New (to me) Polk SDA2B's
smjcolsga
Posts: 19
Just picked up a very nice set of Polk Audio SDA-2B "Studio Monitor" speakers about a week ago.. These are the 39” tall x 16” wide models with a single tweeter and dual drivers in black-stained wood veneer. They went up for sale on ebay for local pickup (sensibly) and were only about 130 miles from my home... Surprisingly, I was the only bidder on these and got them for the starting bid of $195. The seller, in his own words, thought the word "mint" is over-used and described them as being in "great shape". They are near-mint in my book, with only a very few and tiny edge chips in the back-edge veneers (a few touch-ups with a black sharpie marker and they disappeared from view) everything else, including the grill cloths, look original and are in like-new condition. The blade-blade interconnect cable uses the "cinch-type" connectors and is probably not original, but was in perfect condition as well. The seller planned to list this as a separate auction item, but let it go for $30 additional. A fair price to me considering the time and effort required to make one myself or look to purchase another one elsewhere.
I had been reading up on these recently, on this site and others, and was specifically looking for this model SDA (2B) since the room I have them in is only 12’ x 15’ (my study) and the larger SDA’s would be entirely too big. These fit perfectly on the long wall of the room with 3’ of room on the ends and more than 5’ between them. I initially hooked them up to my Adcom GTP500/GFA535 system (60 wpc into 8ohms) which has driven my Polk Audio 5B’s since I bought them new in 1987-88 and was immediately… disappointed.
When compared to my Polk 5B’s the bass was loose and indistinct (although there seemed to be more of it there). The highs seemed harsher than my 5B’s as well even though they used the same silver-coil dome tweeters. The midrange seemed lost to the muddy bass and harsh highs on all but the most acoustic of CD's I own. The "SDA-effect" was there but not as pronounced as I expected it to be… hmmm. I wasn’t clipping the amp and the overall gain needed to drive these at a decent volume level was not much more than with the Monitor 5B’s (9 o'clock vs 8 o'clock on the volume knob). My source was/is a brand-new NAD T585 universal disc player (using analog output).
So, more on-line research and a week later I paired the SDA’s with a new Cullen Circuits-modified NAD C372 integrated amplifier (150 wpc stable down to 2 ohms) that I picked up after stumbling across a great deal from Underwood Hi-Fi in Atlanta, Ga. While in Atlanta I also picked up a few lengths of Audioquest FX 14/2 speaker cable to wire the SDA’s up with from Seth at HomeTheaterWorks in Roswell.
All I can say is wow! What a difference a week makes… with the NAD C372 these speakers are performing better than I had expected. All of the hard highs and muddy bass were gone, replaced with a tight bass and well rounded midrange to high frequency response. The SDA effect was present and full, especially on discs like Steely Dan’s Aja CD and Gaucho DVD-A and the ever-popular Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon on SACD (DVD-A and SACD are down-mixed to 2-ch stereo by the NAD T585 in my setup) The Adcoms and 5B’s are now "demoted" to iTunes and FM radio playback in favor of the NAD/SDA’s which are getting quite a work-out as I play my way through my entire disc collection all over again!
Next on the list is the step up to the RD0194 -1 tweeter replacements for both sets of speakers. I don’t know if I'm ready to tear into the crossover circuits to be able to do the RD0198 TL-upgrade just yet, but I figure hey, I could always sell the 194’s down the road if I choose to go that route. Thanks to all on this site for the wealth of information on these classic Polk's and the generous discount from Polk CS for it's members!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=200298319224
Steve
I had been reading up on these recently, on this site and others, and was specifically looking for this model SDA (2B) since the room I have them in is only 12’ x 15’ (my study) and the larger SDA’s would be entirely too big. These fit perfectly on the long wall of the room with 3’ of room on the ends and more than 5’ between them. I initially hooked them up to my Adcom GTP500/GFA535 system (60 wpc into 8ohms) which has driven my Polk Audio 5B’s since I bought them new in 1987-88 and was immediately… disappointed.
When compared to my Polk 5B’s the bass was loose and indistinct (although there seemed to be more of it there). The highs seemed harsher than my 5B’s as well even though they used the same silver-coil dome tweeters. The midrange seemed lost to the muddy bass and harsh highs on all but the most acoustic of CD's I own. The "SDA-effect" was there but not as pronounced as I expected it to be… hmmm. I wasn’t clipping the amp and the overall gain needed to drive these at a decent volume level was not much more than with the Monitor 5B’s (9 o'clock vs 8 o'clock on the volume knob). My source was/is a brand-new NAD T585 universal disc player (using analog output).So, more on-line research and a week later I paired the SDA’s with a new Cullen Circuits-modified NAD C372 integrated amplifier (150 wpc stable down to 2 ohms) that I picked up after stumbling across a great deal from Underwood Hi-Fi in Atlanta, Ga. While in Atlanta I also picked up a few lengths of Audioquest FX 14/2 speaker cable to wire the SDA’s up with from Seth at HomeTheaterWorks in Roswell.
All I can say is wow! What a difference a week makes… with the NAD C372 these speakers are performing better than I had expected. All of the hard highs and muddy bass were gone, replaced with a tight bass and well rounded midrange to high frequency response. The SDA effect was present and full, especially on discs like Steely Dan’s Aja CD and Gaucho DVD-A and the ever-popular Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon on SACD (DVD-A and SACD are down-mixed to 2-ch stereo by the NAD T585 in my setup) The Adcoms and 5B’s are now "demoted" to iTunes and FM radio playback in favor of the NAD/SDA’s which are getting quite a work-out as I play my way through my entire disc collection all over again!
