Sound & Vision reviews the Legend L800

Nightfall

Got you. So the switch to MDF was a time frame thing not a best/better line thing?

pitdogg2

Nightfall wrote: »

Got you. So the switch to MDF was a time frame thing not a best/better line thing?

Lower monitor series was all particle board but all SDA I believe was MDF once MDF became available.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I seem to remember 1st gen. SRS as particle board.

verb

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Nightfall wrote: »

Got you. So the switch to MDF was a time frame thing not a best/better line thing?

Lower monitor series was all particle board but all SDA I believe was MDF once MDF became available.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I seem to remember 1st gen. SRS as particle board.

I believe you are correct. IIRC when I swapped the tweeters on mine.

pitdogg2

verb wrote: »

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Nightfall wrote: »

Got you. So the switch to MDF was a time frame thing not a best/better line thing?

Lower monitor series was all particle board but all SDA I believe was MDF once MDF became available.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I seem to remember 1st gen. SRS as particle board.

I believe you are correct. IIRC when I swapped the tweeters on mine.

And had a lot more internal bracing IIRC

Emlyn

Right, high density particle board for the first ones. Cabinet construction was very different between the original SRS speakers and the final TL cabinets even though they look similar on the outsides. The originals had a more "lively" cabinet structure than the later ones. That can be beneficial for a speaker depending on what the designer is after and if they can properly adapt the material to do what they want. Spendor has kept on using veneered particle board for decades.

Inspector 24

Thanks for the share. Straightforward review.

What caught my eye most was a comment:

These look like nice speakers but the BACCH4mac is a much more flexible and more advanced version of crosstalk cancelation. I have the BACCH4mac and cannot day enough good things about it.

I got curious and holy **** for $5k and you still need speakers it had better be amazing. Fascinating system, it uses a freaking camera to track your head and dynamically apply crosstalk cancellation. Very advanced indeed, but more advanced or just a different even more expensive way of attaining crosstalk cancellation? I think yes.
https://www.audiostream.com/content/bacch4mac-3d-audio-playback-system

ptrooper

Not to sure on this BACCH4mac when wanting to listen at a high sort of volume.
Wouldn't the drivers have to handle twice as much information ,pushing and pulling the other channels information out of phase at the same time? The amp must be confused.

Inspector 24

You're paying enough to not worry about such things.

K_M

ptrooper wrote: »

Not to sure on this BACCH4mac when wanting to listen at a high sort of volume.
Wouldn't the drivers have to handle twice as much information ,pushing and pulling the other channels information out of phase at the same time? The amp must be confused.

It is not exactly out of phase so much, but the "Difference" signal, what is termed L-R and R-L, in other words everything that is not common to both channels.

The opposite of Mono, which is the sum of both channels.

There is actually very little difference signal information most of the time, in comparison to the Sum or Mono signal.

If you wire a speaker across both Positive terminals (left and right) you will have the difference signal.
It is interesting to listen to by itself.

mhardy6647

K_M wrote: »

ptrooper wrote: »

Not to sure on this BACCH4mac when wanting to listen at a high sort of volume.
Wouldn't the drivers have to handle twice as much information ,pushing and pulling the other channels information out of phase at the same time? The amp must be confused.

It is not exactly out of phase so much, but the "Difference" signal, what is termed L-R and R-L, in other words everything that is not common to both channels.

The opposite of Mono, which is the sum of both channels.

There is actually very little difference signal information most of the time, in comparison to the Sum or Mono signal.

If you wire a speaker across both Positive terminals (left and right) you will have the difference signal.
It is interesting to listen to by itself.

Two thoughts occasioned by this post.

Thought the First:

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/183376/turning-normal-speakers-into-sda-s/p1

You did post to this thread, but (IMO, of course) it's a very interesting read vis-a-vis the bones of SDA so I thought I'd post the link as a reference/resource:

Thought the Second:



(from the above-referenced thread )

mpitogo

Polk Audio L800 Walnut in the house!

