Out of the game for years and in need of a new amp for my SDA SRS speakers.
richdel
Posts: 18
I bought my sda srs speakers in 1987, and have run them with Yamaha 2 ch receiver (r2000), then had kids and there have been a series of home a/v receivers from Costco until last week. Now retired and the kids have left the house, I think I can have a 2 channel setup as well as a a/v multichannel setup for TV watching.
My current tv setup is a Sony 5.1 stdhr590 receiver with Polk Monitor 10's. I have a pair of Monitor 12a's down in the basement that I would also like to get back in the game.
For my 2ch listening system, I would use the sda srs speakers. They have been in my living room and den for almost 40 years and are in excellent shape, in terms of appearance. I realize they may need some updating of the electronics, but I am not handy enough to do so on my own. I also think that (and I realize I may be wrong) money is best spent now on a newer amp/preamp/dac/streamer rather then spending the cash I have on updating the electronics in the speakers.
I had been looking at the Emotiva line equipment, but when I use google gemini to find out about pairing the emotiva amp and the polks it said there was a few people on this site who didn't feel they were a good match. So down the rabbit hole I went. Back in the early 1990's I almost pulled the trigger on a Carver TFM-45, but didn't b/c I already had the Yamaha R2000. So I went looking for used, and recapped Carver equipment. Naturally EBAY wasn't much help as everything is sold "as is" with no returns. And most of the equipment is being sold by vendors who specialize in buying up estates.
Another query in G. Gemeini brought me to the forums, so I registered. I was trying to find out about the ToneWinner - AD-2500 PRO, and the compatability with the sda srs speakers. I have also seen the recommendations for the Parasound and NAD amplifiers.
Sooooo, short story long, I am willing to do some digging on my own, but would appreciate if you all could give me some direction regarding amps with great synergy with these awesome speakers. I fondly remember when I first got them I used to sit for what seemed like hours at a time listening to vinyl. Sadly, they sound very pedestrian to me right now.
BTW, has anyone had a chance to pair them with an Advanced Paris A10. This was another option I was looking at before deciding their wasn't enough power (I think it is rated at 135wpc@8ohms).
Lastly, when I was researching the speakers, I found a listing for them as 6ohms. More recently, Goog Gem. says that they are 4ohms. Make quite the difference when looking at some amps. Should I be using 4ohms? Thanks in advance for any insights.
My current tv setup is a Sony 5.1 stdhr590 receiver with Polk Monitor 10's. I have a pair of Monitor 12a's down in the basement that I would also like to get back in the game.
For my 2ch listening system, I would use the sda srs speakers. They have been in my living room and den for almost 40 years and are in excellent shape, in terms of appearance. I realize they may need some updating of the electronics, but I am not handy enough to do so on my own. I also think that (and I realize I may be wrong) money is best spent now on a newer amp/preamp/dac/streamer rather then spending the cash I have on updating the electronics in the speakers.
I had been looking at the Emotiva line equipment, but when I use google gemini to find out about pairing the emotiva amp and the polks it said there was a few people on this site who didn't feel they were a good match. So down the rabbit hole I went. Back in the early 1990's I almost pulled the trigger on a Carver TFM-45, but didn't b/c I already had the Yamaha R2000. So I went looking for used, and recapped Carver equipment. Naturally EBAY wasn't much help as everything is sold "as is" with no returns. And most of the equipment is being sold by vendors who specialize in buying up estates.
Another query in G. Gemeini brought me to the forums, so I registered. I was trying to find out about the ToneWinner - AD-2500 PRO, and the compatability with the sda srs speakers. I have also seen the recommendations for the Parasound and NAD amplifiers.
Sooooo, short story long, I am willing to do some digging on my own, but would appreciate if you all could give me some direction regarding amps with great synergy with these awesome speakers. I fondly remember when I first got them I used to sit for what seemed like hours at a time listening to vinyl. Sadly, they sound very pedestrian to me right now.
BTW, has anyone had a chance to pair them with an Advanced Paris A10. This was another option I was looking at before deciding their wasn't enough power (I think it is rated at 135wpc@8ohms).
Lastly, when I was researching the speakers, I found a listing for them as 6ohms. More recently, Goog Gem. says that they are 4ohms. Make quite the difference when looking at some amps. Should I be using 4ohms? Thanks in advance for any insights.
Best Answer
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More power and current is ALWAYS good. Not once have I ever heard anybody say I wish my amplifier wasn't as powerful as it is I should have got the one that was two steps below it.
Having just enough means it's never enough.
Answers
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First off, hello and please allow me to offer you a very warm welcome to Club Polk. You have come to the right place to answer your inquiry.
