SDA 2b?

honda cber
honda cber Posts: 267
edited November 2007 in Vintage Speakers
wow, am i ever having a hard time finding anything about these!

found a set locally for low cabbage, but (a) havent seen them in person, and (b) have *never* seen 2b's in person, much less *heard* them.

i do have a small collection of "vintage" monitors, including 10B, 5, 4.6, and 4, and i enjoy all of them in their respective applications. these have the SL2000 and presumably the problems associated with, so that is a consideration. 4 ohms? pics look nice, but you never know until you get up close and personal.

i did find a post on here saying that person preferred mon 10's to the 2b. but, everyone has an opinion, and there still isnt anything more than that to read. i do enjoy my 10'a though!

can anyone tell me about these or point to a good place to read up?
TIA
a
gear list:
1 down, 4 up....
Post edited by honda cber on

Comments

  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited November 2007
    I've had a pair of 2B's for a couple months now.. and have replaced the SL2000 tweeters with the RD0-194 silk dome tweeter.. and it was worth every penny. I am now a big fan of these SDA 2B's. good solid bass, beautiful looking wood top and bottom's.

    they give you the SDA effect but it's not overdone at all. I actually really enjoy listening to them without the SDA cable in place... and they still sound incredible. THe SDA 2B is I believe the third generation of SDA"s, so it has some better sound than some of the earlier models of SDA's. The SDA 2A isn't bad either.. but the bass isn't quite as good as it is in the 2B's.

    what else do you like to know? The SDA 2B's are rated at 6ohms. not 4.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited November 2007
    1C's are that easy to come by anymore.... dang people never give them up. But yes the 1C's are slightly better than the 2B's. I too like the 1C's, but for now the 2B's will have to do... and mind you.. they ain't half bad either. if you really want the full SDA effect, go for the SRS's instead.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,734
    edited November 2007
    There's nothing wrong with the 2B's and they are far from a cheap version of the 1C's.
    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

  • honda cber
    honda cber Posts: 267
    edited November 2007
    thanks for the replies... i hope to be able to check them out today or tomorrow, if we can work out scheduling.

    re: the comparison to monitor 10's, it would seem to me just by looking that the 2b should be superior if only because the cabinet and PR are larger, which *should* result in better bass response, no? i am music lover first, audiophile (distant) second, and my BIGGEST complaint about my mon 10's is that the woofs can bottom out when really cranking (or when listening to some electronic music at even moderate levels, lol). i love the sound, though, and find them easy to listen to for extended periods.

    i will post back if i am able to snag these.

    incidentally, even if these were larger SDA speaks, i couldnt really power them to potential with what i have now. i guess it is only money, right?
    a
    gear list:
    1 down, 4 up....
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,734
    edited November 2007
    i couldnt really power them to potential with what i have now.

    That's most likely the reason you are bottoming out the Monitor 10's.
    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

  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,204
    edited November 2007
    IMO, they will out perform the 10's, but it sounds like you need better amplification for the type and volume of music you listen to.

    The later model (and nicer) 2B's have oak or walnut end caps and cloth side panels.

    They are not, as Las suggested, a poor man's version of the 1C's. They stand on their own as a smaller version of SDA technology. The 1C's do some things better but that doesn't (shouldn't) take away from the 2B's capabilities especially if they are the later generation 2's.

    If the price is right, go for it. I don't think you will be disappointed.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
  • honda cber
    honda cber Posts: 267
    edited November 2007
    That's most likely the reason you are bottoming out the Monitor 10's.
    for f1's sake, man! maybe one i day i can be rich and cool like you. for now, dont hit me in the NAD's, lol. (well, really i only have one NAD, but its integrated!).

    incidentally, this doesnt seem to be a problem on the other monitors i own (even the measly 4's), even on a (cough) japanese receiver. maybe, just maybe it has something to do with loose suspension of the 20+ year old speakers? i know for fact that speaker suspensions will loosen over time, sometimes to a great degree, with age and use. that is part of the whole thing with using (or not using) vintage drivers, with their collectability and (cough) "mojo", in a vintage guitar amp, but that is another discussion for another forum.

    alas, i didnt get the 2b's; he sold them to someone else before i could get over there (and the delay was on his end). sigh.

    so me and my single, but integrated, NAD will continue dorking loose monitor 10 drivers for now, hopefully not bottoming out with great frequency.

    a
    gear list:
    1 down, 4 up....
  • strider
    strider Posts: 2,568
    edited November 2007
    Man, that's too bad you didn't get them. I've enjoyed mine tremendously over the past year or so. I don't care what Lasareath said-they ain't no waste of space!:p
    Wristwatch--->Crisco
  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited November 2007
    strider wrote: »
    Man, that's too bad you didn't get them. I've enjoyed mine tremendously over the past year or so. I don't care what Lasareath said-they ain't no waste of space!:p

    agreed, the SDA 2B is a much better SDA speaker than I thought it would be.

    sorry honda cyber, keep looking though.. a lot of times the 2A and 2B's don't sell for much, and are one of the better SDA bargins IMHO ;)
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
  • capitan100
    capitan100 Posts: 172
    edited November 2007
    Honda cber

    I am in Lynchburg, VA, probably about 1-2 hours away. I have a pair of SDA 2B's that I am thinking about parting with. I am wanting a pair of RT2000's since they are a little narrower. My SDA 2B's are in very good condition (I have the interconnect cable, original boxes, original receipt and manual as well). Let me know if you want to come up and listen to them. I love the way they sound.

    email me at

    capitan100@aol.com and bankestb@cbfleet.com

    I can send pics also.

    Blake
    Home Theater
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