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Hello.
Looking at buying a set of Polk SDA 1.C speakers, that I found at a pawn store.Before I do, here is the questions:are they worth it? asking price is 300 dollars? Will it be easy to find upgrades for them?
What amplifier do I need to power them up? I seemed to have read that they needed powerful amps.
All your answers are appreciated.
Thank you.
Follow Ups:
There's several "versions" of the SDA 1C.
Early production used blade/blade connector sockets for the SDA cable. Later production used pin/blade connectors. Of course, the SDA cable needs to have the same arrangement as the connector on the back of the speaker cabinet.Not to fret, both styles are being replaced by aftermarket connectors when the speakers are upgraded by Polk aficionados.
There are SDA 1C "Studio" and SDA 1C "Real Wood" cabinets. I remember a discussion about the differences between these cabinets; it almost appears that the "Real Wood" cabinets were built on top of the Studio cabinet. The "Real Wood" style had real wood end caps, fabric side panels, and no recessed "base" like the Studios, and the "Real Wood" version was priced higher.
In the end, the 1C was--and is--a terrific speaker system. If all the drivers work and the cabinets are in decent condition, I'd drop $300 a pair tomorrow. Truthfully, I'd pay more than that--but there's none to be found where I am. (And what I really want is SDA-SRS 2 pin/blade, a 1C in a larger cabinet with a bigger passive radiator.)
I'm an original owner of SDA 1Bs, similar in style to the SDA 1C Studio version, but with different drivers and crossovers. Replacing crossover capacitors and other upgrades gave my 1Bs a new lease on life. I think they sound great, but the 1B cannot be made compatible with a non-common-ground amplifier. The 1C can have an isolation transformer put into the SDA interconnect cable for use with bridged or otherwise non-common-ground amps. Without that transformer, the 1C like all other Polk SDA speakers must have a common-ground amplifier.
I ran my 1Bs (4-ohm) with a Japanese "120 watt" receiver for about eight years before moving up to a real power amp. The 1C is a "6 ohm" nominal speaker, so should be even easier to drive.
Edits: 05/31/15 05/31/15
Nice post and welcome to AA. My first Polks were RTA-12's s/n 572,572 which I sold to a friend. I have a pair of modded 1A's and 1.2 TL's w/ X-over upgrade. SDA is a lot of fun on the right recordings.
A few years before SDA came out, my friend (Paul Bruney)that lived near me in MD closer to DC than Baltimore, patented the same circuit done at pre amp level and called it the IMX. Polk was still all done in Baltimore then and we figured they got hold of one and that it inspired SDA.
The Polk BBS is a good place for Polk info and Gimpod has lots of data and a link to their company that makes nice replacement crossovers and boards. I just can't convince him that continuing to use those Molex connectors is a bad thing.
E
T
I post on the Polk forum under the same username as here. Been there for years. I don't know of a "Polk BBS", though. Have a link?
Schurkey
Yes we're talking of the same thing. BBS= bulletin board service which was what we called them in the 90's before forum started being used. I have the same moniker there too but haven;t posted in some time.
E
T
Don't know what it does, but they sound a lot better with the cable installed (make certain it's included with the speakers).
Edits: 05/26/15
It makes the SDA circuit work (the two outside 6-1/2" drivers in each box) it is also the reason common ground is required. If the cable isn't included it is easy to make.
E
T
I consider that toward the high end. If they are in excellent shape then I guess its OK. I assume you can test them. Yes its easy to upgrade the now 25 year old crossover parts. They are 90db efficient so they don't particularly need a powerful amp but they do need one with common ground. Recommended power by Polk is anything from as little as 50 to as much as 500 watts.
E
T
Edits: 05/26/15
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