UPGRADE-LSi's vs. CABLE UPRADE

gshisme

Was in court for the 2nd day (child custody) and during break I wondered past an appliance store looking for a pizza place and noticed some electonics equipment so I wandered in. Holy **** they had a Polk LSi system set up..9's up front and 7's in the rear with LSiC center. I couldn't freagin believe it. Anyway this setup..in the worst acoustical environment with speaker cables I think came from Home Depot (not biwired or amped) just blew me away. The vocals were like someone was there singing and the highs were..well..vivid/detailed.. not quite sure how to describe it. The bass I think got a little lost. Considering that the room was big enough for a circus I could understand the loss of some low end.

My first question: should I uprade to the Lsi's or should I put my cash towards uprading interconnect cables, speaker wire and so on for my RT600i's and RT25i's and Rotel seperates?

My second question: Is there a surround other than the LSiFX that I could use for the rear. Don't think I need that much speaker for my surrounds.

My third question: The sub? SVS 25-31?

Speaker wire: 16 gauge monster
Interconnects: They are monster with a directional arrow on them
but not quite sure the quality.
Monster optical digital for audio for the DVD and HDTV receiver.

If I go the speaker route I'm absolutely sold on the 9's up front and LSiC center.

Greg

note: I came real close to purchasing the 15's on a couple of occasions but am now convinced the 9's will suffice for the mains.

polkatese

Greg,
when the upgrade bug bites, it has to be cured, right?!

personally, I would definitely consider LSi before interconnects/cables. With the Rotel you have, you're set to experience the beauty of vifa tweeter, and yes, a 9 for the front, a 7 for surround, and C for center would do wonder to your system. I don't remember, what is your sub? I have a 9 on my 2channels system, beautiful! I upgraded the interconnect to analog two with bullet plug and power cord, the low end come through nicely! But for HT, a complementary sub is definitely a requirement. I am sold on LSi, they are just so clean and detailed (paired with Rotel or B&K or other high current amps). I am convinced you will be thrilled! and btw, the 7 is no slouch either, I had it paired with a REL sub, and honestly, I can't tell the difference between these and a 15! Anyway, good luck with the custody hearing, at least, it gives you excuse to check out that dealer

gshisme

Polketese,

It was a refreshing moment out of court. Badly needed and a pleasent surprise!

No matter what speakers I audition..latest being the B&W CDM series I keep coming back to the LSi's. Is there something wrong with me or do the Polks just sound that good.:D
Also I think I would be happier with a Dipole/Bipole surround since most of my time with my rig is with DVD 5.1 video.

Your suggestion is well taken Polkatese.

Greg

almost forgot..my sub is a Polk PSW 350.

mantis

gshisme

My first question: should I uprade to the Lsi's or should I put my cash towards uprading interconnect cables, speaker wire and so on for my RT600i's and RT25i's and Rotel seperates?

hard question to answer.Do you like your rt series speakers enough to tweak them????Wire and Interconects make a big difference when done correctly.It makes a huge difference.

Buying Lsi you have to upgrade all the wires and interconnects anyway.You have the right power to run them so ........

My second question: Is there a surround other than the LSiFX that I could use for the rear. Don't think I need that much speaker for my surrounds.

I don't know what your talking about here.You have to have matching rears to match the fronts.Needing more or less rear is not the issue.It's about matching them correctly to the mains.I don't believe in mixing lines/brands.

My third question: The sub? SVS 25-31?

have you listened to it??Have you demoed anything else like a REL or a Velodyne?

I moved from the rt series to the Lsi's.I love em and couldn't go back.....wouldn't go back.....but you need to decide whats right and wrong.

pjdami

I've always believed that speakers make the biggest difference in sound of all components in a system as long as one's electronics are decent. Obviously, the speaker is the part of the system that actually creates the sound waves to recreate a sound so it's part is huge.

I have found that my LSi 9's set to small and crossed over at 80 hz with a sub is very musical. It's definitely an experience to hear. I second the comment that the LSi's need upgraded speaker wire and interconnects or they may sound too flat; especially when one is used to hearing the RT line.

Upgrading your wires with your RT's is a good place to start. Like Mantis said, if that isn't enough for you you're going to need the better wires to make the LSi happy anyway.

