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Post by jmasterj on Sept 12, 2019 22:30:03 GMT -5
Hello Emotiva Family some of you know me, and for some this is the first time. I'm glad you're hear a few days ago my friend Snacker text me to inform me that Polk Audio had introduced a new SDA speaker The Legend L800 I couldn't wait to take a look. I had a pair of SDA-2's back in 1980 brought them brand new and loved them. I ended up letting them go and then some twenty years later I wanted another pair but Matthew Polk had stopped production of SDA speakers. I did what any desperate audio buff would do I wrote Matthew Polk a letter begging him to build some more SDA speakers. He never responded. I purchased two different Polk speakers after that before going to Maggie's.
I meet Snacker here in the Lounge and we both lived in Las Vegas so we ended up becoming good friends. Some of you know we both had a thing for Polk Audio SDA speakers so when he found a pair of SDA 1's local he brought them I told him to bring them over to my place don't even take them home so he did we hooked them up and had a listen it brought back fond memories for me and Snacker got to cross something off his bucket list. His SDA-1's were in really good shape to be 30 or so years old. Snacker then tells me he was suppose to be purchasing someSDA-2's but he got the ones instead so I told him that if the SDA-2's are as clean as the SDA-1's he got I wanted them. They are cherries, then Snacker sold his SDA-1's to my brother in Chicago who swears they are the holy grail. Then he found another pair of SDA-1's cherries and gifted them to me so I now have two pair of Polk Audio SDA speakers that are in mint condition.
So I will say the new Polk Audio SDA Legend L-800 look impressive he decided to late to get me. I'm going to keep the two pair that I have. Can't wait to hear a review though.
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Post by creimes on Sept 12, 2019 22:49:35 GMT -5
Your lucky you had the good polks, my first polks were Monitor 70's which were nothing to write home about haha, but they were cheap and at the time was about all I could afford, those new L800 look nice but yikes not budget friendly haha.
Chad
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Post by geeqner on Sept 13, 2019 2:27:59 GMT -5
The SDA concept is intriguing to me. I have seen several sets of the “classics” for sale around here on CL I also previously owned a set of Monitor 5 bookshelves that exhibited my understanding of the hallmark traits of “old-school” Polks: - TIGHT, well-controlled Bass (sealed enclosure with Passive Radiator)
- Sparkling highs - nice, wide-dispersion Silk Dome tweeter
- Took some Wattage to get them singing in full-spectrum (they seemed to sound best when played a bit LOUD)
They could really have benefitted from being matched-up with a good Sub. My Nephew and his wife are now enjoying them.
Sounds like people were blown-away by the imaging and full-spectrum sound. They appear to be able to combine excellent spectral response / balance with enhanced imaging / sound stage without sounding “gimmicky”.
Once I get my Pre-Amp situation sorted out - My next planned upgrade will be Speakers. These might be worth an audition once the price comes down a bit. (Also considering used GoldenEar Triton 2/2+ or Ones if I can find a pair at a reasonable price)
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Post by creimes on Sept 13, 2019 9:04:55 GMT -5
The SDA concept is intriguing to me. I have seen several sets of the “classics” for sale around here on CL I also previously owned a set of Monitor 5 bookshelves that exhibited my understanding of the hallmark traits of “old-school” Polks: - TIGHT, well-controlled Bass (sealed enclosure with Passive Radiator)
- Sparkling highs - nice, wide-dispersion Silk Dome tweeter
- Took some Wattage to get them singing in full-spectrum (they seemed to sound best when played a bit LOUD)
They could really have benefitted from being matched-up with a good Sub. My Nephew and his wife are now enjoying them.
Sounds like people were blown-away by the imaging and full-spectrum sound. They appear to be able to combine excellent spectral response / balance with enhanced imaging / sound stage without sounding “gimmicky”.
Once I get my Pre-Amp situation sorted out - My next planned upgrade will be Speakers. These might be worth an audition once the price comes down a bit. (Also considering used GoldenEar Triton 2/2+ or Ones if I can find a pair at a reasonable price)
Polk always seem to be on sale at Best Buy for 50% off every month  |
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Post by geeqner on Sept 13, 2019 10:08:19 GMT -5
The SDA concept is intriguing to me. I have seen several sets of the “classics” for sale around here on CL I also previously owned a set of Monitor 5 bookshelves that exhibited my understanding of the hallmark traits of “old-school” Polks: - TIGHT, well-controlled Bass (sealed enclosure with Passive Radiator)
- Sparkling highs - nice, wide-dispersion Silk Dome tweeter
- Took some Wattage to get them singing in full-spectrum (they seemed to sound best when played a bit LOUD)
They could really have benefitted from being matched-up with a good Sub. My Nephew and his wife are now enjoying them.
