Reciver Recommendation for Polk LSi25

Think7

Hello

I am looking for a recommendation on which receiver to purchase to power the Polk LSi25 floor-standing speakers.

I look around Newegg, and even the internet in general and i see all these receivers with a bazillion inputs, outputs etc.

My situation is pretty simple. I have an iMac which i use for EVERYTHING. I also have an Xbox 360 which i use connection to the iMac's screen.

I watch movies, Listen to lots of music, Play games, etc. Just about everything that can be done between those 2 devices.

I am looking for an receiver that can accommodate these 2 devices and also power the LSi25's as needed.

I would LIKE to also one day do a full 5.1 setup, for for right now im looking for a 2.0 setup. Just the 2 floor standing speakers.

I sincerely appreciate any responses i get. If anyone needs additional information or questions, etc please ask!

Thank you!

txcoastal1

There are several recievers...but they need to be pre/processors joined with an amp there are only a few 4ohm stable AVR's but especially when doing 5.1 you will more than likely and recommend needing an amp for the LSi series

keywords are 4ohm stable and 150 watts per chnl or there abouts or higher

reeltrouble1

always a debateable thing....LSi has a 4 ohm nominal impedance rating...so the book answer is a reciver rated to drive a 4 ohm load...that said I have driven my Lsi with plenty of receivers rated at 8 ohms and had good results...like many though I moved to one that has seperate preouts so you can hook an independant amplifier to it to actually drive the speakers...the usual suspects include the traditional audio names along with more esoteric high end stuff...anyway, your in for a fun ride down the rabbit hole, through the rabbit hole and round its many twists and curves, hold on and enjoy....you are though looking for current/amperage in your reciever, todays technologies are constantly adding new things to the mix....check out Audio Advisor as one place to look...but when you google audio receivers there is alot to look at...so pick your budget and see whats out there.

As you need answers post up.

RT1

Think7

I have been doing a lot of reading and people have suggested the 15's with a separate sub. This is an option as well.

The unfortunate thing is i am not an audiophile to the point where i know what all these settings / specs mean. I absolutely have the ears for high quality polk speakers versus Bose, Klipsch, etc though.

With the 15's though i need an external amp. Thats yet another piece of equipment needed. It's not the cost that i'm talking about, its the computability / settings and whatnot that have to be tweaked. This is probably one of those projects that's never "done".

Is there a specific brand / combination that one can recommend for a pre-amp and an amp?

Onkyo seems to make both AMP's and PreAMPS. Denon however does not. I'm not too familiar with the other boatload of brands.

reeltrouble1

there is a NAD reciver in the Flea Market you might check out...2 channel...the 25 have powered subs for your enjoyment which will fit your need....i love towers but have owned the Lsi bookshelf as well, great speakers, cost less if you are going to use a powered sub, consider them as well!!! That NAD some bookies and a Polk sub...will rock your earbones like a sweet popsicle on a 95 degree day in the desert. Same receiver can drive the 25 or 15 as your going to 2.0 or 2.1...in any event the receiver does not have to power the sub so that is big load off of it.

RT1

Think7

I dont mind the cost difference of buying new so much. I think i'd prefer it. (Am vain like that...)

If i were to take the LSi15 + PreAMP/AMP rout, which would you recommend?

Something like this: http://www.us.onkyo.com/model.cfm?m=A-9555&class=Amplifier&p=s

?

reeltrouble1

that one will work but does not have preouts for a seperate amp, you said you might do a 5.1 down the road so if you plan to buy another for that its your choice. I take it you have no interest in HDMI at this time. So NAD, Outlaw, Cambridge, Anthem, Onkyo, Pioneer Elite, there are alot of them but you have the idea.

RT1

Think7

Can i get by with just using an amp? Like i said i am only powering my iMac's audio out which is an optical toslink... If so, can you recommend one?

reeltrouble1

by just an amp you mean a receiver with internal amplifier, yes, you can, the Onkyo you looked at is one, NAD, Cambridge, Outlaw, BAT, Anthem and a host of others make nice 2-channel receivers, there really is no "best" one, they are all pretty good. So its a matter of budget and features as you say you want a toslink connection which is pretty standard these days, just take a look at the rear view of the machine on the website.

RT1

Think7

ALright, I've had a friend recommend these...

http://emotiva.com/xda1.shtm - Preamp

http://emotiva.com/xpa3.shtm - Amp

It looks like i would need another amp for the rear's, thats fine. (If i was to have 5.1)

As far as connecting the sub, or center channel, how does that work? Are they the same channel? Would i literally just connect both wires from the sub and center to Chanel3?

renowilliams

You'll find some people in here will like Emotiva and others don't. I have never personally herd them so no comment. I can tell you that Anthem makes a fantastic pre-pro.

Think7

Seems like Anthem only makes one pre-amp:

http://www.anthemav.com/products/anthem/a-v-processor/avm-50v-2

It's 6 grand..

renowilliams

They make more than one, that is there most expensive one. I just bought mine used for $600. It was over 3 grand new. Find a used one and you will like what you get.

Here is another one that is new, I'm not sure of the price.

http://www.anthemav.com/products/anthem/a-v-processor/avm-50v-2


I have the avm-20, there is also an avm-30 which is newer than mine.

Almadacr

Man its hard to see what you want First things first , do you want a simple dedicated 2.0 or 2.1 or in the near future you want a 5.1 ?????? If you want to go the 5.1 none of the options that you presented will fit .

The XPA-3 its a good option to feed your fronts in a 5.1 situation .

Now let`s see 5.1 can be a 7.1 receiver , if you are willing to spend some money and thoughts on it for example the Pioneer Elite VSX-33 at amazon for under 600$ , then going up a notch you have also Integra and Anthem , this are great receivers , you should also considerer Yamaha , Denon and Onkyo . Find the best bang for your buck with pre-out`s .

Regarding the emos you have the choice you gave or go up a notch and get the XPA-5 , still if you chose the XPA-3 you can also ad later for example the UPA-2 :biggrin:

cfrizz

Welcome to Club Polk.

Get a receiver that has all the bells & whistles that you want it to have, and then get a 5 channel Emotiva XPA-5 or an Outlaw Audio 7500 if you know for a fact that you are going to have a 5.1 system and be done with it.

You cannot skimp on the power when you have LSI's if you want them to operate to their full potential.

Have fun.

tonyb

In other words, don't drive LSI's with a 500 buck avr or you could damage both receiver or speakers. As said above, they come alive with good quality amplification. You could also move down to the rtia series for an easier speaker to drive from an avr. Just make sure whatever you buy,it has preouts to be able to add an amp down the road when budget allows it. Don't dismiss buying used amps either if you have budget concerns.