WOW! But seriously talk to me in 100 hours. These are just FOOTB. Compares well to LSiM 707's which were previously my favorite.


Did not mean to cross post this should have been in the other thread!

JayCee

Congrats....pics or, well, it didn't happen! Looking forward to your thoughts.

mhardy6647

FOOTB?

mmmm... I thought I was wise in the ways of the interwebz...

mpitogo

Fresh out of the box. BTW I did not mean to cross post in two threads. Only meant it for the other but since replies already came in here ya go. Check the other thread for a different photo.

mhardy6647

SIHAB

Still feels a little Alfred Hitchcock

mhardy6647 wrote: »

ptrooper

first set out,,,serial number ?

mpitogo

Oh man, @ptrooper thanks for pointing that out, it turns out I have 2 right units. What a cluster f%^$#$@#. I thought they knew what they were doing since, when the brought in the first unit they said this is the “right” I did not pay attention when they brought in the left. I thought these are sold in patched pairs!?%$$!??/./

SIHAB

there you go.

smglbrth

Congrats on the L800's! However, I saw in another thread about the mixing up of the left/right and was wondering if this would be a problem. Looks like it is...

mpitogo

@smglbrth yes it is and major one! I disconnected the SDA cable and both where identical mirrors, the left drivers on both where playing. Left driver on the right is correct aimed at the sweet spot but left driver on the left is playing into space.

VR3

Easy fix swap the wires to the other array

smglbrth

IMHO, this kind of mistake on a $6000 pair of speakers should not happen, period...

mpitogo

@vr3 I would if these where the last two pairs sold on earth at 75% off.

VR3

True that

mpitogo

@smglbrth yes, tell me about it. Who do you blame? The dealer for not rigorously checking? Or Polk audio for not making it more obvious. How are delivery folks supposed to know RC and LC. Or the customer for not paying attention?

Even I did’t know until it (RC/LC) was pointed out. I hope other customers don’t go through this.

WLDock

mpitogo wrote: »

Oh man, @ptrooper thanks for pointing that out, it turns out I have 2 right units. What a cluster f%^$#$@#. I thought they knew what they were doing since, when the brought in the first unit they said this is the “right” I did not pay attention when they brought in the left. I thought these are sold in patched pairs!?%$$!??/./

I say blame POLK. The boxes should have VERY LARGE and distinctive block "L" or "R" letters on all four sides so that warehouse personnel can easily see.

If you can believe it, the same thing happened at the listening event at Abt Electronics back in October. They need to get this figured out and make sure all of the dealers are aware. The speakers should have never made it out the door. Even if the wrong parts were sent by Polk, the dealer should have caught it.

IMO, you should complain to POLK and request that they get this under controller internally. They need to change their boxes and send out critical notices to all of their dealers. Not a way to launch $6000 speakers that have L& R pairs! Need to get out of their own way!

mhardy6647

mpitogo wrote: »

Oh man, @ptrooper thanks for pointing that out, it turns out I have 2 right units.

The inescapable conclusion: Somewhere there's a pair with both speakers marked "WRONG".



In seriousness, and in fairness -- gotta be one of the first shipments, right? Probably not really all that surprising. Birthing pangs, you know?

Now, I'll finish up by being cynical. (me?!?)

Back in the days before just in time inventory control, smart systems, etc., etc. -- when things were stupid, simple, and crude... probably never would've happened.

It is unfortunate, though, given the hassle for all parties concerned and the fact that poor @mpitogo has to wait... again!

monepolk

Different color boxes might help and noted that no two boxes of the same color should be shipped.

WLDock

monepolk wrote: »

Different color boxes might help and noted that no two boxes of the same color should be shipped.

Not hard at all to recognized a RED box with a big 'RIGHT' on all four sides and a BLACK box with a big 'LEFT' on it. Someone was not thinking about this. Even the way the different dealers have them listed on their sites can be confusing to some.