SDA SRS 1.2TL - single or bi-amplify???
mkstefanos
Posts: 7
Hello all — I need technical advice on powering SDA SRS 1.2TL!
In a few days I’m going to be purchasing a pair of SDA SRS 1.2TL, along with either one or two ADCOM GFA-555II Amps (I’m trying to decide on whether to bi-amp or not), and a Yamaha CX-800U Pre-amp (only has single pre-out, but considering bi-amping with RCA Y-cables — please give insight on whether this is a smart idea or not).
Does anyone here own SDA SRS 1.2TL’s (or have owned these in the past), and have any experience/knowledge on powering these speakers with one amp, or bi-amped (vertically or horizontally)?
Also any knowledge on “passive” or “active” crossover setups? (Although as of now I don’t think I’ll be going the active crossover route, and I will just use the crossovers in the speakers - “passive”).
Thanks for your time!🤝
In a few days I’m going to be purchasing a pair of SDA SRS 1.2TL, along with either one or two ADCOM GFA-555II Amps (I’m trying to decide on whether to bi-amp or not), and a Yamaha CX-800U Pre-amp (only has single pre-out, but considering bi-amping with RCA Y-cables — please give insight on whether this is a smart idea or not).
Does anyone here own SDA SRS 1.2TL’s (or have owned these in the past), and have any experience/knowledge on powering these speakers with one amp, or bi-amped (vertically or horizontally)?
Also any knowledge on “passive” or “active” crossover setups? (Although as of now I don’t think I’ll be going the active crossover route, and I will just use the crossovers in the speakers - “passive”).
Thanks for your time!🤝
Best Answer
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mkstefanos wrote: »I had that same Adcom amp powering a pair of 2.3TLs for almost 20 years. At the time, it sounded like heaven. These days, that amp would be in desperate need of upgrading and quite honestly, there are better options out there.
And people with way more experience than me (like F1nut above) will tell you that the so-called "bi-amping" either horizontally or vertically (that Polk touted in the respective owner's manuals) as well as trying to use a GFA-555ii in "bridged mono" mode are bad ideas.
As far as buying a pair of TLs and learning all of the long list of improvements that can (and should) be done to them: You came to the right place.
Thank you for your input! So, you're saying that I should just stick with one amp to power both speakers, and forget about bi-amping?
Exactly. There are several areas where it would be way more beneficial to focus your efforts to acquire sonic improvements. I think it would make sense to wait and see what the current condition of the speakers is and what, if any, modifications have been done. Updating the tweeters, upgrading the crossovers, and gluing the driver magnets should be priorities. The magnets are a preventive measure, but the other steps are proven and well worth it.
Answers
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Without active crossovers you are not bi-amping.
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 had that same Adcom amp powering a pair of 2.3TLs for almost 20 years. At the time, it sounded like heaven. These days, that amp would be in desperate need of upgrading and quite honestly, there are better options out there.
And people with way more experience than me (like F1nut above) will tell you that the so-called "bi-amping" either horizontally or vertically (that Polk touted in the respective owner's manuals) as well as trying to use a GFA-555ii in "bridged mono" mode are bad ideas.
As far as buying a pair of TLs and learning all of the long list of improvements that can (and should) be done to them: You came to the right place. -
Without active crossovers you are not bi-amping.
Even if someone did actively bi-amp the sda, I would think that would defeat the purpose of the sda circuit. -
I had that same Adcom amp powering a pair of 2.3TLs for almost 20 years. At the time, it sounded like heaven. These days, that amp would be in desperate need of upgrading and quite honestly, there are better options out there.
And people with way more experience than me (like F1nut above) will tell you that the so-called "bi-amping" either horizontally or vertically (that Polk touted in the respective owner's manuals) as well as trying to use a GFA-555ii in "bridged mono" mode are bad ideas.
As far as buying a pair of TLs and learning all of the long list of improvements that can (and should) be done to them: You came to the right place.
