SDA-2 in a home theatre setup ?
I just scored a pair of SDA 1-C's which I plan on using as
my front speakers in a HT setup. I'll be using SDA2's as
my rear speakers. Has anyone used 2 sets of SDA's in a
ht setup? Do you have the interconnect cable connected
on your rears as well as fronts? How does it sound?
Thanks, Mike
my front speakers in a HT setup. I'll be using SDA2's as
my rear speakers. Has anyone used 2 sets of SDA's in a
ht setup? Do you have the interconnect cable connected
on your rears as well as fronts? How does it sound?
Thanks, Mike
Fronts: SDA1C's
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
Post edited by mhw58 on
Comments
Movies sound excellent even without the SDA effect. I personally unhook the SDA cable to make sure everything stays discrete and the delay timeing stays true.
the cable and only connect the cable when you listen to
stereo? I'll have to try that.
Thanks, Mike
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
the 1-C's, I'll use them as fronts and move the 2's to the
rear. I was thinking I would use the interconnect cable
for the fronts but not the backs. I'll have to do some
experimenting. Do you have your rears connected with the
interconnect cable also?
Mike
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
However, since I respect this guy's opinion, and in theory it sounded reasonable, I starting doing some critical listening experiments using multichannel music.
So I used the Roy Orbison Black & White Night multichannel DVD. I sat in the "sweet spot" and turned the center channel speaker on and off repeatedly to see if I could hear any loss of imaging. I could hear no perceptible lose of imaging. Dispite the fact that Roy's powerful voice was coming from the center as intended, I could distinctly hear the lead guitar coming from the far left just as well with or without the center. The only difference that I could hear was the slight decrease in sound level as the center speaker was turned off.
As you may know there are electronic versions of the interaural crosstalk cancellation technique that is used in SDA speakers. Sunfire continues to make a digital version of its Sonic Holography effect in its flagship Theater Grand III processor, and Lexicon uses its highly regarded Panorama effect in my MC-1 processor. Both of these high-end processors are designed with multichannel home theater in mind. (By the way to avoid conflicts between the two interaural crosstalk cancellation methods, I have chosen to use the SDAs and not the Panorama effect. I am told that its sweet spot is wider.)
In addition, I should point out that although SDA were invented for stereo, Polk Audio must have believed that they could be used effectively for multichannel home theater applications. After all didn't they release those monsterous Signature Reference Theater systems with huge SDA arrays and multi center channel and surround speakers?
Larry
Interesting post. I just got my 1-C's on saturday and I'm loving them. How many watts per channel does your Lexicon put out?
I have the Roy Orbison dvd and will check it out tonight. It
is amazing when you listen to 5:1 with the vocals coming
from the center channel and then you switch to stereo and
the vocals still come right at you from the center. Sometimes
I can't tell if I'm set for surround or stereo. How long have you
owned your 1-C's?
Thanks, Mike
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
Hi Mike:
The Lexicon is a surround processor and it doesn't have any power amplifiers. I am using a collection of Parasound power amplifiers that put out about 200 watts per channel into 7 channels, but most of the SDA enthusiasts would recommend a lot more power. These can easily handle more than 750 watts per channel.
Yes, when sitting in the 'sweet spot" it is impossible for me to tell whether the center channels is on without putting my ear against the speaker.
I've had my SDA-1Cs for at least 13 years.
If you are interested in my setup click on my signature below.
Larry
I looked at your website, your setup is great. What kind of
interconnect cables do you use? I'm wondering about
optical vs. analog. From what I've read, you have to use
optical for dts dvd while others say analog is better for
music. Any opinions, Mike
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
Hi Mike:
Thanks for the kind words.
Let's try breaking your question into two parts, 1)digital interconnects (which can be optical or coaxial) and 2)analog interconnects (which are coaxial).
For digital connections I find the decision frequently has more to do with how many digital source components you have, and how many and what type of digital connections are available on your surround processor or receiver. For example I have three digital source components, a satellite receiver, a standard DVD player and a Home Theater Computer (HTPC). Before I upgraded there was a time where my digital receiver only had three digital inputs, one optical and two coaxial, therefore I had no choice but to select the typle of digital connections that were available.
