SDA SRS 2.3tl

Navy_Goat

Less than 1 year ago I found a set of SDA-2B speakers on Facebook market place. With the help of many members here I gradually upgraded the speakers to a point that I am pretty content with. Powered by a Parasound HCA-1500a that I picked up in the FS section, I think they sound pretty darn good.

Recently I was looking for a bit of a change. Hoping for an upgrade in the looks and maybe sound department I got in on the last Zu Audio Dirty Weekend sale. For the last few weeks my new Zu speakers have replaced my 2Btls in the living room. I was happy with the SQ and appearance of the ZU Audio speakers, but......

I think you all ruined my ears! They (Zu DWs) are just missing something. They are dynamic, and sound great overall, but after listening to my upgraded SDAs they dont compare well. Im sure if I had upgraded directly from my old BIC towers to the Zus I would have been blown away.

Instead I find that my ears are so use to the huge sound stage that SDAs produce that nothing else will do.

Last December I found my second set of SDAs (1C). They were in immaculate condition and immediately drove 2.5 hours each way to pick them up. @F1nut warned my that they would not compare well to the 2Btls and he was right. I did about the same level of mods to both and the 1Cs never really clicked for me. I still have them and will likely pass them along sooner rather than later.

What does this all have to do with 2.3tls you ask? Well, I found a set local to me (actually all I did was read SDA Deals thread here, someone else found them). I did go pick them up this morning and WOW they are good.

The guy selling them was super nice and I enjoyed chatting with him. he was the original owner (purchased in oct of 1990). He is moving and doesn't have room at the new place. Lucky me.

I have been listening to them for the last hour or so. They replaced the Zu Audio DWs that I have recently purchased and in every way they sound better to me. I guess I will be returning the Dirty Weekends. Good think Zu has a great return policy. I do have to clear the return with my wife who really liked the look of the Zu speakers. We could keep them for the living room and I could relegate the new Polk to the listening room I plan to set up after we move, but I just cant justify the 1600 bucks they cost at this point.

Tony M

Congrats.

I hope the wife lets you keep those monsters.

nooshinjohn

The only speaker I have had that can deliver a soundstage better than the SDA in stock form were the Magnepan 3.6 or better. I find the modded SDA 1.2TL's to be able to image as well as the MG-20.1 while also delivering the dynamic punch needed for most of the music I listen to.

Get your mods done on those 2.3TL's and you are set for life.

TroyD

Great score on the 2.3tl’s....especially one owners with boxes.

With regards to the Maggie’s soundstage....I always thought it was unrealistically large. A piano shouldn’t seem 20’ wide. Don’t get me wrong, I love Magnepan but SDA presents a much more believable image.

You have plenty of time to upgrade and so forth....just plug ‘em in and enjoy for awhile.

Just my .02

Navy_Goat

la2vegas wrote: »

I was the one who posted the craigslist ad for the new to you 2.3TL's. I would have snagged them but I already own a set.

By the way, you're welcome.

For some reason I though I said thanks in the other thread. I just checked and I didn't.

Thank you, Sir.

TroyD wrote: »

Great score on the 2.3tl’s....especially one owners with boxes.

You have plenty of time to upgrade and so forth....just plug ‘em in and enjoy for awhile.

Just my .02

They will remain unmolested until my move is done. I may glue the magnets, but that's it..... For now.

Honestly they sound great. the SL3000 tweeter is noticably better sounding than what I remember of the SL2000s.

Navy_Goat

He also included the following:
original receipt x 2 (he traded a set of 3.1tl for the 2.3tl after a few weeks)
2 copies of the SDA Instruction Manual (18 pages)
a fact sheet for the SL3000 Tweeters (4 pages)
Listen carefully...... SRS Series brochure (8 pages)
and a page titled Addendum to SRS 1.2tl and SRS 2.3tl Manual (1 Page)

Gardenstater

Did you get the Bass Brace hardware?

Navy_Goat

Gardenstater wrote: »

Did you get the Bass Brace hardware?

No, I did not.

I would imagine something to attach more firmly to the floor or nearest wall?

Gardenstater

To the wall yes. It's funny cause I was just telling afterburnt about it, as a way to help stabilize his stacked subwoofers.
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/191194/how-limited-am-i-look-at-this-mess#latest

F1nut

Navy_Goat wrote: »

Gardenstater wrote: »

Did you get the Bass Brace hardware?

No, I did not.

No loss there.

Mike Reeter

Navy_Goat, Congratulations on your new 2.3TL's! I've had 2.3TL's in the past and sold them to acquire a more "conventional" style speaker.

I've returned to the 2.3TL's for the same reasons you have stated. It's difficult to find a loud speaker that will give you that Concert Hall Presentation like the SDA's, at an affordable price.

Enjoy!

TroyD

Yeah, no loss on the Bass Brace. If you use the floor spikes, you don't need it anyway.

Where are you moving too? I'm guessing Navy, Norfolk perhaps? That said, yes, having the boxes is a HUGE relief. Definitely cool getting the original paperwork, I just scored a pair in Hilton Head same sort of deal with all original paperwork (no boxes though...having the boxes is a big thing for me)

BDT

Navy_Goat

We are moving to Pax River, MD. I did a tour in VA from 04-07, no need to go back. Pax will be my last tour so we are looking to settle down. I grew up in CT so the weather is no problem. My wife is from California, but she loved CT and Chicago when we were station in both places.

pitdogg2

When you do move them again. Best advice I have is flat on their backs and short out all the binding post to restrict woofer movement.

