Question about SDA 2's and Amp

Bikerduck
Bikerduck Posts: 43
edited January 2010 in Vintage Speakers
Hi
I just bought a pair of SDA 2's and, after reading through this forum, I am getting concerned about the amp I want to use with the speakers.
I have no idea if my amp is a common ground amp or not. I want to use an Kenwood basic m2a with the C2 pre. Does anyone know if that will work? I also have a Technics SU 8600 integrated amp that I could use.

Thanks
Donald
MAIN:Kenwood M2a,C2,Sansui TU-517,Yamaha CDX-1100,Kenwood GE-1100,Nakamichi BX150,SDA 2a,Kenwood Ka-801,HPM-100
DEN:Kenwood Basic M2,C2,T1,Yamaha CDX-1100,Parasound DHX 600,ADS 1090
OFFICE:Kenwood Ka-8300,Technics SL-P770,Nakamichi BX150,Polk Monitor 7b
BEDROOM:Kenwood Ka-7100,KT-6500,KX-1030,Teac Reference 500,Monitor 10b
Yamaha CA 810,CT 810,Yamaha CDX-1060,Monitor M 5b
Kenwood Basic M1a,C1,Yamaha CDX-930,KA-77,KT-313,KA-3500,KA-5700,Technics SU 8600,ST 8600
Post edited by Bikerduck on
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited July 2008
    Bikerduck wrote: »
    Hi
    I just bought a pair of SDA 2's and, after reading through this forum, I am getting concerned about the amp I want to use with the speakers.
    I have no idea if my amp is a common ground amp or not. I want to use an Kenwood basic m2a with the C2 pre. Does anyone know if that will work? I also have a Technics SU 8600 integrated amp that I could use.

    Thanks
    Donald

    Welcome Donald, glad you took the plunge and purchased some vintage Polk SDA's. I used to sell the Kenwood Basic stuff way back when it was new. If it's a regular M2A WITHOUT the Sigma drive circuit you'll be fine.

    If it does have the Sigma Drive circuit (a 2nd pair of speaker terminals for the same speaker) then it's probably not compatible with SDA's because of the common ground issue.

    I've tried recently to understand exactly how the Sigma Drive works internally but since I've never seen a schematic I'm not sure. You could always leave the Sigma Drive part of the amp unhooked and I think you should be fine.

    The best way to tell is to use a multi-meter and measure the resistance between the speaker terminals (WITH THE AMP OFF AND UNPLUGGED). I can't remember the exact procedure but I'm sure someone like F1NUT or Ben62630 will chime in with the exact procedure.

    Those Kenwood amps also used a term called DLD (Dynamic Linear Drive) which has nothing to do with the Sigma Drive circuit. So if you have an M2A with DLD and without Sigma Drive you should be fine. If you have Sigma Drive you'll need to investigate some more about the compatibility with SDA's.

    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!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,217
    edited July 2008
    Lasareath wrote: »
    Hi Donald & Welcome to Club Polk!!

    I think you are safe with the Kenwood basic m2a, from looking at these picture to me it looks like a common ground amp.

    http://www.wired4sound.net.au/amplifiers/kenwood_M2A/kenwood_M2A.htm

    You want to stay away from MONO amps, Dual Mono amps and amps with two power cords.

    Lasareath

    Careful, if it has Sigma Drive then it's most likely NOT compatible if the Sigma Drive circuit is hooked up via the 2nd set of speaker terminals going to the same speaker. I'm not sure but it needs to be investigated further.

    I can't remember if the M2A has Sigma Drive or if that was only the M2 that used the Sigma Drive.

    If it does NOT have the Sigma Drive circuit then it should be common ground.

    H9

    P.s. The picture in the link is a later M2A and does NOT have the Sigma Drive, so if yours looks like that you'll be fine.
    "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!
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  • Bikerduck
    Bikerduck Posts: 43
    edited July 2008
    Lasareath wrote: »
    Hi Donald & Welcome to Club Polk!!

    I think you are safe with the Kenwood basic m2a, from looking at these picture to me it looks like a common ground amp.

    http://www.wired4sound.net.au/amplifiers/kenwood_M2A/kenwood_M2A.htm

    You want to stay away from MONO amps, Dual Mono amps and amps with two power cords.

    Lasareath

    Thanks . Yes, that's the M2a I have. My M2 looks different in the back and has 16 speaker connections. So, I guess the M2a will work but not the M2.

