Legend(ary) SDA conundrum

GlennDog
GlennDog Posts: 3,120
edited September 2021 in Speakers
I would really like to take fully opportunity of the latest offering, but are the L800s too big for my listening area?

I want to stay with SDA, so for now the L600s are not a consideration

Polk-wise, I started out with 2B Studios with zero issues, but of course I got the bug and moved up to sCompRacers heavily moded SRS2s . . . again no issues.

Got the bug again and moved up to the 2.3TLs. In a word "issues." The sound was wonderful at low vol, but it was real easy to over pressurize the room with the voll control past 10 o'clock

I didn't get the bug this time around until I heard the most recent offer :)

It looks like the Legend L800s are positioned exactly like the old SDAs. This is good news as my present speakers are 1 foot away from the rear wall
My listening room is about 19 X 11.5 with 8 ft ceiling (speakers against the long wall)

So . . . are the L800s too much for my space?
I know I can buy and sell if they aren't a good fit, and I might go that route. But I'd like opinions

Discuss ...
AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
Pre Cary SLP-05
Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Rythmik F12
Post edited by GlennDog on
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Comments

  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,525
    edited September 2021
    Unfortunately, the L800s would not be the best fit for that space because for the SDA function to work as intended they would need to be placed along the 19 ft wall. The L800s are not designed to be placed close to the front wall without the bass becoming bloated or over boosted because of their ported design, even though they're bottom ported. I wouldn't place them closer than 2 feet and more space would be better. The SDA feature also doesn't work as designed with the illusion of wrapping around the listener if a listening spot is close to a wall behind the listener.

    In my case the best performance in a roughly 20 x 24 feet space is about three to four feet from the front wall, six to seven feet apart, the listening spot about twelve feet away, and about six feet behind the listening spot.

    Not saying the speakers won't work or not be enjoyable in a relatively narrow room, but they work better with plenty of space all around them. They'll have some of the same problems as the 2.3TLs in a narrow listening space.

    FWIW, I find Magnepan speakers to have the same space needs to get that wrap around audio experience although the way of getting to it is different.

    I would also add that the SDA function seems to be stronger on the L800s than on any of the other older SDA speakers I had if they have enough room to breathe.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,645
    The original SDA was never meant to be surround sound.
    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

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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Dog go get em! If you don't like I'll be happy to take em off your hands! Ya know, I got the L200's for the new garage, but I put a 2nd 20amp dedicated in there line just in case! Cambridge EVO as the pre, lots of power amps to choose from, oh Lord ... Lol! :)
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,525
    The L800s have a love for power!
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  • GlennDog
    GlennDog Posts: 3,120
    I was hoping for better news. Oh well . . . maybe I'll build an addition for critical listening and HT B)

    Thanks for the input!
    AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
    Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
    Pre Cary SLP-05
    Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
    Mains Salk HT2-TL
    Rythmik F12
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