Enjoy I also have my endgame speaker at this point in my 2.3tl's fully modified.

Sound_Recluse

pitdogg2 wrote: »

When you do move them again. Best advice I have is flat on their backs and short out all the binding post to restrict woofer movement.

Enjoy I also have my endgame speaker at this point in my 2.3tl's fully modified.

I would take all the drivers out of the cabinet and them move them.. lol.. that's mine plan if I acquire any more. I picked up the 2.3s I have now and transported on there backs and still had 1 driver freeze

machone

You will love them and as you mod them they get better and better.

Navy_Goat

Following advice from the group here I purchased an older Parasound (HCA-1500a) to power my SDA-2B when I found them last summer.

I am wondering if I would get better sound with a stronger amp for the 2.3tl?

I am using the preouts on a Marantz AVR to feed the amplifier. Trying to prioritize my next few purchases. I will eventually do the following:
-usual mods on the 2.3s
-need a preamp
-bigger amp????

Thanks as always for the advice....

audioluvr

Leave the amp and get a tube pre or upgrade your cables ( don't know what your running right now)

Navy_Goat

audioluvr wrote: »

Leave the amp and get a tube pre or upgrade your cables ( don't know what your running right now)

Thanks for the comment. At this point I am using BJC speaker cables, Tara Labs Prism 55 Interconnects from Marantz>Parasound, original SDA interconnect.

audioluvr

Definitely upgrade your cables. I'd look for a good deal on Nordost, MIT, Wireworld or Audioquest. I was a skeptic until I went to the Wireworld Eclipse

nooshinjohn

Don't upgrade your cables just yet. I agree they could help, but nowhere near what you will get by stepping up your amp/preamp/source first.

invalid

You need a preamp, I used a marantz avr for a preamp for about a half-hour and I couldn't stand the sound it made with my krell amp. I bought a tube preamp and now it sounds excellent.

TroyD

Here is what I would do...

First order of business is the preamp.....all things being equal, I’ve been a tube preamp guy for many years. That said, that is your weak link.

Two, sources. Dunno what you are using for sources....but that would be my second order of business.

Third decent cabling. I believe in good cables but the law of diminishing returns comes into play here.

Mods to the speakers. Spikes, RDO tweeters, dreadnaught, xovers. Pretty much in that order.

Then get to The amp (your amp is solid)

That would be my game plan...

Navy_Goat

Thanks for all the input! Let me try to organize my thoughts.

nooshinjohn wrote: »

stepping up your amp/preamp/source first.

invalid wrote: »

You need a preamp

TroyD wrote: »

First order of business is the preamp.

Sounds like we have a consensus here.

Preamp and then sources. At the moment I stream a lot from Amazon through the HEOS app directly to my Marantz. It just works for me and I really enjoy the flexibility. I do plan to have a living room system (2 channel) in the next house, but I will be using a pair of Zu Audio Dirty Weekend in that set up. The WAF of those speakers is a lot higher and they sounds pretty good.

Back to my SDAs, I see that tubes are highly recommended. So far I have managed to do this in bite sized pieces. Max one time purchase has been 700 bucks. My feeling is that a decent pre will be much closer to 2K than 700. Also I would immediately need to figure a way to stream amazon. I could do it with a combination of Schiit (pre and DAC) and my computer, but would that really be an upgrade?

Sounds like everyone agrees cabling is also important. That seems like the kind of thing I can keep my eyes open for in general. Currently I have Blue Jeans Cable 8ft speaker wire and HDMI cables and Tara Labs Prism 55 Interconnects.

Any suggestions where my thinking is getting off track or something I should be looking for?

Thanks again,
Caleb

Navy_Goat

nooshinjohn wrote: »

stepping up your amp/preamp/source first.

invalid wrote: »

You need a preamp

TroyD wrote: »

First order of business is the preamp..

Looks like consensus to me. Pre and source are the same for me most of the time (makes it harder to get away from this Marantz). Most of what I listen to is streamed from Amazon through my HEOS app on the Marantz. Now that Amazon offers HD and UHD I have been using that a lot.

That is part of the problem. So far I have been able to do my speaker upgrades and purchases in 5-700 dollar bite sized pieces. I don't imagine that the pre and source will be in that price range. Unless I am able to go with a company like Schiit or NuForce, which I doubt would really be an upgrade?

Cables also sound like a good idea and something that will be compatible with other upgrades anyway. I will keep my eyes open for deals......

Upgrading the 2.3s can wait for now as I am pretty content with their sound. No doubt it will improve, but I would like to give them some time as they are now. Similar to autocross, the veterans will tell you to just get out there and do it with your car in stock configuration for as long as you can. Modifying the car will slow your learning curve....

Thanks again for the suggestions,

Caleb

audioluvr

Here you go. Small bite, big gain.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274389014915

TroyD

You can upgrade your pre well within your budget.....look used. You’ve got plenty of options on the used market....

BDT

Clipdat

Run the streaming via coax/optical into this? https://tmraudio.com/components/preamplifiers/parasound-p6-2-1-channel-preamplifier-p-6-remote/

audioluvr

Or one of these...

Navy_Goat

https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/ele/d/fountain-valley-anthem-pva-2-power/7136400846.html

How does this look? Includes a PA that I dont necessarily need, however I am looking for a good lower power PA to drive my ZU Audio Dirty Weekends.

Clipdat

"I am asking: $760 (For the Power Amplifier)

I also have Anthem purely 2 channel Preamplifier for sale as well as you can see on the ad’s photos. Let me know if you are interested.

The price for the preamplifier is $395"

Sounds like each item is available separately.