Lets talk about LSI 25 and 15.

Esreuter

Hey forum,

Me again.

now i want to pick all your brains about something.

As i am enjoying my monitors to the max, i am also saving and thinking ahead for my up grade.

I was originally considering the Lsi line with the 15's, but then i got a great idea that the 25's would be perfect because they each have a powered sub and i wouldn't need to get a extra sub woofer. you know, save some space but still get some great sounds.

But as i read and learn, the general idea seems to be with the 15's and a separate sub woofer.

so now i ask all of you LSI owners, do you have the 15s' wishing for the 25s'?
or the 25s' wishing for the 15's? any thoughts experiences, both good and bad i would like to hear.

and to all you other polkies, with out lsi but dreaming perhaps, what are your thoughts? 15s' 25s'? advantages disadvantages? your reasons?

to quell the lines of questions, here are all the answers i can think of: Main use: HT video games, music only when cleaning the house.

proper power will be provided, in the form of a amp, most likely a emotiva due it its my first external and their price point is a good launching platform.

cables will be proper for the amount of power needed, and placement and other jazz will also be used to allow for optimized sound.

now you all must know this is a year or two off in the future but i am torn a little, i like the space saver of the 25s' but i also dig the extended frequency opportunity with the 15s' and a subwoofer of my choosing.

your thoughts and experiences are all welcome.

thank you in advance.

ESR:biggrin::biggrin:

txcoastal1

Theater 25's ...15's music

EndersShadow

I have 15's and am gonna pass on getting the 25's. I think most will agree that even 25's need a sub for HT anyway and that your getting a better bang w/ a set of 15's with modded xovers and then dual powered subs, and cost about the same as a set of 25's + sub...

I might get a second set of 15's for my surrounds, but honestly for HT the 15's as fronts are really growing on me and I dont think I see a need for the 25's...

Good amplification will make or break them though.....

nhhiep

one thing you should consider is that the 15 will need more power from your AMP because it has an passive sub, unlike the 25.

Assume you have enough power, if space is your issue, then go with 25, otherwise 15+sub.

but the 10" 150W sub in the 25 is too small to go low enough for movies. So it seems like either way, you will need a sub. I still wonder why they put a 150W amp in there, instead of at least 250+

tonyb

nhhiep wrote: »

but the 10" 150W sub in the 25 is too small to go low enough for movies. So it seems like either way, you will need a sub. I still wonder why they put a 150W amp in there, instead of at least 250+

I still maintain that the powered sub in any speaker is not intended to replace a dedicated HT subwoofer. Def Tech is pretty close, but doesn't compare to a good quality sub. Though some marketing gimmicks claim thats all you'll need, people usually are astounded when a real sub is added to the mix.

For me the 15's are the better deal and with a good amp can be just plain awesome. I have found in my own journey that powered towers are limited, the bottom end never sounds just right and not coherant from top to bottom, and I have had a few, SRT's, 3000p's, 2000p's, 1000p's, and had an ear on the lsi's too though never owned those.

jimmydep

I'd do the 15's, you don't want a powered sub for music and you'll need a powered sub for HT either way. So just go with a properly powered LSI 15 system, with a sub and I know you'll be pleased.

dorokusai

I would never recommend the LSi25 since it doesn't do anything significantly better than the LSi15. The subwoofer was an afterthought and compromised way too much to retain the form factor of the LSi lineup.

The LSi15 doesn't require anymore power from your amplifier due to driving an additional 10" woofer. It's a 4ohm loudspeaker which is usually a tough load for most gear and the difference between adding a single driver at that point is negligible. You need a solid amplifier section in your AVR, or a stand-alone unit. You're going to be using a subwoofer and cutting the L&R mains anyways for a HT enviroment....so the power requirements again, level out.

A bonus is that you may also upgrade the woofer in these(LSi15) with a Polk dB Series subwoofer driver and really tighten them up. It's just a better speaker and it even offers an easy, cheap upgrade to boot.

I suggest you go with your gut and do the LSi15 w/ a crazy subwoofer.

dorokusai

DSkip wrote: »

Are the LSi9's an option? I think I'll end up going that route over the towers in the series.

I'm a LSi7 fan but in regards to the entire lineup the LSi9 is the best, most well-rounded loudspeaker.

txcoastal1

If I had it to do all over again...I would have done 15's and 9's including a 9 for center plus a front firing sub ...would give 2 options for 2 chnl to play with

EndersShadow

txcoastal1 wrote: »

If I had it to do all over again...I would have done 15's and 9's including a 9 for center plus a front firing sub ...would give 2 options for 2 chnl to play with

Part of me wants to buy a set of 7's and run them as a center against the LSiC. Both are wall mountable at a later date and if I dont like the 7's as a center, I can use em as the surrounds...