Sounds like people were blown-away by the imaging and full-spectrum sound. They appear to be able to combine excellent spectral response / balance with enhanced imaging / sound stage without sounding “gimmicky”.
Once I get my Pre-Amp situation sorted out - My next planned upgrade will be Speakers. These might be worth an audition once the price comes down a bit. (Also considering used GoldenEar Triton 2/2+ or Ones if I can find a pair at a reasonable price)
Polk always seem to be on sale at Best Buy for 50% off every month THOSE would be the “cheapened” mass-market speakers, brought to us by Polk corporate and their bean-counters. it appears that Polk Audio is attempting to release a new “Legend Series” product, which will only be available through select Dealers. It also seems that the Legend Series is an attempt to hearken back to the time when Mathew Polk was at the helm. The new SDAs were supposedly designed by one of their long-time Engineers, who had worked with Mathew back in the day. Time will tell if this throwback concept works, or if it is just a further attempt to “cash-in” on the Polk name without the underlying Polk principles... |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2019 10:41:55 GMT -5
I have never heard SDAs before.
Very interesting design, I can see why they image well and people liked them.
Because of surround sound, small form factor has dominated the speaker market of late.
Many have forgotten the great speaker engineers of the past. Their companies morphed into less than the standards they set, for market share.
People are rediscovering speakers of the 70's & 80's when Stereo had reacted its zenith. It's good that some are taking great designs and incorporating new materials and with the help of CAD to bring back great speakers. JBL L100 are being sold again- $4k. (those were a love/hate speaker)
I find it interesting that Tekton has exploded onto the market- hardly small form factor.
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Post by geeqner on Sept 13, 2019 12:23:55 GMT -5
Yeah, I remember seeing and listening to some PolkAudio speakers back in the 1980’s when I was in College -
Their mid to high-end stuff was at the Upper price and performance range of “mid-fi” / the non-esoteric stuff that one could find in large local Electronics Specialty stores. They were too pricey for me at the time, but I COULD see myself affording a pair in my future. (Unlike the super-expensive / exotic stuff that a 20-something year old geek dreamt about / read about in the Stereo rags at the time.)
The best ones were also quite inefficient, and would have required a SERIOUS investment in Amps to do them justice.
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Post by creimes on Sept 13, 2019 23:19:10 GMT -5
Polk always seem to be on sale at Best Buy for 50% off every month THOSE would be the “cheapened” mass-market speakers, brought to us by Polk corporate and their bean-counters. it appears that Polk Audio is attempting to release a new “Legend Series” product, which will only be available through select Dealers. It also seems that the Legend Series is an attempt to hearken back to the time when Mathew Polk was at the helm. The new SDAs were supposedly designed by one of their long-time Engineers, who had worked with Mathew back in the day. Time will tell if this throwback concept works, or if it is just a further attempt to “cash-in” on the Polk name without the underlying Polk principles... Hopefully so as most now know the name "Polk" via the big boxstores like Best Buy and such, the new SDA is more than I will ever be able to spend on a speaker, would be cool to hear them but there are a many a speakers I would love to hear. Chad |
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Post by snacker on Sept 14, 2019 23:57:58 GMT -5
I haven't seen the going rate for the new Polk Legend till now. Not even sure if it's just one model or if they'll have more than one.
Sounds similar to what JBL did recently with reviving/updating an old favorite. Seems the price points are pretty close.
Jmasterj, hope you continue to enjoy your's. I miss stopping over and listening to them. Hopefully I can get back to Vegas soon.
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Post by jmasterj on Sept 15, 2019 0:06:30 GMT -5
I'm sure we will see each other soon and I have something for you so until that time!
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Post by goodfellas27 on Sept 16, 2019 13:08:41 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2019 12:23:09 GMT -5
Some ideas I too have had in the back of my head for DIY design
Notice the LF port is probably open & coned for disbursement. I've thought about building transmission line speakers but to me that's just more internal reflections (noise) way too much physics involved to be practical. Keep it simple, stupid. I've never understood port tubes- I do, but I don't-.why compress the soundwaves to go through a tube? It's unnatural.
The whole idea of open baffle to to eliminate box resonance & reflections.
Understand the cancellation idea, I believe Dr Bose came up with that idea. Cone stiffening M.A. did with C-CAM, 20 yrs ago (& a few others)
Looks like Polk just improved upon older ideas, nothing new, but smart design. I bet SDA sells.
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Post by vcautokid on Sept 17, 2019 16:14:42 GMT -5
I liked the original SDAs. You needed the right amplifier for the job to keep them happy, but once there, yeah pretty darn awesome.
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