Pair of SDA 1Cs for sale

StinkyDog

I had originally posted these in the Vintage Speakers forum because I didn't know about this Flea Market forum. New here . So I'm reposting here as well in case some folks missed this.

Anyway, I have a pair of SDA 1Cs that I'm selling. They are in excellent condition, never played extremely loud so no drivers are blown, they both work perfectly, non-smoking home, never wet, etc. If it wasn't for each speaker having a small scratch on the side they would look brand new. I am the original owner and have the manual as well as the crossover cable. However I don't have the original boxes anymore so a local pickup would be the best way to get them since they weigh ~85lbs. Unless you know of a way to get them packed and shipped which won't cost an arm and a leg. I'm located in Vacouver, WA which is outside of Portland, OR. I'm asking $530 for these and I'm posting them here first to give the Polk fans a chance to get them before I try to sell them on Ebay.

If you want to see the pics you can check out my other thread in the Vintage pseakers forum titled 'Thinking of selling SDA 1Cs'. Apparently I can't post the same pics here as well. Or if you can I don't know how.

Ricardo

You cannot post the pictures twice... but you can post a link to the other thread..

Here (post # 30)

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35923

StinkyDog

HTrookie wrote:

You cannot post the pictures twice... but you can post a link to the other thread..

Here (post # 30)

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35923

Thank you sir! Very kind of you.

StinkyDog

After much deliberation I have decided to relist these for sale here. Everything still applies as in both previous posts. Same price, same condition, same pickup location. If anyone is interested or has any questions please let me know. Thanks!

dorokusai

If you rename the pictures, you may repost them. Good luck.

F1nut

If you rename the pictures, you may repost them.

Sometimes that doesn't work either. Lord knows I've tried.

StinkyDog

I guess nobody's in the market for SDA 1C's right now? Anyone? Anyone?

Ern Dog

Anyone: How do these compare to Rti10's? They are almost the same price used. I'd be using it mostly for 2-channel music 75% & 25% HT, mid-sized room.

StinkyDog

Ern Dog wrote:

Anyone: How do these compare to Rti10's? They are almost the same price used. I'd be using it mostly for 2-channel music 75% & 25% HT, mid-sized room.

Hey Ern Dog. If you do a search on RTi vs SDA you will get a lot of threads that discuss the SDA vs other Polk speakers (and further links within those threads to other threads). The general consensus here seems to be that the most accurate comaprison to the SDA 1C is the LSi line rather than the RTi line. Check it out, you'll probably find the answer to your question. Either way, the SDA 1C's excel at 2 channel audio setup and a lot of folks here prefer to use them strictly for that.

F1nut

I was going to write a long winded post, but instead I'll be blunt. Polk has yet to make a better speaker than the SDA's, period.

Ern Dog

I was planning on driving to Eugene, Oregon soon to listen to some Rti8's (I would have to travel to Portland to audition Rti10/Lsi's) as I was planning on purchasing some used Rti10's soon. So, I spent the last 2 hours reading lots of info about the SDA 1C's on this forum and I'm definitely interested. What I like most about my Monitor 70's is their fullness, presence and laid back, but I could tell I'm outgrowing them because I want more clarity, more detail and crisper. The 70's sound bloated. Would these SDA's fit this criteria? I figured the Rti10's (used) would be my solution, as I can't afford the Lsi15's right now. I only want floorstanding speakers for fronts.

I do have a questions- How long is the interconnect cable? My current set up puts my speakers 15 feet apart from each other. Is the cable that long? Also how would the SDA's be on my HK635? Would the 4ohm impedance be a problem for my AVR? I know that an amp would be a must for a speaker this powerfull.

F1nut

The cable is usually 20 feet long, some are longer. 15 feet apart is pretty far, how far away do you sit? 1C's are 6 ohms nominal and I don't know a thing about your AVR, but any speaker will sound better on good gear meant for 2 channel.

