SDA SRS 2.3tl

F1nut

Get both.

Navy_Goat

Clipdat wrote: »

"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.

DDH Hazy IPA may be affecting my reading comp.

F1nut wrote: »

Get both.

I have heard great things about this brand.

nooshinjohn

Take4 a look at Pass Labs X1.. It completely transformed my listening experience.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa19e3-pass-labs-x1-receivers

The X2.5 is no slouch either...

Get with Dpowell… he has one paired with a Sunfire signature amp and has hotrodded 2.3TLs.
https://forum.polkaudio.com/profile/dpowell

Navy_Goat

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Take4 a look at Pass Labs X1.. It completely transformed my listening experience.

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa19e3-pass-labs-x1-receivers

The X2.5 is no slouch either...

Get with Dpowell… he has one paired with a Sunfire signature amp and has hotrodded 2.3TLs.
https://forum.polkaudio.com/profile/dpowell

John, I hope to hear your rig at some point, but while I can consider a 700-1K pre, these Pass Labs units are on a different level. NO doubt they sound good. Maybe after I retire for the first time.....

Rocketmanlynn

Hi guys I’m returning to the forum after a long absence so I feel I’m new to the forum. I’ve enjoyed my vintage Polk’s since my first pair in the mid 80s. I love my 1.2TLs and will be considering a major up mod for them
now that they are taking on a new roll as the left and right front speakers in my about to be completed purposely built home theater. Does anyone have experience using Polk SDA SRS speakers as the basis for a high end theater surround sound system?
The center channel speaker is my problem in that no such single vintage Polk speaker was ever developed and I’m not going to try and timber match the SDAs using a new series Polk speaker, good as they are. Timber matching the upper and lower front speaker array was much less a problem than the center channel since I’m the only guy I know with 5 pairs of gently like new vintage Polk’s. I’ve decided to use the pair of monitor 10s placed bottom to bottom and drive them as a single mono channel. I’m using an Adcom 555II amp as power. Should I use this amp to drive each speaker separately or bridge the amp and wire the Polk’s in parallel? Bridging the amp to mono is my first choice? Am I on the right track? Your opinions are welcome. Help me, you needn’t be kind. I know this is a very tough room.

Navy_Goat

If you run the M10s in parallel you will be cutting the impedance in half which could cause problems for your amp.

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1

nooshinjohn

Get a set of Polk RM-7500 satellites and center channel You will be good to go. They look great and sound is very well matched. I am fortunate in that I was able to find Polk AB-800 inwalls for my surrounds. They are matched to the SDA line and use the same drivers.

F1nut

A better choice for a center since you seem to have the room would be a single Monitor 7. The 10 suffers lobing issues.

Rocketmanlynn

True, I considered that but only wiring two speakers In parallel shouldn’t be a problem for an Adcom 555 IIs. An additional benefit is that the amp’s power out put at say 4 ohms will be nearly double. I’m not very inventive and kind of stick with what I like and has worked for me. Thank you N G. Do you have experience with theater surround sound systems? I’ve read your other reply’s and I trust implicitly your experience and advice. If you advise against connecting the M10s in parallel I’ll abandon the idea.
80% of the sound in a movie sound track is generated by the front lower and upper speakers and i am using all timber matched vintage Polks ( 1.2 TL, 3.1 TL, two pair SDA CRS, and a pair of monitor 10s.
How would you guess the sound quality of the remaining 20% surround effects Polks going to compare with these. They are 2 pair RTSfx side speakers, one pair of LSiM702 f/x rear surround and LSif/x rear high surround, plus 6 (3 pairs) 80f/x-RT ceiling located functioning as Dolby Atmos.
I’ve as yet not heard new and old Polk speakers together. Do you or another Polkster have experience with this?
I listen to classic rock and new age music, a lot. My 1.2s are nearly 20 feet apart as measured by the connected cable between them and they never fail to surprise first time listeners with the sound stage they produce. But like me they’re aging. I got a tune up and it made a big difference. So I’m going to invest the $2500 or more I’ve saved up towards an ultra premium up grade with “TL” modification for them. Price is described as the sky’s the limit. How much would your experience guess this service will be? I’m not talking repair. At least I don’t think so. I have recently replaced the SL3000s in my 3.2 TLs with new RD0198s.
I know this is a lot from your short reply but this is my favorite subject. I love my Polks I even replaced my car speakers with Polks.

Oh I’m driving each 1.2, 3.1, and one pair of CRSs with individual biwired Adcom 555 IIs, or SEs. I have bridged the amps for more power but the Polks seem to like being biwired. At moderate sound pressure levels truly they sing to me (and the neighborhood as well). Thank you. Yes I am crazy

Rocketmanlynn

Thank you F1nut. Looking for a good set of monitor 7s could be a challenge. I have seen them but they are for local pick-up only. My 10s are in pristine condition. Can the lobing issue mentioned be delt with? I’m not sure..... ok, I know I don’t what lobing is. I gently used the 10s in my hobby room, and yes I have plenty of room since I’m building in the attic and many Texas homes have very tall pitch roofs.

F1nut

I apologize, I meant comb filtering not lobing. Comb filtering is an effect caused by having the two drivers side by side playing the exact same frequencies. It tends to muddle the sound a bit. Some people pick up on the issue while others don't. Comparing the 7 to the 10, the 7 is far more cohesive with greater clarity.

When Polk came out with the Monitor 11, which is like the 10 on steroids, they dealt with the comb filtering issue of the 10 by restricting the frequency range of one driver.

audioluvr

Looks like you are relegated to the attic. You must have been bad!

