New SDA 2 owner

dee1949

Ciao All!
Just got a pair of SDA II's. the Sda effect was not working.Read thru the forum. I took the tweeters out and switched them. Sprayed contact cleaner on connections. Inserted "Cowboy Junkies" Trinty cd and woW WoW!
.....wanted to know if my classic Pioneer SA-8500 II is a good match. I think i would like more power. If anyone has a high current amp/preamp and wants to trade for 2 pairs of Polk Monitor 10's with stands. Let me know. Washington,dc.
Also recomendations on amps.
Thank you dee

bert26

Hi Dee -

Welcome to the club! While I am not familar with your Pioneer, I am sure someone else will give you an opinion shortly.

In the mean time, it is generally accepted that the SDA need somewhere between 100 - 200 watts per channel of high current power to really get them going. Your experience of course may vary.

As for your SDA's not working, did they come with the interconnect cable? Did you try the balance test (full right but still getting sound from the left and visa-versa)? Also, be sure that the speakers are in phase. Rest assured, there is definatley someone here that can help point you in the right direction.

Keep an eye on the flea market - there are some wicked good deals to be had there.

Additionally, there are a ton of Polkies in the DC/Baltimore area. You may be able to link up with somebody to learn more first hand.

Cheers!
Chris

BlueMDPicker

Welcome to the club!

dee1949

.....thanks Chris. I read thru the forum and suspected I had a problem with the fuse or its replacement. I had hooked up the interconnect but no sound from th e SDA drivers. When i bought them they were not being used with the interconnect. First thing i did was switched the tweeters to check if they worked....they did....then sprayed contact cleaner on connections ...and everything came alive. I am impressed....sold my Klipsch Forte IIs.....too much speaker for my living room....they craved tubes as i suspect does the SDA's.

thanks for responce......dee

dee1949

......another Thought.

I have a Dynco 70 tube amp....it has a problem with the silver can next to the tubes. If i wedge a piece of wood between the can and transformer it seems to work. I USE a vintage dennon dcd-1500 cd player with volume control direct into amp and am experimenting with and old set of Polk M 4's.....seems to work....but hestitate to hook up the SDA's. Any thoughts appreciated.

Enjoy the SOUND.....dee is tube 35 watts per.... realistic????

HBombToo

If you don't desire ear bleeding sound levels then I think the 70 will do just fine.

Toka78

dee,

That Pioneer you have is a vintage classic (the whole x500 line is actually), but isn't the best match for SDA's. They really do crave gobs of power, and would benefit from something a bit more refined as well. Anything 200+ WPC would do wonders. I suppose a classic match would be an Adcom GFA-555, or a Nakamichi PA-7. There are a bunch of threads around here with suggestions, anything more would just be repeating things. A tube preamp with solid-state power amp is generally considered to be the ideal setup, but of course its all up to you. Anyway, hook up the Pioneer to some Polk Monitors and go hunting for a big'un for the SDA's.

HBombToo

Toka78 wrote:

dee,

Nakamichi PA-7.

I have this amp and it did wonders with my 2B's with a tube preamp.
Unfortunatly it will not power up without blowing fuses now and I have not had time to tear it apart.

HBomb

dee1949

....Thanks all!

How much better will it sound if I replace my Vintage Pioneer SA-8500 II??? I also have a Newcastle r925 receiver w/ not honest 125 watts 2 channel (i think). Also have a Yamaha CR-1020 receiver (classic Chrome) Never got rid of my old gear......just stored it. Also have a Soundcraftsman pe 2217 preamp w/eq. Anybody have luck with Soundcraftsmen amps????? Love the vintage of my youth. Also have Fosgate Model 4 preamp Dolby unit.

Thank you guys for all responces.......dee

Toka78

dee,

"Better" is always a relative term. There is no master list of what sounds good and what doesn't, as it depends on innumerable factors...room size, furniture, walls, etc. And that is all before the sound reaches your ears. What one guy likes another will hate. The Pioneer you have has a great, classic sound (I have a 7500), but simply doesn't have the juice to run SDA's without strain. In addition, it is from a time when distinct stereo separation was less advanced than it was 10+ years later, and with SDA's the cleaner the distinction, the better they will sound. Dual-mono (not to be confused with monoblocks, they will not work with your SDA's, and could damage the whole setup) power amps would work best. You need a 'common ground' amp (most amps are this way, but always make sure). Check out audiogon.com as well as your local craigslist. eBay is an option but I would suggest only looking for local pickup, as shipping amps of a large size can be quite an adventure (and costly, too). No matter what you end up with, I *highly* suggest having the amp looked over/recapped by an experienced tech...not only will the sound be *much* better (even better than when it first came out in most cases), it will run much safer as well. An amp of any vintage will likely need to have the DC offset adjusted, caps replaced, etc. Do it right, I always say.

BTW...the Yamaha you have is another classic...not familiar with the other two. Again, more power is the key here.

DarqueKnight

Toka78 wrote:

Dual-mono (not to be confused with monoblocks, they will not work with your SDA's, and could damage the whole setup) power amps would work best.

Monoblocks will work, provided they are the type where the ground terminals of each mono amplifier can be wired together.

Toka78

Ah yes, thanks for making that distinction!

F1nut

You're wise not to use the Dynaco with it present problem. Looking beyond a receiver for power would also be wise.

schwarcw

Welcome to Club Polk Dee and congratulations on your new SDA-2's! There wonderful speakers. Enjoy and thanks for joing the Forums.

bert26

Hey again Dee,

We have a lot in common - I just picked up a pair of SDA 2b's and I am listening to the Allman Brothers Eat a Peach using my Denon DCD-1500 II! I never throw anything away either (well, hardly ever!). I am driving everything with a B&K ST2140 that I purchased from Doro here in the flea market. It is 140 watts/channel, and I think it is a solid chioce for the 2b's. I am using an H/K DPR 1005 as a pre, but I have to believe that a tube pre would do far better (pure speculation for now!).

I am running my SDA 1b's with a Soundscraftsmen DDR1200 (have to double check that - from MadMax in the flea market). It has plenty of power for them and it puts plenty of punch into the low end, while keeping the mids and highs detailed. I'm using it with a Carver CM 1090 as a pre. Definately a better synergy than the Nakamichi PA5 I was using - just didn't seem to have enough power to tighten up the bottom end or detail the midranges. I have never heard a PA7 - but all the comments I see written about them are pretty good.

ENJOY!
Chris:p

Polkersince85

dee1949 wrote:

.... Anybody have luck with Soundcraftsmen amps?????

I've got a SP4002 pre hooked up to a MA5002 @ 250w per ch. driving my SRS 2s. Doesn't break a sweat. Kinda like an ole classic with a V8 4bl 4sp.