SDA 1's

Toolfan66
Toolfan66 Posts: 17,332
edited February 2009 in Vintage Speakers
Anybody here have/or have had the SDA 1's as 2 channel set up? If so what are your thoughts on these?
Polk Audio SDA 2.3tl Fully Hot Rodded. 😎

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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited February 2009
    I had the 1c's and they're great. That's the only SDA1's that are worth buying IMO.
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited February 2009
    I have 1C's in a 2 ch setup,, driven by a tube amp, a tubed pre and a ss CD,, I could not be happier. Soundstage is wide,imaging is spot on. The rdo replacements,are,, IMHO a must,at least for my ears. Mine seem to perform effortlessly in this configuration,without any listening fatigue.Price? I paid 375.00 for a mint original owner pair.Paired with the right components(synergy) it is hard to beat. Good luck.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • zarrdoss
    zarrdoss Posts: 2,562
    edited February 2009
    TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »
    Anybody here have/or have had the SDA 1's as 2 channel set up? If so what are your thoughts on these?

    I found these in Boulder and know your in Denver area, I thought you might be interested

    http://denver.craigslist.org/ele/1041825601.html
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  • maxz28
    maxz28 Posts: 19
    edited February 2009
    I'm very pleased with my SDA-1's...

    recentpictures014kz4.jpg
    POLK SDA-1 SIGNATURE SERIES
    POLK RTA-12
    POLK 7C
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  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited February 2009
    maxz28 wrote: »
    I'm very pleased with my SDA-1's...

    recentpictures014kz4.jpg

    Signature editions? Very nice...those are hard to come by.

    Look like they're in great shape too.
    The nirvana inducer-
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited February 2009
    I too have 1Cs as mains for my 5.1 system which also my mains for 2 channel. They are fantastic speakers. I have upgraded the tweeters to RDO194, Using Ben's Silver ICs between my Denon AVR and Carver TFM-45 and lastnight hooked up AQ Type 4 speaker cables.

    Never need the sub for music. They are that good.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,214
    edited February 2009
    I would recommend the 1B's or 1C's. 1C's being the most desirable, which are fantastic.

    Older Polk SDA, like the original SDA 1 use the second tweeter (side by side) to reproduce dimensional information which can sound a bit "phasey" and pretty unnatural at times.

    Further research from Polk realized that higher freq dimensional information was unnecessary and did away with it.

    While the original SDA 1 and 1A's are decent they don't represent the "best" SDA experience. Get the 1B's at minimum and the ideal pair of mid-size SDA's are the 1C's.

    Hope this helps

    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: 25,214
    edited February 2009
    comfortablycurt wrote: »
    Signature editions? Very nice...those are hard to come by.

    Look like they're in great shape too.

    They are hard to come by and are really nothing special (sorry to the original poster). But, they are SDA's which means they are better than most speakers of that time out there :).

    I would never pay extra or hold out for the Original Signature editions of SDA 1's.
    "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: 25,214
    edited February 2009
    zarrdoss wrote: »
    I found these in Boulder and know your in Denver area, I thought you might be interested

    http://denver.craigslist.org/ele/1041825601.html

    Those are SDA 2B's..........certainly a great performer and part of the last generations of SDA's. The price is a bit on the high side, but if they are minty, have the cable and are local pick-up that's a fair deal.

    SDA 2B's will get you about 85% of the 1C's. The 1C's have a bit bigger, taller, deeper soundstage and better, more extended and solid bass response; especially in a larger room.
    "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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  • BrettT1
    BrettT1 Posts: 560
    edited February 2009
    Power them up and they rock.

    B.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited February 2009
    Don't forget, 1C's and SRS2's are almost identical.
    "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
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,214
    edited February 2009
    The SRS2's are more desirable and a bit better than the 1C's (larger PR and better cabinets). When I made the statement as the 1C's being the most desirable; I meant of the SDA 1 models.

    SRS2's tend to be pricier and harder to find all things being equal (price, cond., location, etc....) it would be a hard choice between the 1C and SRS2 with the SRS2 (especially if they are the later gen) would win out.

    The early SRS2's have all the same model driver and the "mixed" driver revised version is a bit better, IMO.

    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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