    Donald
    MAIN:Kenwood M2a,C2,Sansui TU-517,Yamaha CDX-1100,Kenwood GE-1100,Nakamichi BX150,SDA 2a,Kenwood Ka-801,HPM-100
    DEN:Kenwood Basic M2,C2,T1,Yamaha CDX-1100,Parasound DHX 600,ADS 1090
    OFFICE:Kenwood Ka-8300,Technics SL-P770,Nakamichi BX150,Polk Monitor 7b
    BEDROOM:Kenwood Ka-7100,KT-6500,KX-1030,Teac Reference 500,Monitor 10b
    Yamaha CA 810,CT 810,Yamaha CDX-1060,Monitor M 5b
    Kenwood Basic M1a,C1,Yamaha CDX-930,KA-77,KT-313,KA-3500,KA-5700,Technics SU 8600,ST 8600
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  • Bikerduck
    Bikerduck Posts: 43
    edited July 2008
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Welcome Donald, glad you took the plunge and purchased some vintage Polk SDA's. I used to sell the Kenwood Basic stuff way back when it was new. If it's a regular M2A WITHOUT the Sigma drive circuit you'll be fine.

    If it does have the Sigma Drive circuit (a 2nd pair of speaker terminals for the same speaker) then it's probably not compatible with SDA's because of the common ground issue.

    I've tried recently to understand exactly how the Sigma Drive works internally but since I've never seen a schematic I'm not sure. You could always leave the Sigma Drive part of the amp unhooked and I think you should be fine.

    The best way to tell is to use a multi-meter and measure the resistance between the speaker terminals (WITH THE AMP OFF AND UNPLUGGED). I can't remember the exact procedure but I'm sure someone like F1NUT or Ben62630 will chime in with the exact procedure.

    Those Kenwood amps also used a term called DLD (Dynamic Linear Drive) which has nothing to do with the Sigma Drive circuit. So if you have an M2A with DLD and without Sigma Drive you should be fine. If you have Sigma Drive you'll need to investigate some more about the compatibility with SDA's.

    H9

    Thanks for the welcome.
    I just recently got back into 2 ch audio. Bought some equipment off ebay and got some decent stuff. After looking at the pics, the M2a should work but not my M2. I have never heard sda speakers and it will be interesting how I will like them. They should arrive next week as I just bought them. I do know that the interconnect cable is included, so I don't have to worry about that.

    Donald
    MAIN:Kenwood M2a,C2,Sansui TU-517,Yamaha CDX-1100,Kenwood GE-1100,Nakamichi BX150,SDA 2a,Kenwood Ka-801,HPM-100
    DEN:Kenwood Basic M2,C2,T1,Yamaha CDX-1100,Parasound DHX 600,ADS 1090
    OFFICE:Kenwood Ka-8300,Technics SL-P770,Nakamichi BX150,Polk Monitor 7b
    BEDROOM:Kenwood Ka-7100,KT-6500,KX-1030,Teac Reference 500,Monitor 10b
    Yamaha CA 810,CT 810,Yamaha CDX-1060,Monitor M 5b
    Kenwood Basic M1a,C1,Yamaha CDX-930,KA-77,KT-313,KA-3500,KA-5700,Technics SU 8600,ST 8600
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited July 2008
    First welcome to Club Polk. Take an ohm meter, and measure the resistance across the black speaker terminals on the amp. If you get zero resistance you are safe. An added step is to tie the ground terminals together only if you get zero resistance across the ground terminals. The best advice I can give on this situation is to contact the manufacturer, and make sure that it is not a bridged mono design.
    Ben
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • twochannel
    twochannel Posts: 171
    edited July 2008
    The Kenwood M2A is common grounded. I drove a pair of Bose 601's with it and the combination sounded great! I tried it on original series SDA-SRS's before I purchased them and it worked great at low volume levels, but would shut down at higher levels because it is not capable of driving speaker loads that drop below 4 ohms.
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  • Bikerduck
    Bikerduck Posts: 43
    edited July 2008
    Lasareath wrote: »
    Sweet!!! and Congrats again!

    Remember that placement of the speakers is very important.

    SDA speaker should never be toed-in or out, they should face directly at you.

    I would try them at around 6 to 8 feet apart from each other.

    Don't put them smack up against the wall, try to leave a little room from the back wall to the back of the speakers, maybe 8 to 12 inches.

    You should sit directly in the center of the two speakers at around 6 to 8 feet away.

    you want your head to form an equilateral triangle with the two speakers.

    There's a section on here that gives good examples of music that sounds great on SDA's

    One of our goals is to find well recorded music to listen to on our SDA's

    You will know right away if the recording is crap because of the small sound stage that the SDA's are producing.