Conradicles

dorokusai wrote: »

I'm a LSi7 fan but in regards to the entire lineup the LSi9 is the best, most well-rounded loudspeaker.

The LSi9's amaze me with how well they (a bookshelf speaker mind you) can do most things right, top to bottom of the spectrum.

txcoastal1

EndersShadow wrote: »

Part of me wants to buy a set of 7's and run them as a center against the LSiC. Both are wall mountable at a later date and if I dont like the 7's as a center, I can use em as the surrounds...

Would not be a bad choice...7's are versatile to move and hide in other rooms ie bedroom, kitchen and master bath...could always use them

EndersShadow

txcoastal1 wrote: »

Would not be a bad choice...7's are versatile to move and hide in other rooms ie bedroom, kitchen and master bath...could always use them

Yup, but I wont be doing that for a bit unless I have to. I just got my setup and want to get some time to settle into it and feel out how it goes and tweak it.

Then I need to mod the LSi's I have and break in that setup while getting a better amp than I have and then I might look at changing out my surrounds at which time I might mess with the center.

All this assumes I dont have a set of LSi 7's fall into my lap at a price I cant pass up....like doro w/ the LSiC

ranger

The bean counters must have spoken. Polk should have put the better woofer in the 15 to begin with. These are their flagship speakers.

Monster Jam

Esreuter wrote: »

do you have the 15s' wishing for the 25s'?

Short answer: No.

While many have discussed the merits of the powered sub over the passive sub, I would point out that the 25s due to their active sub, REQUIRE connection to power outlets. Based on how the speakers will be positioned, that could be a deal-breaker.

I would have been happy with either speaker, assuming that I could have easily placed them and powered them.

PSOVLSK

DSkip wrote: »

Are the LSi9's an option? I think I'll end up going that route over the towers in the series.

This is what I did for HT. I have my 15's in a 2-channel set-up. To me it's almost the same argument as getting the 15's over the 25's: you'll need a dedicated sub anyway for HT.

Of course, every situation is different so for some people the 15's are the better choice over the 9's.

To the OP: I've NEVER wished I had the 25's instead of the 15's. They are a great speaker that can be taken to another level with the driver and crossover upgrades.

scottnbnj

Esreuter wrote: »

Main use: HT video games, music only when cleaning the house.

i've never owned 25's or 15's, but have spent some time with 9's.

it might be worth mentioning that 25's are several inches taller than 15's and that changing the height of 9's by several inches makes a difference.

maybe the 25's will be closer to the optimal listening height while you're running the vacuum...

)

mantis

I'm actually a fan of the LSI25's. When I did a side by side with the Lsi15's , I thought the 25's sounded more open and natural. When you dial in the sub for music, you can get a really full sounding soundstage and punchy low end.
For theater I have done it both ways and found the Lsi25's in a small to medium room do very well for theater. But add a external sub is always a better route. The subs in the lsi25's hit but not like a good velodyne. They are pretty musical and clean.
If I was to build a Lsi system , I would use lsi7's on wall in the front with a LsiC on wall , Lsi7's surrounds and surround back mated with a Velodyne DD12 sub. I would power the entire rig with a NAD T785 receiver. I would use Audioquest Flx 14-2 to wire the entire system.

Esreuter

very good thoughts all.

now since i dont totally understand all of the tech specs of speakers. i have a question.

many of you say about replacing the 8 woof in the 15's with a db line.

i noticed the db line is for car and marine audio, does a speaker not care if the electricity is DC or AC? any one care to explain how it all works?

thank you in advance

ESR

EndersShadow

Esreuter wrote: »

very good thoughts all.

now since i dont totally understand all of the tech specs of speakers. i have a question.

many of you say about replacing the 8 woof in the 15's with a db line.

i noticed the db line is for car and marine audio, does a speaker not care if the electricity is DC or AC? any one care to explain how it all works?

thank you in advance

ESR

I may not be able to explain how it works but I believe that from a car amp to a car sub your sending the same type of power you would be from your AVR, hence why you use regular speaker wire.

The car amp takes it from the batter and converts it (if needed) I believe.

I have done the db mod and there is a big long thread on it here: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89529

I added pics of the stock and db sub side by side.

megasat16

I love LSi25 the most in the all of the current LSi series. It's more balanced speaker than the 7, 9, and 15.

