LSi9 vs LSi15 (Primarily HT)

mystik610

I've run into someone who's very interested in buying my RTi8's, and I'm looking to pick up a a pair of LSi speakers. I was initially looking at the Paradigm Studio 40's....I've liked my buddies studio 100's for a while, but after playing with the LSi25's and LSi9's at frys, my ears actually prefer the LSi's.

Right now I'm really eying the LSi9, but I'm wondering if I'm missing out on much by not picking up the LSi15? I've heard the LSi25 at frys multiple times, and woofers sound kinda boomy to me. Unfortunately they don't keep the LSi15 on display, but if they sound anything like the 25's, I'm not sure I want to head down that route.

I'm using a HSU VTF-3 MKIII and have a HSU MBM on the way, so I'd likely be crossing my mains over at 80hz or higher. My uses are about 90% HT

From a purely logical standpoint, the LSi9 sounds like the right way to go. I'm just wondering if there's anything else I'd be missing out on by not getting the LSi15's. I know there are differences in crossovers for instance.

Thanks!

dane_peterson

9's are the better choice for HT, IMO. The HSU is a solid sub which will take care of low end duties nicely.
My only question is, are you switching the center and rears to LSi too? If you're planning on keeping the CSi5 (a great center, btw) I'd probably hold off on LSis altogether. The RTi line is still a solid choice for HT.

mystik610

dane_peterson wrote: »

9's are the better choice for HT, IMO. The HSU is a solid sub which will take care of low end duties nicely.
My only question is, are you switching the center and rears to LSi too? If you're planning on keeping the CSi5 (a great center, btw) I'd probably hold off on LSis altogether. The RTi line is still a solid choice for HT.

upgraditis is the main reason i'm looking at the Lsi's. the rti's sound great to me, but are a little aritificial sounding at times and are fatiguing after a while. i'm looking to use an lsi 9 as a center channnel, although the csi5 is something special.

McLoki

LSi9 vs LSi15 is actually really close with many preferring the LSi9 over the 15. (and that was for 2 channel without a sub playing)

In a home theater - pick the one that works best for you and feel good with your choice (especially since you will probably be crossing over to a sub well above either speakers -3db point).

I did not want to deal with stands (due to kids and large pets) so I went with the 15's. Get whatever suits your you and your room though (and has availability and a price point you want). Don't forget to factor decent stands into the LSi9 price though.

Michael

PSOVLSK

I have both the 9's and 15's and I chose to keep the 9's in my HT and run my 15's in my 2 channel rig. IMO the price difference is greater than the performance difference if you have a nice sub. As McLoki mentioned, budget for a decent pair of stands. Don't try to skimp!!! I did and now I have a cheap pair of stands in the attic. Here are some similar to the ones I use now. I think I have the 30" stands. There are better out there, but I've been very happy with these.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Steel-Foundations/ci/11185/N/4294593875

mystik610

Thanks for the replies.

My component stand is actually large enough to place a 52 inch TV + 2 LSi9's on top of. That will actually bring the MTM array closer to ear level than the TMM array in my current RTi8's. The downside is that the sweet spot between the speakers will inevitably be smaller, but my main seating positions will still fall in between the speakers.

Looks like I'm lining up a buyer for my RTi8's. Just need to get the WAF's approval before I do anything (for once ) If all falls through, I'll have a CSi5 for sale soon.

hockeyboy

I demoed both before I bought and preferred the 15's personally. I run dual subs and am very happy with my setup. Personal preference along with a decision of floorstanding vs book.

Bernal

hockeyboy wrote: »

I demoed both before I bought and preferred the 15's personally. I run dual subs and am very happy with my setup. Personal preference along with a decision of floorstanding vs book.

