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Polk Audio SDA Internal Cabinet Wiring

VSAT88VSAT88 Posts: 708
in Vintage Speakers
What wire are you guys using to re wire/upgrade the wire in the cabinets themselves. I have done some searching before posting and there are wildly different opinions about this. Of course, because its about wire! I read that some have used 14 AWG marine tin coated copper and that sounds like a affordable option to me at $10.00 per 25 ft in any color. Eventually I want to 1. Buy Gimpod boards to re build my crossovers or 2. build my own point to point on wood boards that I would mount inside the cabs. At that time I would need re wire the cabinets. So what do you guys use ? Thanks.
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  • VR3VR3 Posts: 23,282
    I use Supra Rondo, super easy to use, tin plated so it wont oxidize ever... good stuff
    - Not Tom

    Vr3Mods.com ///// Version3Audio.com

    "No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act." - Doro
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  • VSAT88VSAT88 Posts: 708
    VR3 wrote: »
    I use Supra Rondo, super easy to use, tin plated so it wont oxidize ever... good stuff

    Looks really good to me. Madisound ?
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  • VR3VR3 Posts: 23,282
    yep, depending on what model you are doing, I recommend trying to keep them in the jacket as much as you can.

    If you go point to point, you can combine certain wires to consolidate everything to the jacket. IE: 1.2TL you can do 5 wires (+jumpers) versus 8
    - Not Tom

    Vr3Mods.com ///// Version3Audio.com

    "No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act." - Doro
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  • pitdogg2pitdogg2 Posts: 13,753
    I'm using DH Labs 14ga. Silver coated occ copper in my 2.3tl's
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  • F1nutF1nut Posts: 42,130
    Gmcman used Cardas. I like Furutech. Ray used Audioquest Go 4.
    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."

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  • pitdogg2pitdogg2 Posts: 13,753
    I used Furutech per your recommendation on my SDA1 signatures and SDA2a. Then when i went to use it again on another project it had tripled in price to 12-15 dollars a meter from a little over 4.00 a meter.
    No complaints here but the price put me off when they raised it. I haven't looked in a long time i do not know if parts connexion carries it any more.
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  • F1nutF1nut Posts: 42,130
    Ouch!
    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."

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  • VSAT88VSAT88 Posts: 708
    Looks like you cats like stranded wire. I guess that is what came in there and most speakers for that matter. I will be doing up a set of SDA 2B's when I do it. I have also thought of doing the Snells and the AR 3's but right now I gotta work on the Polks and get them running right. They are the main speakers I listen to.
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  • SchurkeySchurkey Posts: 1,882
    I bought a spool of 12-gauge, silver-plated copper w/ Teflon jacket. Haven't installed it, yet.

    Price "can" be reasonable on eBay as it's military/aviation surplus.
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  • JayCeeJayCee Posts: 445
    Multitude of posts saying many folks have done this but, not many comments for/against sound difference. Anyone believe it does make a difference?
    ➀Speakers: Polk1.2tl's (Uber Mods) ➁Pre/Amp/DAC: PS Audio BHK Signature & 250, Perfectwave DirectStream ➂Cables/IC's: MIT S1Bi-Wire/S1 Balanced +Avel Lindberg 1000VA "Dreadnought" ➃Power Conditioner: Core Power Technologies EQUI=CORE 1800 ➄Power Cords: Core Power Technologies Gold, DH Labs Power Plus DIY w/Neotech NC-P301 & P311ends ➅FLAC Streamer: Roon ROCK on wifi'd NUC⟿Ω☯☥☮⟿🔊♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬
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  • SchurkeySchurkey Posts: 1,882
    JayCee wrote: »
    Multitude of posts saying many folks have done this but, not many comments for/against sound difference. Anyone believe it does make a difference?
    Of course it makes a difference. The important questions are: 1) Does it make a significant (audible) difference, 2) is it an "improvement" or just a "difference", and 3) Is the cost-to-benefit ratio acceptable?

    All differences in the "sound" of wiring are due to L, C, R, plus noise of the conductor(s). There is NO magic.
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  • JayCeeJayCee Posts: 445
    edited June 20
    Schurkey wrote: »
    JayCee wrote: »
    Multitude of posts saying many folks have done this but, not many comments for/against sound difference. Anyone believe it does make a difference?
    Of course it makes a difference. The important questions are: 1) Does it make a significant (audible) difference, 2) is it an "improvement" or just a "difference", and 3) Is the cost-to-benefit ratio acceptable?

    All differences in the "sound" of wiring are due to L, C, R, plus noise of the conductor(s). There is NO magic.

    I get that. ;) Kind of hoping to see some quantifying of said differences. Some actual experiences and what people think. B)
    ➀Speakers: Polk1.2tl's (Uber Mods) ➁Pre/Amp/DAC: PS Audio BHK Signature & 250, Perfectwave DirectStream ➂Cables/IC's: MIT S1Bi-Wire/S1 Balanced +Avel Lindberg 1000VA "Dreadnought" ➃Power Conditioner: Core Power Technologies EQUI=CORE 1800 ➄Power Cords: Core Power Technologies Gold, DH Labs Power Plus DIY w/Neotech NC-P301 & P311ends ➅FLAC Streamer: Roon ROCK on wifi'd NUC⟿Ω☯☥☮⟿🔊♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬
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  • gmcmangmcman Posts: 1,457
    JayCee wrote: »
    Multitude of posts saying many folks have done this but, not many comments for/against sound difference. Anyone believe it does make a difference?

