The AI-1 Dreadnought Project Pt.1
Comments
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This is a sentiment I agree with
This is one that needs some re-evaluation. Have you ever tried blind testing cables? Although there may be some minor differences people tell you such as
Which cable companies want you to believe in will make an audible difference, its a old trick thats been tested many times over which shows it's just a subjective effect.
Don't get me wrong guys I love the sound of my Polks just as much as you guys do, yet cables should be the last thing on everyone's mind when upgrading their Polks to make an audible difference. They do look cool though, I'll give them that.
How about giving us a list of the gear your using?? -
How about giving us a list of the gear your using??
Let me guess -
An iPhone
iPad
8-Track Player
MP3 PlayerStatistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
DarqueKnight wrote: »Of course I have tried blind testing cables. Have you ever tried reading as opposed to jumping to erroneous conclusions?
No matter what we say, how much we say it, that cables DO make a difference, it will be up to people like them to take it upon themselves to experience the difference cables make. Until that day, they will be audio blind.
I can be certian to speak for the long-time forum members and contributors that we are ALL thankful for the efforts DK, TF66, and others who have contributed to this forum and made the Polk World a better place.Statistics show that 98% of us will die at some point in our lifetime.
The other 2% will work for WalMart. -
Geez Phil, that enclosure is truly built like a tank. What was done to the front plate, was it sandblasted?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 -
Geez Phil, that enclosure is truly built like a tank. What was done to the front plate, was it sandblasted?
It was hard anodized. The guy who did it for me said that it would dipped in an acid solution for cleaning before the anodizing process, but it wasn't sand blasted. The machinist buffed the aluminum plate after drilling and chamfering it. Perhaps, the buffing created the effect.
Using 3/8" plate was probably overkill, but I used it for two reasons: 1) DarqueKnight's write up indicated the more aluminum shielding, the better the performance. 2) I wanted to countersink the socket-head cap screws so that they would be flush with the surface.
Great work on your Dreadnought!Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.
Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One. -
This is my Family Room system with the Dreadnought next to the Perreaux SM6MKII preamp on the second shelf of the cart. Lisa and I still have not decided exactly how we want to reconfigure the cabinets behind to accommodate the monoblocks that are now sitting on the top shelf. But, even as now set up, the sound is great coming out of the SDA SRS1.2as, and it is getting better and better as the new crossovers from Trey's shop, SDA inductors, and the Dreadnought get more hours on them.
Just for the record, the speakers are 8" from the rear wall.Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.
Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One. -
Now that is some sexy **** snake oil right there!
"Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
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All I can say is WOW.
What an impressive write up
I can't wait to begin.
Owned my 1.2 for 24 years and said to say I just learned about the + & - post were backwards due to polk using up old stickers. Already sounding better. Dreadnaught is first then amps then cables.
mcoW4S SX-1000, Adcom gfp-750, Polk 1.2tl, W4S DAC 2 DSDse, 2012 mac mini (mod), JRivers ver. 19, WD Cloud NAS 2 t.b., Monster Cable AVS-2000 signature, Doug's Alpha I/C & Doug's biwire 6' speaker cables -
Yo ZITFUL, I'm Pretty Sure that the US Patent Office does not issue Patents for devices that produce snake oil!
Sure they do.
I bet somewhere there is a micro car converted to run on snake oil. Probably in San Francisco.
And the snake oil refinery is in Cambridge, Ma.
And it's probably patented. -
This thread is getting bumped, why? Because it's full of good info...
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My compliments to dark Knight for very fine written piece and for using measuring devices to show some results. It's so nice to see measurements to correlate with what people are hearing. I am so sick of hearing everybody wax poetic about what an improvement sounds like. And you are left wondering if it was just a case of expectation bias.
I'm wondering if anybody could tell me what would happen if you inadvertently hooked up an amplifier that was not common ground?
I am new to this whole SDA club but I am really looking forward to getting my pair up and running! I just purchased a pair of SDa srs twos yesterday. -
An SDA speaker would cause a short circuit at the terminals of a non common ground amp.
