Polk LSiM at the Venetian - First look, only here!

124

Comments

  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited January 2011
    You heard straight up prototypes at PF, still tweaking crossovers, etc. The versions at the Venetian were on high end, selected electronics and cables, and essentially final prototypes - only cabinet tweeks remaining. You didn't run them with appropriate gear at PF, but that's Polk giving their committed members a taste, vs doing it right, and all should be thankful. You guys and gals got first taste, period, who else does that? Crossovers with alligator clips, really? Hardcore.

    This product, LSiM is done - just waiting to roll it out through QA.

    Topper, the Blackstone is the last Satellite you need, any series. TL3 with a DSW500? Forget it, fill any room with GREAT sound. Surroundbar 6000? Yeah, get your ears on one, and see how far, how quickly Polk has come is this arena. STUPID good sound, Ronco it.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited January 2011
    cnh wrote: »
    ..... but some of the SDA crowd still felt they weren't quite all there 'yet'.

    That's because they aren't over 20 years old and worn out. Oops. I mean broke in. :rolleyes:
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited January 2011
    They weren't at PF. Polk did something no one else would do, and broke you guys off a taste. Alligator clips on crossovers? Really?

    They are in 'final approach' now, and short of final Q&A, are ready to go. This isn't and should never be an SDA vs LSi convo. I'd like a new Ford GT, just as much as an original one, they both have their heritage and merits. Why that gets so twisted with audio, I will never understand. If by chance I can swing new LSiM, you think for a second I'll stop listening to and loving my RT7's? Not a chance.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Libertyc
    Libertyc Posts: 915
    edited January 2011
    The Blackstone TL3s blew me away. If you closed your eyes it sounded just like a full size speaker. Super smooth highs and mids. No small speaker harshness like most satellite speakers. Very nice heavy solid feel and construction. I can't wait to get them!
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  • Topper
    Topper Posts: 403
    edited January 2011
    Ok you guys all saw Soundstage's post on the new LSiM speakers:

    http://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=116&catid=57&Itemid=86

    it made it on their list of 'Best of Las Vegas 2011'.



    But have you guys seen their 'Worst of Las Vegas 2011' list?

    http://www.soundstageglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=58&Itemid=87

    it really puts things in perspective and really makes them LSiM speakers shine in how much value they actually bring to the table :)
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2011
    Wow the bigger and more expensive they are the fuglier they are as well!

    Russ, how much do both towers weigh, and just what kind of power will it take to run them? When are they going to post the specs?

    More to the point, is Polk finally going to step up & include this important information with the speakers?

    I know they want to sell a lot of them, but I think they do themselves and their customers a diservice, by allowing everyone to think that these can be run off of your average AVR.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • Erik Tracy
    Erik Tracy Posts: 4,673
    edited January 2011
    Any updates as to when production quantities will start flowing into the distribution outlets for 'in-store' demos by general consumers?

    H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music.
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited January 2011
    RuSsMaN wrote: »
    They weren't at PF. Polk did something no one else would do, and broke you guys off a taste. Alligator clips on crossovers? Really?

    They are in 'final approach' now, and short of final Q&A, are ready to go. This isn't and should never be an SDA vs LSi convo. I'd like a new Ford GT, just as much as an original one, they both have their heritage and merits. Why that gets so twisted with audio, I will never understand. If by chance I can swing new LSiM, you think for a second I'll stop listening to and loving my RT7's? Not a chance.

    Cheers,
    Russ

    I hear what you're saying! And I can't disagree. Well, maybe...you don't like Alligator clips and makeshift wiring. lol

    For a while it was like a science project just getting the board with the crossovers to boot up. And we are certainly, all very grateful to Polk for giving us that 'teaser'.

