SDA SRS, help, I think I may have a problem?

meg
meg Posts: 19
edited April 2007 in Vintage Speakers
I'm new. I just purchased a pair of SDA SRS on eBay. WOW, these are fantastic! Since my ears have not heard such speakers before, I'm wondering if I actually have a problem. It seems that no matter what I do, I hear better and louder highs on my left channel. All speakers in each cabinet seem to work, as far as my ear can tell. The interconnect cable works since I hear from the extreme left and right speakers of each cabinet. Even if I change the right to the left, I always hear better highs out of the left speaker. Now this can be the unique design of the SDA SRS using the crossover technology. I do hear things from the right channel that that are not on the left and visa versa. It just seems like I hear clearer on the left no matter what I do. These sound great and I could be crazy, but what I hear is what I hear... Anyone have any thoughts or ideas? Is this what SDA SRS do to you?
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited November 2006
    Welcome to the Club Polk Forums! The SRS speakers are wonderful!

    Let's try something, switch the wiring of the speakers, i.e. wire the left speaker to the right channel of the amp output and right speaker to left channel output. Does the "clearer" sound stay with the speaker, or does it change from one to the other when the wiring is reversed?

    I'd like to know if there is something going on with the source or the speaker.
    Carl

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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited November 2006
    the SDA speakers have a left and a right speaker... make sure yours are not switched. you may have a couple of bad tweeters as well.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited November 2006
    meg wrote:
    Even if I change the right to the left, I always hear better highs out of the left speaker.

    it's not the speakers
    Dodd - Battery Preamp
    Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
    Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
    ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
    DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
    Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
    Outlaw ICBM - crossover
    Beringher BFD - sub eq

    Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!

    "I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    Thanks for your help... I switched the output from the amp and the issue stayed with the speaker, so I eliminated the amp as the problem. I also checked each tweeter with the volume low and no bass. I put my ear against each tweeter to make sure something was coming out. Could something be effecting the volume of the tweeters in one speaker?
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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    Let me ask another question. Should the highs be about the same volume coming out of each channel. Not the actual sound you hear, but the volume of the highs. In other words, I can stand in front of the left speaker and hear clear highs with respect to the voices of the music. When I stand in front of the right speaker, I hear the highs, but substantially less volume as compared to the left. Its almost like the highs of the voices are always coming from the left channel...
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited November 2006
    Hi Meg! On the rear of your speakers there are the wiring binding posts. Are the jumpers installed? The jumpers are a wire that goes from the + terminal in the top set of posts to the + terminal on the bottom set of posts and vice versa. Check to see if this connection is solid. You may also want to switch the jumpers from the left speaker to the right speaker to determine if you've got deffective jumpers.

    Carl
    Carl

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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    I'm home today and thats a good idea. So I just tried it and its still the same. They sound better and better every time I listen to them. Maybe its the way it should be. I hear sounds from the right that i don't hear in the left. Maybe the highs are a priority to the left ear while other sounds are priority to the right ear. I'm trying to make logic in what I am experiencing. I would love to listen to someone who has the exact same speakers...
    Marc
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  • read-alot
    read-alot Posts: 812
    edited November 2006
    Where are you located?
    Maybe we have someone including myself who would volunteer to let you listen to their's.
    polkaudio SRS (rdo194 x 8)
    Dodd ELP (separate power supply)
    JC 1 blocks ( strapped )
    Rega Apollo
    MIT (speaker cables) Outlaw (ICs)

    polkaudio SDA2(rdo194x4) (front) polkaudio CRS (rdo194x4)(rear) polkaudio 400i (center)
    B&K 505
    Samsung LCD
    VIP 622
    HSU STF-2
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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    I'm located in Long Beach, NY.
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  • read-alot
    read-alot Posts: 812
    edited November 2006
    Im only 621.2 miles away.
    polkaudio SRS (rdo194 x 8)
    Dodd ELP (separate power supply)
    JC 1 blocks ( strapped )
    Rega Apollo
    MIT (speaker cables) Outlaw (ICs)

    polkaudio SDA2(rdo194x4) (front) polkaudio CRS (rdo194x4)(rear) polkaudio 400i (center)
    B&K 505
    Samsung LCD
    VIP 622
    HSU STF-2
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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    I can take a quick drive... Didnt you say you wanted to visit NY soon???
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  • zplyonz
    zplyonz Posts: 18
    edited November 2006
    Hi Meg,

    Just one word to you from my experience... I found my SDA speakers to be INCREDIBLY sensitive to the balance control being set to dead center, or equal signals hitting both speakers. If it was off at all (like with my older pre-amp, which lacked a balance control but was a tad weaker on the left), the "phantom center" goes completely to hell. This can sound like the highs are off on one side...

    To validate this, follow the troubleshooting guide for SDA as mentioned in other current threads. Basic procedure: set your amp to mono (if possible) or use a mono source (second best), and play the program with the + lead of each of the speakers removed. Rotate the balance control until you have the quietest signal. That's the best setting: where your SDA's will have the proper center channel and most balanced sound.

    You may well have some driver and/or crossover problem, but do this simple test first!

    Chris L
    Trumansburg, New York
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,823
    edited November 2006
    How are the speakers placed in your room? How far from the side walls, what's the distance between the speakers, how far from the back wall, how far away do you sit? Anything between the speakers such as an large TV or cabinet?
    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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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited November 2006
    Well Meg, the least invasive thing to do is to swap all the tweeters from one speaker to the other. Yes, I know there are eight of them. But they are just screws and spades to remove them. Be careful of the gaskets, don't rip them. Let's try to narrow down whether it could be a tweeter problem, or an internal crossover problem.