Thank you for your input! So, you're saying that I should just stick with one amp to power both speakers, and forget about bi-amping? -
Also forgive me... I'm trying to learn all this in a pretty short period of time, and there seems to be A LOT of misinformation out there about SDA SRS series speakers and bi-amping.
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There's a lot of misinformation about bi-amping in general. The only true bi-amping requires active crossovers. Anything else is wishful thinking.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 -
mkstefanos wrote: »I had that same Adcom amp powering a pair of 2.3TLs for almost 20 years. At the time, it sounded like heaven. These days, that amp would be in desperate need of upgrading and quite honestly, there are better options out there.
And people with way more experience than me (like F1nut above) will tell you that the so-called "bi-amping" either horizontally or vertically (that Polk touted in the respective owner's manuals) as well as trying to use a GFA-555ii in "bridged mono" mode are bad ideas.
As far as buying a pair of TLs and learning all of the long list of improvements that can (and should) be done to them: You came to the right place.
Thank you for your input! So, you're saying that I should just stick with one amp to power both speakers, and forget about bi-amping?
Exactly. There are several areas where it would be way more beneficial to focus your efforts to acquire sonic improvements. I think it would make sense to wait and see what the current condition of the speakers is and what, if any, modifications have been done. Updating the tweeters, upgrading the crossovers, and gluing the driver magnets should be priorities. The magnets are a preventive measure, but the other steps are proven and well worth it.
Thanks again! Also, in one of your other replies, you mention about the GFA-555II that there are better options out there... Do you have any recommendations? The current owner I'm buying these speakers from on Sunday also has those 2x recently serviced 555's which I was thinking to buy for $500 per. Along with a Yamaha CX-800U pre-amp for $325. Thoughts? -
mkstefanos wrote: »mkstefanos wrote: »I had that same Adcom amp powering a pair of 2.3TLs for almost 20 years. At the time, it sounded like heaven. These days, that amp would be in desperate need of upgrading and quite honestly, there are better options out there.
And people with way more experience than me (like F1nut above) will tell you that the so-called "bi-amping" either horizontally or vertically (that Polk touted in the respective owner's manuals) as well as trying to use a GFA-555ii in "bridged mono" mode are bad ideas.
As far as buying a pair of TLs and learning all of the long list of improvements that can (and should) be done to them: You came to the right place.
Thank you for your input! So, you're saying that I should just stick with one amp to power both speakers, and forget about bi-amping?
Exactly. There are several areas where it would be way more beneficial to focus your efforts to acquire sonic improvements. I think it would make sense to wait and see what the current condition of the speakers is and what, if any, modifications have been done. Updating the tweeters, upgrading the crossovers, and gluing the driver magnets should be priorities. The magnets are a preventive measure, but the other steps are proven and well worth it.
Thanks again! Also, in one of your other replies, you mention about the GFA-555II that there are better options out there... Do you have any recommendations? The current owner I'm buying these speakers from on Sunday also has those 2x recently serviced 555's which I was thinking to buy for $500 per. Along with a Yamaha CX-800U pre-amp for $325. Thoughts?
I don't have personal experience with specific amps but people have stated that Parasound go well with SDAs.
If the Adcoms have been recently serviced, that may not be a bad idea to get ONE to use while upgrading the speakers. I have no knowledge of that Yamaha pre-amp. -
There's a lot of misinformation about bi-amping in general. The only true bi-amping requires active crossovers. Anything else is wishful thinking.
^F1, please share your thoughts.
If using two amps, and the passive speakers crossover's, why isn't that considered bi-amping?
I have read that the best sounding way is to have active x-overs so the amps aren't amplifying the whole freq spectrum.
Have read/heard it said that way before about actives.
Is the active crossover that large of an improvement over using the speaker's passive?
When bi-amping my Kappa 9's, in a vertical configuration, I was using the Kappa's internal crossovers.
Have never tried the active crossover approach.
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Mono blocks. One amp for each speaker with the dreadnought interconnect. That is the way to make the SDA’s sing.The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2800 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 MiND2 Shunyata Triton
“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
How many flies need to be buzzing a dead horse before you guys stop beating it?