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • DON73
    DON73 Posts: 516
    edited January 2011
    Happily my old Monitor 7s and 10s will sound the same as hey did this morning!
    So will my ADS L810s and L710s. I'm way to old to invest in all this new goldarn fancy beautiful astonishing stuff!
    TO ERR IS HUMAN. TO FORGIVE IS CANINE.
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  • Roamingrasta
    Roamingrasta Posts: 22
    edited January 2011
    I’ve always liked Polk for the sound, value and thoughtful engineering. That’s why I made it a mission to visit your rooms at CES to see Polk’s contribution to the audiophile technology wars. What I saw in the LSiM was impressive, but the market and consumer realities are that when it comes to unit sales Blackstone is where it’s at. I’m a CIO of a midsized company and my wife is a MD, we could afford the LSiM series but in the end what’s my ROI when virtually everything I listen to has now been converted to MP3’s and like many consumers, I recognize that fidelity (the sad state of it) is moving more toward iPods and streamed content . . . movies, music, HULU and PlayStation stuff.

    The audiophile market is analogous to the NASA or Indi Cars; the Polk’s have to play in that space for R&D trickle-down, to polish their technology and keep themselves relevant. The wonderful and technically competitive LSiM might sell how many units . . . 10,000? I walk out of the demonstration room feeling like I want to cut a check . . . . but for what? My fidelity challenged music collection has at best CD-ROM’s . . . no vinyl or SACD . . . at best I have a Blu-Ray copy of 5th Element when I want to hear the blue chick sing. I will have to upgrade my amps to even run the LSiM bookshelves (stunning looking speakers that I wish I heard a demo of) along with my music sources to enjoy the clarity I heard in that room.

    I’ll mod my RTi6’s to squeeze the last bit of signal out of them before I give it to my daughter or move them to my garage work-room and buy something new (RTiA7 or your next RTi upgrade) . . . sadly my 13 year old is going to want a docking station for her MP3 player (notice that’s where Polk won its CES awards) before she moves to a wireless 5.1 system the size of matchbooks. Guys like me (50+) remember turntables and big polished speakers that were just as much high-end furniture as well music conduits.

    Polk, keep the R&D alive . . . I love your stuff!!
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  • Glowrdr
    Glowrdr Posts: 1,103
    edited January 2011
    Very well said - Times are a'changin fellows. May not be for the best, but it's happening. Being 31, I can't talk much nostalgia - but I am old enough to see the changes myself. My very first introduction to music was a handmedown panasonic stereo with a phono player (had an awesome slide-out drawer, so the phone sat under my stereo) with my Bon Jovi Slipper when wet LP. Down the road, I bought a USED CD player from the GOODWILL of all places, and it still ran me like $75. My very first CD was Motley Crue's Dr Feelgood. I can certainly appreciate the changes as well as the memories.
    65" Sony X900 (XBR-65X900E)
    Pioneer Elite SC-37
    Polk Monitor 70's (2)
    Polk Monitor 40's (4)
    Polk Monitor CS2
    Polk DSW Pro 660wi
    Oppo BDP-93
    Squeezebox Duet
    Belkin PureAV PF60
    Dish Network "The Hoppa"
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  • wallstreet
    wallstreet Posts: 1,405
    edited January 2011
    Looking forward to the Dallas meet.
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  • blueboxer
    blueboxer Posts: 621
    edited January 2011
    Tour2ma wrote: »
    +1... has to be a mated sub somewhere in the future.

    But those oblong woofers in the tower are kinda freakin' me out...

    If they perform near the subs in my Mythos ST, they will be more than adequate for most everybody's needs. My towers can rattle the entire bottom floor at times and are usually dialed in relatively low.
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  • Libertyc
    Libertyc Posts: 915
    edited January 2011
    Believe me the oval woofers kicked some serious sub bass probably digging down to the low 20Hz range.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    Roamingrasta wrote: »
    I’m a CIO of a midsized company and my wife is a MD, we could afford the LSiM series but in the end what’s my ROI when virtually everything I listen to has now been converted to MP3’s...
    My fidelity challenged music collection has at best CD-ROM’s . . . no vinyl or SACD . . .
    Glowrdr wrote: »
    Very well said - Times are a'changin fellows. May not be for the best, but it's happening.
    Only if you let it...
    - CD's are still alive and better than ever SQ-wise.
    - Vinyl quality is much higher than it was in my vinyl buyin' hey-day.

    I may or may not end up with two of the 10,000 LSiM's (I'll take the over on the 10k), but it won't be for lack of input quality.