    Also, the longer the back wall you the better, SDA speakers need at least 3 feet of space on either side of them.

    Good Luck!

    Las

    Thanks
    I read up on everything I could find about the SDA's, here and all over the net. I guess I am well prepared, hope I like them.
    Got a pair of Monitor 7b's to mate with my Technics SU 8600. Don't exactly remember how they sounded, been quit a while since I heard them last.
    Right now I am using my Pioneer HPM 100's that I really love. I sold them back in 79 with my LP collection of 2600 LP's.:( I am glad I got my Pioneer's back, but not the records.........

    Donald
    MAIN:Kenwood M2a,C2,Sansui TU-517,Yamaha CDX-1100,Kenwood GE-1100,Nakamichi BX150,SDA 2a,Kenwood Ka-801,HPM-100
    DEN:Kenwood Basic M2,C2,T1,Yamaha CDX-1100,Parasound DHX 600,ADS 1090
    OFFICE:Kenwood Ka-8300,Technics SL-P770,Nakamichi BX150,Polk Monitor 7b
    BEDROOM:Kenwood Ka-7100,KT-6500,KX-1030,Teac Reference 500,Monitor 10b
    Yamaha CA 810,CT 810,Yamaha CDX-1060,Monitor M 5b
    Kenwood Basic M1a,C1,Yamaha CDX-930,KA-77,KT-313,KA-3500,KA-5700,Technics SU 8600,ST 8600
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  • Bikerduck
    Bikerduck Posts: 43
    edited July 2008
    twochannel wrote: »
    The Kenwood M2A is common grounded. I drove a pair of Bose 601's with it and the combination sounded great! I tried it on original series SDA-SRS's before I purchased them and it worked great at low volume levels, but would shut down at higher levels because it is not capable of driving speaker loads that drop below 4 ohms.

    Hi
    Since the SRS's need more power then the 2's I guess I will be o.k. I don't listen at very high levels anymore.....

    Donald
    MAIN:Kenwood M2a,C2,Sansui TU-517,Yamaha CDX-1100,Kenwood GE-1100,Nakamichi BX150,SDA 2a,Kenwood Ka-801,HPM-100
    DEN:Kenwood Basic M2,C2,T1,Yamaha CDX-1100,Parasound DHX 600,ADS 1090
    OFFICE:Kenwood Ka-8300,Technics SL-P770,Nakamichi BX150,Polk Monitor 7b
    BEDROOM:Kenwood Ka-7100,KT-6500,KX-1030,Teac Reference 500,Monitor 10b
    Yamaha CA 810,CT 810,Yamaha CDX-1060,Monitor M 5b
    Kenwood Basic M1a,C1,Yamaha CDX-930,KA-77,KT-313,KA-3500,KA-5700,Technics SU 8600,ST 8600
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  • Bikerduck
    Bikerduck Posts: 43
    edited July 2008
    ben62670 wrote: »
    First welcome to Club Polk. Take an ohm meter, and measure the resistance across the black speaker terminals on the amp. If you get zero resistance you are safe. An added step is to tie the ground terminals together only if you get zero resistance across the ground terminals. The best advice I can give on this situation is to contact the manufacturer, and make sure that it is not a bridged mono design.
    Ben

    Thanks

    I found out that the M2a will work but not my M2. I hope I get the speakers this week, can't wait to hear them....

    Donald
    MAIN:Kenwood M2a,C2,Sansui TU-517,Yamaha CDX-1100,Kenwood GE-1100,Nakamichi BX150,SDA 2a,Kenwood Ka-801,HPM-100
    DEN:Kenwood Basic M2,C2,T1,Yamaha CDX-1100,Parasound DHX 600,ADS 1090
    OFFICE:Kenwood Ka-8300,Technics SL-P770,Nakamichi BX150,Polk Monitor 7b
    BEDROOM:Kenwood Ka-7100,KT-6500,KX-1030,Teac Reference 500,Monitor 10b
    Yamaha CA 810,CT 810,Yamaha CDX-1060,Monitor M 5b
    Kenwood Basic M1a,C1,Yamaha CDX-930,KA-77,KT-313,KA-3500,KA-5700,Technics SU 8600,ST 8600
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  • wingzam
    wingzam Posts: 201
    edited January 2010
    I have the M2 with the sensors wires interconnected and driving SDA-1B's beyond 400watts with no problems...so far.And it sounds great.
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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited January 2010
    Lasareath wrote: »
    I think you are safe with the Kenwood basic m2a, from looking at these picture to me it looks like a common ground amp.
    Lasareath

    are you serious
    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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