One word: WOW

autoconsortium · September 2005

My new amps haven't arrived, but I hooked my new SDA SRS's up to an older Adcom (GFA555) today to test them out. Unbelievable. I had Carver ALSII ribbon hybrids. No bass, but decent everywhere else (they did have similar staging effect due to their bipolar ribbon design...the polks are even better, of course). These Polks are so much different on so many levels. First of all, the bass is quick, tight, and very present...everywhere, you can hear it, you can feel it, and what you can't hear, your walls are feeling, as anything you have hanging on drywall is dancing to the beat. Compared to other speakers I've heard, the Polk SDA SRS speaker are very liquid sounding...you hear every little thing, and you hear it in a mellow manner...not the usual screeching highs you get from other speakers. They seem to emphasize high and low hz...like if you had an equalizer set for jazz (up on the bass side, up on the high side, middle on the midrange)....very surprising considering there are 8 midrange speakers per side...however, those midrange drivers, while delivering very accurate and great midrange, are pounding out the bass. Not only are they a complete delight to listen to, they are even fun to watch operate....all those midrange speakers pouncing around, pretty neat Mr. Polk, if I may be so bold. And this is just with one Adcom GFA555, I can't wait to hook up my two Bryston 800 watt amps to these.

madmax · September 2005

There are a lot of "WOWS" in your future. These speakers will last you through a lot of equipment upgrades. Everything you do will cause them to sound better and better. It will take super high dollar everything to even approach any speaker limitations. If anything you should consider the RDO replacement tweets next if you don't have them yet. You can always sell the old ones for about the same cost as the new ones so it is a no-brainer upgrade.

You have a point on the midrange thing to a degree. The lower midbass does have a little lift on it. I read somewhere that polk put it there on purpose. Something about when they voiced the speaker they decided it was more important to make it sound real than to follow a flat line. I forget the exact phrases used. The original tweeter has a little roughness to it which is quite annoying once you get rid of it with the replacements and then listen to the original again. Also in the crossover there is a little bit of a rise around 13khz. Here again, it is to make it sound "real" rather than following a straight line. This is a very complex speaker with all the drivers, passives, SDA etc. The midrange comes out with the right amplifiers though and sounds wonderful!

The high power is fun but don't forget to really listen sometimes. There is a lot of beauty to be had from this speaker. I would hate to see you miss it. Some late evening start with a super low volume and listen to something with a lot of complex sounds. It will give you goose bumps!

Congrats!

madmax

autoconsortium · September 2005

Yes, I have read plenty about the tweeter upgrade and will be doing this. What is the cost? These are original SDA SRS speakers, 1985, no upgrades, no mods...just OEM. I bought them from the original owner. You just buy the new tweeters, unscrew the old, and screw the new in? Are you referring to the silk dome tweeters? You are most correct, I do hear roughness in the stock tweeter. I have no other complaints.

fredv · September 2005

autoconsortium wrote:

Yes, I have read plenty about the tweeter upgrade and will be doing this. What is the cost?

$48 per tweeter shipped when you mention your are CP member. In some state such as CA, sales tax will be added => approx $52/ea. You have 8 SL2000, so you can do the math

schwarcw · September 2005

You just buy the new tweeters, unscrew the old, and screw the new in? Are you referring to the silk dome tweeters?

Yes, easy to do. Takes just a couple of minutes.

candyliquor35m · September 2005

I don't know if you've been warned about running your amps mono with the SDA's but if that is your intention, please search on here about SDA's and common ground amps. Bi-amping the SRS's is safe tho. Enjoy.

Oops nevermind I see someone already warned you in another thread.

Evidently binding the negatives works or it wouldn't be on here but when I checked with Ken at Polk and Sunfire/Carver customer service, they both agreed that doing so would not achieve a common ground.

ND13 · September 2005

You are in for more big sweet treats in your near future my man. Enjoy those big beautiful bad **** speakers. Damn, I wish I could be there when you hook up the Brystons to em.

One word: WOW

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