decide what you really want, or, in the case of being in a location where what you want rarely becomes available, what you'll find acceptable, then be ready to jump when the opportunity arises. Otherwise, this scenario will repeat itself over and over again.

cascius

Yup, I think i'll be plenty happy with the 2As, but i'm just keeping an eye open for last minute options.

2Bs seem to be slightly prefered for upgrades from what i've read. But anyway, i just want to have fun playing with a new toy. ;-)

cascius

Quick question: I'm I right to assume I could just sand down the finish on these speakers and stain them a different color?

westmassguy

Unless they were special order, with real wood veneer, they most likely have wood grained vinyl.

cascius

I'm not sure what the difference is. Does that mean they can't be sanded?

ambiophonics

The wood grained vinyl cannot be sanded. It would have to be removed and a real veneer applied. From what I've read this can be done but it sounds challenging and time consuming.

cascius

Makes sense. I might take the route of getting a new Veneer down the road, but for now, what's the best approach of cleaning them and giving them a nice shine? Sorry for all the questions, I'm a noob at all this

F1nut

Just wipe them down with Windex, give'em a buff and call it a day.

cascius

Alright, i got the speakers today during lunch. There is indeed a problem with one of the drivers at high level and the cabinets need some fixing.

I'll take photos of them once i set them up either today or tomorrow.

cascius

And just like that i'm home and rocking my new speakers.
I tested the carver 705x and it is common ground, so i just disconnected the monitor 70s and put the 2As in their place. Havent done any calibration and using pure direct, it sounds awesome!

Here's a quick set of shots:




Next: hacking together an interconnect!

TennMan

Next: hacking together an interconnect!

Doing that will be like kicking in the afterburner! Without that cable you are missing a lot.

cascius

Already done! I'm loving it. I'll give more feedback on my experience in the coming days, but let's just say for now: i:m having a blast!

cascius

I'm currently doing a lot of reading on what to upgrade and putting together a shopping list. ;-)

I stumbled upon a lot of threads where people mention they used loctite on the magnets. Can someone tell me what the point is of doing that and should i do it?

Thanks,

Olivier

ZLTFUL

The glue used to fix the magnets in place on the mids tends to weaken over time.
The idea is to reinforce the stock glue holding those magnets in place and prevent them from shifting during transport or in the unlikely event of a tip over.

westmassguy

cascius wrote: »

I'm currently doing a lot of reading on what to upgrade and putting together a shopping list. ;-)

I stumbled upon a lot of threads where people mention they used loctite on the magnets. Can someone tell me what the point is of doing that and should i do it?

Thanks,

Olivier

Loctite Power Grab. Easier to use, cleanup with soap and water.

cascius

Makes sense, thanks for the answer. So it sounds like there's no urgency to do that mod.

This week end the wife is out of town, so i'm going to do a first easy set of mods during that time.

So far I'm thinking:
fix the cabinet and cloth,
dynamat the MW and PR,
mortite the drivers,
put spikes,
Enjoy some good tunes. ;-)