Looking forward to L800 but have concerns, what are your thoughts?

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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ezBecK788

    I didn't read the whole thread so apologies if this was previously posted
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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    @ptrooper i have first hand experience with a sunfire sig Ii 625x2 and sda. They play very nicely together. I had 2.3 and 1.2 on the 625x2 with excellent results. I also had a McIntosh 2105 and a sunfire 300x2 , the sig II is a much better sounding amp. I sold it to @vcwatkins a while back to "upgrade" to a McIntosh mc402. I still feel to this day it was not an upgrade, it was just a different sound. Mine was redone by Roland.

    Good amp choice in my opinion.


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  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,321
    Speaking of past SDA, when i had the basement to myself, i had the 1.2 & 2.3, so placement was never an issue. FF to years later to the livingroom with one side wall 13 feet on the right and 20+ feet on the left using 3.1's and they did suprising well. Actually darn good. I only sold them to go to the Tyler's that are way too big for the room but i still like them.

    I know the 3.1 were designed for a smaller room and seem more forgiving on placement. Was there a difference on the sda with the 3.1 or was it just placement of the drivers within the cabinet?
    Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,432
    Good choice for the old SDA anyway. It may be a little thin for the L800. I had a 625x2 as well, and it was excellent with the 1.2TL’s. It also was very well matched to the LSI line.
    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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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,157
    This is my understanding of SDA per Polk audio's explanation. Seems logical for sure. Flat speaker baffles. ;)
    cbiu4zcb36yx.png

    I immediately thought about DCM Time windows when I saw the new Legend L800 pictures. These Time Windows are very spacious sounding because of their angled baffles I believe. I've owned 2 pr's of these DCMs and know their sound quite well.
    ex4ok8mk9stx.png

    Each design is superb!

    But...how do you combine the two designs and think it'll work. I'm also thinking and agreeing with the above comments, adding the other elements of the new L800 may be a negative. But what do I know, I don't own a set of the L800's yet.

    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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  • displayname
    displayname Posts: 1,148
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ezBecK788

    I didn't read the whole thread so apologies if this was previously posted
    Check page 14 and the next couple pages after. We've had some solid discussion related to this review.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,432
    erniejade wrote: »
    Speaking of past SDA, when i had the basement to myself, i had the 1.2 & 2.3, so placement was never an issue. FF to years later to the livingroom with one side wall 13 feet on the right and 20+ feet on the left using 3.1's and they did suprising well. Actually darn good. I only sold them to go to the Tyler's that are way too big for the room but i still like them.

    I know the 3.1 were designed for a smaller room and seem more forgiving on placement. Was there a difference on the sda with the 3.1 or was it just placement of the drivers within the cabinet?

    There is only one driver for the dimensional array, so placement was much less critical. They are the most forgiving of placement issues of all the SDA line IMHO.
    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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  • HzTweaker
    HzTweaker Posts: 787
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    erniejade wrote: »
    Speaking of past SDA, when i had the basement to myself, i had the 1.2 & 2.3, so placement was never an issue. FF to years later to the livingroom with one side wall 13 feet on the right and 20+ feet on the left using 3.1's and they did suprising well. Actually darn good. I only sold them to go to the Tyler's that are way too big for the room but i still like them.

    I know the 3.1 were designed for a smaller room and seem more forgiving on placement. Was there a difference on the sda with the 3.1 or was it just placement of the drivers within the cabinet?

    There is only one driver for the dimensional array, so placement was much less critical. They are the most forgiving of placement issues of all the SDA line IMHO.

    Could be the only thing shared between the past SDAs and the L800 excluding the XOer circuitry?
    2ch rig: Speakers: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands Preamplifier: Parasound P5 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)

    Standby: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,432
    By the looks of it, the term SDA is the only thing they share.
    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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  • mpitogo
    mpitogo Posts: 504
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Just speculation on my part, but I wonder what influence the massive power port firing out the bottom has on the imaging issues everyone talks about with the L800. From my experience with the L200, there was a bunch of sound coming from the back.

    I have never heard a set of SDA have the difficulties the new ones are said to have, and the major functional difference is that port.

    SDA operates above 370hz and I believe is limited in upper frequency as well but has a tweeter for some of that range. The port tuning is definitely non directional. I can’t hear or localize it so the power port is doing it’s job to minimize port noise and chuffing even at high volumes. I must so say the L800 plays deep at low volumes and scales well up to a point.
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  • HzTweaker
    HzTweaker Posts: 787
    mpitogo wrote: »
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Just speculation on my part, but I wonder what influence the massive power port firing out the bottom has on the imaging issues everyone talks about with the L800. From my experience with the L200, there was a bunch of sound coming from the back.

    I have never heard a set of SDA have the difficulties the new ones are said to have, and the major functional difference is that port.

    SDA operates above 370hz and I believe is limited in upper frequency as well but has a tweeter for some of that range. The port tuning is definitely non directional. I can’t hear or localize it so the power port is doing it’s job to minimize port noise and chuffing even at high volumes. I must so say the L800 plays deep at low volumes and scales well up to a point.