    I went from 30 YO stock wiring to Cardas Litz 15.5 Ga and the difference was dramatic. I tried to A/B the left to the right, one being stock and one upgraded to the Litz, and the tonal difference was enough that you couldn't really listen to both at the same time...was all over the place.

    I also soldered my speaker terminals, not sure how much difference that made, but safe bet the wire was responsible for most of it.

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  • gilbercagilberca Posts: 32
    This thread was very timely for me as I am about to embark on upgrading my SDA 1B binding posts and didn't want to re-use the original internal wiring. Have ordered and received the Cardas posts from Soniccraft and was contemplating the best way to connect them to the upgraded crossovers. I just ordered some 14 AWG silver coated wiring from Ebay. Thanks Schurkey.
    Schurkey wrote: »
    I bought a spool of 12-gauge, silver-plated copper w/ Teflon jacket. Haven't installed it, yet.

    Price "can" be reasonable on eBay as it's military/aviation surplus.

    Will be using that wire to secure binding posts to the crossover network.



    SDA 1B, Marantz PM8006, Parasound HCA1500, Marantz CD6006, B&O Tx2, Sonos Connect
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  • Mike ReeterMike Reeter Posts: 3,460
    I will be finishing up a rewire for my 2.3TL's today. I opted to use the Supra Rondo for the project. My preamp is in the shop atm, so I can't give them a listen until it's back in place.

    Looking forward to any improvements the fresh wire will bring.
    SDA SRS 2.3TL's/SDA SRS 3.1TL's/SDA CRS+4.1TL's and some other stuff
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  • cincycat13cincycat13 Posts: 851
    Mike Reeter wrote: »
    I will be finishing up a rewire for my 2.3TL's today. I opted to use the Supra Rondo for the project. My preamp is in the shop atm, so I can't give them a listen until it's back in place.

    Looking forward to any improvements the fresh wire will bring.

    How many feet did this project take?
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  • Mike ReeterMike Reeter Posts: 3,460
    cincycat13 wrote: »
    Mike Reeter wrote: »
    I will be finishing up a rewire for my 2.3TL's today. I opted to use the Supra Rondo for the project. My preamp is in the shop atm, so I can't give them a listen until it's back in place.

    Looking forward to any improvements the fresh wire will bring.

    How many feet did this project take?

    I purchased 104 ft. for both speakers, including binding post to x-overs. Looks like I'm going to have about 6 ft. left over.

    A 100 ft. should catch it, but I wanted to make sure. I will utilize the excess on other speakers...providing this upgrade does make a difference.

    SDA SRS 2.3TL's/SDA SRS 3.1TL's/SDA CRS+4.1TL's and some other stuff
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  • VR3VR3 Posts: 23,282
    I usually do 40 ft of the 4 conductor rondo for a Pair of speakers, noting you can do the 2.3tl with 4 wires for the tweeters versus 6, taking a single 4 conductor run, which looks great
    - Not Tom

    Vr3Mods.com ///// Version3Audio.com

    "No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act." - Doro
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  • VSAT88VSAT88 Posts: 708
    gmcman wrote: »
    JayCee wrote: »
    Multitude of posts saying many folks have done this but, not many comments for/against sound difference. Anyone believe it does make a difference?

    I went from 30 YO stock wiring to Cardas Litz 15.5 Ga and the difference was dramatic. I tried to A/B the left to the right, one being stock and one upgraded to the Litz, and the tonal difference was enough that you couldn't really listen to both at the same time...was all over the place.

    I also soldered my speaker terminals, not sure how much difference that made, but safe bet the wire was responsible for most of it.

    When I do mine I am thinking of soldering all my wire directly to the x over and the binding posts as well. At the speakers would be a different story. There I will use crimp connectors soldered to the internal wiring.
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  • DarqueKnightDarqueKnight Posts: 6,538
    VSAT88 wrote: »
    Looks like you cats like stranded wire.

    The AudioQuest GO-4 wire I installed in my SDA 1.2TLs is solid core wire in a "hyper Litz" configuration: each 15 AWG conductor is a twisted pair of a 17 AWG and a 20 AWG conductor.

    The Cardas wire I installed in my SDA SRSs and SDA CRS+s is stranded, individually insulated Litz wire, for an effective wire gauge of 15.5 AWG.
    JayCee wrote: »
    Multitude of posts saying many folks have done this but, not many comments for/against sound difference. Anyone believe it does make a difference?

    Yes, rewiring my SDAs provided audible improvements in sound quality. I have rewired my 1.2TLs twice. First with Cardas wire, then with AudioQuest GO-4. Details are in these threads:

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/139282/cardas-internal-wire-replacement-for-the-sda-srs-1-2tl/p1

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/141258/audioquest-go-4-internal-wire-replacement-for-the-sda-srs-1-2tl/p1

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143888/tweaking-home-theater-pt-8-cardas-wire-for-front-stage-speakers

    https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/157041/cardas-internal-wire-upgrade-for-the-sda-crs-1989-version

    "So hot it burns Mice!"~DK
    "Polk SDA-SRSs are hopelessly out of date both sonically and technologically... I see no value whatsoever in older SDA speakers."~Audio Asylum Member
    "Knowledge, without understanding, is a path to failure."~DK
    "Those who irrationally rail against something or someone that is no threat to them, actually desire (or desire to be like) the thing or person they are railing against."~DK
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