Documenting: My SDA-1c upgrades from start to finish

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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 13,104
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    Move along Jesse, nothing to see here, just grown men talking about weiners.
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  • BlueBirdMusic
    BlueBirdMusic Posts: 3,132
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    5ncu2q6qxtaf.png
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"
    Harry / Marietta GA
    m9iutt1ly1yd.png
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    This content has been removed.
  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
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    ^ Have hear about this place.
    One of these days.....
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,833
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    My blood pressure, A1Cs, HDL all just skyrocketed perusing those pics.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,937
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    xschop wrote: »
    My blood pressure, A1Cs, HDL all just skyrocketed perusing those pics.

    Either you get it from food or (sometimes) from trying to engage in friendly conversation in this forum. I'll take the food lol. ;)
    George / NJ

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  • joebass3
    joebass3 Posts: 311
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    BlueBirdMusic wrote: »

    5ncu2q6qxtaf.png

    Sorry, all I see are the onion rings. That's my addiction!
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    @BlueBirdMusic

    Those rings look AMAZING.

    Where are they from?

    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
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    ^ If I’m not mistaken I believe it’s from the varsity in Atlanta.
    A true monument hot dog joint.
    Nathan’s of Coney Island of the south 😬

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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    Whoa.

    [goes to research Varsity (I figured it was NC and south because of the peach pie... but really had no clue)... and Google says...]
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    Need some help, I either can't find parts or I'm having a Rona stroke

    I thought I was going to remove 2 pieces from the crossover and wire in jumpers or somesuch... but I can't find the entries in my project notebook.

    There are 2 different things you lot have shown me. I think some of these images I saved might be from @joebass3 @VR3 @westmassguy and/or @audioluvr (or maybe someone else).

    So mine are like this:

    2sjg59sbossh.png

    and the 2 versions I see are either with jumpers (or maybe even one jumper and one not...):

    u523nmvxarjh.png

    and 1 that has more resistor action going on:

    c3ftybly6v8x.png

    I think I'm confusing the 1C parts with a secondary parts buy with some help @F1nut gave me on my Monitor 12... but I don't know.

    And I don't know about the rest of you who had mild Rona, but it's kicked me in the head with a brain-busting boot this past year. From not finding my words (which sucks, you know I loooooove words), to my CPU running quite a few cycles slower, this thing blows.

    v3 of my crossover bracket is a go, and I'm printing The one for the right side tonight. I've got everything out on my bench for the left crossover: cut pads, bent leads, and it's ready to assemble. EXCEPT FOR THIS HOLE IN MY BRAIN WHERE THERE USED TO BE INFORMATION.

    3kkpc173s6oa.gif


    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 6,079
    edited January 2023
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    plastic_avatar wrote: »
    c3ftybly6v8x.png

    The resistor next to "P1" is the replacement for the poly switch. Some people just use a jumper but it will enhance the treble a lot
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
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    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    @audioluvr

    What's the value on it?

    Did you jumper the c4 slot, or leave it empty?
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 6,079
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    Leave C4 empty. Use a 0.5 ohm resistor.
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre Upgraded with Mundorf Supremes
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 52,406
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    ^ This ^
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
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    plastic_avatar wrote: »
    Need some help, I either can't find parts or I'm having a Rona stroke

    I thought I was going to remove 2 pieces from the crossover and wire in jumpers or somesuch... but I can't find the entries in my project notebook.

    There are 2 different things you lot have shown me. I think some of these images I saved might be from @joebass3 @VR3 @westmassguy and/or @audioluvr (or maybe someone else).

    So mine are like this:

    2sjg59sbossh.png

    and the 2 versions I see are either with jumpers (or maybe even one jumper and one not...):

    u523nmvxarjh.png

    and 1 that has more resistor action going on:

    c3ftybly6v8x.png

    I think I'm confusing the 1C parts with a secondary parts buy with some help @F1nut gave me on my Monitor 12... but I don't know.

    And I don't know about the rest of you who had mild Rona, but it's kicked me in the head with a brain-busting boot this past year. From not finding my words (which sucks, you know I loooooove words), to my CPU running quite a few cycles slower, this thing blows.

    v3 of my crossover bracket is a go, and I'm printing The one for the right side tonight. I've got everything out on my bench for the left crossover: cut pads, bent leads, and it's ready to assemble. EXCEPT FOR THIS HOLE IN MY BRAIN WHERE THERE USED TO BE INFORMATION.

    3kkpc173s6oa.gif


    I sometimes mount the resistors on the underside of the board
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • BlueBirdMusic
    BlueBirdMusic Posts: 3,132
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    plastic_avatar wrote: »
    @BlueBirdMusic

    Those rings look AMAZING.

