My new SDA-1C - The Black Beauty

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Conradicles
Conradicles Posts: 6,036
edited August 2010 in Vintage Speakers
Just thought I would share my new 1C's with you fellow polkies. They are not complete yet, but all I need is one more set of RD0194-1 tweeters.

1st I would like to thank Russ (lightman1) for selling these to me at a great price and Nik (nikolas812) for painting the top and bottom caps. Then a big thanks to everybody on this forum for all of the information given by way of answered questions and old posts.

Current upgrades:
RD0194 tweeters
Pimped top and bottom wooden caps
Mortite seals
VHB foam tape on the drivers and radiator
cleaned contacts

Future upgrades
Crossovers
Binding Post
Spikes


Here are some pic's before with the caps and side grills removed...
Post edited by Conradicles on
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,036
    edited July 2009
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    and...
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,036
    edited July 2009
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    and now the finished product...
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  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited July 2009
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    Oh man, I'd be afraid to mess with mine anytime soon to be honest. But hey Condracles, I found a very good placement for mine in my living room and all I can say is I'm loving every bit of them. I'll let ya know too if I do anything to them, and btw those are the SDA 1C studios right?...how do you like the RD0's as opposed to the stock tweeters?

    Btw your SDA's, beautiful!
    Truck setup
    Alpine 9856
    Phoenix Gold RSD65CS

    For Sale
    Polk SR6500
    Polk SR5250
    Polk SR104


    heiney9 wrote: »
    Any clue how to use the internet? Found it in about 10 sec.
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,036
    edited July 2009
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    and a couple more...
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,036
    edited July 2009
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    These are not studios, they are the standard version. I like both tweeters, but lean toward the RD0194 much more.
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  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited July 2009
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    Nvm yea theyre not studios, I posted my reply before I saw the last set of pics. Very nice though great job imo. I'll stick with the regular tweeters, was recommended if I did anything I should redo the x-overs first then the tweeters later on.
    Truck setup
    Alpine 9856
    Phoenix Gold RSD65CS

    For Sale
    Polk SR6500
    Polk SR5250
    Polk SR104


    heiney9 wrote: »
    Any clue how to use the internet? Found it in about 10 sec.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited July 2009
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    Sexy!
    "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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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited July 2009
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    very nice and unique
    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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  • nikolas812
    nikolas812 Posts: 2,915
    edited July 2009
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    Awesome.

    They look great!


    Thanks for posting pictures.




    Nik
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  • Ender
    Ender Posts: 603
    edited July 2009
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    Holy hell! Those are the sexiest I have seen, yet.

    Nik, I may need to use this color and finish on my caps in the near future... :D

    Although right now, I am debating on either painting the caps black or using a dark rosewood stain of sorts...
    SDA 1C, SDA 2A, SDA SRS 2, CMT-340SE, Swan M200MKII, Swan D1080MKII, Behringer MS40

    Outlaw Audio M2200 x2, GFA 555 II, BGW 750C

    GDA 700, Outlaw Audio Model 990, Sansa Fuze, X-Fi Platinum Fatality
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  • Mmickk
    Mmickk Posts: 7
    edited July 2009
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    Wow! They look great!

    Would you educate a newb in this area? What is the red "tape" you put on, what looks to be a speaker frame/cage? What is its purpose?

    Thanks
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  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited July 2009
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    The tape along the basket is to minimize any vibrations, ultimately giving you the cleanest sound from your speakers. The larger "speaker" is actually a passive bass radiator. The way it works is, the woofer utilizes air from within the cabinet caused by the midrange/woofers' movement and acts like its own woofer producing bass/deep lows like a normal powered woofer would.
    Truck setup
    Alpine 9856
    Phoenix Gold RSD65CS

    For Sale
    Polk SR6500
    Polk SR5250
    Polk SR104


    heiney9 wrote: »
    Any clue how to use the internet? Found it in about 10 sec.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited July 2009
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    The passive radiator acts more like a port than another driver.
    "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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  • MillerLiteScott
    MillerLiteScott Posts: 2,561
    edited July 2009
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    Congrats and they look great. I love the all black look.

    IMHO you could put those in a hi end audio shop and they would look like brand new speakers and probably sound better than many new speakers. Hardly anyone would know they were 20 years old.