Next on the list is the step up to the RD0194 -1 tweeter replacements for both sets of speakers. I don’t know if I'm ready to tear into the crossover circuits to be able to do the RD0198 TL-upgrade just yet, but I figure hey, I could always sell the 194’s down the road if I choose to go that route. Thanks to all on this site for the wealth of information on these classic Polk's and the generous discount from Polk CS for it's members!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=200298319224
Steve
Polk Audio Monitor 5B/5Jr+ [Adcom GTP500/GFA535] SDA 2B Studio Monitor [NAD T585/Cullen Circuits Modded C372]
Post edited by smjcolsga on
Comments
-
Trust me, the TL conversion(RD0-198) is well worth it."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
-
Welcome to club Polk. The TL upgrade is very easy. It is worth doing IMHO. I can help via the phone if interested. Only basic soldering skills are needed. Where are you located?
BenPlease. 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 -
I may be mistaken, but i thing the upgrades are needed in order to even run the new tweets... and welcome to the club and the world of SDA!!! they RULEThe Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Very nice information Steve.
Good to here about another happy NAD owner as well.
I have the same speakers as you and looking for an amp to give them a boost.
NAD is getting higher on my list.:cool: -
Welcome to club Polk. The TL upgrade is very easy. It is worth doing IMHO. I can help via the phone if interested. Only basic soldering skills are needed. Where are you located?
Ben
I'm in Columbus, Ga, about 90 miles south of the Atlanta airport. Thanks for the welcome. I was thinking of trying the 194's first since they are a drop-in replacement... but y'all may convince me to take the plunge and go for the TL upgrade. Didn't I read somewhere that the newer blade-blade connector models needed an additional ground wire added in the cabinet as well?Polk Audio Monitor 5B/5Jr+ [Adcom GTP500/GFA535] SDA 2B Studio Monitor [NAD T585/Cullen Circuits Modded C372] -
I'm curious, did you try the new cables along with the Adcom to see what difference just new cables makes? It's high time I got some decent ones myself, just trying to convince the wife it's worth it.Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub. -
Didn't I read somewhere that the newer blade-blade connector models needed an additional ground wire added in the cabinet as well?
I needed to add the extra ground wire on mine so that I could use the AI-1 interconnect. You'd need the AI-1 only if your amplfication is non-common ground. I don't think you'd need the extra wire if you were to do the TL upgrade, but a second opinion frrom someone who's done the upgrade would be nice. Jesse (F1nut) would be my first choice on the subject, as I believe he was the first to do the upgrade; he also helped me to figure out what I needed to do to allow me to be able to run the AI-1 with my 2Bs.Wristwatch--->Crisco -
Welcome aboard Steve,
I was watching those on eBay too and was surprised at the great deal. Congratulations!
I bought my Walnut studio version of the SDA-2B brand new in 1987 and enjoyed them for years before moving to a new home where they sat unused for a while. I've just renewed my interest in a big way and completely rebuilt these gems.
Having heard them both ways, I would urge you to go for the "TL" upgrade sooner rather than later (Ben did my crossovers). The higher sound quality of the RDO198-1 vs RDO194-1 is astounding.
My rebuild thread may help: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=74945
GregVTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
MF x-DAC V8, HAInfo NG27
Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
PS Audio Cryo / PowerPort Premium Outlets / Exact Power EP15A Conditioner
Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
NAD SS rigs w/mods
GIK panels -
I'm curious, did you try the new cables along with the Adcom to see what difference just new cables makes? It's high time I got some decent ones myself, just trying to convince the wife it's worth it.
Just do it Bob........ :rolleyes: this way you can later justify needing to upgrade the amp to match the cables better;) -
Just do it Bob........ :rolleyes: this way you can later justify needing to upgrade the amp to match the cables better;)
I hear ya!:rolleyes:Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub. -
Congrats on your new speakers......enjoy em........overload of info here, and a very helpful gang to answer any of your questions...
-
I'm curious, did you try the new cables along with the Adcom to see what difference just new cables makes? It's high time I got some decent ones myself, just trying to convince the wife it's worth it.
Well, yes... but not 'decent' ones. I picked up some Monster XP stuff at Circuit City for less than 1/2 price just to wire them up the weekend I brought them home (there aren't any real hi-fi shops in my local area) I was running the Monitor 5B's with some Apature 16ga wire that I bought new with the stereo set back in '87 or '88. The Audioquest 14/2 is a much better quality cable than the Monster XP, imo, although it doesn't have the Monster's (sic) 'Magnetic Flux Wave Tube' technology... :rolleyes:
I think the bigger difference is in the 'headroom' between the two amps; the difference in capacitors alone (number and sizing) bewteen the two is night and day not to mention the size of the Holmgren transformer in the NAD. The NAD also has the proprietary 'Power-Drive ' circuit which automatically switches in a second high-voltage rail when an increase in speaker load is detected, effectively 'doubling' the amps power output for peak demands.Polk Audio Monitor 5B/5Jr+ [Adcom GTP500/GFA535] SDA 2B Studio Monitor [NAD T585/Cullen Circuits Modded C372] -
Congrats on the speakers! I got my 2B's for the same price and LOVE them.
I can associate with your initial disappointment, I bought mine unexpectedly and only had a lower level Sony to run them. I soon upgraded to a high end Sony ES receiver and eventually made my way up to an Adcom GFA-555 power amp (325 wpc into 4 ohms) all with higher end cables. let me tell you, it is well worth making these speakers sound the way they should. I hope to get the upgrade done soon as well.
And welcome to the club!
Aaron