Rocketmanlynn

Ah, ok can the crossover be modified to accomplish this. Sounds simplistic which it’s not. Perhaps a singular driver substitution to each M10. Could monitor 11 components be substituted if available. I’m hard headed and I don’t give up an idea easily. That’s why I still have my first car despite being sent all over the world with the military and life in general. So, ok obtain a pair of 11s and relegate the 10s back to the hobby room. Since I can build - make anything and have the tools to do it, veneering a set of speakers is very doable, if the guts are correct and in good performance order. I’ve read horror stories about counterfeit Polks, rather not be a victim. We are after all talking about the center channel which is essentially dialogue and not much else.
Thank you nut, a shopping I will go. Lynn

F1nut

Finding a pair of Monitor 11's would be a helluva lot harder than a pair of 7's. If you look around in here you'll find that many use a vintage Polk center channel with their SDA's with great success. I think it's the CSi400 or some such.

Rocketmanlynn

Thanks I’ll look and see what’s out there. I hate buying used electronics. If your ever in the DFW area drop me a note. We old guys should stick together, I mean 6 feet apart covering half our graying beards with masks.

And yes I’ve been bad and shall strive to remain that way. Thank you for noticing. Lynn

pitdogg2

F1nut wrote: »

Finding a pair of Monitor 11's would be a helluva lot harder than a pair of 7's. If you look around in here you'll find that many use a vintage Polk center channel with their SDA's with great success. I think it's the CSi400 or some such.

Some have used CRS for front and back center channel as well.

nooshinjohn

Perhaps it would be a good idea to move Rocket's posts and the conversation that it generated to a new thread.... Don't want to derail Navygoat's thread.

Rocketmanlynn

I agree. Please move it.

Navy_Goat

@Rocketmanlynn you wold have to start a new thread. Its unlikely a mod will come along to move all the posts. Its not a super hard job, but this forum is pretty lightly moderated.

Also, your new HT room looks like it will be a fun place to be so long as you can keep it cool!

Navy_Goat

Well I pulled the trigger on an Anthem TLP-1 preamp for a price I am comfortable with. Looks to be in good condition and include everything. It will arrive within days of the move so I doubt I will even get it set up. Maybe just to verify it is operational....

K_Fulk

Navy_Goat wrote: »

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

Sounds like you are doing it similar to me, there are some deals out there. I picked up a Denon Dap2500 on facebook , worked out great since it was the matching pre to my mono blocks. But the guy I bought my sda's from had a tube setup and they sounded great on that as well.

Navy_Goat

Picked up a Marantz ND8006 as a source. Allowed me to add CDs and keep HEOS while adding the Anthem preamp. I have moved and everything good is a decent drive away, so I looked for deals before heading to the DC metro area. Found a pair of Monitor 5jr book shelf speakers that I could pick up for 50 bucks. Long drive, but worth it.

At this point I think it is time to get to replacing the tired crossover components and SL2000s. As I was setting everything up at the new place I was listening to my 2B speakers again and I was struck by how good they sound. That experience provided all the motivation I will need to get the bigger 2.3s taken care of. Listening to the smaller 2Bs while the work is ongoing will be no problem.

BlueBirdMusic

I have read good things about the ND8006. Did you buy new or preowned?

Navy_Goat

BlueBirdMusic wrote: »

I have read good things about the ND8006. Did you buy new or preowned?

I picked it up preowned for about half its current price. So far I have listened to CDs, connected to WIFI and my HEOS account (for Amazon Music HD) and used the DAC function to play music from my computer. Everything works as advertised. The guy I purchased it from mentioned problems with the variable outputs. I have not checked those out to see if it was operator error or if there is a problem. I am running it into a preamp so no need for the variable output. I only have a few CDs at this point so the WiFi stuff is what I was really looking for and it all works really well.

The guy I purchased it from said he had picked up a similar Oppo machine and he was happy with that. HE didn't have any real complaints, just no longer needed it.

Navy_Goat

I have had this Anthem TLP-1 pre hooked up for a few weeks now. When I moved in to the new house I hooked it up immediately so I didn't really A/B it at all. It seems to sound thin, lacking bass. It is hooked up to the Parasound and my 2.3s so I don't think they should be lacking in bass. Last week I hooked the recapped NAD 7175 up to my 2Bs and they immediately provided more bass. Like a lot more. Now they are recapped and the 2.3 are not, but even in stock form they sounded very balanced in the old house.

Back then I had my slim line Marantz providing preouts to the same Parasound. There was a 6 week gap while I was traveling which has added to my confusion. The room is different, but if anything the new room should be better I think.

I know with used gear there is always the risk that something is broken or not to spec. In fact I just had the NAD recapped and gone through and it sounds wonderful so maybe the Antem needs the same service, but I just dont want to spend money chasing something that this pre will never provide.

Tonight I hooked the 1500>2.3tl combo up the the pre out of the NAD and the speakers are back to full sound.

By all accounts the Anthem should sound better. Its a super simple pre so there are really no settings to get wrong. I just wonder if it is a bad match to the rest of my cobbled together system?

As many of you know I am new to all this so I am still figuring things out. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

pitdogg2

Does it have room correction software?

Navy_Goat

pitdogg2 wrote: »

Does it have room correction software?

No its very basic.

pitdogg2

Ok just thinking it may have reverted back to default.

Navy_Goat

I hooked the Anthem back up and back to back its as big a difference as I was thinking. I think I am hearing two things. The NAD does add quite a bit of low end emphasis and the 2Bs put out plenty of bass. I am thinking I am just hearing the difference of the new components in the 2B crossovers. Just reminds me I really need to get going on these crossovers.

F1nut

The 2BTL's are capable of clean, tight chest pounding bass. The 2.3TL's are capable of that and more, no sub needed or desired.