    Scott
    I like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited July 2009
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    Nice work,,indeed,,, now,, how do they sound?They look to me as if they are screaming,,,tubes

    Congrats--george
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,094
    edited July 2009
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    they look beautiful. Way to go man!
    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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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,794
    edited July 2009
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    Why didn't you use Dynamat Extreme, it's much more effective at damping.
    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

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  • AudioGenics
    AudioGenics Posts: 2,567
    edited July 2009
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    it is all in the details
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  • WastelandWand'r
    WastelandWand'r Posts: 466
    edited July 2009
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    Very nice indeed! Looks like a labor of love on those.
    Enjoy them.
    Nathan
    Home Rig

    SDA 2.3TL's front and center
    Polk 1000p Center
    Pioneer Elite SC35 Receiver (Pre/Surround
    Sunfire Cinema Grand 5X200-Back in the mix.
    OPPO BDP-93
    Squeezebox
    Stepped up to name brand Speaker Cables and interconnects!
    Monitor 4, 5, 7, 10's, SDA 1B's, 2B's, 2.3TL's, RTA 15TL's all in storage waiting for me.
    Sales Rating #1!!
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,036
    edited July 2009
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    F1nut wrote: »
    Why didn't you use Dynamat Extreme, it's much more effective at damping.

    Money. I know Dynamat Ext. would be better, but this was the poor man's version.;)
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  • BB3
    BB3 Posts: 297
    edited July 2009
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    Conradicles, congratulations ! Those speakers are just way too sweet......good for you man and take care.
    B.B.3
    Sony 52in.XBR6
    Sony 32in.XBR6
    Anthem AVM50V
    Anthem PRE-2L
    Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1
    Carver C-9
    Carver C-19 PreAmp
    Carver C-16 PreAmp
    2-Carver Silver 7-T's
    4-Carver TFM55's
    2-Carver TFM35's
    1-Carver TFM25
    Carver 490T
    Denon DCD1560
    Sony BDP-S350
    Sony PS3
    Nintendo Wii
    Panasonic DMK23DVR

    Speakers :

    PolkAudio SDA-SRS
    PolkAudio SDA-SRS 1.2TL
    PolkAudio SDA-CRS+(Compliments Of Mr. Jim Thomas"jtgranby")
    PolkAudio RTA-15TL
    PolkAudio M3
    3-Velodyne F-1500's
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited July 2009
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    Conradicles wrote: »
    Money. I know Dynamat Ext. would be better, but this was the poor man's version.;)


    Don't misunderstand,, but IIRC, you should be able to dynamat a pair of 1C's for 40.00/less,,at least I did,, nice looking anyhow,,,how do they sound,,and what are you driving them with?Inquiring minds want to know.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited July 2009
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    Conradicles....

    What a great look....The glossy top makes it classy. They look 'new'....And I like the all Black presentation.....

    Nice job!

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • geoff727
    geoff727 Posts: 546
    edited July 2009
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    I think the all-black looks great, too. Very elegant looking.

    Only one thing would make them better.......speaker cables hooking them up!;)
    Polk SDA SRS 2
    Polk RTA 15tl
    Polk Monitor 7C
    Polk Lsi9
    Infinity RS-II (modded)
    Infinity RS-IIIa (modded)
    Infinity RS 2.5 x 2
    Magnepan 1.6QR (modded)

    System: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1290711373
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  • Conradicles
    Conradicles Posts: 6,036
    edited July 2009
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    george daniel wrote: »
    how do they sound,,and what are you driving them with?Inquiring minds want to know.

    Not sure how they sound yet. I still need another set of tweeters. Russ let me borrow 1 of his Denon POA-1500's so that is what I will use when I get them up and running. Should have them finished in the next week or so. Money is very tight now for me.:(
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  • zarrdoss
    zarrdoss Posts: 2,562
    edited July 2009
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    they look great!
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,776
    edited July 2009
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    I have seen them first hand and all I can say is...gorgeous! Niks paint job was first class. Mirror like finish with depth.
    I brought over a couple of 5jrs and Paradigm studio monitors. Jammed some power into them and let 'em rip.
    We then broke out the TSi 500's and hooked them up to the Denon amp. After the amp got good and warm, I was VERY impressed with them. Good and smooth bass and a nice transition to the mids and highs. Nice presentation of Donald Fagans Morph the Cat SACD.
    Eric is good people and soaking up knowledge like sponge.
    Not that I have any to offer though.;)
    Lovies,
    Russ
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 16,895
    edited July 2009
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    I give these the WOW!!,Gorgeous!!, Beautiful!! and all of the above.

    Very Nice Conradicles, Very Nice Indeed.


    Larry.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 16,895
    edited July 2009
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    F1nut wrote: »
    Why didn't you use Dynamat Extreme, it's much more effective at damping.

    Do you notice a big improvment using Dynamat?

    This will be my next tweek, also i will be refurbing the wood as well.
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited July 2009
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    TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »
    Do you notice a big improvment using Dynamat?

    This will be my next tweek, also i will be refurbing the wood as well.

    kinda tightens up the bass on my 1C's,,for me it was worthwhile.
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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