SDA SRS new to me

JayCee

No joke. About 12 years ago I'd placed an order via his online storefront and he noticed my mailing address. Suggested I swing by his house and pick it up after work to save shipping cost. My wife waited in the car....and I didn't come out for a LONG time.

He showed me his business setup and we got on the subject of how he started doing what he does. Interesting background and, as I remember, he wanted speakers as a young lad. As kids do, asked his dad and his father replied, "Why don't you build your own?". He did.

I felt like a bug talking to Einstein. Don't know what I expected but he wasn't some old dude. He offered to hang out at a later date and "blow" my mind with some of his own creations and what was "possible". Unfortunately, I moved before I could take him up on it. He's the closest I've come to having what I'd guess would've been a local mentor. Cool dude and I'm happy to give him my business.

skipshot12

JayCee wrote: »

+1 to Jesse's advice. Sonicaps in all my SDA's.

I used to live in the same town as Jeff, owner of Sonic Craft (designer of Sonicaps), and spent a little bit of time w/him when I picked up an order. He's a great resource and knowledgeable as he l l if you get him on the phone. He knows his stuff and worth chatting with.

Good to see your progress, Skip!

With y'alls help I'm getting there.

Have decided the Sonicaps are the way to go.

I'm having a hard time deciding between the Deuland's and Mills resistors.
I'm in the more detail than laid back camp. Must do some more research......

skipshot12

^ So happy with the results of the mods.

JayCee

Mills in all mine but I've wanted to swap out for Deulands and compare. I think @VR3, @Toolfan66 and, maybe, @DarqueKnight might be able to compare/contrast.

pitdogg2

I'm having a hard time deciding between the Deuland's and Mills resistors.
I'm in the more detail than laid back camp. Must do some more research....

Trey @VR3 give this man the lowdown and on the Path resistors, thoroughly give him something to ponder.

VR3

If you want ultimate detail retrieval, I would probably for the new mundorf ultra with the 30 watt heat sink setup. Mundorf has a very unforgiving sound and with the high wattage rating will maintain composure at all times.

Duelund of course provides a great sound, great detail, a little noisy compared to path audio, excellent soundstage width.

Path audio is very neutral with a very black background and great staging

I'm not a huge fan of mills resistors, they are very veiled compared to the aforementioned resistors. Mills did make a 50 watt that sounded really good

Mundorf mox has a slight edge

Jantzen superes is a great resistor for the dollar, relatively neutral with good transparency

DarqueKnight

skipshot12 wrote: »

JayCee wrote: »

I'm having a hard time deciding between the Deuland's and Mills resistors.
I'm in the more detail than laid back camp. Must do some more research......

I am also in the more detail than laid back camp. I replaced the Mills resistors in my 1.2TLs with Dueland CAST resistors in 2013. The Duelands provided more clarity and detail, but they should have for $65 per resistor compared to $5 each for the Mills.

skipshot12

Dang,
My grey matter hurts now.

Thank you for the information.

JayCee

DarqueKnight wrote: »

I am also in the more detail than laid back camp. I replaced the Mills resistors in my 1.2TLs with Dueland CAST resistors in 2013. The Duelands provided more clarity and detail, but they should have for $65 per resistor compared to $5 each for the Mills.

@DarqueKnight. Hey, Ray. Do your jumper or resist in the polyswitch location?

VR3 wrote: »

Duelund of course provides a great sound, great detail, a little noisy compared to path audio, excellent soundstage width.

@VR3, 'Sup, Trey. Can you elaborate? Noisy...in general, when pushed, ???

VR3

Duelund has more artifacts than path audio... Path audio with the copper tube and drain wire is dead silent with no notable artifacts or grain

DarqueKnight

JayCee wrote: »

@DarqueKnight. Hey, Ray. Do your jumper or resist in the polyswitch location?

Jumper. Didn't like the sound of a resistor in place of the polyswitch. Polk recommended getting rid of them anyway. The 3.1TL doesn't even have them. I discussed my polyswitch/resistor replacement/jumper replacement evaluation here:

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/128258/resistor-replacement-for-the-sda-srs-1-2tl-polyswitch

My original "Polyswitches Are Nasty" thread from way back in 2008.

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/73796/sda-polyswitches-are-nasty/p1

JayCee

Thanks, guys.

There are so many discussions...and I've read them all...but appreciate, Ray, you backtracking politely repeating your findings, often, even though you've already documented it. I'm w/you and prefer jumpers.

I'll have to look at the Path's and Mundorf's. Knowing you, Trey, they probably aren't cheap! I'm in the detail camp and my gear is tubed, so I'm able to adjust if needed.