+1 LSi 15


01) DENON AVR-4308CI: Advanced 7.1 CH/5.1+2 CH/ 3.1+2+2 CH A/V Home Theater /MultiMedia Multi-Source/Zone Receiver with Networking and WiFi/170 watts x 7 channels
02) SUNFIRE Grand Signature - Bob Carver's and SUNFIRE Cinema Grand
03) OPPO BDP-83SE Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio
04) OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio
05) DENON DVD-2500BTCI: Blu-ray Disc™ DVD/CD Digital Player/Transport
06) HITACHI P55T501. 55" HD1080 Plasma HDTV
07) POLKAUDIO LSiC (Center speaker)
08) POLKAUDIO LSi15 LEFT (Front speaker)
09) POLKAUDIO LSi15 RIGHT (Front speaker)
10) POLKAUDIO LSiC Vertically (Surround speaker)
11) POLKAUDIO LSiC Vertically (Surround speaker)
12) POLKAUDIO LSif/x LEFT (Surround back speakers)
13) POLKAUDIO LSif/x RIGHT (Surround back speakers)
14) VELODYNE OPTIMUN SERIES 12"(High Output Digital EQ SubWoofer 2400W/1200WRMS)
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/show...p?userid=98096 (Not updated)

mystik610

Thanks for the input guys. I ended up picking up a pair of LSi9's, plus a single LSi9 to use as a center.

I also have a HSU mid-bass module that should arrive on Friday (my wife is going to kill me =P). Coupled with my VTF-3 true sub, the low frequency duties should be more than adequately covered.

Erik Tracy

mystik610 wrote: »

Thanks for the input guys. I ended up picking up a pair of LSi9's, plus a single LSi9 to use as a center.

I also have a HSU mid-bass module that should arrive on Friday (my wife is going to kill me =P). Coupled with my VTF-3 true sub, the low frequency duties should be more than adequately covered.

You know the drill....

Pics and a report - or it never happened!

mystik610

LSi9's won't be here for a coupe of days, but I got this in yesterday



HSU MBM-12 Mid-bass Module



Fat Man and Little Boy

dane_peterson

Sweet... gonna be an awesome rig! More pics when the LSi's arrive!

bld

I have used both the 15's and the 9's as mains and believe it or not i prefer the 9's up front especially with 2 channel,the tones coming out of them is smoother,if i would have bought the 9's before the 15's i probably would go with 4 9's for ht rather than the bigger brighter sounding 15's.Just my opinion,but i know that i would have been curious to try the 15's if i did'nt have them first.since you are crossing them over at 80 you wouldn't be using alot of the woofer anyways.

mystik610

bld wrote: »

I have used both the 15's and the 9's as mains and believe it or not i prefer the 9's up front especially with 2 channel,the tones coming out of them is smoother,if i would have bought the 9's before the 15's i probably would go with 4 9's for ht rather than the bigger brighter sounding 15's.Just my opinion,but i know that i would have been curious to try the 15's if i did'nt have them first.since you are crossing them over at 80 you wouldn't be using alot of the woofer anyways.

Thanks for the feedback.

After spending the weekend with the HSU Mid-bass module, I don't have any regrets getting the LSi9's over the LSi15's...though I haven't gotten the 9's yet. The MBM fills in the mid-bass nicely...gives sharp, chesty, mid-bass for HT, and quick, nuanced bass for music. I haven't heard the LSi15's, but LSi25's at Fry's sound comparatively boomy and less detailed in the mid/upper bass regions.

The MBM integrates surprisingly well with the mains....even with the MBM sitting nearfiled and out of sight it sounds like all that heavy mid-bass is coming from my RTi8's.

The VTF-3 by itself didn't integrate nearly as well. While the VTF-3 is strong down to 16hz, its rather loose in the mid/upper bass regions, creating a bit of a disconnect at the cross-over point with the mains. Crossing the bass notes above 50hz to the MBM has helped the deep bass frequencies too. The VTF-3 is much tighter, nuanced, and musical in the frequencies that it operates in now. I wasn't expecting that!

mystik610

UPS dropped this off today. Beefy! This is the LSi9 to be used as a center...the LR's are on the way.