    Where are they from?

    A little more info for you. There was a glass-enclosed room where the preparation of the onion rings could be observed in the 60 and early 70's. I remember the 60's with all the wonderful cars that would drive through with engines blasting. Always lots of Corvettes, GTO's, etc.; so many cars circling in and out, it was impossible traffic jam. The Varsity had different areas/rooms where one could eat while watching on of the 3-4 TV stations of the day. The Varsity was the number one outlet in the world for Coca-Cola.

    I had Chili Dog, Glorified Steak, Onion Rings, Peach Pie about two weeks ago. GREAT!

    85iwbdf69a7y.png
    gnl3ua81zk5k.png
    jz8fcpvcdh4w.png


    Frank Gordy opened the Varsity as “The Yellow Jacket” in 1928, catering to students of nearby Georgia Tech.

    Eighty-eight years later, the Varsity claims to be the “world’s largest drive-in” and is a must-do for locals, tourists, and visiting dignitaries. Everyone is still greeted with the Varsity’s signature welcome, “What’ll ya have?” and on game days the restaurant serves over 30,000 people.

    Over the years, the drive-in’s “curb men” have become part of the Varsity experience. The most famous was Flossie Mae who sang the menu to customers for fifty years. Television and movie star Nipsy Russell got his start at the Varsity as car hop #46.

    The ordering lingo for this Atlanta icon is another part of its charm:

    Naked dog walking – plain hot dog on a bun

    F.O. – frosted orange

    P.C. – plain chocolate milk always served with ice

    Glorified steak – hamburger with mayo, lettuce, and tomato

    But the Varsity is perhaps best known for its chili dogs and onion rings.
    "Sometimes you have to look to the past to understand where you are going in the future"
    Harry / Marietta GA
    m9iutt1ly1yd.png
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    westmassguy wrote: »
    I sometimes mount the resistors on the underside of the board

    Aha! I have that image saved, too. I thought I had it all tied to the threads/posts, but I lost track of what was from whom.

    I really like that placement.

    I had a hard time pulling the wires down enough to reach the holes on the vertical placement. Was afraid I'd break it.
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    BlueBirdMusic wrote: »
    A little more info for you.

    Wow, that's wonderful.

    Thank you for the great write-up.

    Anyplace that serves chocolate milk with ice has got to be great (it's how I grew up drinking it).

    Next time I go to Florida, I'll put it on my side-tracked route =)

    Wait. My supervisor lives in Atlanta...
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    plastic_avatar wrote: »
    BlueBirdMusic wrote: »
    A little more info for you.

    Wow, that's wonderful.

    Thank you for the great write-up.

    Anyplace that serves chocolate milk with ice has got to be great (it's how I grew up drinking it).

    Next time I go to Florida, I'll put it on my side-tracked route =)

    Wait. My supervisor lives in Atlanta... I'll see if he's been, too.

    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,520
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    4djmso26lx4u.png

    We have an old same type of concept here in Houston

    https://jamesconeyisland.com/about-us/#:~:text=Nestled on the ground floor,recipe” chili for only $.
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
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  • skipshot12
    skipshot12 Posts: 2,154
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    The Varsity looks like a great place to start for eats then off to some Club Polk houses for an audio listen….
    I’ll bring frosty beverages.
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
    edited January 2023
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    @txcoastal1

    Yum. Sounds kind of like the hotdogs at a place in Johnstown PA... I forget the name.

    I didn't check out the whole site. Do they sell the weiners in a pack?

    Hey!

    The Left crossover is done!

    Jumper'd, until I get a couple of resistors.

    It's not the prettiest, but fair for a first try at this bracket mod. Took me 3 iterations and 2 proto prints to get it right.

    Yes, my corkscrew connection is too wide, but I don't have great fine control out in fingertip land.

    So, I'll do the Right later.

    IT'S HAPPENING

    vf5hl1l2ughf.jpeg
    o84ry9fezkek.jpeg
    owegwcl7fv95.jpeg
    csamfclh4b66.jpeg
    ivm2o9z4j2gv.jpeg

    It might look like the big'un is hanging off the board. It's not. It just extends beyond the board.

    Everything is tight and sturdy. I might do a test mount later.
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
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    And I Trotsky's icepick'd the back of my skull on this corner right here, picking up a screw I dropped.

    oa5byfq6xzmm.jpeg

    [sonofa...]

