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Polk Legend L800 Tower Measurements

napilopez

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mhardy6647

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decoRyder

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[QUOTE="
I hope you get an R200 to evaluate @napilopez -- that one might be an excellent deal. The L200 is quite nice, but the price strikes me as out of line with what it is. The R200 seems... about right. [/QUOTE]

I just got the r200's, and I like them better than my ELAC Debut Ref. 6.2's - I hope that Amir will get to review them.
 

warthor

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I am not sure if this is related, but: Do Polk Dealers offer discounts or can you get these cheaper in any way?
 

Shike

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I'm a huge fan of crosstalk cancellation tech. Polk was the first to really introduce a solution with SDA, Carver followed up with Sonic Holography, Ambiophonics then came into the picture being promoted by Ralph Glasgal offering a compelling solution to fix some of the shortcomings, and finally Edgar Choueiri with BACCH. This is Polk's attempt to re-enter the market seriously with SDA as SDA speakers are still in relative demand in the used market.

Someone I had introduced to Ambiophonics made a post on it here. If you're interested in xtc tech and what it can do to possibly improve the sound try some of the samples he made. It's like taking the strengths of headphones and speakers and combining them.

I personally use 4.1 ambiophonics at my PC since there's going to be less arguments or concern over a sweet spot there.
 

rdenney

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I'm a huge fan of crosstalk cancellation tech. Polk was the first to really introduce a solution with SDA, Carver followed up with Sonic Holography, Ambiophonics then came into the picture being promoted by Ralph Glasgal offering a compelling solution to fix some of the shortcomings, and finally Edgar Choueiri with BACCH. This is Polk's attempt to re-enter the market seriously with SDA as SDA speakers are still in relative demand in the used market.
...

I thought Linn had speakers back in the deeps of time that used off-channel cancellation to increase the stereo effect, but now I can't find it or recall it.

Carver was famous for it with the sonic hologram processor built into some of their preamps (and as a standalone unit), but Hughes also developed the concept somewhat later with the "Sound Retrieval System", first marketed to the airlines for on-board sound systems. Their AK-100 was the expensive, discrete version. I have an AK-500 that I bought for fun after reading about it on Roger Russell's page--the cheaper version that was housed in a large-scale integrated circuit. I agree with his conclusion--with properly located loudspeakers, the effect is neutral or detrimental. It's interesting with small, narrowly spaced speakers, though mine has too high a noise floor to be something I would use routinely. I do have a small system with narrowly spaced speakers in a bedroom we use for exercise equipment--I didn't think to try it there but I might. For these, the out-of-phase off-ear signal is delayed slightly to cancel only the crosstalk. The Polk SDA does it with separate drivers so that the cancellation is all acoustic.

I would describe the Polk SDA speakers of old as a cult product with a devoted following. I suspect that those who get used to the effect miss it when it's not there. But in my experience, the effect is limited to a sweet spot, and other listening positions in the room get worse.

Rick "who moves around too much" Denney
 

Spkrdctr

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Totally fair. I don't particularly care about polk or revel one way or another, but unless many people have heard both speakers in the same setup, I just think we shouldn't just assume revel is better just because it's ~~revel~~, you know?

It is all over these forums. Genelac and Revels seem to be on everyone's hot list. Just sayin.....
 

tjcinnamon

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I am not sure if this is related, but: Do Polk Dealers offer discounts or can you get these cheaper in any way?
I just got an open box pair with the L900 atmos modules (they needed to be there as part of the B stock) for $4500 then got a good discount on the center. I ended up paying $6100 for the LCR plus “Atmos” (even though I already have 4 in the ceiling and won’t use them)
 

warthor

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I just got an open box pair with the L900 atmos modules (they needed to be there as part of the B stock) for $4500 then got a good discount on the center. I ended up paying $6100 for the LCR plus “Atmos” (even though I already have 4 in the ceiling and won’t use them)
Thanks for the info! Did you find that at a local polk dealer?
 

tjcinnamon

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Thanks for the info! Did you find that at a local polk dealer?
Yeah, StereoLand in Minneapolis. I had to drive 4 hours to get there but I had family in the area. I bought them site on seen. They were exactly the upgrade I was looking for.
I’m coming from Paradigm Prestige which is in the $3K region. Whatever that means. I side by side with the Paradigm Founders Flagship which was “cleaner” but also much more sensitive. I’m not sure what the Parasound was pushing in the listening room. It was 5 Channel so I can’t imagine it was more than 200W and these are hard to drive.
 

GGroch

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I owned and sold Polk's original SDA speakers in the mid 80s. While it appears there have been improvements, the overall concept seems the same.

Back then, we only detailed the technology to those who were very interested. The benefits of SDA are immediately apparent when the speakers and listeners are positioned correctly. The width of the stereo image expands well beyond the distance between the speakers, and even the room walls. If I remember right, we were provided an A/B switch that eliminated the effect, to demonstrate the difference. I do not know whether it simply disconnected the A1 SDA interconnect cable, or switched its polarity.

POLKSDA.com is a site dedicated to the original series. It links to this in depth 1985 article in Stereo Review describing the technology. I owned the compact SDA CRS model , proving that SDA can be put into a stand mount speaker. While impressive, I did think the effect seemed somewhat artificial...not tied too closely to the intentions of the recording engineers.
 

beagleman

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I owned and sold Polk's original SDA speakers in the mid 80s. While it appears there have been improvements, the overall concept seems the same.