    This answered my next question: if the second tweeter was a part of the SDA circuit like the first gen SDA-CRSs.
    2ch rig: Speakers: Magnepan LRS w/Magna Riser stands Preamplifier: Parasound P5 Amplifier: Parasound A23 CDP: Pioneer DV-563A Cables: Wireworld Equinox 7 XLR ICs, Wireworld Ultraviolet 7 USB, AudioQuest Q2s, AudioQuest NRG X(preamp)

    Standby: LSi9s with VR3's Fortress mods
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  • ptrooper
    ptrooper Posts: 501
    I only had to hear the positive side of this review and i was sold. B)
    displayname wrote: »
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ezBecK788

    I didn't read the whole thread so apologies if this was previously posted
    Check page 14 and the next couple pages after. We've had some solid discussion related to this review.

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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,432
    You ordered a pair?
    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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  • vmaxer
    vmaxer Posts: 5,117
    ptrooper wrote: »
    I only had to hear the positive side of this review and i was sold. B)
    displayname wrote: »
    Mikey081057 wrote: »
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ezBecK788

    I didn't read the whole thread so apologies if this was previously posted
    Check page 14 and the next couple pages after. We've had some solid discussion related to this review.

    Look forward to your impressions.
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  • ptrooper
    ptrooper Posts: 501
    Yes John. Black ash ,coming from Melbourne to Perth which is a couriers 3 day non stop drive so I should have them within 5to 7 days. I don’t have the space for them but I’ll make them work!
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    You ordered a pair?

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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,702
    Will be a sweet shoot out, your modded sda versus the L800!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • ptrooper
    ptrooper Posts: 501
    @VR3 we'll need an Abbot L800 upgrade to be fair! B)
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  • BlueBirdMusic
    BlueBirdMusic Posts: 2,297
    I was interested in the route. Congrats on your speakers!

    68al4wp2ytdd.png

    36 h (3,417.1 km) via National Highway A1
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"

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  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 7,086
    edited March 2020
    BlueBirdMusic wrote: »
    I was interested in the route. Congrats on your speakers!

    36 h (3,417.1 km) via National Highway A1

    Oh dear! That route crosses the Nullarbor Plain, which is the area where hitchhiker Jamie Lee Curtis was being pursued by a killer in the film "Road Games". :o

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uigWezEe6v4
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  • ptrooper
    ptrooper Posts: 501
    edited March 2020
    Correction. Thank you. 3 days with stops .
    I have done the crossing over the Nullarbor whilst in the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment from Sydney to Perth and back 3 times and this was a 3 day ride only stopping for feeds!😀
    BlueBirdMusic wrote: »
    I was interested in the route. Congrats on your speakers!

    68al4wp2ytdd.png

    36 h (3,417.1 km) via National Highway A1
    BlueBirdMusic wrote: »
    I was interested in the route. Congrats on your speakers!

    68al4wp2ytdd.png[
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,078
    @ptrooper - I believe you win the award for furthest traveled to get a pair of speakers to feed your audio hobby. Wow!

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 7,086
    treitz3 wrote: »
    ptrooper - I believe you win the award for furthest traveled to get a pair of speakers to feed your audio hobby. Wow!

    Tom

    Ummmmm.....no. :o
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  • ptrooper
    ptrooper Posts: 501
    edited March 2020
    Sorry Tom.I got a bit carried away talking about the distance which i had forgotten the time it takes to drive ! I definately wouldn't drive to pick them up.couriers would be far cheeper considering fuel prices here!
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,626
    ptrooper wrote: »
    921z53b1tzs1.jpg
    Polks demo room.How far apart do you think these speakers are?

    That's one of the demo rooms at the old Polk HQ in Baltimore. The demo rooms at the current ARAD facility are much larger.

    BTW, that's the back of Polk Paul's head. B)
    Political Correctness'.........defined

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  • ptrooper
    ptrooper Posts: 501
    edited March 2020
    This is the space my L 800’s will have with a maximum of 4 ft between them, they'll be the best telly speakers in the house 😀, x07ys6m92zrn.jpeg
    uygg9tb99zi7.jpeg
    pp4yi68tn69u.jpeg
    Post edited by ptrooper on
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  • marvda1
    marvda1 Posts: 4,901
    why would you pay that much for speakers if your setup will not allow them get anywhere near their full potential ? like buying a souped up race car when the speed limit is 40 mph all over your state.
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  • ddog
    ddog Posts: 230
    @ptrooper
    Your place looks very nice...
    Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the L800 especially vs the SRS SDA's...
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  • TopperDude
    TopperDude Posts: 166
    Audiholics L800 SDA Speaker Unboxing & Setup

    https://youtu.be/6MLgmBm-LtE

    Interesting as he touches on the type of amp you SHOULDNT be using with this.

    Looking forward to his actual review.
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,010
    Interesting. Looking forward to more
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