Sda srs flagships

[maandjojo]

Probably have my best chance at a pair of these. I just have a few questions.
I now have the Lsi 25s' along with the lsic and lsifx surrounds, they are great for dd5 but I have missed my sda1's I had. If I should get the srs' I need some help the best matches for a center and surrounds. Before I saw the flagships I had purchased two sets of crs', one with the mods and one pair straight. Would it be better to use the lsic and the fxs' with the srs' or use the sda crs' as the center and surrounds? This forum has been a godsend for me and your help will be greatly appreciated.

Joe

[zingo]

I would use the CRSs as surrounds and centers since they have they same drivers and similar sound. :)

[Ender]

What zingo said.

On a side note, what will you be doing with your LSi set? :D

[bluecomet]

The good thing is the LSi series is 4 ohms like the SRS speakers. The bad thing the SL2000 tweeters are way off sonically to the LSi tweetes. I have a LSiC. Don't use this combo unless you want to upgrade the 8 tweeters in the pair of SDA SRS to RDO's and that's around four hundred dollars. Stick with the CRS+ for a center if you are going to leave them stock. I am thinking of going with a SDA home theater experiment. It would be a 6.1 system. CRS for the center and rear, SDA SRS for the mains and SDA SRS 2's for the rear. I am not sure how that would work with the sda effect. Right now I am putting together a Monitor HT package using all vintage monitors with the peerless tweeters. This is an expensive hobby.

[nooshinjohn]

you could also order an csi-a6 cabinet from polk and outfit the cabinet with vintage drivers as I am doing to make a center that is voice matched. I have just begun this project and will post details and pics once I start putting everything together.

[maandjojo]

Ender, I will be selling the entire set and using the crs' for center and surrounds.
I will give those at Polk first crack, and it will be an offer you can't refuse. I will need the money that I'm putting into the srs' and what I already paid for the crs'.

Joe

[bluecomet]

Where's moorestown in regards to Scranton. I would be interested in some of those LSI pieces myself if you pull the trigger on the SDA SRS. I could drive to your place and save on shipping. Keep me in mind. Good call on the CRS+ for the center.

[bluecomet]

I just map quested you. It looks like you are only an hour away from me. Interesting. What color are the LSi's. Tell me they are ebony.

[maandjojo]

Yo! bluecomet they are cherry but they do look delicious. I sent you a pm. I think its a very accomodating offer.

Joe

[bluecomet]

Bummer. I really need them in ebony. Good luck with the sale.

[maandjojo]

I could paint them ebony. Or pink, or green, or purple even.

[F1nut]

SDA's don't work very well on their sides.

[F1nut]

When using SDA's as the mains, I don't think a center channel is needed. However, if you are dead set on that idea, I suppose the CRS+ would be best suited.


My question is, what would be the best match? I was thinking dual SRS as center channel (laid on their side, about 10" off the floor, PR's toward the corners of the room, forming the bottom of a screen-shadowbox) and then SRS as L/R channel's stacked on top of the side-laid SRS's.

The problem with that idea is the tweeters would be both too low and too high.

Try the SRS's as mains and the CRS+'s as rears before doing anything else.


And am I insane to entertain the notion of an upside-down SRS?

Yeah, that is most definitely not going to work.

[szhleppy]

Yeah, that is most definitely not going to work.

I would love to see the pics though....

[pitdogg2]

I would love to see the pics though....


2nd that:D

[hearingimpared]

Thanks for the thoughts.

Right now I'm running a crs+ as both center and single rear (for 6.1) and the crs as sides and srs as mains. Sounds good but just wanted to get some additional suggestions for ideal matching.

There is a pair of SDA2B's for sale for 300, and I thought they might integrate into the system well. What do you think? Yeah.....nay? Good price?

If I did get another set of the SRS, would you suggest them as sides, or as rears behind the couch listening position? To get all the drivers(minus the PR's) over the top of the couch I would have to put them on a riser maybe 6"-12" tall and filled with sand(?). This would leave the PR's directly behind listening position which I thought might have some nice impact, and the low frequencies are less directional, right?

I would go with the SRSs as your mains and use them for a phantom center as they will fill the center and it will sound like you have an actual center in the mix.