Question about amplification. I'm using a Harman Kardon Signature 2.1 as a separate amp (Onkyo 706 working as a pre/pro). It's a high current amp that pushes 150 WPC RMS at 4 ohms. Obviously more power is better and I'll probably look to upgrade my amp one day (not any time soon).

My main concern is any risk of clipping the amp and damaging the speakers. I'm in a a 4,000 sq foot room with a very open floor plan. Under regular listening conditions, volume is at -25 reference or so.....when we pop in a movie, we'll bring it up to about -15 reference.

Hopefully some LSi owners and HK owners can chime in!

PSOVLSK

mystik610 wrote: »

I'm in a a 4,000 sq foot room with a very open floor plan.

4,000 square foot ROOM??? WOW!!

I think you'll be fine with the H/K, but an upgrade down the road will improve the SQ.

Congrats and enjoy.

mystik610

PSOVLSK wrote: »

4,000 square foot ROOM??? WOW!!

I think you'll be fine with the H/K, but an upgrade down the road will improve the SQ.

Congrats and enjoy.

edit: 4,000 cubic feet lol

mystik610

Erik Tracy wrote: »

You know the drill....

Pics and a report - or it never happened!

SivaNevets

gorgerous looking speakers...

iskandam

Personally I prefer the LSi15 over the 9s as mains, but for your set up the 9s are probably the better choice. I used to have the Hsu MBM too for that added midbass punch

McLoki

Your center does not match...

mystik610

SivaNevets wrote: »

gorgerous looking speakers...

Thanks! My wife actually thinks they're nice. This is the first time she hasn't hated a new HT purchase...though I'm sure she mostly appreciates the smaller footprint over the larger RTi8. Selling her the idea of 'downgrading' to a smaller speaker was much easier too.

iskandam wrote: »

Personally I prefer the LSi15 over the 9s as mains, but for your set up the 9s are probably the better choice. I used to have the Hsu MBM too for that added midbass punch

It came down to a cost benefit analysis at the end....I'm sure the LSi15 would sound better....but how much better? $300+ a much higher shipping cost better? Plus the 9's are a lot more WAF friendly and I didn't have to deal with the WAF being upset when she got home from work today

The MBM is a great little bass speaker. The mid-bass slam is nice (a little boomy if set too high), but the musicality of it is what I like most. Fast nuanced mid-bass that articulates the most minute details.

I'm not sure that the LSi9's need to be supported by the MBM though. I had someone over to demo my RTi8's today and had my subs turned off and my mains set to run full-band via the AVR. I sat down for a little listening session with the LSi9's later in the evening, and completely overlooked the fact that my subs were off. These things have the low frequency presence of a full-range tower (by no means is that an exaggeration). I had heard that these things have great bass, but I didn't realize it was that good. It defies the laws of physics lol.

McLoki wrote: »

Your center does not match...

lol. I was originally hunting for a set of Cherry LSi9's as I usually like Cherry speakers, but ended up mixing and matching based on what was available. I actually like the LSi9's in ebony...the Cherry LSi9 draws a lot of attention to itself. The Ebony LSi9's are more subdued, but still oozes classiness.

xcapri79 wrote: »

Great setup. For me, it comes down to personal perference. I prefer the LSi25's for two channel anf HT, then the LSi15's, then the LSi9's.

With the LSi9's, I use an Adcom 5802 in a two channel setup.
I power my LSi25, LSi15 speakers with Emotiva amps in a HT setup.

The LSi7's are the easiest to drive and I run them directly off a HK 3490 stereo receiver.

Thanks.

WAF and finances had a big influence on choosing the smaller LSi9s, but I'm really happy with the choice.

I can already tell I need a more powerful Amp. I can tell when the dynamics of a speaker are being inhibited by a lack of power....you reach a point where increases in volume, don't equate to increases in clarity and dynamics