P.

organ

It seems like you really like the sound of the LSi. Like mantis said, you're going to end up upgrading the cables anyways after you get the LSi. So I'd say go for it.

You won't be dissapointed with the bass once you get them home. As Russman likes to put it: "they have retarted amount bass". I have mine running full range with the sub crossover at around 55hz.

Maurice

dcarlson

I agree with ATCVenom, speakers should be last in your upgrade path. That way you know you've push the RTs to their limit and your gear won't be holding back the LSIs.

fireshoes

Originally posted by gshisme
My second question: Is there a surround other than the LSiFX that I could use for the rear. Don't think I need that much speaker for my surrounds.

Yes you do!

The LSiFX are awesome! You like the LSi sound and you like bipole/dipole....what's the problem?!

Seriously though, mismatching speakers is bad. I did it for a bit and it drove me crazy. It seems people like to put these dinky speakers in the back like there's only a little sound coming from there. It's full-range man. Sure you get the neat little fly-by effects and stuff, but it seems like a lot of the movie scores are being played out of the rear speakers now. And we're pretty serious about music here it seems. It really sounds great on a pair of LSiFX's. Do the right thing!

Frank Z

I gotta chime in on this one guys. I do not believe that any amount of cable/wire upgrading is going to offer the same performance as a speaker upgrade. Especially from RTi (or Rtxxi) to LSI. No, I'm not putting down the Rt series, just hyping the Lsi's. To me the difference between my old RT800i's and the Lsi15 is night and day. You might get some benefit from adding high dollar cables to the Rt speakers, but you'll never achieve the sound quality that the Lsi series offers, with or without Megabuck A/V voodoo wire! Tweaking your existing setup is one thing, but tweaks will only get ya so far.

gidrah

I say go for the speakers if you want 'em. They do sound really nice. Upgrade cables/wires as you can. This way you'll be able to fully appreciate each cable/wire upgrade. In fact I'd invest some time looking into c/w DIY. I am of the belief that c/w can add colorations, flavors, limits, accuntuations, etc. to an overall sound. I wouldn't want these variances to be decided on a pair of speakers when I know that there is a change in speakers in the future. Within the same line, yeah sure, but not changing lines/models.

P.S. While I'm very tempted to give Sean a friendly jab about how he is not a good choice for long-term upgrade consulting I won't. That'd make me a jerk.:p

gshisme

Hey you guys are freaging GREAT! I appreciate the time and advice given to this timid newbie. Just hope one day I can give back what I have learned on this forum to another newbie. OK guts are spilled.

Let me clarify my "too much speaker" statement. I was hoping to find a di/bi speaker that wouldn't look so imposing hanging on my rear wall. Was just curious whether there was another di/bi speaker option that would match the 9's in a smaller cabinet.

As far as subs go, I have only listened to the velodyne and since the SVS is mail order only I have to base my evaluation on reviews by the mags and forum members. Will check into their return policy however and see if it's similiar to Outlaw's "try then buy" policy. Have not really looked into the REL subs but perhaps I should being that it has been reccomended by a few members.

Anyway as soon as I decide which speaker wire..will check out some other threads for that plus gidrah's recommendation..both will be on order..speakers and wire. Dammit I love the LSi's sound and won't be happy till they are in my house. By the way this brings up another topic..Bi-wiring. It never ends.......

Greg

polkatese

Greg,
now it makes sense, indeed, hanging the LSiFx can look a bit imposing...I know it's the ideal positioning to get the best possible effect. I had the same issue and had settled with Sanus 36" stand that turned out to be an acceptable alternatives. I also listen to multichannel source a lot, and with such a stand, it works great (I purposely use the tallest stand that I can find, and Sanus foundation steel 36" is the one that I can find)

Have fun auditioning REL, it does wonder paired with LSi, it might not do earth shattering trick on your movies, but for music, it blends so smoothly that you hardly know it's there! Have a great weekend, bud!

gshisme

Have fun auditioning REL, it does wonder paired with LSi, it might not do earth shattering trick on your movies, but for music, it blends so smoothly that you hardly know it's there! Have a great weekend, bud!

Polkatese, exactly what I'm looking for! That will be my first to do thing for this weekend.