AS far as the SDA 2Bs I say, hell yes. Good price and they will integrate well in you system plus you can do the 4.1 TL upgrade on them to enhance their sound. The 2Bs have the same crossover as the CRS+ so don't let that confuse you when you read the threads.

See these threads;

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40577

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40577

[maandjojo]

Just an update on my original thread. As you will see on my signature much has changed.
I now have a pair of srs 1.2tls'. As hearingimpaired has stated, as well a few others, the best matching center for these speakers are themselves. You cannot get a center to match and none is needed.

Joe

[F1nut]

I would go with the SRSs as your mains and use them for a phantom center as they will fill the center and it will sound like you have an actual center in the mix.

AS far as the SDA 2Bs I say, hell yes. Good price and they will integrate well in you system plus you can do the 4.1 TL upgrade on them to enhance their sound. The 2Bs have the same crossover as the CRS+ so don't let that confuse you when you read the threads.



I would not recommend doing the TL upgrade as they will no longer timbre match the SRS mains.

[Toolfan66]

I would not recommend doing the TL upgrade as they will no longer timbre match the SRS mains.

Jesse,

Do you think it would be that noticiable? Not that I would ever use my SDA's in a HT setup just curious.

[F1nut]

Those two tweeters, SL2000/RD0194-1 and the SL3000/RD0198-1 sound very different.

[bluecomet]

I am planning to experiment with a 6.1 system using SRS 1.2 for the mains, CRS+ as center and center rear speakers, then use SRS 2's that are the bi-ampable version as the rears. All of the speakers will have RDO 194's and should be 6 ohms, so it is possible to run them on a AVR if I wanted to. It should be interesting when I put it together how it compares to my Lsi HT system.

[hearingimpared]

I would not recommend doing the TL upgrade as they will no longer timbre match the SRS mains.

Opppsssss SRS didn't register I had SRS 1.2TL in my mind. I stand corrected.:o

[hearingimpared]

Thank you all. I will read up more on phantom center. My un-manual-assisted attempts at just not using a center went unsuccessful, I suppoooose I have to go into the OSD and configure my AVR as such. I shall try that out.

Currently I'm running the SRS's, and the two pair of CRS/+ with a 50wpc Harman Kardon AVR235, and I have yet to clip out even at significant listening levels.

After having done some reading on appropriate amps and such I came across a thread that suggested the strong possibility of destroying a tweet or twee by using anything less than 200wpc.

Am I damaging the system even though it sounds ok and we're not "turning it up"? The thread mentioned that the tweeters went into clipping but that the protection circuit was not adequate to protect the tweeter and you couldn't necessarily hear it happening.

We of course are planning to upgrade to some serious amp-age in the near future, but I'd like to be reassured that my upgrade-patience will not be punished by the audio Gods if we are only listening at moderate levels that don't seem to have any audible distortion even after hours of listening.

Is there risk to the crossover also, or just the tweets?

Let's hear Ye

If you are listening at moderate levels you should have no problem if the AVR isn't clipping. There are polyswitches on your crossovers that will usually open when an overload is detected to protect the tweeters. Although they are in the circuit some heavy clipping will blow your tweeters so just keep the volume down until you get a good amp with good, clean, high current power and then you can shake the neighborhood. Good luck.

BTW I was talking with Jesse (F1nut) yesterday about the timber matching of the SRSs and the 2Bs. I dropped the ball on my recommendation to do the 4.1TL upgrade on the 2Bs however, if you decide to upgrade your tweeters (recommended) on your SRSs, CRS+ and 2Bs (if you decide to get them) you can call Polk Customer service, tell them you are a member of Club Polk and you'll get a discount & free shipping on the RD0194s silk domes, which sound much, much better than the SL2000 and they are simply a drop in replacement for the SL2000s. You can then put the SL2000s up for sale in the FM and recoup some of your money.

[heiney9]

Omni, be sure any amp you get is common ground. You can't use stereo amps bridged to mono or std. mono blocks either.

H9

[F1nut]

Fuuuurther on down the path I was thinking of upgrading to something beefier for the SRS's....any suggestions for 600, 800, 1000, 1200 wpc?