ND13

Ern Dog wrote:

I was planning on driving to Eugene, Oregon soon to listen to some Rti8's (I would have to travel to Portland to audition Rti10/Lsi's) as I was planning on purchasing some used Rti10's soon. So, I spent the last 2 hours reading lots of info about the SDA 1C's on this forum and I'm definitely interested. What I like most about my Monitor 70's is their fullness, presence and laid back, but I could tell I'm outgrowing them because I want more clarity, more detail and crisper. The 70's sound bloated. Would these SDA's fit this criteria? I figured the Rti10's (used) would be my solution, as I can't afford the Lsi15's right now. I only want floorstanding speakers for fronts.

I do have a questions- How long is the interconnect cable? My current set up puts my speakers 15 feet apart from each other. Is the cable that long? Also how would the SDA's be on my HK635? Would the 4ohm impedance be a problem for my AVR? I know that an amp would be a must for a speaker this powerfull.

Your HK AVR can handle the SDAs, but you'd be better off adding a seperate amp, through the preouts on the back of the HK. Something in the neighborhood of 200 high current wpc should really make them shine. You'll still get great results with the HK's power, but not incredible results. The point is...GET THE SDAs and worry about adding an external amp, later.

StinkyDog

Ern Dog wrote:

I was planning on driving to Eugene, Oregon soon to listen to some Rti8's (I would have to travel to Portland to audition Rti10/Lsi's) as I was planning on purchasing some used Rti10's soon. So, I spent the last 2 hours reading lots of info about the SDA 1C's on this forum and I'm definitely interested. What I like most about my Monitor 70's is their fullness, presence and laid back, but I could tell I'm outgrowing them because I want more clarity, more detail and crisper. The 70's sound bloated. Would these SDA's fit this criteria? I figured the Rti10's (used) would be my solution, as I can't afford the Lsi15's right now. I only want floorstanding speakers for fronts.

I do have a questions- How long is the interconnect cable? My current set up puts my speakers 15 feet apart from each other. Is the cable that long? Also how would the SDA's be on my HK635? Would the 4ohm impedance be a problem for my AVR? I know that an amp would be a must for a speaker this powerfull.

I'm not sure how long my interconnect cable is, I've never measured it. F1 says they're usually about 20ft. long and that seems about right - the sucker is really long. Also, your AVR shouldn't have any problems either. But you're right, they would sound better with a separate amp driving them.

Anyway, if you're going to be in my neck of the woods and would like to stop by and check them out, just send me a PM and we can work out the details.

shack

The SDA 1C is an excellent speaker and is better than anything from the last 10 years except for the LSis IMO. The RTi10 is a good speaker but not in the class of the 1C. I currently own a pair of 1Cs and several pairs of well regarded RT series Polks (Rt15i, RT25i, RT55i, RT400).

Ern Dog

StinkyDog wrote:

I'm not sure how long my interconnect cable is, I've never measured it. F1 says they're usually about 20ft. long and that seems about right - the sucker is really long. Also, your AVR shouldn't have any problems either. But you're right, they would sound better with a separate amp driving them.

Anyway, if you're going to be in my neck of the woods and would like to stop by and check them out, just send me a PM and we can work out the details.

I have to admit that I'm not sure what I want: Rti10, SDA 1C or to save up and go all out with the Lsi15. Who knows- the Rti10's might do the job for me. Thus far, I haven't heard any of these so I'm only going off speculations and other people's opinions, so in order to do this right I need to audition all three and go with the one that gives me a woody. I'll need to plan a trip to the Portland area to check out all three. I'm hoping to do this within the next 30 days and I'll contact you then to see if your SDA's are still avail. for a listen.

I've only been to Portland once, so maybe you could recommend a store with a good listening room to audition the Rti's and Lsi's.
Thanks, Ernie

F1nut

Erine, it's my opinion that going all out would involve getting the SDA's. I've heard plenty of LSi's and they don't even come close.

Ern Dog

F1nut wrote:

Erine, it's my opinion that going all out would involve getting the SDA's. I've heard plenty of LSi's and they don't even come close.