Back then, we only detailed the technology to those who were very interested. The benefits of SDA are immediately apparent when the speakers and listeners are positioned correctly. The width of the stereo image expands well beyond the distance between the speakers, and even the room walls. If I remember right, we were provided an A/B switch that eliminated the effect, to demonstrate the difference. I do not know whether it simply disconnected the A1 SDA interconnect cable, or switched its polarity.

POLKSDA.com is a site dedicated to the original series. It links to this in depth 1985 article in Stereo Review describing the technology. I owned the compact SDA CRS model , proving that SDA can be put into a stand mount speaker. While impressive, I did think the effect seemed somewhat artificial...not tied too closely to the intentions of the recording engineers.

I have to agree. I found the SDA effect, to be fairly artificial sounding. The better the recording the more fake it sounded.

No real benefit, but it DOES sound "Cool" on some music for sure!
Anything well recorded gets butchered by this, not enhanced.

I used to own a pair, and I could switch the effect on and on as you mention,(a switch that opens the circuit in the connecting cable) and while it was a fun and cool sound, it always felt like some fake DSP type of effect, Cool, but not natural or the real thing.

To add some insight, I have done some actual recordings in the day of a few church groups, mostly acoustic, and completely knew what the sound SHOULD sound like.

The SDA just created this really false "Big and wide" soundstage that was NOT in the original recording at all. I know some live and die by these and claim it creates something more real, but honestly outside of Polk Fans and a few reviewers most pros or guys that DO recordings shun this stuff completely.
 
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beagleman

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It’s for their crosstalk cancellation. You run a wire between the two towers, it then uses that data and does something with it (inverted phase?) such that your right ear doesn’t hear the direct sound of the left tower and your left ear doesn’t hear the direct sound of the right ear. If you don’t have the wire connected, only one tweeter and mid play.

I guess it’s supposed to sound like you are wearing headphones, but with room interactions and bass impact. Not sure.
The actual circuit is VERY simple.
Nothing fancy at all.
It is simply the HAFLER circuit employed with the 2 "Dimensional" speakers providing L-R and R-L information. In other words, the "Difference signal", as opposed to the SUM signal.

It is literally a wire coming from the Left Positive amp output, through both dimensional speakers (by the SDA cord) and back to the Right positive amp terminal.

What you get is everything sound wise, that is out of phase or only on just the left or just the right. The opposite of a mono signal.

By positioning the dimensional speakers on each side of the normal stereo pair, our brain tricks us into hearing a wider image. There are no REAL imaging cues created, but simply a wider false image.
 

MZKM

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The actual circuit is VERY simple.
Nothing fancy at all.
It is simply the HAFLER circuit employed with the 2 "Dimensional" speakers providing L-R and R-L information. In other words, the "Difference signal", as opposed to the SUM signal.

It is literally a wire coming from the Left Positive amp output, through both dimensional speakers (by the SDA cord) and back to the Right positive amp terminal.

What you get is everything sound wise, that is out of phase or only on just the left or just the right. The opposite of a mono signal.

By positioning the dimensional speakers on each side of the normal stereo pair, our brain tricks us into hearing a wider image. There are no REAL imaging cues created, but simply a wider false image.
The question is then, what about mono elements or even playing a mono track? Would nothing come out?
 

beagleman

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The question is then, what about mono elements or even playing a mono track? Would nothing come out?
The stereo drivers would create the Mono signal. There are 2 sets of drivers, one set is hooked up just like regular stereo, and the ones on the "Outside edge" are hooked up across the positive terminals.
 

tjcinnamon

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The actual circuit is VERY simple.
Nothing fancy at all.
It is simply the HAFLER circuit employed with the 2 "Dimensional" speakers providing L-R and R-L information. In other words, the "Difference signal", as opposed to the SUM signal.

It is literally a wire coming from the Left Positive amp output, through both dimensional speakers (by the SDA cord) and back to the Right positive amp terminal.

What you get is everything sound wise, that is out of phase or only on just the left or just the right. The opposite of a mono signal.

By positioning the dimensional speakers on each side of the normal stereo pair, our brain tricks us into hearing a wider image. There are no REAL imaging cues created, but simply a wider false image.
it's a sureal effect. It's as real of an effect as taking LSD is a real effect. Is it "real", no; is it really fun? Absolutely! I love these speakers.
 

beagleman

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it's a sureal effect. It's as real of an effect as taking LSD is a real effect. Is it "real", no; is it really fun? Absolutely! I love these speakers.
Oh trust me, I really loved the effect "at times", but simply after a few months of fun, with my vintage SDA speakers, started finding stuff that it did not compliment, and in fact degraded the soundstage or experience of "reality".

The more "natural and real" recordings became, less natural and odd and unusual sounding. Like really well recorded acoustic stuff, and classical, and my church recordings, all came out LESS like what they should sound like.

A lot of Rock and Pop Studio created affairs, came out more fun, wider, and just a cool experience.

I guess I was caught between it being fun and cool at "Times", but with really well recorded stuff or things I KNEW how they should sound first hand, they added a false layer or enhancement, that took away from the known reality.

I know SDA has a Love/Hate thing between purist audiophiles and Polk fanboys, but I ended up simply not using the Effect most of the time, and I guess the thrill wore off for me. I sold those huge SDA speakers and went with the smaller Polk tower, the RTA11t and got a much more natural sound and soundstage overall.

That was years ago. I have NOT heard the latest version at all.
 
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