Watts per channel is a really poor way to choose an amp.




I had read a thread about a guy using Lexicon 501 (Bryston 7bst) in bridged mono for 800wpc, but sounded a little fishy as Bryston had told him they were not common ground amps.

Those are mono block amps, they cannot be bridged.

[FTGV]

I had read a thread about a guy using Lexicon 501 (Bryston 7bst) in bridged mono for 800wpc, but sounded a little fishy as Bryston had told him they were not common ground amps.The ST and NRB versions(not the SST)of the 7B have two modes of operation(series and parallel)that are switchable on the rear panel. Series mode is for use with speakers who's impedance is from 4-8 ohms and parallel for impedances of less than 4 ohms.
In series or bridged mode the amps will not be common ground and will achieve higher power into 8 ohms.In parallel mode they will be common ground but will only have about 1/4 of the power as the series mode into 8 ohms.However in parallel mode they can dump >500 watts into a 2 ohm load.

[snow]

Thanks Heiney

I was leaning toward the Sunfire TGA 7401 after reading this thread:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103295

Fuuuurther on down the path I was thinking of upgrading to something beefier for the SRS's....any suggestions for 600, 800, 1000, 1200 wpc?

I had read a thread about a guy using Lexicon 501 (Bryston 7bst) in bridged mono for 800wpc, but sounded a little fishy as Bryston had told him they were not common ground amps.Since the SDA SRS is a 4 ohm load if you get the Sunfire it should automatically double in power so now its at 800 wpc allready Trust me you will never use the power that the sunfire will deliver so need to upgrade for that reason, perhaps upgrade if you dont like the sound of it.

REGARDS SNOW

[FTGV]

Bryston's (warranty)SST line caught my eye, but I understand now that they are not common ground.

It depends on the model.The 7B,14B and 28B SST's utilize bridged/balanced output stages so are thus non common ground.The 2, 3,and 4B are common ground.

[F1nut]

Excellent point, forgive my focus on power. What I meant to say was the Sunfire has the option to use solid state style power to the low end, and tube like power to the high end. I know Carver was known for emulating some great tube amps, so this feature really caught my eye.

Well, the choices are really voltage and current. Anyone that thinks it sounds like tubes hasn't heard tubes. The same goes for Carver's SS amps, they do not sound like tube amps. Bob Carver did and still does make some very nice sounding tube amps. In fact, that's what he uses.



Most of the systems that I noticed CP members had, seemed to be using a lot of older gear, which I was hesitant to get. Bryston's (warranty)SST line caught my eye, but I understand now that they are not common ground.

Am I missing the boat by not considering older, used gear? Buy it, and have it rehabbed?

There is nothing wrong with buying used gear. You can get great deals on gear that is only a few years old. When you get into the vintage stuff is when you need to concern yourself with possible service issues.


I've looked into older Carver amps like the M1.0t MKII opt. 2 which I understand has been modified and refurbished to more than double it's output. Not sure if these are common ground/compatible with SDA.

I seem to recall Bob Carver speaking negatively about those mods. Besides, the guy doing them is a putz.


So....focusing instead simply on the best sound, would the Sunfire be a good choice (esp for the tube-emulating feature)? What are some better choices down the line for the SRS's? An old Sansui? Tube amp?

But my main focus right now is on the multi-channel amp for HT. If I could "get by" with a Sunfire 400x7 (pushing 800 into a 4ohm load apparently) and not need another amp to maximize the potential of the SRS's,.....that would be great. But, if there are better choices....

It will do a decent job for your stated purpose, but forget the tube-emulating idea.

[heiney9]

^^ Agreed on every point. The Carver gear made to emulate tubes sounds nothing like tubes. If you want tubes, get tubes. I would throw Pass Labs into the mix but they are not common ground and are probably out of your budget (even used) based on what you've talked about getting so far.

Many of us have experimented with a few used pieces of gear, swaping stuff in/out to find the sound we prefer. There is no singular answer. You are on the right track, but opinions and experiences vary; some love Carver/Sunfire gear, some hate it, some like me have never been impressed for all the praise/talk it seems to get.

H9

[nooshinjohn]

Synergy is a bitch...