Do you have a budget in mind (or a general variance of what you have to spend)?
This will help us to help you.
Also, A.I. is good for some things, but IME, not audio related questions. For actual input from real users, you have found your home.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
Also, if you don't mind sharing....what does your current system compose of and what source (format) do you primarily listen too?
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
You'll want to use a high current common ground amp with the SDA-SRS speakers. A home theater receiver isn't ideal but a mid to high range one would work.
Can't go wrong with a Parasound A21+ if looking for new product. Rotel is also a good brand.
I'm not all that familiar with the Tone Winner brand but it looks interesting and the brand has apparently been around and well regarded in China for at least a couple decades. There is a marketing claim that it is a dual differential design which sometimes means it is not common ground, but I suspect that is just marketing. You should check with the company (if you can) before buying one to use the SDA-SRS. The claims of 900+ watts per channel into 4 ohms seems unrealistic for a 55 lb class AB amp. -
The SDA SRS was 4 ohms impedance, according to the Handbook. The SDA SRS 1.2 was 6 ohms.George / NJ
Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
Martin Logan Dynamo sub w/6ft 14awg Power Cord
Onkyo A-8017 integrated
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer w/EDO applet
iFi nano iDSD DAC
iPurifier3
iDefender w/ iPower PS
Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
iFi Mercury 0.5m OFHC continuous cast copper USB cable
Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform -
Do not discount the benefits of upgrading the crossovers and tweeters. I guarantee you will be amazed at the improvement.
The Advance Paris A10 looks interesting and has enough power for your speakers at 190wpc @ 4 ohms.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 -
Wow, thanks for the quick feedback. I wasn't sure how active the Vintage Speakers sub-forum would be.
My max budget for this purchases(s) is right around $3.5k. I would like to update my streaming platform from the Spotify connect app on my Sony tv running through hdmi to my current Sony a/v receiver, to something with a much better DAC if possible as well. I have been looking at the Eversolo streamers A6, and A8. But I think the A8 is now out of the question since I have ruled out using the Emotiva monoblocks. But I think I still could fit the A6 gen 2 ME if I can find power amp/integrated amp for around $2k. Spotify connect has been my goto music since they came stateside about 20 years ago. I don't envision going back to vinyl. I have thought about creating an account on Tidal for lossless music, but I am pretty sure that my (damaged) hearing at this age probably couldn't tell the difference between lossless and Spotify's 320 compressed files. I do have a ton of live shows on FLAC and .shn that I would like to get loaded to a harddrive and be able to utilize through the house network, but one thing at a time for right now.
I am almost positive when I researching my speakers (early on) I typed in sda srs 1.2tl rather then sda srs. So that's where I must have seen 6ohm instead of 4ohms. So thank you for clearing that up for me.
I will agree that Google AI might NOT be the best resource for hifi questions, but it did get me here. So at least that's something.
Anyways, thanks for the warm welcomes and allowing to pick your brains a bit. -
I have a Yamaha A-S2200 Stereo Integrated Amplifier to power my SDA 2b's and the sound is fantastic. I highly recommend! They run $5k new but you can find used in excellent condition for half that. Also, take F1 Nut's advice, upgrade your tweeters and crossovers.
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since I have ruled out using the Emotiva monoblocks
That's good because you cannot use mono blocks or non-common ground amps with your speakers.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 -
I have Parasound equipment from the 1990s that still performs great and never needed any service.
The newer A23+ is a great high current amp. -
... Also, take F1 Nut's advice, upgrade your tweeters and crossovers. ...
Is there a link or source for the upgrade? Parts lists? Is this a fairly simple d.i.y. project? Is it just swapping out like parts for like parts? Is there an approximate cost for doing these upgrades?
I am interested in doing this, just feel like money spent on an upgraded 2channel amp with enough power and a better pre-amp, DAC, streamer would yield the biggest bang for my buck at this time. But I am willing to research before moving forward. Thanks!
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I was in a similar position about three years ago: https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/197843/refreshing-my-rta-15tls/p1
In my experience, I'd have to say the amp upgrade probably made the single biggest difference. Of course, without being able to go back and change the order of how I did things, I'll never know for sure, but it was enough of an improvement to keep me going on everything else to see what could be achieved. Now, the holographic quality that the tube amp added might be the reason I feel that way, but I also think the amp upgrade allowed my system to better reveal changes from upgrading the crossovers, etc., that I subsequently did.
"One thing at a time" has been my approach, also. I got more help from this forum than I deserve, (which continues to this day, btw), and am fortunate to have a good dealer relatively nearby to help fill in any gaps. Rebuilding my 2-channel system around my vintage Polk speakers has been one of the most rewarding things I have done and has definitely been awesome to have in retirement!
