Carver AL-III Plus or Polk SDA SRS 1.2TL

[kve777 6,888]

For a 1,000 ft2 room I'd be going Klipsch- Cornwalls, K-horns or LaScala's. At least 4. 8 would be ideal. 4 corner stacks, upper ones inverted. If you use four, put them in two corners, stacked, uppers inverted. You might not need subs.

 

[kingman 662]

 

 

The bottom end on AL3's is lacking. I use mine with a Sunfire MKII sub and to me this is a match made in heaven.

I'm running that same set up. I use my sub sparingly. Ribbons rule!

[B-Man 4,780]

I recently scored a non-functioning Sunfire True Sub Signature that I hope to incorporate with the AL-IIIs in my upstairs system. It will replace an Infinity PS312 handling sub duties right now...

[RodH 4,866]

So.....Sub-hoarding is the new OCCD?

[Daddyjt 9,614]

 

 

So.....Sub-hoarding is the new OCCD?

 

Welcome to the party;-)

[B-Man 4,780]

So.....Sub-hoarding is the new OCCD?

 

Come on Rod - I only have 1 !!!  (Right now anyway)  

[PMAT 2,038]

 

 

 

The bottom end on AL3's is lacking. I use mine with a Sunfire MKII sub and to me this is a match made in heaven.

I'm running that same set up. I use my sub sparingly. Ribbons rule!

<

The heart of music is in the midrange. You can add a sub for bass. Ribbons rule the mids.

[kve777 6,888]

I do have THESE looking for a new home.

 

[Showmodel 86]

 

 

For a 1,000 ft2 room I'd be going Klipsch- Cornwalls, K-horns or LaScala's. At least 4. 8 would be ideal. 4 corner stacks, upper ones inverted. If you use four, put them in two corners, stacked, uppers inverted. You might not need subs.

 

 

Interesting idea about the Cornwalls. I have never heard them, but just looking at reviews it seems people love them, they are very efficient, and they are readily available.

 

Since posting this, I have done some research on SPL (feeling my music), and perhaps it would be a better idea for me to have a smaller room. Thinking now of having a home theater room that will also double as my stereo music room. This would allow me to utilize some of the same equipment, and have to purchase less equipment to be a Bass Monkey  

[Showmodel 86]

The bottom end on AL3's is lacking. I use mine with a Sunfire MKII sub and to me this is a match made in heaven.

I'm running that same set up. I use my sub sparingly. Ribbons rule!

<
The heart of music is in the midrange. You can add a sub for bass. Ribbons rule the mids.

 

Where is the crossover to the ribbons at in the AL3's? It's gotta be pretty low. Can those ribbons play pretty loud that low? Adding subs will only take the load off the sub in the AL3's.

 

I'm pretty much set on for sure buying the next set of AL3's or non original ALS that come for sale in my area for a good price. With all this ribbon talk I just need to hear them for myself!! And I guess while I'm at it I'll throw in a Sunfire MKII. Thanks for getting my OCCD kicked in guys!!

 

[PMAT 2,038]

150 hz and yes loud as hell with power.

[B-Man 4,780]

 

 

 

BuY both and eliminate one after using your ears in your space. Perhaps Silvers or Plats.

 

I like the way you think!! Unfortunately for me, the Polks will probably be quite hard to find and I may end up having to travel quite a distance to get them. I have been watching for almost a year and have only seen 1 pair within a days round trip. And with the demand for them, people are beginning to ask some crazy $$ for them. Besides, I know if they both were in my house it would be quite hard to part with either of them, and that could get me into some trouble here at home 

 

Here's another pair at a much more reasonable price : Asheville CL That is only 90 miles or so from me so the mule offer still stands.

[trav0810 586]

There is a REALLY good deal on a fully upgraded pair if 2.3TL's. if i had the cash for these, it would be a no-brainer. I will already be on my way to pick them up.

 

Well, I guess I can't insert the link! They are on the Polk site and they belong to a CS member, Sea. $1300

 

 

[Showmodel 86]

Here's another pair at a much more reasonable price : Asheville CL That is only 90 miles or so from me so the mule offer still stands.

