Let's answer Matt's question on SDA

2

Comments

  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by jrausch
    Start them out as Limited edition Lsi flagships fronts. This way you can integrate them with the rest of the Lsi series without creating a new one. Russ this price range would be more realistic. I have no problem with this price. :)
    That is the coolest thing I've ever seen!!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited May 2004
    A little top-heavy, ya think?
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by RuSsMaN
    A little top-heavy, ya think?

    So is Dolly Parton but she doesn't fall over!!! :D

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited May 2004
    ummmm why so tall? is the current trend in towers these days to reach the highest possible level? why not 7.5' towers? :(
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited May 2004
    It's an abomination Al, nothing else.

    4 drivers, 1 tweet, and a woof or pr would be nice. From what I know about building arrays, you really dont want the tweeters 'spread' out like they are in the picture. In all reality if the speaker above was ever made, it would more than likely sound horrible.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by pjdami
    I still think Polk could pull this off as some kind of "anniversary" special editions just for the fans out there. I'm really itching to hear some SDA. Is 2005 the 20 year anniversary or something? I'm not too familiar with the history of the first SDAs.


    Great idea! Put them on all the marketing literature but state they are only for a limited number of SDA fans. Nothing makes you want something more than the possibility of a company not wanting to sell them to you.

    madmax
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited May 2004
    Looking at the poll, they've sold, what 40 some odd pair already, and the question was asked less than 24hrs ago?

    I like the 'anniversary' idea a LOT.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • wallstreet
    wallstreet Posts: 1,405
    edited May 2004
    Of course each one should be numbered and signed by "the man" himself. :cool:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,535
    edited May 2004
    This would be my design wish list if there was only to be one SDA speaker introduced. I would recommend the current LSi style and materials as a starting point...

    Ebony or Cherry full length side panels.
    Piano black top and front.
    Redesigned grille materials.

    Four 6.5 inch mid-woofers.
    Two ring radiator tweeters (or one if would work just as well).
    One 12 inch passive radiator.

    18-20 inches wide, 12-14 inches deep, 42-50 inches tall.

    LSi binding posts with biamp capability.
    Outrigger-type spiked feet.

    Price: $2500/pair.
    Available: Fourth quarter 2005 (?)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited May 2004
    Emyln,

    That's exactly what I had in mind. Four midbass drivers on each side with two tweets and a passive / active woofer that can dig down to a "real-world" 30 hz minimum.

    It isn't unusual for companies to make "limited - edition" gear. Look at Musical Fidelity with their Tri-Vista dual mono amps. One review I read says they only made 500 of them.

    Gramophone Quote:

    TRI-VISTA DUAL MONO INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

    “this is truly a world-class amplifier, able to take on all-comers and keep on impressing…something of a bargain.”

    “By any standards this is a remarkable amplifier, and I have nothing but envy for the 500 lucky souls who end up with one in their system.”

    I would think that Polk would have to manufacture at least 1,000 new SDAs to see what the interest would be out there. The $10,000 question though is it economical / profitable for all of the engineering / testing / product development that would be involved or is the technology already there and the speaker would just need to be assembled and tweaked a little. Would it then capture the "magic" that all of the SDA owners love?

    Yeah, 20th Anniversary Limited Edition SDAs would be the talk of the audio community. "Lucky-soul" owners indeed.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited May 2004
    The marketing value of a limited edition (A la Trivista) in itself would be worth a killing, no?
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited May 2004
    Agreed PJ on the engineering side.

    However, if they just used the 'old' technology, and even, say, the new monitor series drivers and 'threw it together' - they'd still sell like hotcakes.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pjdami
    pjdami Posts: 1,894
    edited May 2004
    However, if they just used the 'old' technology, and even, say, the new monitor series drivers and 'threw it together' - they'd still sell like hotcakes.

    Exactly. Retro is actually "in" right now and "groovy".

    Look at what Ford is doing to the 2005 Mustang and Pontiac bringing back the GTO.

    Although I haven't had the honor the meet Matt in person like some of you fine gentlemen, I realize that he has a brilliant mind for designing speakers. If anyone could bring back the SDA in a nostalgic form he could definitely do it.

    Wow, I haven't seen this much excitement around here in a while.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jmasterj
    jmasterj Posts: 327
    edited May 2004
    I'm loving this,

    It seems simple to me. They already did the R & D back when they made the first ones. He already has updated drivers, they know what the cabinets need, They know how to make the crossovers. I believe the engineering staff could design something on paper that would sound good right off the line. Maybe need a tweak hear, adjustment there and SDA revisited.

    I think It's the criticism from the audio world thats the biggest stumbling block to overcome. They tried to lable the speakers as a gimmick back then, and it took a long time before Matt changed that reputation. I think that's why Matt moved away from the SDA's. It may have an impact on sales. I think it comes down to how strong a position He feels Polk has in the market.

    Is he bold enough to do it again is the real question? If Matt has the balls, Hell Yea I'll buy a pair ! I love them...:)
    JmasterJ Polk to the Death
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jrausch
    jrausch Posts: 510
    edited May 2004
    My really bad Photoshop job was never to scale or an accurate representation of speaker location. I just think a more modern approach to a new design is needed so the SDA's next generation does not get X'd because they were in big chunky boxes. Yes, below 6 feet would be fine.

