Polk Audio SDA SRS 2.3, 2b, and SRS 2
- Thread starter Karn
- Start date
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
It was redundant; I should have just waited to post pics. Here they are:
The darker wood is on the "SDA SRS 2" with the Blade/Blade Interconnect. You can see it's built like a butcherblock.
The lighter colored tops are surely vinyl veneer over MDF? And are on the "SDA SRS 2.3's".
I'm sure you will notice the hodge-podge of tweeters stuck in the "2.3's". I'll be remedy-ing that ASAP.
Edit: Added the model/serial number pictures as well. Sorry they're a bit fuzzy my camera doesn't handle low-light well sometimes. The lower serial number "3331" is off the "SDA SRS 2.3's".
Attachments
The ones you think are vinyl are actually wood veneer over a very stable MDF. The solid wood end caps are made from glued up strips, which tend to split and they show the ugly end grain.
The top and bottom tweeters in the first pic are the SL2500, which are completely wrong for those speakers. The one in the middle is one of the current replacements, either the RD0194-1, which would be the correct one or the RD0198-1, which would be the wrong one. The only way to tell is to look at the terminal tabs. The tabs on the RD0198-1 are a different size while the tabs on the RD0194-1 are the same size.
The other speaker has the original SL2000 at the top and the others are replacements.
The top and bottom tweeters in the first pic are the SL2500, which are completely wrong for those speakers. The one in the middle is one of the current replacements, either the RD0194-1, which would be the correct one or the RD0198-1, which would be the wrong one. The only way to tell is to look at the terminal tabs. The tabs on the RD0198-1 are a different size while the tabs on the RD0194-1 are the same size.
The other speaker has the original SL2000 at the top and the others are replacements.
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
Looks like the speaker you identified as having the SL-2500 as top and bottom have the center as a RD0198-1; the terminals are different size. Looks like I have quite a bit of work to do to get these speakers back to their original sound.
The SL-2000 tweeters used are half the price of any RD0194-1 tweeter. Any reason to not just go with legacy SL-2000 replacements?
If these tweeters have different impedances, it might explain why the previous owner informed me he had to replace a few (I'm assuming the SL-2000's failed quite a while back) or that he was driving the speakers into clipping (which he demonstrated to me on his Emotiva; contextual implications were that he kept blowing them and was replacing them as he found/bought replacements/whatever was on hand).
I have been perusing these posts:
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/polk-sl2000-vs-rdo194-1.935500/
Polk RTA 11t - worth upgrading tweeters to RD0194-1?
I have the 11T's w/ the sl2000 tweeter and they are absoulutely wonderful w/ Cambridge Audio amplification and Linn speaker wire. The amplification and cabling is the key to a balanced sound. The polymide tweeter is very airy and reveals all the air and space in a recording. I wouldn't change...
audiokarma.org
I'm not a high SPL listener but appreciate a low-level "wall'o'sound" so from what I gather for those purposes the SL-2000 might be more ideal for my listening habits?
Last edited:
The SL2500 has a foam ring around the dome, the RD0194-1 and RD0198-1 do not. Those are without a doubt the SL2500.
The SL2000 has a 5dB spike @ 13kHz. Regardless of the volume level they are a nasty sounding tweeter. In addition, they have not aged well. The RD0194-1 is a far superior tweeter.
The SL2000 has a 5dB spike @ 13kHz. Regardless of the volume level they are a nasty sounding tweeter. In addition, they have not aged well. The RD0194-1 is a far superior tweeter.
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
I apologize for my obtuse wording; I meant to say the ones you identified as the SL-2500 *also* had a RD0198-1 in the center of them, so they were all wrong (correctly identified by you). The only "right" tweeter is the single SL-2000 left remaining in the other speaker, which appears to have THREE different models: The OE SL-2000, a SL-2500, and a RD0198-1. I'm going to have to redo the spade connectors as they were obviously modified to fit the wrong tweeters. The "suspect" RD0 models I have in these, have the different terminal sizes, so that would classify them as the RD0198-1, per your info, so I have FIVE wrong tweeters and one original.
I've reached out to Polk regarding direct purchase of 6 RD0194-1 tweeters.
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
Moving on, I powered up the SRS SDA 2's and noticed one of the MW's sounded a bit "froggy". I pulled it out, checked ohms and while it was reacting to music in the enclosure, I cannot get an ohm reading on it; just reads infinite. That MW is on the upper right of this photo. The upper left specs at 10ohms. The lower center MW in the picture is a MW6503 I thought I could swap in to test, but it specs at 7ohms so I'm going to assume that's an unacceptable substitute?
Looks like the MW509 spec is kind of out there on its own.
Mw6500 vs mw6503 vs mw6510
Hello all. My M-7s with the frozen woofers have been awaiting suitable replacements for some time.
forum.polkaudio.com
Looks like the MW509 spec is kind of out there on its own.
Attachments
Last edited:
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
I figured. Short of Ebay/Contacting Polk direct (which I read availability of parts through them is getting harder and harder) is there an an acceptable replacement or substitute in case I cannot find a MW6509?
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
When you say "they" do you mean Polk or MW Speaker Repair? Or both?
Curiously, I put the MW6509 back in, and it ran great, for about 5 minutes, then got scratchy again. Voice coil heating up? Regardless I could not get ohms through it but clearly it works on some level so something must have been up on the testing end.
If I absolutely cannot find a replacement MW6509, is there a risk of damage to other components by using a lower ohm MWxxxx substitute?
Curiously, I put the MW6509 back in, and it ran great, for about 5 minutes, then got scratchy again. Voice coil heating up? Regardless I could not get ohms through it but clearly it works on some level so something must have been up on the testing end.
If I absolutely cannot find a replacement MW6509, is there a risk of damage to other components by using a lower ohm MWxxxx substitute?
Karn
Retroactively Audiodidactic
Thanks.
I've seen the info regarding reparing a shifted magnet. I completely obliterated the first one I attempted that was hard-seized (MW6500) out of those "dragged behind a bus" RTA12s I stumbled onto. Considering the rapidity with which I am discovering how rare the MW6509s are, I think it wise to not attempt myself until I've repaired some more easily replaceable ones. There is a gentleman here on the board who does it for members, but he is unavailable for now.
I think I will epoxy the other ones and wait on a solution to the one in question.
I've seen the info regarding reparing a shifted magnet. I completely obliterated the first one I attempted that was hard-seized (MW6500) out of those "dragged behind a bus" RTA12s I stumbled onto. Considering the rapidity with which I am discovering how rare the MW6509s are, I think it wise to not attempt myself until I've repaired some more easily replaceable ones. There is a gentleman here on the board who does it for members, but he is unavailable for now.
I think I will epoxy the other ones and wait on a solution to the one in question.
The 194 is a direct replacement.
kevintomb
Well-Known Member
The midwest model "looks" like it, "Fits" like it, but remember some testing done on it on a DIY speaker forum, and the T/S characteristics are not even close to the originals for more of the Larger Polks back then.
It was "Somewhat" closer to the small M4 and so on, as they have a higher Fs than most of the other mid to larger models.....
as you say, not sure why they bothered.~!
Lavane
Lunatic Member
All I know is the RDO-194 works great in place of the SL-2000 in my Monitor 10's. It made a very noticable difference for the better. It doesn't sound off at all. I have put random tweeters in beat up speakers I used in may garage before with blown tweeters and they didn't sound right.