Skip, hope my questions help you out. One thing in my favor vs. yours is the SRS XO's vs the 1.2's are mo' expensive to upgrade, so I understand the pain, and know you were trying to do your upgrades as frugal as possible. BUT, I get the sense you won't be happy if you settle in the short-term.

Lots of experience typed above, so, IMO, pay as you go, do in stages if needed and do it right the first time.

DarqueKnight

JayCee wrote: »

Ray, you backtracking, often, even though you've already documented it. I'm w/you and prefer jumpers.

I did not understand your "backtracking" comment.

JayCee

Constantly having to repeat yourself. You've documented quite well and I know how to use search. You're patient and to the point.

Edit...corrected my wording in the comment you referred to.

JayCee

Heads-up, Skip. Did a quick check on the Path's and they're 20% off @ Partsconexion. After discount, $380 USD + shipping for all the values I'd need. https://www.partsconnexion.com/path-audio-resistors.html

...and looked over the Mundorf's. Interesting! but would require creativity to mount on our boards. Retail is EUR 19,90, per cap. Same price for all values and you have to add a heat sink per resistor. Don't see the exact heat sink for the 30V Trey recommended but there are 2 in the ~EUR 7,50 range.
https://www.mundorf.com/audio/en/shop/Resistors/MResist_ultra/

I priced out the Dueland's in the past and they're spendy, too.

Anywhoooo...just window shopping for now. I will change out mine at some point. I have too many projects ATM.

VR3

The red heat sink brings the power wattage to 30w. You can secure them to a larger heat sink and obtain far greater power handling if needed

JayCee

Thanks, that's good to know. I'm not heavy handed w/my listening levels.

VR3

The cooler you keep your resistors the better!

JayCee

No doubt. I like having built-in overhead and I trust my hand. Prudent insurance b/c I have, hopefully, a budding audiophile grandson to calculate into the equation. W=(R1+heatsink)+(R2+heatsink)+Grandson.

pitdogg2

JayCee wrote: »

Looked over the Mundorf's. Interesting! but would require creativity to mount on our boards.

I thought the same when I looked at them, they do not appear board friendly. How is that heat sink attached ? Didn't see it actually. I'd really like the try the Path's I do not see any for 22.5 ohm and that third wire, What the heck you do with that on gimpods boards? Cut it off ? Wire all of them together to longer wire and run into the negative binding post? I'm actually serious here, I really would like to use them.

JayCee

Paths...no, the third wire is supposed to be connected to the negative speaker connection. Forgot to ask Trey if this would be OK w/SDA? For the odd value would have to place cumulative different value resistors in series (plz correct me if wrong).

http://www.pathaudio.eu/

PathAudio Resistors - developed and designed for best quality Hi-End Audio. Their design ensures excellent transmission of the full audio bandwidth, without audible distortions, and with extremely low noise floor.

PathAudio resistors have a wide frequency response with negligibly low impedance phase shift, providing superior quality audio processing.

They have 1% tolerance, a low temperature coefficient, high heat dissipation, without the vibration effects.

Resistors are made in thick film technology. The resistive layer is applied to the ceramic molded body. Then it's drying with high temperature and encapsulated with silicon cement. After applying 0.8mm tinned copper wire, the resistor is almost ready to play, but for ultimate mechanical stability and the shielding advantages it's putted into the copper tube and flooded with the best quality resin. The use of copper tubing allows to drain interferences and this is why we used the third long leadout. It's connected only to the casing, having no contact with the signal transmitted by the resistor. The third leadout should be joined to the ground or "-" speaker input.

PathAudio resistors are perfect for loudspeaker cross-overs allowing the sound to be smooth, clear, with superb dynamics.

Parameters:
Non magnetic
Ultra low inductance
Tolerance +/- 1%
10 Watt power rating
Maximum voltage 1500 V
Dimensions (length x diameter) 60 x 12 mm
Wires: length 35 mm, diameter 0.8 mm
Ground wire length 13-15 cm

VR3

Yes, I connect all of the drain wires to the ground of the tweeter circuit

The heat sinks would need to be glued on, they come with an adhesive strip and two pins on the bottom to align them

I probably wouldn't recommend the mundorf if you are using the gimpod boards

F1nut

I like Mills resistors, they have an organic sound quality. That said, I do have these...

JayCee

"Have", you've used them or you're going to?

F1nut

I'm still looking for a roundtuit

bcwsrt

Goodness, those are pretty.

VR3

Jesse you have had those since 2019... Get on it!

F1nut

VR3 wrote: »

Jesse you have had those since 2019... Get on it!

LOL...has it been that long!?!

pitdogg2

Hiw many did we have to buy to get the correct value?

VR3

I believe it was 10 (and it took a long time)