POLK LSIC CENTER 4 ohms

fyrn
fyrn Posts: 146
edited April 2011 in Speakers
Hi, I'm looking for "real life" advice and not what the book says, so here it goes.
I received a LSIC center speaker as a gift, and it is rated at 4 ohms. My receiver (Denon 1611) is rated 6-18 ohms, the rest of my speakers are rated 8 ohms.
Would it be OK to run this speaker (LSIC) with that receiver with out damaging either one and/or any issues with mismatching speaker impedance with the receiver.

If this can't be done, anybody in the market for an LSIC?

Thanks
Post edited by fyrn on
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  • jbooker82
    jbooker82 Posts: 1,627
    edited April 2011
    I thought the whole LSI series was 4 ohms.

    What speakers are your front main speakers?

    I have herd guys say the reason why some avr's have a 4 and 6 ohm setting is because it cuts down on the power 4 ohm setting to reduce the chance of over heating. Where as if you don't have the option to do that then the mfg only recomends 6 ohms or more.

    I think they said it has to do with getting a UL approved.

    They also said to run the 4 ohm speakers on the full power 6+ ohm setting.

    It was in a thread where some wanted to know why their AVR had a 4 and 6 ohm setting.
    AVR: Onkyo Tx-NR808
    Amplifier: Carver A-753x 250 watts x 3
    Fronts: Polk RTI A7 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Center: CSI A4 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Rear: FXI A4
    Sub: Polk DSW Pro 660wi
    TV: LG Infinia 50PX950 3D
    Speaker Cable: AudioQuest Type 8
    IC: AudioQuest Black Mamba II
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited April 2011
    Connect it and keep the AVR at 8ohms. The AVR doesn't care what you connect at this point.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • fyrn
    fyrn Posts: 146
    edited April 2011
    jbooker82 wrote: »

    I thought the whole LSI series was 4 ohms.

    What speakers are your front main speakers?


    Just to clarity, my fronts are a pair of RTIA3's but somebody gave me a used lsic center, that's how I end up with that speaker.
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  • jbooker82
    jbooker82 Posts: 1,627
    edited April 2011
    Ahh i see.

    Here is the post I was talking about with the ohm selection.
    http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118059

    I am sure it will be fine running off your avr. Now you just need to get a pair of LSI's for the front two and move the RTI A'3 to surround duity.
    AVR: Onkyo Tx-NR808
    Amplifier: Carver A-753x 250 watts x 3
    Fronts: Polk RTI A7 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Center: CSI A4 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Rear: FXI A4
    Sub: Polk DSW Pro 660wi
    TV: LG Infinia 50PX950 3D
    Speaker Cable: AudioQuest Type 8
    IC: AudioQuest Black Mamba II
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  • fyrn
    fyrn Posts: 146
    edited April 2011
    jbooker82 wrote: »

    Ahh i see.

    I am sure it will be fine running off your avr. Now you just need to get a pair of LSI's for the front two and move the RTI A'3 to surround duity.


    That would be great but that might take a bigger friend. Thanks for the link.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,017
    edited April 2011
    fyrn wrote: »
    Hi, I'm looking for "real life" advice and not what the book says, so here it goes.
    I received a LSIC center speaker as a gift, and it is rated at 4 ohms. My receiver (Denon 1611) is rated 6-18 ohms, the rest of my speakers are rated 8 ohms.
    Would it be OK to run this speaker (LSIC) with that receiver with out damaging either one and/or any issues with mismatching speaker impedance with the receiver.

    If this can't be done, anybody in the market for an LSIC?

    Thanks

    Personally, I wouldn't. Sure you can hook it up and it will play, probably sound like crap too. Why risk doing damage when you don't have to ?
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • bluecomet
    bluecomet Posts: 1,118
    edited April 2011
    You can damage both your speakers and AVR if you hook them up and play at high volume levels. The only Lsi speakers I would even think about running at a 6 ohm setting is the Lsi 7 speakers. If you owned the Lsi 9's they have been known to dip into the 2 ohm range during certain applications. Bottom line is it would be a costly mistake for you. If you want to run Lsi series speakers take my advice and run an external amp that handles 4 ohm speakers.
    Polk HT system 1: LSIC, LSI25 mains, LSI F/X rears, Lsi F/X rear centers,
    Yamaha RX-V2500 System, Carver A753 3 channel amp.