    Not trying to flame, we all make personal choices, but decrying the lack of source quality available reflects your priorities, not the state of recording today.

    Yo, walter...
    Still humpin' the 90's I see... Still have fond memories of them gettin' "More Human'd" at PF-Russman (PFII?)...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,093
    edited January 2011
    Roamingrasta wrote: »
    I’ve always liked Polk for the sound, value and thoughtful engineering. That’s why I made it a mission to visit your rooms at CES to see Polk’s contribution to the audiophile technology wars. What I saw in the LSiM was impressive, but the market and consumer realities are that when it comes to unit sales Blackstone is where it’s at. I’m a CIO of a midsized company and my wife is a MD, we could afford the LSiM series but in the end what’s my ROI when virtually everything I listen to has now been converted to MP3’s and like many consumers, I recognize that fidelity (the sad state of it) is moving more toward iPods and streamed content . . . movies, music, HULU and PlayStation stuff.

    The audiophile market is analogous to the NASA or Indi Cars; the Polk’s have to play in that space for R&D trickle-down, to polish their technology and keep themselves relevant. The wonderful and technically competitive LSiM might sell how many units . . . 10,000? I walk out of the demonstration room feeling like I want to cut a check . . . . but for what? My fidelity challenged music collection has at best CD-ROM’s . . . no vinyl or SACD . . . at best I have a Blu-Ray copy of 5th Element when I want to hear the blue chick sing. I will have to upgrade my amps to even run the LSiM bookshelves (stunning looking speakers that I wish I heard a demo of) along with my music sources to enjoy the clarity I heard in that room.

    I’ll mod my RTi6’s to squeeze the last bit of signal out of them before I give it to my daughter or move them to my garage work-room and buy something new (RTiA7 or your next RTi upgrade) . . . sadly my 13 year old is going to want a docking station for her MP3 player (notice that’s where Polk won its CES awards) before she moves to a wireless 5.1 system the size of matchbooks. Guys like me (50+) remember turntables and big polished speakers that were just as much high-end furniture as well music conduits.

    Polk, keep the R&D alive . . . I love your stuff!!

    You know, I hear this all the time....and I'ld like to take this point by point.

    I agree, the Blackstone will move more boxes. It should. The LSiM, is aimed at a different, and smaller, market segment.

    As far as high fidelity....eh, I hear this all time and I fall prey to thinking this sometimes but I'm actually going to disagree. Crappy recordings are NOTHING new. In fact, in terms of sheer volume, there is more WELL recorded material available now in any format, digital (download), CD, SACD, LP then there ever has been. Is there crap out there? Yup. I'm a vinyl junkie but there is a lot of poorly recorded/pressed vinyl out there from back in the day.....so, to me, that dog just doesn't hunt. I could go on ad infinito about this but lets just say I don't buy that there isn't hifi material out there.

    As far as your personal paradigm, so what? I mean, the LSiM is NOT a mainstream product. It's not a gateway product (maybe gateway to even higer end but it's not entry level)....your RTi's are. You have, it would seem, hit your sweetspot...and that's cool. Not knocking it. Everyone has to make that decision for themselves. As far as the 'trickle down', it's inevitable and HELLZ to the YEAH....Polks more affordable lines will damn skippy be improved.....trickle down economics WORK (Thank you, Ronaldus Magnus, wherever you are). It's a win-win.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • wallstreet
    wallstreet Posts: 1,405
    edited January 2011
    Tour2ma wrote: »
    ...
    Yo, walter...
    Still humpin' the 90's I see... Still have fond memories of them gettin' "More Human'd" at PF-Russman (PFII?)...

    Yes sir. I've had these so long any new speakers would just sound wrong.
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  • apphd
    apphd Posts: 1,514
    edited January 2011
    Tour2ma wrote: »
    Only if you let it...
    - CD's are still alive and better than ever SQ-wise.
    - Vinyl quality is much higher than it was in my vinyl buyin' hey-day.

    I may or may not end up with two of the 10,000 LSiM's (I'll take the over on the 10k), but it won't be for lack of input quality.

    Not trying to flame, we all make personal choices, but decrying the lack of source quality available reflects your priorities, not the state of recording today.

