New Harmon Kardon 3490 needs speakers

egsimi
egsimi Posts: 5
edited November 2011 in 2 Channel Audio
so, as the title says, I have a new HK3490 and i need some speakers (building up from scratch here).

I was very interested in some Lsi9's or even Lsi15's but I was going to wait until I could audition them. well just my luck Fry's near me which is the only place near me that carries Polks does not carry Lsi Series (and now I remember why I never go into Fry's) however I did get a feel for some Rti's in far less than ideal conditions and they are okay.

Later I checked out some B&W 683's and some Paradigm SE1's and SE3's they were excellent but in general a tad more than I want to spend.

so, pardon my rambling but the question really comes down to does anybody have experience with the HK listed and Lsi 9's? might that receiver be better paired with Rti's?

I am open to any and all suggestions or insight on this.

Thanks!
Post edited by egsimi on
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Comments

  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,287
    edited October 2011
    The LSi line is 4ohm so you need a 4ohm stable source
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • egsimi
    egsimi Posts: 5
    edited October 2011
    the HK is

    Power @ 8 Ohms, <0.07% THD 120 x 2
    Power @ 4 Ohms, <0.2% THD 150 x 2

    so I think it seems to measure up to the needs of the Lsi9's...
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited October 2011
    You should be fine with the LSi's and that HK. I have the same one and its why I bought it, so I could pair it with some 9's and then eventually get a dedicated amp and start moving up the chain in gear.

    The 9's on Polks ebay site are 550 for a pair of factory refurbs with a 3 year warranty. Thats impossible to beat. For small rooms you shouldnt need a sub with the 9's but that doesnt mean you may not want to just cause :wink:
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • egsimi
    egsimi Posts: 5
    edited October 2011
    EndersShadow, yes, that's what I wanted to hear about, real experiences with this pairing, and your plan seems to mirror my goals. I was looking at the refurbs on ebay and that's the way I think I will go...
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited October 2011
    Personally speaking, I don't think the HK will do the LSI-9s justice. I ran mine with some LSI-7s for a while, then I used an Adcom, and finally a NAD integrated. I thought the 7s were best with the NAD...less bright than the Adcom and less 'thin' than the HK.

    LSI-9s need some nice power behind them...SS power. And though the HK has some of that, it's just not enough. Although you can run them for now on that, I'd consider an upgrade in amplification in the long run!

    Good Luck!

    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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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited October 2011
    cnh wrote: »
    Although you can run them for now on that, I'd consider an upgrade in amplification in the long run!

    I also agree with this statement. The HK besides having 4 ohm power has pre-outs for an amp later on. My plan after purchasing an amp for whatever speakers I have was to sell the HK and get a dedicated preamp at that point along with a Asynchronous USB to RCA DAC (so I can use my computer as the source).
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • egsimi
    egsimi Posts: 5
    edited October 2011
    sounds good, this was always a starter system however I wanted to be sure I got some speakers that would last through some upgrades.

    I know this may be divergent from the original threads intent but, looking to the future, does anybody have a suggestion for a good amp setup for these speakers, lets say at or under $1k? either using the HK as a pre-amp or just getting a whole new setup...
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  • egsimi
    egsimi Posts: 5
    edited October 2011
    Just as an update, the Lsi9's arrived yesterday and I have been able to put in about 3 hours of listening since then. The 3490 has no issues driving them so far and the speakers sound great; it is definitely a great pairing if on a budget. I got mfg refurb speakers from the polk e-bay store, they arrived in two days.

    I don't really want to delve into the sound quality just yet as they have not broken in but there is no doubt they can go loud.

    I have already started looking around for an upgrade amp and there was a Rotel that caught my eye at a good price point. something to look forward to next year.
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  • cdn5003
    cdn5003 Posts: 144
    edited October 2011
    I have powered my Lsi9's with that HK3490 and it works pretty well as long as you don't turn it up too loud. I found that the dynamics and bass response started to go away when I turned it louder with the HK. What is the size of your room? An amp upgrade would help at any volume level but a larger room size would require a little more power to really deliver.

