Life After SDA?

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  • dawaldo
    dawaldo Posts: 3
    edited March 2010
    I enjoyed these posts. Ben is doing the XO's in my 2's, and he says I will hear additional detail, and more natural sound to instruments and the human voice. Can't wait. After 23 years I decided to do some upgrades and was convinced to try the Parasound P3 and A21 by David Weinhart, who has a significant presence on Audiogon and an audio shop in LA. Great guy to work with. With these cleaner amps some solo violin pieces that were annoying with my Adcom GFA-555 and GTP-500 smoothed out. I also learned on this site that I had my speakers positioned incorrectly, with toe-in instead of parallel to the back wall. This helped me capture that majik soundstage people talk about.
    I listened to some B&W 204's with the diamond tweeter yesterday. Beautiful detail, very lifelike. Yet they somehow didn't project the image my SRS2's do. Let's see, a couple hundred for XO update or 7500 for new speakers I'm not sure I'll like as well. I'm going to think about that some more.
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  • dacoupedeville
    dacoupedeville Posts: 83
    edited March 2010
    dawaldo wrote: »
    I enjoyed these posts. Ben is doing the XO's in my 2's, and he says I will hear additional detail, and more natural sound to instruments and the human voice. Can't wait. After 23 years I decided to do some upgrades and was convinced to try the Parasound P3 and A21 by David Weinhart, who has a significant presence on Audiogon and an audio shop in LA. Great guy to work with. With these cleaner amps some solo violin pieces that were annoying with my Adcom GFA-555 and GTP-500 smoothed out. I also learned on this site that I had my speakers positioned incorrectly, with toe-in instead of parallel to the back wall. This helped me capture that majik soundstage people talk about.
    I listened to some B&W 204's with the diamond tweeter yesterday. Beautiful detail, very lifelike. Yet they somehow didn't project the image my SRS2's do. Let's see, a couple hundred for XO update or 7500 for new speakers I'm not sure I'll like as well. I'm going to think about that some more.

    Good Moves on the upgrades. You will be very surprised by your SRS`s.
    HT: SRT's.....Pioneer SC95, Oppo 105D; ps4; Mitsubishi 1080p 82" DLP; DirecTV

    2 ch: SRS 1.2tl's.....Odyssey Stratos monos, Dynaco PAS pre w/Mods, Arcam DV-135, Music Hall MMF 5, AQ wires

    Bedroom: SRS 3.1tl's, RTA 8T (phantom center), Pioneer sc-lx701, Mitsubishi 1080p 82" DLP, DirecTV, ps3

    Car: SR 6500's.....Planet Audio HVT752 tube hybrid amps (2), Alpine dvd-a double din HU, two 12" Kicker's
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  • JPSmario
    JPSmario Posts: 142
    edited March 2010
    Hypnotoad wrote: »

    It's all subjective and very personal, ...One man's medicine is another persons poison.

    If you like Maggies then buy them, if you like SDA's buy them, if you like single driver back loaded horns buy them and love them and if you do that's all that matters.


    +1 ....what he said
    Dual 1229/Grado Gold/Rotel RCD1070/RC995/RB980BX/Pioneer 7100/Denon DRM710/Monster HTS3600MKII/PolkAudio SDA2B/TL's
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  • ESavinon
    ESavinon Posts: 3,066
    edited March 2010
    I went from the SDA series to Paradigm then back to the SDA.
    I settled on the Signature series and SRT.
    SRT For Life; SDA Forever!

    The SRT SEISMIC System:
    Four main satellite speakers, six powered subs, two dedicated for LFE channel, two center speakers for over/under screen placement and three Control Centers. Amaze your friends, terrorize your neighbors, seize the audio bragging rights for your state. Go ahead, buy it; you only go around once.
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  • Ricardo
    Ricardo Posts: 10,636
    edited March 2010
    I started with a pair of 1B's. Moved to SRS's, then to 1.2 TL's and did the whole crossover and RDO's thingy. When I heard the Carver AL III's I sold the big boys. It's a matter of personal preference. For me, SDA's are fun, but I've found I enjoy more other type of sound.
    Carvers are long gone (still moving around the forum, right Ed?) and I've been all over the place with different non SDA speakers. Right now the Gallos and the MMG's take turns.
    For all those Maggie lovers, stay tuned......
    _________________________________________________
    ***\\\\\........................... My Audio Journey ............................./////***

    2008 & 2010 Football Pool WINNER
    SOPA
    Thank God for different opinions. Imagine the world if we all wanted the same woman
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,513
    edited March 2010
    SMP wrote: »

    If you've owned an SDA and have replaced them, I've curious about which loudspeakers you finally settled on and why?