    Yo, walter...
    Still humpin' the 90's I see... Still have fond memories of them gettin' "More Human'd" at PF-Russman (PFII?)...

    Can't say for sure what the two posts quoted really indended, but what I read in them was the general swing in where the money is, or will be for the manufacturers. Not that source quality isn't or won't be available, but most sales for companies are going to be more and more in the market of compressed/streaming users. I don't think this is all that new, audiophiles have always been a very small piece of the pie. At least that was my take:redface:
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited January 2011
    Tour2ma wrote: »
    +1... has to be a mated sub somewhere in the future.

    But those oblong woofers in the tower are kinda freakin' me out...

    If they're anything like the racetrack woofers in the Mythos you'll be very happy. Nice quick punchy bass.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited January 2011
    Those oblong woofers are fine as long as they're not playing midrange.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Topper
    Topper Posts: 403
    edited January 2011
    011311Polk-600.jpg

    http://www.stereophile.com/node?page=3
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  • polkapolka
    polkapolka Posts: 145
    edited January 2011
    Looking at those, I feel like I just snapped into a Slim Jim!!

    Very nice, beautiful design, where art meets technology!

    Just love it!
    Mitsubishi 60" HD LDP
    Polk RTI-A3 L/R
    Csi-a4 CC
    Polk CSW 10 Sub
    Pio. Elite VSX-03
    Pioneer BDP-51FD Blu-Ray
    Polk Fxi3s for surround.[/SIZE]
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  • danz1906
    danz1906 Posts: 5,144
    edited January 2011
    topper wrote: »
    011311polk-600.jpg

    http://www.stereophile.com/node?page=3

    sweet!!!!!!!
    Linn AV5140 fronts
    Linn AV5120 Center
    Linn AV5140 Rears
    M&K MX-70 Sub for Music
    Odyssey Mono-Blocs
    SVS Ultra-13 Gloss Black:D
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,093
    edited January 2011
    I'm whackin' it like a caveman trying to start a fire.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • stillen
    stillen Posts: 43
    edited February 2011
    Are the LSi M series video shielded.

    thanx
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  • Slyder01
    Slyder01 Posts: 115
    edited February 2011
    cant wait to hear those puppies!
    Yamaha rx-a2000 AVR
    Polk csi5 Center
    Polk rt16 Main
    Polk fxia6 Rear Surround
    Paradigm Micro Rear Back
    Onkyo bookshelf Front Presence (for now)
    PSW 450 Front Sub
    DSW MicroPro 4000 Front Sub
    DSW MicroPro 2000 Rear Sub
    Samsung c6300 60 inch LED
    Sony BDPs370
    Room Size 15x30
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  • Larry Chanin
    Larry Chanin Posts: 601
    edited February 2011
    RuSsMaN wrote: »
    This product, LSiM is done - just waiting to roll it out through QA.

    Hi Russ,

    Do you happen to know, or can you find out, what the dimensions are for the M707 and M705?

    Thanks.

    Larry
    Larry's Home Theater
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  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited February 2011
    To save time later, I vote an automatic ban on the first person that purchases the new LSiM towers, runs them with an AVR that costs under $400 and complains about the sound they get.....
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited February 2011
    Well if Polk insists that the truth of what it takes to get the best out of the LSIMs s/b told up front BEFORE the speakers leave the store that would solve the problem.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • quadzilla
    quadzilla Posts: 1,543
    edited February 2011
    cfrizz wrote: »
    Well if Polk insists that the truth of what it takes to get the best out of the LSIMs s/b told up front BEFORE the speakers leave the store that would solve the problem.

    Like anyone that bought a < 400 AVR and considers that "high-end" (which most people that spend that amount of money would), do you think they'll believe it when they're told that their dinky AVR will make the speakers sound strangled?
    Turntable: Empire 208
    Arm: Rega 300
    Cart: Shelter 501 III
    Phono Pre: dsachs consulting
    Digital: Marantz SACD 30n
    Pre: Conrad Johnson ET3 SE
    Amp: Conrad Johnson Premier 350
    Cables: Cardas Neutral Reference
    Speakers: SDA 2.3TL, heavily modified
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