    Polk HT system 2: , SRT system with f/x 1,000's rear speakers on 7.1 system currently using Onkyo TX-RZ820 receiver, powered by Sunfire Grand Theater amp

    Polk Speaker collection: SDA SRS 1.2tl x 2, SRT system, SDA SRS 2 P/B, SDA 2A, SDA 1C Studio, SDA CRS+, Monitor 7B & 4, SRS 3.1tl, RTA 15tl, LS90, LSI 9
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  • Jer.War
    Jer.War Posts: 180
    edited April 2011
    I have a yamaha rxv-1700 AVR which is capable of running just the front at 4 ohms according to the literature. My system is comprised of LSi's all around and I have never had a problem. The AVR does not get much hotter than when I was running 8 ohm loads all around. I would not be too concerned. You could run the speakers at a moderate volume for a bit and note the change in heat (of the AVR) for your piece of mind, but I have been running my setup for 2 years like this with no problem.
    Just to keep to be clear (so I dont get my head chomped of by some zealots here) it is not IDEAlL, but it sounds better than "crap". Hooke that baby up and enjoy.
    [The Ever-Evolving System

    LSI15's (PNF Symphony cabels, modded X-Over and subs), LSIC, LSI7's, Rega Apollo CDP (PNF ICON ICs, modified PS cct.), Yamaha RXV-1700 w/ ipod dock, B&K REF200.2 (fronts) Samsung BDP-1600, XBOX360, Patriot Box Office Media Player, 42" Samsung LCD.
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  • slk55amg
    slk55amg Posts: 305
    edited April 2011
    Be careful, My SONY ES 5300 is rated for 4ohm use, I never tried it. I added an EMOTIVA XPA 5 before I upgraded to an LSI front sound stage.
    Emotiva XPA5, Sony ES 5300,: Lsi 15,s LSIC, Monitor 70,s, ( side surrounds) FXI 3,s, (rear surrounds)Micropro4000, Velodyne DEQ 10, Sony 55inchXBR 930D Sony BDP 790 Bedroom rig SonyES 3200 RTIA1,s CSIA4 FXI3,s polk PSW 10 SONY 34inch XBR960:cool:SONY BDP550
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,017
    edited April 2011
    If you think a 400 buck receiver has a beefy enough power supply to run 4 ohm speakers, I have a nice lot for sale near a nuclear plant in Japan for ya.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • blehmbo
    blehmbo Posts: 179
    edited April 2011
    It's possible not to break anything if you keep the volume down, but you probably will not get the most out of the speaker. I ran a pair of lsi9s off of a yamaha rx-v765 for a couple weeks until I was able to pick up an external amplifier. I did not run into any issues; but I kept the volume fairly low, had the crossover set to 80hz for my subwoofer, and the setup was in a small room (12'x15').
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  • jbooker82
    jbooker82 Posts: 1,627
    edited April 2011
    If you wanted to be on the safe side you could always sell it and get a CSI A4 or CSI A6 that would be a match to the RTI A3's that you currently have.
    AVR: Onkyo Tx-NR808
    Amplifier: Carver A-753x 250 watts x 3
    Fronts: Polk RTI A7 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Center: CSI A4 (modded by Trey VR3)
    Rear: FXI A4
    Sub: Polk DSW Pro 660wi
    TV: LG Infinia 50PX950 3D
    Speaker Cable: AudioQuest Type 8
    IC: AudioQuest Black Mamba II
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  • fyrn
    fyrn Posts: 146
    edited April 2011
    jbooker82 wrote: »
    If you wanted to be on the safe side you could always sell it and get a CSI A4 or CSI A6 that would be a match to the RTI A3's that you currently have.

    thanks, It sounds like that would be the safest route, If anybody is in the market for a LSIC send me a PM and let me know before I decide to put it on ebay.
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