My new Polk SDA 1B speakers

HyKlas

HyKlas

Super Member
Picked up for a song tonight, my first big Polks. Excited to get them hooked up and playing some music. The previous owner had them running off a BPC A/V receiver, a Teac maybe, so I couldn't get an idea of what they are really supposed to sound like. He also had them backwards (R><L) so I didn't bother trying to listen to much anyhow.

All drivers are working with no shifted magnets. Cabinets are in very good condition as well, save for a bit of vinyl peeling, which is to be expected. The screwed-on stands are missing though. Maybe previous water damage or something, I didn't ask. Easy enough to build a pair I'm sure.

I should be in for a treat with these no doubt. Will be powering them with my Pioneer M90 once I get the other 100lb behemoths out of the way.

Here's me right now... :banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1749.jpg
    DSCN1749.jpg
    81.6 KB · Views: 175
Congrats on a very nice pick up. Mine had the risers but I took them off and spiked them, they look and sound better with spikes. You'll also need to recap them.
 
Thanks all. Maybe I'll get everything moved around this weekend.

Right now there's a pair of Hales Revelation 3 sitting there. They won't be leaving the house any time soon but will definitely get displaced for a short period. They need a good refinish anyhow and it seems to be a great time to start.
 
HyKlas said:
Thanks all. Maybe I'll get everything moved around this weekend.

Right now there's a pair of Hales Revelation 3 sitting there. They won't be leaving the house any time soon but will definitely get displaced for a short period. They need a good refinish anyhow and it seems to be a great time to start.
Click to expand...

I've heard great things about Hales Revelation.
I doubt 1B's can beat them except in bass.
Also, these 1B's have pretty much hated tweeters so highs will not be as good as what their replacement (RDO-194) can do.
 
I don't plan to get rid of the Hales, that's for sure. They do what they do well enough to keep them around but their short comings are apparent with certain types of music (bass heavy). Being in my early 30s, a lot of different genres get played in my house. The Polks will do what they are intended to do I'm sure.

I also plan a full upgrade on them in the near future. Just have to do a bit of research on caps and whatnot when I find the time.

Would love to get some new vinyl on them as well but we'll see.
 
Hooked them up and have been playing some music for a few hours now. Not impressed at this point. Having Monitor 7s, Advents, a boat load of ADS, and the Hales Rev 3s, these just don't "cut the mustard". Maybe after $100+ in caps, some better binding posts, a full internal rewire, $200 in tweeters, and a set of spikes, they might be more in line... Not a gamble I'm willing to take. They just need to be too loud to sound decent, I'm not a fan of that. They do have excellent stereo separation and bass response though, I'll give them that.

Will try for a few more days to adjust but first impressions are way off base.
 
How do you have them placed in your room? Is you amp common ground? Do you have the interconnect cable for the Polk's?

And...."screw on stand are missing"???
 
I have the original owners manual and the SDA cable hooked up. I have a 13.5' wall so I'm at minimum specs for distance apart. Also placed each on a 2" (~1.5") concrete block to get them back up to where they are supposed to be.

I have a spare set of spikes here so I will, at the very least, give that a try over the weekend. Most likely just need more time with them but A/B against the Hales is slightly disappointing. Or maybe I just need a glass of scotch, who knows?
 
The early SDAs were unexciting at lower volumes.
You do have to play them fairly loud to get the impression they've awakened and still will remain rather laid back as is their nature to be.
 
Once properly setup, play an entire album without changing speakers.
Then repeat the same album with another speakers and adjust volume if there is volume difference with same power.
Then decide which ones you enjoyed.
Our ears need time to adjust to new sound and if you switch back and forth within few minutes, you are just comparing the immediate frequency differences, not what you enjoy nor what you like.
 
Placement is critical. Are they as close to the rear wall as can be(they should be)? Are they toed in(they shouldn't be)? SDA's are different animals, and take some getting used to. A friend picked up a set of SRS's, and was not impressed at first. He was used to his Snell XA 60's. Now, after f'ing around with placement, ect., he loves them.
 
When I first got my 1Bs, I wasn't real with their sound. To me they sounded like they had a thick blanket thrown over them. I recapped the high freq crossover (one 4.4uf & 12uf cap per speaker) and it really opened them up. Since then I've modded the crap out of them, to my ears they sound great. I know I'll never sell mine.
 
They're not for everyone. I have a friend who's been into audio longer than I've been alive. He prefers the sound of my big polks with the sda cable disconnected. But to me the cable is what sets them apart from every other speaker that I've ever heard. Play around with em and if you decide they're not for you it won't be hard to move them and find something else that does.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

bobdod
Polk SDA-1B or RTA-12C?
Replies
0
Views
171
bobdod
bobdod
bigaltx24
Polk SDA-1B
Replies
8
Views
1K
bigaltx24
bigaltx24
mars_volta
Just brought home Polk SDA 2s
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Flathead38
F
W.ALLEN
Polk SDA-1B amplifier recommendations
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
halo71
halo71
D
Polk sda srs
Replies
17
Views
3K
talpa
talpa
Back
Top Bottom