    Might wait to do the Right til tomorrow =(
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
    edited January 2023
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    Post assembly review #1: Potential mishaps

    @pitdogg2

    I did as suggested, but couldn't get it as close as the pics on other crossover pictures. I needed mere millimeters.

    I pulled them gently and slowly. On crossover 2 I'll likely use a piece of cut lead on each and extend them.

    I did mess up and bend the cap leads too close. They'll either work or I'll sell another ebay item to cover my mistake. That's another story, but it's done =)
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • plastic_avatar
    plastic_avatar Posts: 747
    edited January 2023
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    I have a heartbeat.

    Question, before I put in the passive on the Left.:

    Playing one speaker on the 1C, no SDA cable... should all 4 woofers be playing?

    Based on how it looks to an SDA n00b, I expect them to, but the SDA signal won't feed back through the SDA drivers without the cable.

    Seems different than the 2-board crossovers.

    Am I wrong?

    Did I somehow wire them wonky? Not sure how I could where it would cause all 4 mw to play...

    Thoughts?

    Added 34 minutes later:

    Put the passive in to see if everything is churning as I expect.

    All 4 mw playing. Just running it while I prep for tomorrow.

    - Transition from mw to tweeters is harsh.

    I think that^ might be the SDA drivers. I covered them and it took most of that harshness away. Whew.

    - Low is crazy tight and defined (My City Was Gone).

    - Snaps are sharp and sound like snaps (Lido Shuffle).

    - Highs are really a lot better than I expected from testing the tweets in the 5B. Experiments are fun, guys!

    - Sitting 3 feet from the speaker. Can't make comments on much else. Bass needs some space. Tomorrow, if I'm able, I'll put together the Right one.

    Disclaimers:

    1) I know crossover burn-in will make a difference.

    2) I know I may have to change out my dome backers for plain ol' felt/wool.

    3) I know the plugs are an unknown for this speaker.

    4) I know they were not meant to be played without the cable.

    5) Bench tests are on my AX-596. It doesn't have the oomph or tone of the stereo, but it works.
    The Thrifty Setups in Mah House Big thrifty stereo in the basement w/ my custom SDA-1C (built with help from kind forum members) * Beautiful 1966 MCM GE console upgraded w/ Bluetooth, Dual turntable, and Paradigm speakers in family room * Swanky 1980 Realistic system and great TEAC eq with dancing colored lights in the living room * custom 5B on a system for my Dad * Ye Olde college stereo in the garage
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
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    The 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation SDAs all have the "Sub Bass Drive" circuit. It feeds the in-phase low frequency stereo signal through the large spool inductor, to the dimensional woofers. Otherwise they'd be canceling the lower frequencies. With the cable disconnected, no difference, or opposite channel signal is being fed to the dimensional woofers, only the low bass in-phase stereo signal. The 1st and 2nd generation SDAs used additional bass woofer(s) to compensate for the out of phase cone movement produced by the dimensional woofers
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
    Front: SDA-2ATL forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/143984/my-2as-finally-finished-almost/p1
    Center: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/150760/my-center-channel-project/p1
    Surrounds & Rears: Custom Built forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/151647/my-surround-project/p1
    Sonicaps, Mills, RDO-194s-198s, Dynamat, Hurricane Nuts, Blackhole5
    Pioneer Elite VSX-72TXV, Carver PM-600, SVS PB2-Plus Subwoofer

    dhsspeakerservice.com/
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,174
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    Don’t forget you’ll need quite a long break-in period. During break-in, the sound quality will go from crap to good to crap to good. Put the tuner on and just let it play at low volume continuously for 100 hours or more. As you mentioned, you’ll also need better power before a proper judgment can be made
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,705
    edited January 2023
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    Also, these speakers were designed to be their best when run together, not as a single speaker. I understand the excitement to hear just one speaker since they weren't both finished at the same time. But to try and analyze them with a single speaker playing and probably not even set-up properly, doesn't really mean much.

    I know you wanted to make sure everything was hooked up/soldered properly so the above is more of a general statement.

    As mentioned, break-in is very important as is a LOT of listening time after break-in. It'll be 6 months or so before I do a review on the L600's. It'll take me that long to judge them. A big indicator for me that a product is going to work in my rig is if I still get the same or more enjoyment over a long period of time (after the honeymoon phase).

    When something is new, there's a level of excitement because, well, it's new. Plus your bias is you want it to sound spectacular so you need to get passed the "honeymoon phase" before real evaluation can start. Sometimes there are pieces of gear right out of the gate that you know aren't going to work, end of story. But most take time to properly assess.

    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 | Galion TS P75 Pre | Holo Audio Cyan 2 Dac | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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