Just curious, in relation to your optimum seating area, where are your surrounds located..are they against the rear wall or away from...how far behind your seating area? Sorry about all the questions..

Greg

HMMM...starting to work on a good buzz. Hellooooo weekend and Polkatese you too have a good one. The sun around here has finally decided to shine for more than one day at a time.

tryrrthg

If I were you I'd skip on any and all wires until you have EVERYTHING else you want! wires make the SMALLEST difference. get everyting perfect then put in some better wire and see if it makes a difference.

REL subs are fantastic but seem to be overpriced. Check out the ACI subs which are supposed to better the REL's and for less money too!

ACI Titan Sub

ACI Force Sub

gshisme

tryrrthg, Your suggestion is noted. What are you looking to replace your yammy with? Rotel seperates for the money absolutely can't be beat!!! I'm sure the receiver guys will chime in here as well. Better to keep my posts short...working on a good pre-weekend buzz. Had a good day in court yesterday so i'm kind toasting anything today. BOTTOMS UP...EITHER ONE!

polkatese

Originally posted by gshisme
Just curious, in relation to your optimum seating area, where are your surrounds located..are they against the rear wall or away from...how far behind your seating area? Sorry about all the questions..

Greg

Greg,
No need to apologize, more than happy to answer your questions. Due to the nature of my living room setup, I can't really get a perfect position for the surround speakers. Both are leaning against the side wall (LSiFX). From the sweet spot, the right surround is about 4 ft away, left surround is about 7 ft away. Directly behind the main sofa, I have a pair of LSi7, about 4 ft apart. I have one of those living room that connected directly to the breakfast nook and kitchen area. I will update my system showcase once I get my digicam. The location of the surroundback is not ideal right now, since it's about 20" high, and since it sits directly behind the sofa, it's not even at ear level, let alone above it. I saw your listening area, yours will get you better effect on 5.1 since you have wall directly behind the sofa. If I were you, I would put Fx in both corners. You will get complete coverage that will sound great, since your listening area will become a close loop. Hope it makes sense...

polkatese

tryrrthg,
those are great looking subwoofer! very modern and classy! It looks like they only sell direct like SVS?

gshisme

Polkatese,

Thanks and get that digicam rolling..er..pixelating.

tryrrthg

What are you looking to replace your yammy with?

I'm still hunting... I think I'm going to try and get a bitchin 2 channel set up going and then add HT into the mix later with some fancy hook up schemes that I learned about over at the HT forum. I'm looking at the Krell KAV300i, Arcam FMJ A32, Arcam A85, and Plinius 8100 (all integrateds). Also have the McCormack DNA amps, and the TLC preamp in the mix. I guess I have a lot of thinking/auditioning to do, although that will be difficult since most of those are older and I'll be buying used...

Damn I wish I could be working on a nice buzz! It will have to wait until tomorrow! I've worked over 120 hours since last friday! Need to make some extra scratch! Off to watch the PGA Memorial golf tournament tomorrow then I'll pound some beers, I can't wait!

those are great looking subwoofer! very modern and classy! It looks like they only sell direct like SVS?

They are fantastic looking subs! they're a sealed design so the bass will be very "tight" I believe they use some equalization to get a flat curce to 20hz. which is good extension for a sealed sub. I do believe they have an excellent return policy, and right now it looks like they offer FREE shipping so someone order one and see if they're as good as I've read... I wish I could!

gshisme

those are great looking subwoofer! very modern and classy! It looks like they only sell direct like SVS?

agreed..just wish I could listen to these guys and the SVS's without potentially spending 25 bucks to audition.

gshisme

Off to watch the PGA Memorial golf tournament tomorrow then I'll pound some beers, I can't wait!

Man Oh Man right now I'll trade ya!

Gotta get rid of this dial-up ****..I'm like 2-4 posts behind always!

tryrrthg

agreed..just wish I could listen to these guys and the SVS's without potentially spending 25 bucks to audition.

Shipping is free through today so you'd only have to spend the money to send it back... Still not free but better than ponying up for shipping twice!

Man Oh Man right now I'll trade ya!

No thanks! I've gotten 3 hours of sleep a day (working nights doing security at the golf tournament) to get into the tournament for free! Although at this point I'd rather sleep!