need help with 2.3tl's

rocket

just got a pr. of 2.3's, all stock, and they replaced my rti12's, and something is missing. they sound good, but don't seem to have the midrange clarity or the crystal clear highs(unless at high volumes, like 250 watts or higher) than the rti's. the bass is better, down low, and is acceptable. i need to know what i need to do, as i feel they can do better. thanx, LC-and a special thanx to dangerboy for helping me find these tl's.

DarqueKnight

rocket wrote: »

just got a pr. of 2.3's,... and something is missing. they sound good, but don't seem to have the midrange clarity or the crystal clear highs(unless at high volumes, like 250 watts or higher)

Maybe it's time for an amp upgrade. SDA's sound best with a minimum of 200 watts of high current amplification.

BobMcG

Not knowing where you got them and if they were picked up by you or shipped to you I have to ask...
You've made certain that ALL of the components of the speakers are hooked up, working and working properly? IE: Tweeters; mid stereos; mid dimensionals; speaker cables and jumpers; internal speaker and crossover wires; are the crossovers still on their posts; interconnect cable OK?
Most Importantly, is the liquid coupled sub bass radiator wired correctly???

OK, OK, trying to get you with that last one but you get the point. Does everything check out alright?

These are old speakers and if they've been shipped around, well, crap happens.

rocket

everything seems to be fine, i am running about 350 wpc, and i am the 2nd owner. i picked them up personally and brought them home. maybe i just need to get used to the different sound. one thing is for sure, they are definitely better for home theater. they have a much bigger soundfield on all movies and everything digital. maybe they need to be modified. do i need to talk to ken at polk?

DarqueKnight

Another thing I would add to Bob's advice is, in addition to making sure all drivers and tweeters are functioning properly and are wired properly and in correct phase, make sure that your speakers have the correct drivers. Second hand SDA's are somewhat notorious for having switched drivers. The two SDA drivers and four stereo drivers should all be MW6510's. Your tweeters should be SL3000's.

woofiepaws

Do you have the interconnect cable?

hoosier21

is it possible the rti12 were brighter and more in your face, and you are going through an adjustment?

geppy1

I think this is an interesting thread. It speaks to exactly what I was talking about on a different thread. The very first post says exactly what i have heard. another guy metioned this a few weeks ago and i have heard it many times over the years even when I was in the biz. The SDAs tend to have a softer sound and are not as sharply defined as some conventional speakers. Even professional reviewers noticed this even though they really liked them. It takes getting used to AND it very well may be more accurate and realistic then many conventional speakers.keith

rocket

i think hoosier hit the nail on the head-it will be an adjustment period. they are softer, not as in your face, and that always means less fatigue when longer durations are enjoyed. and yes, i do have the umbilical cord in use. any recommendations on upgrades? what is everyone else out there doing to increase sound performance, how much better is it, and what are the costs?

avguytx

Crossover upgrades bring them more to life...that's for sure. I've done 3 sets of SDA's so far with Solen caps and Mills resistors with great results. It opened up the top end tremendously. Others have used to Sonicaps with great results and seem to prefer them to the Solen caps. They are a little more expensive but I would imagine they are better.

Mike Reeter

I own RTi12's and 2.3TL's....They are simply two different types of speaker...It will take some getting used to.

I know a lot of members use SDA's in their HT setup,I prefer to listen to them in a 2-channel setup.

You might have to recalibrate your AVR/Pre-pro to get the 2.3's dialed in.