With regard to the quality of the sound, my ears can not tell the difference from the same DVD played on my standard DVD player which is connected via optical versus when that disc is played on the DVD-ROM drive of my HTPC, which is connected via digital coax.
With regard to whether you use digital or analog interconnects on your DVD player, I would think you need both, but for different reasons than you suggest. Now, I'm not an expert on all the available types of DVD players available, but on mine I have digital connections and a PAIR of analog connections for two channels. If you want to listen to multichannel sound (either dts or Dolby Digital) then you must have a digital connection, the two channel analog connection in all likelihood wouldn't work for digital sound. On the other hand, if you wish to play two channel CDs in your DVD/CD player you will need analog connections.
Perhaps some of the club members who are audiophiles can amplify on the general issue of digital versus analog. For instance, a battle rages among audiophiles regarding "which is better, vinyl versus digital for music?"
Larry
What brand of optical cable are you using?I have a cd player and a dvd player and I also use 1 optical connection from each unit to my receiver. I can switch
between surround and stereo with my receiver. There are
some people who say analog is warmer for stereo but
I don't really know. I would like to hear more opinions.
Mike
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
Your diagram of your HT says the rear center surround is usually off, why is that? Just wondering
Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
Outlaw ICBM - crossover
Beringher BFD - sub eq
Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!
"I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
Hi hoosier:
The rear center channel speaker and associated mono block amplifier is a remnant of a prior configuration in which I used a receiver with an add-on SMART Circle Surround decoder to produce a sixth matrixed rear center channel.
The SMART decoder is still in place because it provides a convenient means of connecting a subwoofer dedicated exclusively to the surround channels. However, since I have upgraded to a Lexicon MC-1 surround processor (7.1 channel) that has two surround back channels, the use of the SMART surround decoder would interfere with the proper imaging of these channels, so it is turned off most of the time . The only time I use the rear center speaker and amplifier is when the Lexicon is in the Party mode. In this mode there is no surround processing however, the same unprocessed signal is sent to all speakers.
Thanks for your interest.
Larry
As I mentioned in an earlier posting this subject came up in an other forum. What I didn't say was that it prompted me to send an email to Matthew Polk via Ken Swauger. Here's the complete exchange starting with my question and ending with Mr. Polk's response.
Larry
====================================
The digital signal is going to have to be converted to analog SOMEWHERE, correct? I mean, the CD player pulls the digital signal off the disk.. if the player's internal decoder does the work, then you get that analog signal out of the player's analog outs... but if you pull the original digital signal out of the player, then the decoder in the receiver will do the conversion... either way the digital signal has to be converted to an analog signal to be fed to the amplication.. isn't that correct, or am I having a major brain **** here??
If correct, then any differences - if indeed there were any or any that you could hear - would be the result of differences in the specific decoders in the specific equipment, and not something applicable to ALL players as compared to ALL receivers...? If the player and the receiver happened to use the same decoder from the same manufacturer... then short of a problem in some other part of the signal path (such as a problem with the player's analog outs), you should have the exact same analog signal reaching the amps... assuming you don't have an ungodly long analog feed from player to receiver...
Yes? No?
LR: Onkyo TX-84 (original owner), Aiwa AD-F850 (original owner), Philips TT (old school, 2nd owner), Philips CD (cheap-o), Monitor 5jr+ (original owner - actually, my wife is the original owner; she bought them new when we were dating - sealed the deal).
Xbox 360/Wii/Kids: Old school huge Sony HD TV, Sherwood RD-6500, Philips DVD, pair Def Tech ProCinema 100.
and an Onkyo cd and dvd player. I figure the DACS are better
in the receiver than the cd player so I use an optical
cable from the cd and player to the receiver. I'm using a
Monster optical cable but I'm curious about the AR pro
stuff. Do you think AR is a lot better than Monster or are
all optical cables all equal since they are glass with no
metal on the ends?
Mike
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
Rears: SDA2's
Center:CS400i
Sub: PSW505
mhw58
I bought the cheapest links that I could find at the time from CC which was the RCA brand, 3 ft for 20 bucks. Much like my radio shack 12 guage buck a foot wire... IMO there is a point of diminishing returns regarding both fiber and wire. If the light is coupled and decoupled then it works and if not its broke and buy new.
http://www.furious.com/perfect/vinyl33.html
Mo money, Mo money
,Jer