SDA-1C Right Channel No SDA Effect

PolksTillIDie

By the way, one of the right/left speaker tests I did was with Stereophile's first test CD, the one with the dog barking coming from right/left.

"BAAAA-OOOO-WOOOOF!"

Maybe this should be a euphemism for a right-left test on SDA speakers: "the dog's in the speakers" or "the dog's outside the speakers".

PolksTillIDie

Gardenstater, I didn't think of it as really loose before. Maybe its loosened up over the last few cycles of disconnect/connecting. Mostly I thought of the other one as too tight. Sometimes it takes a few tries to get the plug out of that one.

But man, its working now...

Spongebob, what are the advantages of the Speakons over the regular Polk plug? Before your suggestion, I was wondering about shielding vs. unshielded (OEM) and the wire gauge used. I got a huge volume/power boost switching over my speaker wire to high strand count 10AWG OFC from older, low strand count ones. So I'm wondering why I shouldn't complete the circle, by using that larger gauge wire with the interconnect too.

Gardenstater

Glad it's working out for you now! I definitely think you should upgrade the wire in the IC cable for sure. Not to beat a dead horse but I remember in your other threads we had this discussion about multi strand cables not being gaged by their outer diameters. You have to measure the diameter of each strand and calculate the cross sectional area and then multiply that by the number of strands and look up the gage in a chart. So what you think is 10awg is really probably 13.2awg. It's still a very large gage. It's because there is air space in a multi stranded wire bundle.

PolksTillIDie

Gardenstater, checked for free voicecoil movement definitely, they're all moving free. DCR, that's checking them out with an ohmmeter? Haven't gotten around to that yet, but yeah, why not? Probably check 'em when I send out the crossovers in Jan.

DeOxit and SilClear? Why not? My "wooden" input contacts on my M-80 could also use that help I bet.

My buzzing/resonating tweeter is back. I think it never left and only occurs at one pitch in one track in a Max Richter album. The note holds for a few seconds, and the buzzing edges in, hitting a whole bunch of frequencies between 4 to 5kHz. Its a new Polk OEM from Midwest, so I might just ask them what they want to do about it. Haven't tried the untighten/retighten method yet. I'll do that before I email Midwest.

Gardenstater

Yeah I would definitely check the back of the tweeter plate for flatness, especially under the screw bosses. You might need to put thin spacer washers in to make everything flat. Also you should consider xschops suggestion somewhere else to put some dynamat or the like in the hollows of the back of the tweeter plate to dampen any resonances. Make sure you tighten all the screws evenly in a cross pattern and try to keep from warping the plate with uneven screw tensions.

PolksTillIDie

Gardenstater, oh yeah the "Great Wire Gauge Discussion of 2020". I remember it as if it were just yesterday. I'll have to ask RapcoHorizon about the individual strand diameter. But I guess my real question is: ideally should I go with the same gauge/wire that I'm using for my speaker wire?

PolksTillIDie

OK, Gardenstater, I'll take those tweeter suggestions and see what I can do. So far, it only happens with that one track out of all my CDs, but you know it'll reappear somewhere else eventually.

Just some incredible SDA I've been getting tonight off Radio Paradise. Really wrapping around me.

Tony M

When some sounds come from far outside of your speakers, your SDA's are working just fine.

Congrats!

Now do as @Gardenstater suggested...Your new tweeter face-plate screw holes probably don't have support behind them. There's threads about that somewhere on this forum's history.

Some have noticed that noise also. Some were cured by the washers being glued on and one said it helped a little but he was going to call customer service about that noise at that one area of frequencies that just wouldn't quit bugging him..

I know I glued washers onto the backside of a few new tweeters I ordered. I did it before I even put them in. It is the thing to do.

Mine were the new RD-0194s.

Again, congrats.

Now check out the SDA playlist on this forum. You might have many of the songs and music to re-listen to.

Gardenstater

I bet 4 of @xschop billet aluminum tweeter bezels would be the cure (hint)

The great 2020 wire gage shootout he he I like that. Memories.

If they call it 10awg then it better be! That other one you were talking about previously gave the strand size and number of strands and it sure wasn't 10awg. Gotta keep em honest though and check. I find discrepancies often.

They don't even specify OFC or 4N. I believe that's the minimum for hi fi. Your speakers deserve better definitely.