    As F1 said, it could be a placement problem. If you try to change around the tweeters that will tell you something. Let us know!

    Carl
    Carl

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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    Thanks everyone for helping me, this is really great. The speakers are about 4 feet apart with the components on the floor in-between them. They are about 1 foot from the wall. My preamp is a McIntosh MC15, so I have a balance control which seems to be fine, but I will make sure on this. And I was trying to avoid swapping tweeters, but I agree, that must be the next step in order to see if its a yweeter or internal crossover problem. If its a crossover, is there anywhere I can get a new crossover?
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,823
    edited November 2006
    Your speakers are too close together for starters, they should be 6 to 8 feet apart and at least 3 feet from any side wall. It helps with the balance when the distance from the side walls is equal on both speakers.

    Call Polk and ask them for an owners manual, it explains proper set up among other things.
    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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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited November 2006
    Try them 6-8 ft apart and sit about the same distance from the speakers as you have them apart(equilateral triangle). If possible, keep them at least 3 feet from any side walls. You can adjust the bass response, to your taste, by moving them toward or away from the back wall. I keep mine about 8 inches from the back wall, but I have a fairly dead room.

    Welcome to CP and enjoy the big boys.

    Doh!!! Looks like we were typing at the same time, Jesse.:p
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • Loud & Clear
    Loud & Clear Posts: 1,538
    edited November 2006
    Problems described here don't sound like placement issues to me.

    Two Channel Setup:

    Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
    Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
    DAC: Arcam irDac
    Source: iMac
    Remote Control: iPad Mini

    3.2 Home Theater Setup:

    Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
    Center: Klipsch RP-160M
    Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
    AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
    Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
    TV Source: DirecTV Genie
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited November 2006
    Hi Meg! The members have given you some good advice on placement. But I think you may have some issues. Try moving the tweeters from one speaker to the other and see what happens. Can you tell if there is any sound at all coming from tweeters in the speaker of question?

    Another thing to try is to remove the jumpers from the binding posts and connect the leads from the amp to the high frequency posts on this speaker. Then disconnect the SDA interconnect cable. This configuration will put the signal from the amp directly into the tweeter section of the crossover. And, you would hear any SDA signal from the other speakers.

    Tell us what you find out!

    Carl
    Carl

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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    According to my ear, placed up against each tweeter, there is sound. Its low but its there. I will try swapping tweeters and see what happens. I wil also try to get the signals from the amp to the tweeter section. I have some work to do this weekend... Thanks everyone.
    Marc
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited November 2006
    OK, meg, please let me add my welcome to the club and cut to the chase.

    Just buy all new (or used) gear, reinforce your floors, walls, electric lines and get some acoustic tiles.

    Note, these speakers work best South of the Mason Dixon line, they are warmly welcomed.

    SDA Rocks.

    PS--What's your take on tube gear?

    RT1
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  • amulford
    amulford Posts: 5,020
    edited November 2006
    Come on now, don't get him started on that...yet.

    It sounds to me like you have a dead tweeter (or more). Just because you hear noise, it may be coming from one near it.

    Try taking them out individually and hooking the speaker wire to it, at VERY low volume. If you have a bad one or two, you'll know it.

    You can Probably find used SL2000 replacements here. Or you could use the Polk new replacement, the RD 109 something.

    Personally, I'd replace them with the newer replacements anyway, and sell the old ones. The new ones are much smoother.

    Just my .02...

    Welcome to the Club.
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited November 2006
    I was thinking those dreaded polyswitches.
    Carl

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  • amulford
    amulford Posts: 5,020
    edited November 2006
    That could be, but let's start simple.
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  • meg
    meg Posts: 19
    edited November 2006
    ok, so my first run will be disconnecting each tweeter in the "bad" speaker and see if each one is working. Can a tweeter be bad and still output any sound? If that fails, I will swap all 4 tweeters, or one at a time with the other speaker. If that fails, I will connect the amp to the high frequency posts. If that fails, I may put the speakers in front for bulk pick up and have a martini!
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  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited November 2006
    meg wrote:
    . If that fails, I may put the speakers in front for bulk pick up and have a martini!

    And where do you live?(praying that she never figures out the problem);):p

    I'll even bring you a bottle of your favorite vodka/gin and some olives.
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,823
    edited November 2006
    Look, I'm not saying you don't have an issue with the tweeters, but room placement can and will give you the problem you are describing. How far away from the side walls are your speakers???

    Noel, great minds think alike.
    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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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,341
    edited November 2006
    Hi Marc! The thing about the SDA SRS speakers is that each tweeter fires in a different frequency range. You could try them one at a time. Switch one check out the sound, (don't switch it back) then switch another, check it out and so on. If we can't find a tweeter problem, then we'll get into the crossover.

    PS Don't worry about the bulk pickup, we'll get that speaker going again!!:D

    Carl
    Carl

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  • amulford
    amulford Posts: 5,020
    edited November 2006
    Hey Marc, there are six SL2000's for sale right now for $20 a piece right HERE
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  • chronoman
    chronoman Posts: 2
    edited November 2006
    I had this problem when I purchased my SDA-1A's back in 1986(still have them)My JVC amp just would'nt drive them with out clipping and shutting down so I purchased a Carver M500t amp,this is a floating ground designed amp which will cause the sound and soundstage to shift to one side.I traded it back to my dealer for a new Carver M1.5t,this is a common ground amp,there was a message on the back side of the polk's stating to use only with amp's of common ground design,I had ask my dealer about this but I guess we both got side tracked a bit so I ended up buying the M500t first anyway after going with the common ground amp the polk's soundstage was restored and 20 year's later they still sound amazing,,,,,,Hope this help's you before you starte dismantalling your babies.....Let me know if I can help .
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