The 15s are the most power hungry speakers among the current LSi line.

dorokusai

Esreuter wrote: »

very good thoughts all.

now since i dont totally understand all of the tech specs of speakers. i have a question.

many of you say about replacing the 8 woof in the 15's with a db line.

i noticed the db line is for car and marine audio, does a speaker not care if the electricity is DC or AC? any one care to explain how it all works?

thank you in advance

ESR

In this regard, a speaker is a speaker. AC....DC....doesn't matter.

bdtae5656

Go with the 15's then get yourself a great SW

NewHTguy

I actually went in the opposite direction of most of the posters. I had a great sub (given my budget), a Velodyne SPL-1200R sub which was very musical. After I bought my Lsi 25s from polks ebay site I found that I rarely used the sub. The bass from the 25s was more than adequate for me, so I sold the Velodyne.

Having said that, my focus is mostly two-channel and I like the tweaking that one can do with the 25s. I suppose if I were into HT, the 25s might not have enough deep base. If I could afford two really nice subs, then I would go with the 9s and dual subs. However, I personally consider the 25s a "compact" way to have excellent stereo bass for music and decent bass for HT.

Esreuter

Turing out to be a interesting thread.

i am really getting curious what a good subwoofer wounds like.

like i said waaaaaayyy back when i first got my setup, in college all i wanted was the boom boom, didnt care about anything else as long as i could shake the room it was fine.

now diving into a different area of audio, i am eager to make a comparison of then and now.

Dam this no shopping ban, the 505 is in stock and i worry it will go out of stick quickly and never come back.

meh. well ill just keep on savin for my amps and then speaker upgrades.

i have a question for all of you (like you all didnt see that comming), this time about crossover mods on the LSI lines.

Is there a upgrade to the crossovers that dosent involve having the crossover outside the cabinet and laying on the floor? I have seen some of you guys and your mods and they seem huge and are placed behind the tower on the floor or a platform of some sort.

do tell please.

ESR

EndersShadow

Esreuter wrote: »

Is there a upgrade to the crossovers that dosent involve having the crossover outside the cabinet and laying on the floor? I have seen some of you guys and your mods and they seem huge and are placed behind the tower on the floor or a platform of some sort.

MOST of the folks who modded their speakers dont have them outside the speaker but inside as you suggest. A couple have theirs outside just because it was easier, especially for the 15's and 25's to mount externally so everything is on one board rather than 2.

I know FACE has his modded 15 boards internal and prob DORO as well (though I dont have any pics of DORO's to prove it)

EndersShadow

post #28 reported

JimAckley

Having owned 25s for the past four years, I can say that the built in powered subs are decent and make the speaker usable (to a degree) without an amplifier since you only have to drive the upper section, and the powered subs can somewhat negate the need for an external subwoofer, but nothing will outperform a good separate sub. Having an external amplifier designed to drive 4-ohm loads certainly helps them, and I recommend it for a larger room. Smaller rooms can get away with being driven by an AVR since they require less power for the same volume level.

When I'm using them, I drive my 25s with my SC-37, crossed at 100Hz, but also use a PSW1000 crossed at 50Hz to add the extra low thump that the 25s can't produce.

The 15s IMO are better in every way, but you will need an amplifier to drive them, so you can definitely count on that added cost. Since you mentioned buying an amp, that definitely opens these up as an option to you.

Crossover mods make the LSi series nearly untouchable, and can be kept within the 15s and 25s with ease.

I really do enjoy my 25s when it comes down to it, and don't regret buying them at all. They're really more like something between an LSi9 and LSi7 with a subwoofer attached and gorgeous cherry sides. Since they don't require nearly as much power as the 15s, I've been able to use a mid-range Kenwood AVR on them for a few years without any problems, powering the top section with the AVR, and running the pre-outs to the subwoofer ins, but as I said before that was in bedroom, not a larger living room or den.

dorokusai

EndersShadow wrote: »

MOST

I know FACE has his modded 15 boards internal and prob DORO as well (though I dont have any pics of DORO's to prove it)

I have modded all but the LSi25. I don't advertise or seek validation...that often at least, so pics are never a priority for me.

EndersShadow

dorokusai wrote: »

I have modded all but the LSi25. I don't advertise or seek validation...that often at least, so pics are never a priority for me.

Yup, I just noticed you reference how big a PITA they were in a couple diff threads lol....

pjdami

I've had the LSi 15s with a SVS PB1+ sub (LSiC and LSi 7 rears) for about 7 years now. No real need to change anything. Been really happy with that setup driven by a B&K receiver. Totally awesome for HT and very good for two channel although for critical two channel listening I prefer the sound of tubes and a separate 2 channel rig. This by no means that the LSi aren't used for two channel use a lot too though. I'm pretty happy with it.