    I started out with 2A's, and went on to SRS 2's that I upgraded the tweeters and crossovers on. I moved on to the ribbons mentioned above (AL III's), then some carver Silver Amazings, then different models of InnerSound Eros ESL hybrid speakers with transmission line bass. I have the MK III's now with the UltraStat panels (not affected by humidity, declared arc proof). They provide me outstanding imaging and present a seamless, multi-layered sound stage with excellent bass. They are like maggies with well integrated subs, but I prefer the ESL's.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • hangon
    hangon Posts: 228
    edited March 2010
    Ricardo wrote: »
    I started with a pair of 1B's. Moved to SRS's, then to 1.2 TL's and did the whole crossover and RDO's thingy. When I heard the Carver AL III's I sold the big boys. It's a matter of personal preference. For me, SDA's are fun, but I've found I enjoy more other type of sound.
    Carvers are long gone (still moving around the forum, right Ed?) and I've been all over the place with different non SDA speakers. Right now the Gallos and the MMG's take turns.
    For all those Maggie lovers, stay tuned......

    MMM Maggie's I am still waiting on the new 1.7's to come out.
    The dealer is going to set up an entire theater with the maggie's,
    1.7's Mains, CC3 Center and the new MC1 Rear's.
    I agree with you on the Carver and Maggie's sound (amazing).
    I have to crank up the Polks to get the sound stage the same as the Maggie's
    at a low volume (love the ribbon tweeter clarity).
    Who knows I may change my mind for the last time and sell my 2.3tl's.
    HT Theater

    SRS-SDA 2.3tl RDO's
    Custom Center made out of a RTA15tl
    Pioneer Elite SC-25 Receiver
    CineNova Grande 5 channel Amp
    Klipsch KA-1000-THX Sub Amp
    (2)Klipsch KW-120-THX Subs

    Basement System

    SRS-SDA 1.2 upgraded Xover
    Pioneer Elite SC-25 Receiver
    ADCOM GFA 5500
    ADCOM GFA 5503
    Yahama P7000S Pro Audio Amp
    dbx 120x-ds Sub-harmonic Synthesizer
    2-JBL 4645C Subs
    1-Paradigm SW2200 Sub
    Klipsch Reference in wall's
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  • leebingate
    leebingate Posts: 1
    edited March 2010
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    Life after SDA...

    s simply not worth living.;)

    So ... I'll bite. No one on this forum who has ever owned an SDA loudspeaker from Polk has bought another speaker that they thought was an upgrade?
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,464
    edited March 2010
    that would be a correct statement;):D
    The 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
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,191
    edited March 2010
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    that would be a correct statement;):D

    I would like to agree somewhat.I haven't heard the real big guys but SDA's are truly an EXPERIENCE that comes from NO OTHER speaker in the world.
    There's all kinds of ways to make sound reproduction and all those other companies FINE speakers will perform at awsome levels too. But they're like us, they ALL have they're personalities designed into them.

    Levels of Detail.
    Think of shelves of speakers lines along a wall. SDA's will be up near the top shelf , maybe just under the uppermost. All the speakers along side the SDA has high qualities way above the multitude down on all the lower shelves which there would be many levels below.

    Up above the SDA and others on Polks' shelf are * No holds Bared* speakers. The most extensive manufacturing processes from the floor to the top of the speakers gets thrown into them. SDA's(Polk) and most can't afford to spend lavish $$$ into design , research and then distribution of such a limited run off.
    Polk and others have to think down the road and keep things affordable for most of the masses.Polk soared to a Very high level when designing these SDA's. He had some funds and went for it. They did very well by my ears , Johns' and Jessies too.

    It's been said alot, You have to spend thousands of $$ to surpass SDA's sound. If you never heard a properly set-up system, You need to before you die. Put it on the bucket list for sure.
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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