    After upgrading to a Carver 1.5T I started to see what my Lsi's can really do. The bass response is really solid for bookshelf speakers. There are a few threads on here about powering Lsi's to search for. I also had good results powering these with a Carver TFM-25. You have a lot of options for amplification. If you do decide to try an amp and don't find a difference you can just resell it.
    HT Setup: Onkyo 706; Rotel RB-1075; Rti A3; Csi A6; Fxi3's

    2 CH: Squeezebox Touch; Dared SL-2000a; GoldenEar Triton 5 or Lsi9's; Parasound 2125; SVS SB12-NSD; Music Hall DAC 25.2
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  • kappclark
    kappclark Posts: 136
    edited October 2011
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    I also agree with this statement. The HK besides having 4 ohm power has pre-outs for an amp later on. My plan after purchasing an amp for whatever speakers I have was to sell the HK and get a dedicated preamp at that point along with a Asynchronous USB to RCA DAC (so I can use my computer as the source).

    This is what I did with my faithful HK3380 - I use it as preamp to drive a better sounding Parasound amp with Polk monitor 60's
    *************************
    ** Bill Clark Windham, VT **
    *************************
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited October 2011
    I drove my LSi 9's off of my 3490 for a while and it sounded fine. But once I hooked up my Parasound it was great. As cnh said, less thin overall sound.

    I'm using my 3490 as a pre for now, till I can find something to move up the chain with...
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  • torero
    torero Posts: 10
    edited November 2011
    How would the Rotel RB-1582 drive RTi A9 in comparison to HK3490 ??Any idea?

    http://www.rotel.com/NA/products/ProductDetails.htm?Id=488&Tab=2&Pic=1

    http://reviews.cnet.com/av-receivers/harman-kardon-hk-3490/4507-6466_7-33034271.html
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited November 2011
    Should give a more solid soundstage, overall better dynamics.

    I can't seem to find the current output on the Rotel but usually a dedicated power amp that weighs about 15lbs more than the 3490 and consumes a lot more power should have a lot more "reserves" in the tank for the A9's.

    When I hooked up my A7's to my Parasound it was nice, effortless lowend punch and an improved midrange. But I can't justify that kind of an amp for speakers that I can hardly turn up anymore (baby sleeps right above them).
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  • torero
    torero Posts: 10
    edited November 2011
    Upstatemax wrote: »
    Should give a more solid soundstage, overall better dynamics.

    I can't seem to find the current output on the Rotel but usually a dedicated power amp that weighs about 15lbs more than the 3490 and consumes a lot more power should have a lot more "reserves" in the tank for the A9's. e (baby sleeps right above them).

    so the rotel RB-1582 would be an overkill for the RTi A9s?
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,670
    edited November 2011
    torero wrote: »
    so the rotel RB-1582 would be an overkill for the RTi A9s?

    Not at all.

    But for ME, I need to keep my A7's as tame as possible most of the time because of the baby and wife.

    If I have the house to myself and it's movie time with friends I hook the Parasound up to the HT and crank the volume!
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  • torero
    torero Posts: 10
    edited November 2011
    Upstatemax wrote: »
    Not at all.

    But for ME, I need to keep my A7's as tame as possible most of the time because of the baby and wife.

    If I have the house to myself and it's movie time with friends I hook the Parasound up to the HT and crank the volume!

    Thanks for the reply...excuse my lack of knowledge,but can I hook up a multichannel power amp-for HT- and a stereo amp for music to the same speakers? Would front speakers have enough inputs for both amps?

    My main purpose is to listen to music,thats why I need a stereo amp for the main speakers..But on the other hand I also need a multichannel power amp..If I buy both amps,could they be hooked to the same front speakers at the same time-lsım707- and turned on interchangeably when needed?

    Say, I have a HK3490 and I also buy a multichannel ROTEL power amp..How do I connect both of them to the same fronts?(lsim707s or rtiA9s) ??
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