Polk SDA 2A vs. Monitor 10B

nms
nms Posts: 671
edited December 2007 in Vintage Speakers
Darn you people and this hobby! Not even a week into it I get upgrade-itis!

OK, here's the deal. Found these on Raleigh Craigslist for $200:
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/msg/494927801.html

My question is, will they be signifigantly better sounding than the vintage Monitor 10Bs I have now? They both have the same number of drivers.

Advantages of 10Bs: I already have them, so no money out of pocket. I just shelled out $98 for new tweeters. They're big, but they fit in my dorm room.

Advantages of SDAs: They're SDAs! They're relatively cheap for SDAs.

I eventually want to end up with a pair of SRSs, so should I just wait? I feel really guilty about already hunting for new speakers.
My system

"The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
Post edited by nms on
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Comments

  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited December 2007
    Go for them; you already have the new tweeters which is a must do upgrade, and you'll love them
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited December 2007
    I second what Ricardo said. It is a definate upgrade SDA from Monitor, and the tweets you just got should pop right in.
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  • avguytx
    avguytx Posts: 1,628
    edited December 2007
    You don't already have them???? lol. I don't know if I would call them "better" than the 10B's...just a different design in sound. I have 10B's as well. Check with them and see if they have the IC cable still. Like the above posts said, you already have the RD0's so all you have to do is swap them around if you decide you want to listen to either/or.
    Richard? Who's your favorite Little Rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it........................Spanky?.................................Sinner.
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    OK, 3 yeses means I contact the seller. You guys are a bad influence! :D
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • avguytx
    avguytx Posts: 1,628
    edited December 2007
    It's what we do best.....
    Richard? Who's your favorite Little Rascal? Alfalfa? Or is it........................Spanky?.................................Sinner.
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  • cruzer
    cruzer Posts: 84
    edited December 2007
    nms wrote: »
    OK, 3 yeses means I contact the seller. You guys are a bad influence! :D

    I know the feeling...:o
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    And after checking ebay, I can probably recover most of my cost by selling the 10s if I have to...
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited December 2007
    remove the new tweeters from your 10's and get these SDA's. put the new tweeters in em.. and wham.. you are set to go for a while. the SDA 2A's are a good speaker. I had a pair for a short time.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • simm
    simm Posts: 570
    edited December 2007
    I have 10B's and SDA-2B's I bought off Raleigh craiglist last year. I think that the 2B's are better with the right room/placement. That is an excellent price. I paid I think $250 for my 2B's and they were the monitor version with black vinyl wrap. Hopefully you will be able to get them.

    I wish I still lived in that area.......
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,794
    edited December 2007
    ...and I'm only three hours away. HMMMM;)
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    lightman1 wrote: »
    ...and I'm only three hours away. HMMMM;)

    Don't you effin' dare! ;)
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    Well I'm going to see them Saturday. Unless there's something wrong with them I'll probably end up buying...

    And I say again: Darn you people and your hobby! :)
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • cubdog
    cubdog Posts: 835
    edited December 2007
    Cut class, go now.

    cubdog
    Shuguang Classic S8MK
    Emotiva XDA-2
    Bel Canto M300 mono blocks
    Bel Canto DAC 1.5
    Squeezebox Touch
    Sony SS-M7
    A/D/S L710
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  • zingo
    zingo Posts: 11,258
    edited December 2007
    The 2As with the RDO are fantastic all around speakers. Good sound, not TOO power needy, yet they are pretty easy to move and place. Grab them on saturday, then give us a few comparisons IYO between the 2As and the 10Bs.
    Jake
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    Well I got the SDAs. :)

    When the guy demoed them I could definitely hear sounds "outside the speakers". However, I'd already had a little taste of this as my receiver is a Carver "Holographic" receiver. Sure, they sounded a little better than the Carver does. But I bought them anyway.

    On the way home I started thinking "That was probably a dumb thing to do. I'm $200 poorer for a pair of old speakers."

    So I get them home, set them up, and played an organ piece with not a whole lot of stereo separation that the Carver's "Holography" circuit didn't do much with. As soon as I sat down in the sweet spot I knew why people loved SDAs, and that my $200 was well spent. Oh. My. God. The speakers literally disappeared behind a soundstage that stretched wall-to-wall. There was not a stereo in my room - it was a hundred-rank organ played by a world-class organist.

    I am finally understanding what a "soundstage" is. Not only does it go sideways, but forwards and back. Now granted, the effect is limited because of poor placement options in my room, but it's there, and wow!