Tell me why you think the SDA 1C's sounds better than the Lsi15's. It seems like there is a bigger following with the Lsi's than with the SDA's.

RuSsMaN

Going all out doesn't involve SDA, or even Polk for that matter, honestly.

The SDA's are a killer speaker, and you owe it to yourself to at least get your ears on them. No real way to do that better than having them in your listening room for a year a so. That being said, the RTi, and certainly the LSi are far more refined and detailed.

The SDA soundstage is tough to beat - I've had a LOT of speakers in house, and I can use only one hand to count the ones that have come close to soundstage width - but at the end of the day, the driver tech is dated - and that's not a bad thing, if that is the sound you like. Sure, you can upgrade crossover componets, etc - and they will make subtle changes - but short of caps actually leaking, nothing in an SDA should be 'out of spec', by any real margin just due to time.

Do yourself a favor, and own them all. Get as many speakers as you can into your home, and listen for an extended period (I prefer at least 90 days or so). Expensive? Not if you buy right, it can be done - and you won't have to ask which is better (for you), you'll know first hand.

Cheers,
Russ

F1nut

You may perceive the LSi's as having a larger following because they are a current model and easily obtained. The SDA's ceased production in 1992 (1990 for the 1C's) and are not as easily obtained and one reason for that is that folks that bought them 15-20 years ago aren't selling them.

Let's do a side by side.

LSi 15
1 tweeter
2 5.25" mids
1 8" woofer
Overall Response 22Hz-27kHz
-3 dB 30Hz-26kHz
Load - 4 ohm nominal
Efficiency - 88dB
Weight - 66lbs. each

SDA 1C
2 tweeters
4 6.5" mids
1 12" Passive Radiator
Overall Response 15Hz-26kHz
-3dB 35Hz-20kHz
Load - 6 ohms nominal
Efficiency - 90dB
Weight - 100lbs. each

Now, these are just spec's and shouldn't be used as the last word as to the sound quailty, but as you can see the 1C's have larger drivers and more of them, which should indicate the abililty to move more air and in turn create a presence that the 15's will not have. Also worth considering is that the 1C's are an easier speaker to drive and weight is your friend.

Ok, my thoughts on the differences in sound quailty. The 15's have a flaw that I can't live with. The highs/mids do not gel with the lows as I find the bass to be muddy/boomy. The tweeter is smooth, maybe too smooth for some, but I like it and the mids are decent. I've found that when listening to them they do not disappear.

The 1C's gel from top to bottom. However, the original SL2000's have a 5dB spike at 13kHz, which makes them a bit harsh to my ears. The good news is that the silk dome replace tweeters are literally as smooth as silk. The SDA's disappear and present the most realistic reproduction of a live performance I've heard yet with the proper stage placement of singer(s) and instruments. If I had to find another speaker to replace my SDA's I found that the Sonus Faber Cremona at $9500.00 would do, but I'd still miss the SDA's. I'll have to disagree with Russ about the refinement/detail issues.

About upgrading the crossovers in SDA speakers. While it may not really need to be done I have found that in using Sonicaps the difference is night and day. I'd bet the LSi's would show similar results as they use the same generic low tech caps that the SDA's use.

In the end, it's up to you to find the sound you are looking for and the only way to do that is to listen. Maybe not like Russ with his revolving door of speakers house, but at least get your ears on a few.

StinkyDog

Ern Dog wrote:

I have to admit that I'm not sure what I want: Rti10, SDA 1C or to save up and go all out with the Lsi15. Who knows- the Rti10's might do the job for me. Thus far, I haven't heard any of these so I'm only going off speculations and other people's opinions, so in order to do this right I need to audition all three and go with the one that gives me a woody. I'll need to plan a trip to the Portland area to check out all three. I'm hoping to do this within the next 30 days and I'll contact you then to see if your SDA's are still avail. for a listen.

I've only been to Portland once, so maybe you could recommend a store with a good listening room to audition the Rti's and Lsi's.
Thanks, Ernie

You're more than welcome to come by and take them for a listen. Although honestly, I am hoping to have them sold before 30 days. But you never know. I'm not sure of a good audio store here in this area. I haven't done any speaker shopping around here before.

univera

"I've found that when listening to them they do not disappear." (LSI's.)