PolksTillIDie

Gardenstater. Ok, I just sent off an email to Rapco Horizon asking about the strand diameter. I guess we'll find out.

But I just got some estimates and options back from David at DHS Speaker that set my mouth to watering. So many upgrades I can do piecemeal as I scrounge up the $$$. They have two premium IC cables that are 10 and 11 AWG, so that renders the practical reason for my question moot on that anyway I guess. I'll end up with one of them.

There's also an apparent no-brainer replacement inductor coil that supposedly improves bass, but renders the speakers 4 ohm. He cautioned some amps won't be able to handle that. I think my M-80 can, ah ... handle that with no problem. Driving only 4 ohms, an M-80 goes up to 330W and THD down to no more than 0.002% !! Anyone heard of this upgrade?

I'll look over the possible crossover upgrade combinations and ask for you guy's input.

I think it was someone from Midwest who suggested I un-tighten, then re-tighten the tweeter faceplate screws. Easy enough, but anything I oughta check while I have them off? Probably ought to do the same for the other screws on the problem tweeter too just in case I didn't tighten them evenly.

Tony M

I suggest you read the 2nd post above yours.

There's proven diagnostics by many here on the forum and a 99% cure to your tweeter problems.

loosen the screws...

glue washers on...

What-ever.

PolksTillIDie

Didn't realize the resulting conclusion was that settled. So #10 stainless steel washer? Got a glue preference?

Tony M

PolksTillIDie wrote: »

Didn't realize the resulting conclusion was that settled. So #10 stainless steel washer? Got a glue preference?

Yup. #10 I believe.

Aleene's craft glue;

PolksTillIDie

Ok ordered the glue. Now more on washers. 1/2 inch OD do the trick?

PolksTillIDie

Hmmm... looks like I read those specs on the M-80 wrong. Its 0.02% THD at 330w. That would have to be some great improvement in bass response for me to add that much distortion back in. Anyone have an opinion? (me: ducking and cringing)

audioluvr

I wouldn't worry so much about distortion specs. It's what sounds good to you that matters most.

invalid

PolksTillIDie wrote: »

Hmmm... looks like I read those specs on the M-80 wrong. Its 0.02% THD at 330w. That would have to be some great improvement in bass response for me to add that much distortion back in. Anyone have an opinion? (me: ducking and cringing)

You really think you can hear 0.02% distortion.

Tony M

PolksTillIDie wrote: »

Ok ordered the glue. Now more on washers. 1/2 inch OD do the trick?

I don't remember.

I literally have a hardware store's worth of stuff here. I might've just gone to my washer hoard OR took another's advice and went and bought some. I'm going to look back into this forum's history on this matter.

How about #10 standard size...

PolksTillIDie

I think #10 specifies the inner hole dimension. So the outer dimension has to be specified separately. So I didn't wanna glue on the wrong size and get "stuck" with something to big to fit back on. Or, you know, I could actually use my eyes and estimate. But I'm ordering them online because I'm really lazy and I'd rather not buy a bunch I won't use.

I found a post "RD-0194 Rattles" with these two images along in the thread:

This one supposedly shows part of the voice coil abutting the magnet. The poster thought this was the problem:



versus a "normal" position:



And then this one shows the washers in place. I guess I could just measure them off this pic.




This is why I didn't necessarily think this was settled. Several posters said the washers didn't make a difference. Guess it couldn't hurt.

OK. Ordered them. Didn't even have to stand up and go get 'em. It was close though.

PolksTillIDie

audioluvr and invalid: As I think I stated waaaaaay earlier, or maybe on another post, I can hear, I know THD at 1% and above with my various ... dare I say it ? ... "test tones", and not below, but this is kind of an artificial construct for comparison, no? That's at the standard 1kHz. You can look at other frequencies, like 125Hz or any other. And they may be higher. But one thing just effing amazing about, at least my M-80, is the incredibly low noise floor and distortion. You can listen to something like a jazz quartet playing quietly and yet turned up, there is just nothing in the way of background noise, hiss, or anything "between the notes" ...... nothing.

And I ain't gonna mess that up for bass that my neighbors might have me killed for. At least, not yet. So I'll wait on that, however tempting...

PolksTillIDie

Merry Christmas guys. Thanks for all the help.

Tony M

Merry Christmas.

Tony M

This is a great example of why washers should be placed behind the tweeter's face-plate holes.