 

Wow quite tempting. Whats' the difference between the TL's? I believe they came with SL3000 tweets (which I could upgrade the non-TL's to). Don't the TL's come with a better x-over and more internal bracing? Let me do some quick research. 

[Showmodel 86]

There is a REALLY good deal on a fully upgraded pair if 2.3TL's. if i had the cash for these, it would be a no-brainer. I will already be on my way to pick them up.

Well, I guess I can't insert the link! They are on the Polk site and they belong to a CS member, Sea. $1300

 

Thanks. I have thought about 2.3's or 3.1's, but I honestly think if I went Polk I would always want the 1.2's 

[Showmodel 86]

Been doing some thinking and maybe I should just go all in and get my dream speakers:

 

 

Just started doing some research on these bad boys. Seems there are RS-1's, RS-1A's and RS-1B's. Hard to find info on anything else except the RS-1B's. Anyone know about the earlier models and what was different? Sounds like it's best to ditch the x-over that came with them and provide my own active? Are these able to be driven load wise with M-1.0t MKII's? I believe I read that you can't use inverted amps with them? Just want to start educating myself for if some come available.

[Showmodel 86]

Well, looks like a partial decision was made today. Just picked up a pair of Polk SDA 1.2TL's that popped up only about 45 minutes from me on CL. Wood on cabinets has some wear, so I will probably end up refinishing them. All drivers seemed to be working well when I auditioned them. As an added bonus, the tweets have already been upgraded to the RD0198-1's!!

 

Bad news is I love my M-500t's and can't use them with these. Came with the standard Polk interconnect cable. I guess there is another cable from Polk called an A1, and an aftermarket cable called a dreadnaught that will allow an inverted amp to be used, but I will have to do me some research on that. For now will power the low end with a fully recapped M-1.5t and the top with a soon to be MKII'd M-1.0t. Will hopefully have them hooked up for some listening by tomorrow as I have lots going on today. Will report back on thoughts when I can give them a few test runs.

 

Main reason for going with the Polks was firstly because they were the first to become available close by, and secondly that parts and drivers are very easily found if needed since I like to crank er up .

 

I'm sure if I come across some ALS, AL-III's or Kappa 9's at a decent price I will snag them up to listen and compare (and probably keep, who am I kidding).

 

And now for the picture or it didn't happen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kve777 6,888]

Sweet!

 

Every time I look at those I think about how much fun it would be to line up about a hundred of these and knock 'em over like dominoes. I know, I need help. 

[Showmodel 86]

 

 

Sweet!

 

Every time I look at those I think about how much fun it would be to line up about a hundred of these and knock 'em over like dominoes. I know, I need help. 

 

Mental note........Don't invite Kevin over to see the Polks and leave him unsupervised  

[PMAT 2,038]

Never leave Kevin unsupervised, Polks or not.

[MORE CARVER'S PLEASE 99]

Well it looks like I came to your thread a bit late.....sorry only been on the Carver site a few weeks now. 

Well I can't hold my tongue.....sorry...I just have to through this out there.. The Polks very nice speaker for sure.. I have the 2.3's and I do like em... in your 1st post you said you wanted it loud and to feel the music..well with that said IMHO nothing and I mean nothing comes close to a Klipsch Chorus speaker..the I's or II's.

When those Polks reach there max db out-put the Klipsch are not even 1/2 there yet....Those Chorus are rated @ 101 db's with 1 watt and they peak @ 1000 watts... When I want to rock my house the Klipsch Chorus are powered up with a TFM-55x.. and those Klipsch will take all 380 watts that Carver throw's at em. I'll have those power needles jumping way past the 380 mark....it's nuts...I've also bridged two M400t's and that's 500 watts at em.

I like the 55x the best with em...truly chest pounding bass. 

Alot of the guys on the Klipsch sit have the Chorus speaker and they only put a few watts at em..and yea they start to jump with about 10-20 watts...but a few of us really throw the power at em...and we talk about it....and I always talk about how a Carver will make those speakers come alive...When those power needles start jumping over 300 watts it's like the flood gates of sound just opened up .....   I have two Adcom 555II's that I bridged..that's 600 watts and they still could not put out the bass that TFM-55x had.

