LSiM 707 VS SDA speakers

[nooshinjohn]

Just wait until I get the SRS/M's hooked up.

[DarqueKnight]

I preferred my modded 2.3TL's, by a large margin, over the 703's in all areas of performance.

I preferred my modded and hotrodded 1.2TL's by a huge margin over the 703's and 707's I auditioned at the last Polkfest. I took three burned CD's of reference tracks to the auditions. The 703's had more defined and tighter bass...and a little more clarity, and I can definitely say that the 703's and 707's are fine speakers for the money, but neither came close to my 1.2TL's in any aspect of performance.

After the first day's Polkfest activities were over, a Polk employee was kind enough to allow me an extended listening session. Throughout the session I pointed out differences (sound quality losses) in detail, imaging, tactile sensation, etc. that I was accustomed to hearing, and feeling, on familiar recordings.

The SDA's were never made for HT stuff....they were a strait up 2 channel stereo speaker.

But my SDA SRS's do an excellent job of contributing to a seamless tall and wide wall of sound across the my HT's front stage.

IMO the only advantage the SDA's have over the lsim's is the soundstage everything else I think the M's do better.

Stock SDA's vs. LSiM's, the LSiM's would win in every area except bass extension, imaging and tactile sensation.

Properly modded SDA's with appropriate high current amplification vs. LSiM's, The LSiM's would be crushed.

I strongly suggest that you do all the mods available to your 1C's as the results will amaze you.

My 1.2TL's also see double duty as fronts for my ht and for stereo use. They are amazing speakers, and well worth the search and waiting for. Having heard the 707's go head to head with a pair of modded 2.3TL's and the legendary SRT's, I can honestly say that in every way except pinpoint image accuracy, the 2.3TL's crushed the other two. The TL's seemed to do everything right.

I have found pinpoint accuracy to be greatly affected by amplifier quality and power and by AC power quality.

I think this guy lives in the fantasy Island neighborhood. Way overpriced by at least 3500.00...

Sometimes, when SDA's have a ridiculous price like this, the seller really doesn't want to sell, he is just offering them to appease his wife...yet pricing them so they won't sell.

The biggest positive to me for newer speakers verses vintage Polks is the speed and detail. Listening to modded SDAs and LSi15s back to back, the LSis could resolve difficult and busy music better without sounding muddy. That's why I gave them up despite the huge sound stage and very musical presentation.

Have you had an opportunity to compare modded SDA's to LSi's?

Yeah, I wouldn't just assume you'll prefer one over the other. Depends on what you're after. With the SDAs you'll get the massive 3D soundstage and huge, visceral deep bass. With the LSiMs you'll get greater transparency, presence, accuracy and subtle textures.

I get all of the above with my modded SDA's.

[DSkip]

DK, I'd be curious how the LSiM's would compare with improved crossover networks. I think that might level the playing field some.

[Dawgfish]

I've been questioning to myself why this post was even posted in the first place. The OP asks about comparing LSiMs and SDAs for a possible future purchase, but already has their mind made up that they would like the SDAs better. Nothing wrong with getting peoples opinion on things, but why even ask about those opinions if your opinion is already set in stone. I love SDAs too and always will but I like to hear things from a different speaker everynow and then for a different perspective. Again the hard part Im having with this post is wandering just why in the world you would be interested in getting other peoples opinions on the two speakers if you already have your mind made up which one you would prefer and argue against any pros for the other speaker. In just doesn't make any cense unless you are just trying to validate your opinion on the matter with other members of the board. It's always best to let your own ears be the ultimate judge. Anyways, anyway you slice it it sounds like the best option for you is modding your SDAs (and a damn good one at that).

[naturallight]

No Dawg, i did not make up my mind...hence the question posed. Now grated, i'm an SDA fanboy.

But the "towers" i have tried out so far, i just did not think were better over all then even my unmodified 1C's. Now some of them may have been more accurate in some area's, in some cases, just didn't give you bass the 1C's can. In some cases they were just too fatiguing. In over all musical presentation and sound stage, they just could not beat the 1C's.



Now the towers i tried may not be up to matching the 707's...but they were not cheap junk either.

Now since a number of guys on the site say a modded set of SRS..of any type almost, will beat out the 707's..dose not leave me with the warm and fuzzy's for spending the money to try them out.

Since the house is sucking me dry..pretty much for the rest of this year....NO i will not be trying them out right now...LOL

I will just try and buy parts and pieces as the money allows (and the wife dose not shot me)..just to upgrade the 1C's. Now i have not seen anybody say a modded set of 1C's will "crush" the 707"...LOL

So i still may try out a set of 707's next year.

[DSkip]

Natty, what do you use for a pre/power?

[heiney9]

But the "towers" i have tried out so far, i just did not think were better over all then even my unmodified 1C's. In some cases they were just too fatiguing.

Very surprising since the sl2000 is a god awful fatiguing tweeter. That's not to say other speakers can't be/aren't fatiguing. Of all the models that use the sl2000 the progressive point source SDA's are the most laid back that tweeter can sound, but it's still grating and fatiguing much of the time.

You have no idea what you are in for as far as improvement when you get the RD0 tweeters and refresh the 20+ year old crossovers.

H9

[Loud & Clear]

I owned a fully modded pair of SRS 2s for years. Fantastic. But they still couldn't reproduce the transparency, the speed, the midrange presence, or articulate texture like some of modern designs I've heard, including LSis. The vocals were one of the problems I had with SDAs that were really highlighted after I got the Opus 2-3s. Part of the difference is due to having speakers that fire directly at you, and part of it is due to superior drivers. To suddenly have midrange (vocals) hit you with such clarity and presence is extremely exciting. I couldn't go back to SDAs full-time after something like that. But maybe that's specific to me and my ears. Who knows. I could see getting another pair of big SDAs for the fun of the huge stage and realistic deep bass impact. There's a pair of 2.3tls in Ohio that are tempting me as we speak. I also find the SRS SDAs to be very attractive. They look really nice in a home, imo.

[naturallight]

Good lord no...I'm not saying the SL2000 are good tweeters, plus one of the first things i'm going to change out...LOL If i was comparing these speakers in a small room where i had the SDA's before which was like a 12x12 or 12x14 at most..to be honest..the SDA's would have lost the battle.



But since i finally finished my basement..thats were i tested the speakers..which is 17x30.

As with everything in stereo...everything matters...LOL In that size room the 1C's come alive..and i sit 15 feet back..not that the 2000's are great..but not completely nasty at that far back. The Klipsch on the other hand..are just to over bearing for me...lets say too brite for my taste.

Yes the 2000's will get to me after a while..depends on what i'm playing..and no there not great tweeters....LOL



The Towers are all very "directional" speakers per say. They will throw a nice sound stage at you.



But once you throw the SDA's back in play....things just change..you sit in a more open and airy and for lack of better words ..more musical presentation of the music. They may not be as "accurate" at this point...but something you would rather listen to..if that makes any sense....LOL

[DarqueKnight]

DK, I'd be curious how the LSiM's would compare with improved crossover networks. I think that might level the playing field some.

If Polk would send me a pair of 707's with modded crossovers, I'd be happy to do the shootout. I'd even do the mods if they paid for the parts.

[D_M]

If Polk would send me a pair of 707's with modded crossovers, I'd be happy to do the shootout. I'd even do the mods if they paid for the parts.

That's a great idea. Maybe you could start a buying pool. With enough people interested, we could probably purchase a set in the persuit of science. I'll put my money where my mouth is. I'll commit a $100 to the cause. We would actually need two sets though. One modded and the other stock.

[naturallight]

This is only my "opinion", but i think speakers can be winners or losers for you dependent on the size of the room and what your trying to do with them. Plus of course everybodys ear, and what you expect out of the speakers.

Now if you have a good size room say 17x30 (only because thats the size of my room and what i tested the speakers in) If you take towers, toe them in to 1 seating position, so that it gets the 'sweet spot" That 1 person is in luck. If you have other people in the room, there pretty much out of luck.



In my case, i set the speakers about equal distance apart in the room, firing strait ahead. Put the seating position about 15 feet back or so, it could be a little more. That way i can have at least another person sitting and listening, if not 2 people, besides me. Now all speakers react differently in different size rooms. In a much smaller room say 12x14 or so. I think the Axioms would have won the battle. They seemed to be the best "eq'ed" of the bunch. But you put them in a large room, they just run out of steam far to fast, and can't keep up. The RTi 12's on the other, have no problem with that size room, they will keep up with the bass the 1C's will give you, and throw the widest sound stage of all the towers. BUT, and maybe this is only me. They seem to be very mid rangey speakers, overly so. If you could sit there with a control for the cross-over..tone down the mid range some, and put a better tweeter in there, that would be 1 hell of a speaker....LOL



Then you bring out the 1C's. In a small room, they would have lost hands down. They just don't work that well. You would have packed them up said there too old out of date time to retire these.



You put them in a large room..they open up and breath...everything changes. Now they are NOT the most "accurate" speaker of the bunch..at least mine are not at this point. That may change as i upgrade them. The only reason the SDA's win, is probably do mostly to the SDA "effect" itself, plus the bass presentation from them. I can put a couch in the back of the room, and 3 guys can sit there and everybody will have a good seating position. It's the over all musical presentation and ok maybe the "tactile" feel from the speakers, that the towers just can not give you.

Again, this is only MY "opinion" on the speakers i have tried so far in my room...to meet MY needs

[tonyb]

beat it, stroke....