"The SDA's disappear and present the most realistic reproduction of a live performance I've heard yet with the proper stage placement of singer(s) and instruments."

While I haven't heard the 1C's, I would have to agree with F1 on these comments. Besides the fact that the SDA's are just smooth sounding speaks, the biggest thing I noticed is their ability to fill up a room and engulf me in sound. My SRS's are a good bit larger, but technology is still the same.

My Def Techs, which are very nice sounding, clear speakers, just don't disappear like the SDA's. The soundstage is good, particuarly vocals, but they do not extend beyond the front plane of the DT's. I was remarking on that two nights ago. Same goes for my Kefs.

Rarely do I feel like the music is coming from the Polks. It is more the experience of a wave of energy being generated from the entire space in front of me while also having depth and width to the music. They are the most realistic sounding speakers to my ear that I have experienced. I would give up perceived detail in exchange for the presence and soundstage. IMO, the best speaker is one that makes me feel the most like I am in the studio where it's being recorded or at a live performance (live shows sound great if properly recorded.) All this is with the stock tweets and internals as I haven't had a chance to put those upgrades into action. If I had any "complaint," it's that piano sounds a bit warpy on the SDA's. I can live with that. I never truly knew the meaning of "transparency" until I listened to the SDA's. They just make listening an effortless experience, IMO.

Ern Dog

Shack, F1nut, Russman, Univera & Stinkydog
This is all really good food for thought. Reading your impressions gets me very excited about having the SDA experience. I'm still fairly new to this hobby and this forum has helped immensly.

This is going to be a fun road trip to experience Polk's best and to see which one really does it for me- Rti, Lsi or SDA. Stinkydog- I don't want to lose this opportunity, so I'll plan this trip in the next couple weeks.
Thanks, Ernie

univera

Ern Dog wrote:

Shack, F1nut, Russman, Univera & Stinkydog
This is all really good food for thought. Reading your impressions gets me very excited about having the SDA experience. I'm still fairly new to this hobby and this forum has helped immensly.

This is going to be a fun road trip to experience Polk's best and to see which one really does it for me- Rti, Lsi or SDA. Stinkydog- I don't want to lose this opportunity, so I'll plan this trip in the next couple weeks.
Thanks, Ernie

So its going to be a Stinkydog/Erndog meeting.....

F1nut

I'm not touching that one...LOL

starchaser

Ern Dog.. you won't be disappointed!

StinkyDog

Ern Dog wrote:

Shack, F1nut, Russman, Univera & Stinkydog
This is all really good food for thought. Reading your impressions gets me very excited about having the SDA experience. I'm still fairly new to this hobby and this forum has helped immensly.

This is going to be a fun road trip to experience Polk's best and to see which one really does it for me- Rti, Lsi or SDA. Stinkydog- I don't want to lose this opportunity, so I'll plan this trip in the next couple weeks.
Thanks, Ernie

Sounds great! If you can to make it up in the next couple weeks then I'll hold off on posting them elsewhere until you've had a chance to see them. Send me a PM when you'll be able to come. Thanks!

Lsi9

Nice looking speakers!

KrazyMofo24

Ern I know you were interested in my 10's...but honestly if your in to music I'd pick the SDA's. I really don't care if I sell my 10's or not I'll have use for them later.

Ern Dog

KrazyMofo24 wrote:

Ern I know you were interested in my 10's...but honestly if your in to music I'd pick the SDA's. I really don't care if I sell my 10's or not I'll have use for them later.

Thanks.

Ern Dog

StinkyDog wrote:

Sounds great! If you can to make it up in the next couple weeks then I'll hold off on posting them elsewhere until you've had a chance to see them. Send me a PM when you'll be able to come. Thanks!

Awesome! Thanks.

Have there been any upgrades on these 1C's? New tweeters, crossovers, mids or is it all the original components?