    And the sweet spot is huge. Using the Carver's "Hologrpahy", if you move your head as much as a few inches the effect goes away. Typing this, I'm a conservative 30 degrees off the central axis of the sweet spot and I'm still hearing instruments on the other wall.

    Just swapped in the RD0s and they're breaking in nicely.

    Good advice guys. I'm glad I got these speakers!
    EDIT: Here's a picture of the 10s on top of the 2As. No, the 10s aren't hooked up yet :)
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • Marty913
    Marty913 Posts: 760
    edited December 2007
    Congratulations nms.

    You may get a few "told you so" (maybe not but these guys are hardcore).

    I remember hearing that sound-stage 20 years ago, bought in, gave it up, and it has haunted me for that last 10 years. I jumped back in a couple of months ago. All those deprived people out there without Polk SDA's - so sad.
    Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
    Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
    Processor = NAD T747
    Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
    Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
    Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
    Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
    TT = Audio Technica
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    yeah. There's somebody with a sig on here that says something like "Life is short. Listen to SDAs". I'd have to agree.

    The only way I'm giving these suckers up is if I get a bigger pair of SDAs. These are the baby ones (only 80 lbs!)

    Unfortunately I can't crank them up yet - exams are next week so 24 hour quiet hours are in effect :( I can't wait to hear them really sing!

    Funny story: the guy I bought them from had a CD full of tracks of weird noises and sound effects that demonstrate the speakers well. We had to wait until his young son was outside because, in his words, "It frightens the child". I find that statement pretty funny!
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • Marty913
    Marty913 Posts: 760
    edited December 2007
    nms wrote: »
    yeah. There's somebody with a sig on here that says something like "Life is short. Listen to SDAs". I'd have to agree.

    The only way I'm giving these suckers up is if I get a bigger pair of SDAs. These are the baby ones (only 80 lbs!)

    Unfortunately I can't crank them up yet - exams are next week so 24 hour quiet hours are in effect :( I can't wait to hear them really sing!

    Funny story: the guy I bought them from had a CD full of tracks of weird noises and sound effects that demonstrate the speakers well. We had to wait until his young son was outside because, in his words, "It frightens the child". I find that statement pretty funny!

    The kid will probably see Polk's dressed like clowns hiding in his bedroom closet. How funny.
    Sony 60'' SXRD 1080p
    Amp = Carver AV-705THX 5-Channel
    Processor = NAD T747
    Panasonic BD35 Blu-Ray
    Main = SDA-1C Studio with RD0s, spikes, XO rebuild, rings, I/C upgrade
    Center=Polk CS10, Surround = Athena Dipoles, Sub= Boston 12HO
    Music/Video Streaming = Netgear NEO550
    TT = Audio Technica
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited December 2007
    earlier this year.. i too was without any SDA's for about 4 months. it was tough.. i was looking in back alleys trying to score some from a shady looking dude... i had to have my fix. Withdrawls can be bad coming down off of those SDA's. I had night sweats, cold hands, my heart would race.. ugly stuff. Don't let this happen to you. :p:D
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    Withdrawls can be bad coming down off of those SDA's. I had night sweats, cold hands, my heart would race.. ugly stuff. Don't let this happen to you.

    Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?!

    I just shot my parents a pic of the 10s stacked on the SDAs. I'm interested to see what their reactions are - I didn't tell them any of this was going on. :D
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • Herfnwolf
    Herfnwolf Posts: 52
    edited December 2007
    NMS,

    You beat me to these and I was second in line to buy these. Good job.

    If you decide to move on to bigger and better, let me know and I'll take these off your hands. I'm in Raleigh and still have my original Polk Audio 10's from Audio Buys in the 80s.

    DJ
    original Monitor 10Bs
    Original Rosewood LS90s,
    SDA 3.1TL,
    LS/FX
    CS350
    NHT 2 x SW3P/SA-3
    B&K Ref 30,ST125.2,AV5000    [/FONT]
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  • nms
    nms Posts: 671
    edited December 2007
    Herfnwolf wrote: »
    NMS,

    You beat me to these and I was second in line to buy these. Good job.

    If you decide to move on to bigger and better, let me know and I'll take these off your hands. I'm in Raleigh and still have my original Polk Audio 10's from Audio Buys in the 80s.

    DJ

    Will do. Based on what you just said, it sounds like there were 3 people after these speakers!
    My system

    "The world is an ever evolving clusterf*ck." --treitz3
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,794
    edited December 2007
    Hooked another one!! Congrats on the speakers nms.
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