I personally like the Sunfire sound that I get from my 425/5 . It has only gotten better after getting soem tubes in the mix via the Rogue Audio Perseus two channel pre. I also run the voltage and current taps on the Sunfire. I find that the combination of solid state power and tubes are a nice blend.

[snow]

But, if there are better choices....

I would appreciate any suggestions!There are always better choices but... How much do you want to spend? We are talking about a pair if $1000.00-$2000.00 speakers as your mains. It would be hard to justify spending more than perhaps 5k for amplification in my mind.



It will do a decent job for your stated purpose, but forget the tube-emulating idea. Agreed. If you want Tube like sound use a tube pre. I cant imagine you running out of power with the Sunfire you mentioned, but will it be the sound you like? Only you can decide that. Personally I like the performance of the Sunfire amps and with a tube pre I can change/roll tubes to get virtually any sound I want.

REGARDS SNOW

[FTGV]

I would throw Pass Labs into the mix but they are not common ground ....

While the completely balanced Super Sym X series are not, some of the smaller Alephs are.

[heiney9]

While the completely balanced Super Sym X series are not, some of the smaller Alephs are.

That is correct, except I don't have the energy to explain why 30-60wpc Aleph can, and to my ears, sound better than a 200-400wpc behemoth.

Watts really mean nothing until you really need to fill a large space at certain output level. To sound like a broken record my 30wpc Aleph far out performs many higher wattage amps. I have yet to find the the end of the reserves it has............the more I ask of her, the more she delivers.

So far no one believes it's only rated at 30wpc............I even had a hard time when I first bought it. I shyed away from it for a long time thinking no way in hell a 30wpc SS amp could power a pair of SDA 1C's. Boy was I wrong and the sound and balance is simply incredible.

H9

[bdtae5656]

I havent gotten a chance to listen to one yet...but I wanted to get an idea from the PAF is this amp everything that it says it is?? Stay away b/c its made over sea's or buy one b/c its a GREAT amp?
Thanks,

[omniamore]

Well, I did not end up going with the Sunfire setup.....so no help there. But here's an update on my HT setup:

Mains.......orig SRS
center CRS+
Sides CRS+
Rears IIa's

Over the last several months I've been keeping my eyes open for, and have finally found an all Rotel setup.

First I got a Rotel RMB-1095 (200wpc X 5), a Rotel RSP-1066 7.1prepro, and a Marantz AV8300 dvd/cd player all for 900$! At first he was just selling me the prepro and dvd/cd for 300$ which I thought was amazing already. Then he decides to get rid of his 1095 for 600$ more. What could I do? :)

Then Newegg had a deal on the Polk PSW 505 subwoofer for 215$ delivered so I got 2 of those for 430$.

Then a month or so ago I found a guy on the local craigslist selling a Rotel RB-1090 (380wpc X 2) for 900$ which I picked up for the SRS mains.

And just yesterday I picked up an RSP-1098 prepro to upgrade the RSP-1066. I got it off of ebay for 800$ plus shipping for a model that seller claims was purchased NOS (New Old Stock) from an audio shop in December of 2010. He's had it for 3 months, so should be burned in? What do you guys think? Good price? Better choices out there for prepro's?

Looked at the Marantz AV7005 prepro for 1500$ but for almost half the price, wanted to try the Rotel 1098 first. No HDMI, but was just going to pass that directly to the projector (epson powerlite home cinema 8500ub) and just use the prepro for audio.

Final buy later this year will be an Oppo BDP-95. Saw on another board's thread that modwright is going to do mods for the 95, including one with some tubes. Any good threads on here for the 95/mods? Waste of money (the mods)?

Took FOREVER to find a flooring guy to patch/fix the laminate flooring (that was NOT underneath the old entertainment center and shelving and desk monstrosity we ripped out to make room for the new HT). So finally, floor......DONE!

This last week I've been a painting madman. Went with a fairly traditional red delicious (like the apple) color. Even with Behr Ultra (paint + primer in one) it took like 3 coats to fully cover the white from showing through. Today, going to tape off all the moldings and baseboards etc and start painting those.

Soon the only drama will be on the big screen! Ahhhhh........I can't wait! lol.