Well I don't want to keep going on...you do have a "great" set of speakers there for sure and yes congrats...If you run across a set of Klipsch ChorusI's or II's you might want to check em out... cuz I don't think there's a such a thing as to many speakers lol.... or Carver amps lol...

MCP :-) 

[CT-Seven 764]

 

 

Sweet!

Every time I look at those I think about how much fun it would be to line up about a hundred of these and knock 'em over like dominoes. I know, I need help.

 

I TRIED

 

 

[CT-Seven 764]

 

 

Well, looks like a partial decision was made today. Just picked up a pair of Polk SDA 1.2TL's that popped up only about 45 minutes from me on CL. Wood on cabinets has some wear, so I will probably end up refinishing them. All drivers seemed to be working well when I auditioned them. As an added bonus, the tweets have already been upgraded to the RD0198-1's!!

 

N I C E !!!

 

Congrats

[zumbini 6,147]

....Bad news is I love my M-500t's and can't use them with these. Came with the standard Polk interconnect cable. I guess there is another cable from Polk called an A1, and an aftermarket cable called a dreadnaught that will allow an inverted amp to be used, but I will have to do me some research on that.

 

Apparently I missed this comment as I recently traded an A1-I for four SL3000 tweeters and two MW6503 mids.

A few Polkies said I got ripped off because A1-I's sell for upwards of $250 and the drivers were worth about half that.

I think they were jealous THEY didn't make the deal, and I'm OK with it as we needed the drivers for Zack's 1.2tl's.

 

Anyway, you have several options for driving your SDA's with common ground amps:

1. the previously mentioned A1-I SDA Non-Common Ground Amplifier Interface ($150-250)

2. running without SDA and using sonic holography to achieve a similar effect (free if you use your C-11)

3. build an interface using a stock cable and these instructions: http://polksda.com/A1_Interconnect.pdf ($30-50)

 

FYI: We're using a recapped M-1.5t to drive them and the bass is surprisingly punchy in Zack's 500 sf bedroom.

We haven't tried bi-amping them yet as there are a few caps in the right crossover that I need to replace 1st.

[Showmodel 86]

 

 

 

....Bad news is I love my M-500t's and can't use them with these. Came with the standard Polk interconnect cable. I guess there is another cable from Polk called an A1, and an aftermarket cable called a dreadnaught that will allow an inverted amp to be used, but I will have to do me some research on that.

 

Apparently I missed this comment as I recently traded an A1-I for four SL3000 tweeters and two MW6503 mids.

A few Polkies said I got ripped off because A1-I's sell for upwards of $250 and the drivers were worth about half that.

I think they were jealous THEY didn't make the deal, and I'm OK with it as we needed the drivers for Zack's 1.2tl's.

 

Anyway, you have several options for driving your SDA's with common ground amps:

1. the previously mentioned A1-I SDA Non-Common Ground Amplifier Interface ($150-250)

2. running without SDA and using sonic holography to achieve a similar effect (free if you use your C-11)

3. build an interface using a stock cable and these instructions: http://polksda.com/A1_Interconnect.pdf ($30-50)

 

FYI: We're using a recapped M-1.5t to drive them and the bass is surprisingly punchy in Zack's 500 sf bedroom.

We haven't tried bi-amping them yet as there are a few caps in the right crossover that I need to replace 1st.

 

Thanks for the info Dom!! I will probably end up making my own A1 with those instructions.

 

I did see your post abut trading your A1 and wished I had voiced more about my desire to have one. Looks like I can build my own eventually now.

 

Your point about using SH instead of SDA is one I have been pondering lately. I may put up a separate post about it. When I first got my 1.2's set up, I wasn't sure if I should use SH along with SDA. I have found that some songs actually sound pretty darn good with both on, however others sound shallow and almost like a karaoke track with the vocals pulled way down. My only issue with going SH only and removing the SDA cable is that I feel that SH can cause some distortion at higher volumes, which is where my volume normally is when I am listening. SDA however does not cause any distortion at high levels. I also wonder if not powering the SDA drivers would cause a situation where there is less pressure, which could then possibly cause less bass due to the passive driver not moving as much?? Have to admit I am not familiar at all with how these SDA speakers truly work.