What happens after that depends on how the particular amplifier handles short circuit conditions. Some amps immediately shut down. Sometimes you will hear a loud howling sound as the amp dumps large amounts of current into the speaker...then the amp's protection circuitry shuts it down...or the amp blows a fuse...or the amp's output stage is burned out...and/or the drivers are burned out.
The figure below shows a SDA cable connection at top and an AI-1 (Dreadnought) connection below.
Notice that in the top schematic, the SDA interconnect connects the ground terminals of the speakers left and right inputs, which also means the left and right ground terminals of the amplifier will be connected. If the amplifier already has its left and right ground terminals connected (common ground connection), then the connection presents on problem. If the amplifier is an isolated ground amplifier where the ground terminals of the two channels must be electrically separate, then the SDA cable will cause a short circuit.
The AI-1's/Dreadnought's transformer passes the SDA signal by induction, thereby preventing a direct electrical connection.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Dang Ray, You're always there when someone needs your consult.
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It's very hard to believe it has been 10 yrs. already. Great stuff that is still very relevant today.
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Think of how many wallets opened up over the years because of Ray’s hard work, and dedication to the hobby. He has done this with selflessness, and shared all to help many of us achieve the same goal, if I had to pick one member here (and there are many well deserving members) that should get an award for their work and help to achieve better audio, I would nominate Ray for that reward..
With that said, Thank you Ray!!! -
He got an award from Polk years ago. 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 -
Think of how many wallets opened up over the years because of Ray’s hard work, and dedication to the hobby. He has done this with selflessness, and shared all to help many of us achieve the same goal, if I had to pick one member here (and there are many well deserving members) that should get an award for their work and help to achieve better audio, I would nominate Ray for that reward..
With that said, Thank you Ray!!!
With that being said Larry you too have done a ton to help us all out to my friend.
Thanks to you as well... -
deletedPost edited by michaeljhsda2 onSDA SRS 2.3TL's
Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
SDA 2B TL's -
14 YEARS AGO?? Time flies!!!
I still have a dreadnought that I have not used..
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Built a new case, looking for ideas for labeling on the outside for the right and left channels.SDA SRS 2.3TL's
Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
SDA 2B TL's -
Does the AI-1 or the Dreadnought care whats left or right? I have never heard any audible difference how the Dreadnought is connected..
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Good question!SDA SRS 2.3TL's
Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
SDA 2B TL's -
The side on the right is right, left is left, assuming you lay it flat. Always worked well that way for me. No need to label. Otherwise, I've never found any difference with which side is which.Turntable: Empire 208
Arm: Rega 300
Cart: Shelter 501 III
Phono Pre: Aural Thrills
Digital: Pioneer DV-79ai
Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
Amp: Conrad Johnson Evolution 2000
Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified -
What matters most is the transformer is wired correctly in the case. I just did a test, played two of my favorite tracks on the SDA’s, I flipped the dreadnought on both tracks, sounded incredible both ways, I did not hear any changes in stage presentation..
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SDA SRS 2.3TL's
Silk Audio MS-90-BT integrated tube amp
Yaqin MS-20L integrated tube amp
SDA 2B TL's -
michaeljhsda2 wrote: »Built a new case, looking for ideas for labeling on the outside for the right and left channels.What matters most is the transformer is wired correctly in the case. I just did a test, played two of my favorite tracks on the SDA’s, I flipped the dreadnought on both tracks, sounded incredible both ways, I did not hear any changes in stage presentation..
The Dreadnought is based on a 1:1 isolation transformer, so, as Toolfan said, as long as it is wired correctly per the manufacturer's diagram, it does not matter which side you label left or right.Proud and loyal citizen of the Digital Domain and Solid State Country! -
Welcome back Raife
😜 -
DarqueKnight and Toolfan66, Good to know after all these years."Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"Anger is just anger. It isn’t good. It isn’t bad. It just is. What you do with it is what matters.
You can use it to build or to destroy. You just have to make the choice. Jim Butcher
Harry / Marietta GA -
O.k., Dreadnought nerds, a question:
Realistically, is it worth using the 800va coil since the 1000va coil isn't available?
Is it something I'm going to notice the difference on with my 1c project. Or is it degrees of a smidge of a difference?The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