Have fun!
Brian
One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Teac VRDS-701T CD transport | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM -
Swapping out the tweeters is simple and easy. Rebuilding the crossovers is simple but more involved and can be difficult if you're not mechanically inclined. There are some here that will do it for you for a fee. As you browse the forum threads, you'll find info for gluing the magnets on your mid woofers and other mods to improve your sound. Stock SDA speakers sound great, but adding various proven mods, it's a whole new world.
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Welcome to Club Polk.
richdel,
You looking for old or new?
SS I presume?
Have a spare SS oldie completely renewed that was tested at 500w per.
Ain't cheap but it's a beast on the SDA SRS's.
I was going to use both amps in a bi-amp configuration but as everyone here said.... waste of time, not needed.
They were correct.
Skip -
New crossovers will not be cheap BUT they will make a huge difference. Do not cheap out on capacitors or resistors thinking they ALL sound the same, THEY do NOT!
You may not notice the difference at first, but I will tell you that at some point you'll be listening to a song you've heard a thousand times and suddenly you'll hear deeper substantial harmonics you never heard before.
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skipshot12 wrote: »Welcome to Club Polk.
richdel,
You looking for old or new?
SS I presume?
Have a spare SS oldie completely renewed that was tested at 500w per.
Ain't cheap but it's a beast on the SDA SRS's.
I was going to use both amps in a bi-amp configuration but as everyone here said.... waste of time, not needed.
They were correct.
Skip
Hey Skip, I was not sure if SS meant solid state and exactly what SS amp you had that was tested at 500wpc. If I am guessing based on what I have written, maybe Carver? While I would prefer new, if there is some savings to be had with a solid vintage unit I would be interested to hear about it. Maybe we should send this to emails in order t not break any rules? LMK, thanks! -
My Carver TFM-35x doesn’t sound anywhere as good as my Parasound HCA-1000A.
A high damping factor and high current capabilities are better for speakers than raw wattage numbers. Much better bass control.
No caps or inductors in the signal path is also the way to go.
My Halo A23+ sounds even better.
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^^^THIS^^^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 -
The 1000 is an oddly good sounding amp that can find at a very reasonable price- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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The 1000 is an oddly good sounding amp that can find at a very reasonable price
John Curl designed it!
Get the 1000A version. It’s better.
I bought mine new in the 1990s and it’s been trouble free.
The Halo A23+ is a lot better.
It puts out 240 watts into 4 ohms and is stable at 2 ohms.
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I missed the high damping factor being a good thing and something to look for. The benefit difference between a damping factor of 50 and 1000 is laughable. However, to obtain a high damping factor generally requires a lot of negative feedback, which isn't a good thing.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 -
John Curl designed circuits use some local feedback and very minimal global feedback.
There are some “no negative feedback” amps that use local feedback! I was surprised to find that out when I looked into it. -
I've used a Parasound A23 with a pair of SDA-SRS in the distant past. It was quite good, but an amp with more current lifted the speakers to a higher performance level. I agree the A23+ is better than the original version.
A Rotel RB-1090 (new model RB-1590) at around 650 watts per channel into 4 ohms was a great improvement in that it made the soundstage expand in every direction. But that much power turned out to not be necessary to me. A Parasound A21 amp with about 2/3rds the output kept the soundstage but improved on everything else. -
You must listen to extremely loud music!
Yes, the Halo A23+ is better: it peaks at 45 amps per channel. -
Sooo, I started to read some of the A23+ reviews and I do like what I am reading. I have a higher-end store locally that may have it in stco so I can go by and see it, touch it, and listen to it (on anothers set of speakers). I am wondering why there seems to be a discepancy on pricing as I see it mostly listed at $2049-2099. There are several who have the silver version at $1459 which seems like a big difference for just the aesthetics of silver vs black. Were there any different versions of the Halo A23+ made each year that might account for the price differences? Or if it is too good to believe, then don't believe it...
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Parasound IIRC is no longer going to make silver gear, therefore they have dropped prices to blow them out.
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Correct. Silver blow out sale.
I bought my black mint year old A23+ for $1,200. from The Music Room through ebay. Great transaction. -
Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800.2.
Current - 120 amps peak to peak
'Nuff said
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 -
Yeah, and only 9 grand used!
Well, when not listening to jams, I can weld stuff with it. -
The 800.2 uses judicious amounts of global negative feedback and has caps / inductors in the signal path.
Found that information interesting. -
Parasound IIRC is no longer going to make silver gear, therefore they have dropped prices to blow them out.
Thanks for the explanation.