    If you saw a pair of speaker's like this in a shop wouldn't the first question be "what is the purpose of the satellite's hanging off the sides"? Then the salesman would do his demo and it would be all over at that point. People want cool looks and are willing to pay extra for it. Take Definitive mythos speakers as a point. People love them so much that def tech is back ordered and they just announced they are raising the price of them because of it. Personally I'm not blown away by their sound, but people care more for the aesthetics. If Polk could address both issues, sales would fall into place because there is nothing else like it on the market.

    I don't think the SDA card has been fully played out and I'm sure Matt has a few more tricks left in his bag.
    "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jmasterj
    jmasterj Posts: 327
    edited May 2004
    Hey Just Thought of this:

    Start a small speaker company call it SDA. Only have 3 models. Don't manufactor a lot. Just fill this little nitch. Doesn't have to be associated with the Polk Audio speaker line. Matt could be an consultant. Sale them on line factory direct. If you want to use this idea just give me a pair of the good ones we'll call it even...
    JmasterJ Polk to the Death
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by jmasterj
    Hey Just Thought of this:

    Start a small speaker company call it SDA. Only have 3 models. Don't manufactor a lot. Just fill this little nitch. Doesn't have to be associated with the Polk Audio speaker line. Matt could be an consultant. Sale them on line factory direct. If you want to use this idea just give me a pair of the good ones we'll call it even...

    If anything like this ever happens, I suspect it would be a spin-off from Polk rather than some individual as I doubt someone random would be allowed access to all the technical data needed to make the SDA's work properly.

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited May 2004
    If Matt has the balls, Hell Yea I'll buy a pair ! I love them...

    WHOA!!!
    Do they have tweeters in them?
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • brettw22
    brettw22 Posts: 7,623
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by jmasterj
    If Matt has the balls, Hell Yea I'll buy a pair ! I love them...:)
    I agree Early.....I dont' think that the purpose of this thread was to pimp out our King.......:p :p
    comment comment comment comment. bitchy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gatemplin
    gatemplin Posts: 1,595
    edited May 2004
    What about an DIY SDA kit, kind of like what Adire Audio does with their kits. The each kit comes with say 4 drivers, 2 tweets, crossover, interconnect, passive radiator etc. and optional plans for a bookshelf designs or different towers. This would keep costs down...or Maybe this DIYer is just dreaming.
    Graham
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • brettw22
    brettw22 Posts: 7,623
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by gatemplin
    What about an DIY SDA kit, kind of like what Adire Audio does with their kits. The each kit comes with say 4 drivers, 2 tweets, crossover, interconnect, passive radiator etc. and optional plans for a bookshelf designs or different towers. This would keep costs down...or Maybe this DIYer is just dreaming.
    Too much room for error on a product that's as significantly a part of this manufacturers heritage IMO. I wouldn't want to put one of my masterpieces in someone's hands that has the potential to muck it all up when the whole purpose of the re-introduction would be to wow and amaze the market.......(not to doubt your capabilities)
    comment comment comment comment. bitchy.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • I-SIG
    I-SIG Posts: 2,243
    edited May 2004
    As far as DIY is concerned I suspect there at least as many people with two left thumbs as there are with two left feet.

    Wes
    Link: http://polkarmy.com/forums

    Sony 75" Bravia 4K | Polk Audio SDA-SRS's (w/RDO's & Vampire Posts) + SVS PC+ 25-31 | AudioQuest Granite (mids) + BWA Silver (highs) | Cary Audio CAD-200 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Rotel Michi P5 | Signal Cable Silver Resolution XLR's | Cambridge Audio azur 840C--Wadia 170i + iPod jammed w/ lossless audio--Oppo 970 | Pure|AV PF31d
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited May 2004
    Hi Guys,

    I missed it. When did Polk say they thinking of bringing th SDA line back?
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited May 2004
    Cool.
    I have heard enough SDA to know that when I audition loud speakers today, I am looking for that feeling of contentment I felt when I first heard the 1.2tl. I have never owned a pair because I went into the wrong profession for expensive toys (teaching). If Polk ever released a new SDA I do want it to be as large and grandiose as the original. And have the sound to match.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • amulford
    amulford Posts: 5,020
    edited May 2004
    I currently have a pair of 2B's. I love them. But I would like a little more. It's worth the price for the performance, but isn't that the beauty of Polks?;)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • warviper
    warviper Posts: 585
    edited May 2004
    The only question is can Polk compete with it self. I would not pay over 2k because you can purchase a nice SDA now for about that much. The sound needs to be better than the original for me to justify buying the new.
    Wish I was a polkologist then I could call my self Dr.warviper.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited May 2004
    When I listened to SRT while great for HT I did not like them for music. The great bottom end presence for explosions turned into tubby the tuba on music. The salesman tried dialing the subs down which helped but they just couldn't get out of the way of themselves. So, if they are re released although all the mony is in HT please make a speaker for audio first.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,729
    edited May 2004
    Xsmi,

    Well said and I couldn't agree more. It is, after all, about the music!

    F1
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PolkWannabie
    PolkWannabie Posts: 2,763
    edited May 2004
    Originally posted by xsmi
    The great bottom end presence for explosions turned into tubby the tuba on music.
    In the case of the SRT's this is more a function of the amp and how one choses to set the controls than the drivers. When properly calibrated they sound fine. When driven by an external amp they sound even better.
    Rick
    HT+ Sunfire TG IV, Dual CG Sig II's, CinePro 1K2, Oppo 981, Audio Technica PL120, Polk SRT's & F/X1000's, Samsung 71" DLP
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,729
    edited May 2004
    Even the SRT's set up at Polk HQ had too much bass and they were set up to play music, hence my comment.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter