SDA-2 in HT system or start from scratch

[OnlyPolk]

Is the SDA-2 a good set of speakers to build an HT system around. Here's my situation. I have a pair of the SDA's, an equally old CS100 and two bookshelf speakers RM-?? for 'effects' (btw I don't see effect speakers being used anymore..) together with a pair of Atlantic speakers for rears. My SSP is an old Yam. DSP A-1000 7.1. It's from the pre-Dolby Digital days.

I've seen the following advertised for $1700: rti12's (2), CSi5,psw505,fxi5's(2) +yamaha rxv995. Q: (1) I don't think I would use the Y receiver, it's 5.1 but how would you rate the speakers for HT. Dynamite? Decent?.

OR should I proceed to build anew around the SDA-2's instead. If so any quick suggestions on what to get from centers and rears. Once again thanks for your advice.

[dudeinaroom]

Just ship the SDAs to me and start over, they are no good for surround sound. Just kidding, SDAs work very well for surround sound. In my opinion the provide a more real front sound stage, an excellent speaker to build an HT system around.

[Ron Temple]

SDAs for HT are phenomenal. I wish I could justify 2 systems. Mine is all powerful with great resolution, but not perfect for music, though very good to my ears. For HT it's killer...get a couple of CRS+s and a close center with plenty of power and scortch the RTIs.

[MillerLiteScott]

I usually use my 2B's for HT and it makes your front huge and reaches around to the rears.

[OnlyPolk]

I usually use my 2B's for HT and it makes your front huge and reaches around to the rears.

It must be your amp. source Miller, I'm not quite getting this. I see that your Yam. is almost as old as mine, but it has DTS. If I'm watching a program with DTS (on my DTV HR20 receiver) does the Dolby Pro-Logic setting on my DSP screw up the sound. Also I have the following questions: (1) Does DSP conflict with the design of the SDA? (2) I unfortunately have my SDA's about a foot and half from side walls because otherwise they would be in front of windows (with drapes). Is it OK to move them in front of drapes. And should they be out into the room (that's what the original review of the SDA 2 in High Fidelity mag. recommended). My room is 20x25 with very thick pile carpet.(3) Can I get a receiver for about $500-600 to do the job? Is their a Y or HK receiver that just does audio in 7.1? I really don't want to pay for video switching or upscaling, I already have that. (4) If I update my center and get more power, then I should be able to do without the rears? Thanks.

[MillerLiteScott]

I have mine in a less than ideal setup. One is about a foot and a half from the side wall and the other one is more open to a hallway with a half wall and a stairwell. I believe that SDA's should be within a foot or so from the back wall to reinforce the bass. You can be out further but bass will suffer slighty. I have had only one other person who owns or heard SDA's before listen to my setup and he said my sound stage was much larger/wider than his.

As far as sound processing I leave mine on auto for watching TV and the amp flips between Pro logic and DD depending on the source from comcast. For DVD's I usually select DTS if it is available otherwise it will usually defaut to DD.

As far as buying a new AVR I would go to Tweeter or whatever store is in your area and they usually have floor models with a pretty good discount or dicontinued models that would fit your needs. I picked up a discontinued Sony STR 3200ES for $599 with 7.1 and HDMI switching for a customer of mine. It was a pretty nice piece as far as features. I really can not comment on the sound because that customer did not have speakers that were good enough to make any judgements.

Scott

[Polk65]

SDA 2B's were the third purchase after my Polk rebirth (following the RTA 12 and RTA 15tl) and are keepers.

The short of it is experiment with placement. I found 4" adjustments to and fro offered huge differences in soundstage even with a receiver and DD pro-logic. They throw a tactile phantom center that will have you checking if your center channel is connected.

Matthew Polk told Mr. Melted sunglasses ND13 and myself in 2005 that the SDA 2's were his favorite non-SRS model because of the soundstage and volume produced by only one stereo and SDA driver.

If I had a choice of building a HT rig based on SDA 2's I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Buying a newer AVR will give you the latest DD effects but search for one with pre-outputs. Then you can later add an external amplifier to provide cleaner power to your speakers.

It all depends on what you want. Bells and whisltes flying at you from 3 dimensions with the latest gear is an option but so is a nicely steered front soundstage with your existing gear.

OnlyPolk... where are you located? Perhaps a nearby Polkie has some gear laying around that you can try before buying.

SDAs for HT are phenomenal. I wish I could justify 2 systems.

Ron, Has she noticed the CRS+ hanging out in the dark? :D

[OnlyPolk]

I have mine in a less than ideal setup. One is about a foot and a half from the side wall and the other one is more open to a hallway with a half wall and a stairwell.
Scott

.. That's about like mine. The left speaker is near the small foyer in the front entrance leading to the stairway. There's 11 ft of separation between the speakers and I probably sit at 17 ft diagonally from the speakers. This happens to follow the 3/4 formular that Paradigm recommends. I just bought a pair of Paradigm studios for another room and I am experimenting with placement still, but I had to bring these out 2 ft into the room to get the proper soundstage. I couldn't do that with the SDA's because it's the living/family room.

I live near CHarlotte NC. There's a Tweeter there.

[OnlyPolk]

...get a couple of CRS+s and a close center with plenty of power and scortch the RTIs.

Please clarify, have heard of the compact SDA-CRS but what's the +s and 'close center'. (Sorry, haven't been keeping up) And where do I place these?

[MillerLiteScott]

Mine are 8 feet apart tweeter to tweeter and I sit 8 feet from the front of my speakers.

Sounds like your room is affecting your SDA imaging. IMO 17 feet is to far and you should be sitting equal distance at the point of a triangle from the face of your speakers.

Scott

[OnlyPolk]

from another thread I see that "the CRS+ with the pin/blade cable has a updated crossover and passive radiator and are a newer speakers than the CRS's ". Would I use these as surrounds (if I can find them)?

[OnlyPolk]

Mine are 8 feet apart tweeter to tweeter and I sit 8 feet from the front of my speakers.

Sounds like your room is affecting your SDA imaging. IMO 17 feet is to far and you should be sitting equal distance at the point of a triangle from the face of your speakers.

Scott

Was that 8 feet diagonally? (you are using a triangle with equal sides). I can get the speakers 8 feet apart but they'll be in front of the tall windows (with drapes). We used to have them there but got moved for cosmetic reasons. I don't remember a great deal of difference but I'll try again.

[MillerLiteScott]

I set up my room originally for HT so my sofa was 8 feet from the TV face. It just happens that my entertainment center has my 2B's tweeters exactly 8 feet apart. It seems to work, but given the chance I would eliminate the entertainment center and probably flip the whole set up to what is now my left side wall. Hindsight is 20 /20.

Scott

[Mike Reeter]

Have a question,are you guys using the SDA interconnect when you have the SDA's in your HT rig?

If not,are you just getting a signal through the Stereo drivers and not the SDA drivers?

[OnlyPolk]

Have a question,are you guys using the SDA interconnect when you have the SDA's in your HT rig?

I am.

[Ron Temple]

Ron, Has she noticed the CRS+ hanging out in the dark? :D

She occasionally asks me if they are new and what did I pay for them..."No dear, I'm just storing them for Steve with the wires hooked up" :D Got your M5jrs back from Fred too. They are in the office currently, unhooked. Come get em, whenever you're ready. Just warn me so that I can buy a pair somewhere. I gave away the Mordaunts ;) .

[Ron Temple]

from another thread I see that "the CRS+ with the pin/blade cable has a updated crossover and passive radiator and are a newer speakers than the CRS's ". Would I use these as surrounds (if I can find them)?

Those are the ones...they are stocked with the same driver/tweeter compliment as my 1Cs for a seamless match. At least before I put RDOs into my fronts, but the difference is negligible for HT. I'm using a long Monster IC as the SDA cable with great results, plugged into the pin side only.

The SDA 2 has different drivers than the CRS+, 6501s I think, which are different from all the CRS models, but the tweeters would match, so I think any CRS(+) version would do the job as surrounds.

Center - CSi5, CS400(i), CS350, Monitor 5(jr)[s]...none are perfect, but all are fairly close...or go phantom center.

[dudeinaroom]

cable in use here.

[read-alot]

I run the 2s in front with the CRS set for rear. I had to upgrade from the CS100 to the 400i to get a good center match. Both IC cables are in use.

[dudeinaroom]

I run the 2s in front with the CRS set for rear. I had to upgrade from the CS100 to the 400i to get a good center match. Both IC cables are in use.

how do the CRSs sound in the rear, and how do you have the placed(ie. equal triangle from listening position facing forward, on the sides of the listening area,????)

[OnlyPolk]

I run the 2s in front with the CRS set for rear. I had to upgrade from the CS100 to the 400i to get a good center match. Both IC cables are in use.

Are they behind you or at the side? Are they on stands? In my room the fireplace (which we do not use) hearth is where I have my rears, they are behind the sitting position.

What's a good price to pay for the CRS+ ? I am not using phantom center currently, I have a CS100.

[Mike Reeter]

cable in use here.

I figured you would,just curious...I remember someone saying at one time that they would unhook the SDA i/c with DVD Movie playback and hook it back up only when playing 2-channel.

[Polk65]

OnlyPolk check out www.polksda.com for some information. Some of the prices are a little low with today's prices but the CRS and CRS+ prices are pretty close. Cable in use here also.

[Disc Jockey]

Another vote for using the sda2 for ht. The phenomenal soundstage they throw really fills in with the rears and makes it seem like 11.1 instead of 5.1 :).

Keep the cable in place for ht/music and use 2ch for music. Personally I don't like the way the dsp stuff sounds so for ht I just use dolby prologic or dd/dts.

Enjoy!

[Lasareath]

My SDA's work very well in my Surround Sound setup.



You may want to upgrade your center channel speaker.

Las

[read-alot]

Are they behind you or at the side? Are they on stands? In my room the fireplace (which we do not use) hearth is where I have my rears, they are behind the sitting position.

What's a good price to pay for the CRS+ ? I am not using phantom center currently, I have a CS100.

They are behind on stands and I think I paid around $250 for them.

Like I mentioned before the CS100 was too weak to keep up as a center, the 400i does that job well.

[Pauly]

My SDA's work very well in my Surround Sound setup.



You may want to upgrade your center channel speaker.

Las

SDA's and Carver Power = Yummy

[OnlyPolk]

How well would a pair of RT600I's work as rear surrounds with my SDA 2's. Would $200 be a good price for a pair of used ones if I can find them and you guys think they would suit?

[OnlyPolk]

I upgraded my SS to a Yam. 2700 with 140W per ch. What a difference to the SDA2's. You were right, these are terrific HT speakers given the right amps. I am sure they can be better but what I have now just blows me away. With the right material I'm not sure that a sub is needed. I was watching 'Dragonheart' the other day and when the dragon roared those bass radiators made me jump.

So I'm thinking my first step should be to get the csi5's. I am hearing my rears for the first time in 15 years, so perhaps that should wait to get upgraded. I was thinking of starting afresh with new fronts, so thanks for your advice here.