LSiM707 with 2 channel HK 3490 or Rotel RB-1582

torero

Hi everyone,

I am in the market for a new pair of LSiM707 or maybe a RTi A9...I would need your opinion on a 2 channel stereo amp...

What would you think about the HK3490 or Rotel RB-1582 ?? In your experience.would polk speakers work better in harmony with rotel or HK? or another amp you may recommend..

sorry newbie here... any help is much appreciated...

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

cfrizz

Welcome to Club Polk Torero.

Rotel, everyday, all day! In my opinion, seperates are better, and the speakers (LsiM) will appreciate the power of the Rotel.

EDUBAG

Oye torero,

listen to the lady. First the lsim is in a diferent (a much much better speaker) than the rtia9. If your use will be both ht and music maybe the rtia9 will be the better choice, specially since a speaker like the lsim will require in my opinion a much better amp than both of your choices (separates would be ideal).

Our of the two choices i prefer rotel, i own rotel separates and love them and consider them a very good product for the money. In my opinion is a better product than hk.

As you can see the rti9 cost like 1500 where the lsim707 4000 so you usually people buy the gear according to the speakers they purchase, usually they purchase the best speaker that they can afford but then must (usually) follow them with the electronics to be able to enjoy them.

Good luck and keep us posted, welcome to club polk by the way.

Again the lsim is the much better speaker of the two but it will require the electronics to backup that quality.

Eduardo

torero

EDUBAG wrote: »

If your use will be both ht and music maybe the rtia9 will be the better choice, specially since a speaker like the lsim will require in my opinion a much better amp than both of your choices (separates would be ideal).

thanks all for the responses..I am just gonna use it for music...I am thinkin of getting rotel and try to find a way to listen to my mp3 digitalmusic with those..HK 3490 has a brigde that i can hook my ipod...But ı havent found any connection means for rotel..


I know most audiophiles hate the digital music but i have a lot of music collection which I couldnt find on cds or vinlys..

here is my projected system:

POLK LSIM 707
RB-1582 Classic Stereo Power Amplifier AB
RCD-1520 Cd player
RC-1580 Classic Stereo Preamplifier
pro-ject Debut turntable
RDG-1520 Internet Radio Tuner


My problem is how do I connect my ipod or another mp3 source into this system without much loss..HK 3490 seems to be the only amp with a direct bridge that allows mp3 player connection..

thanks

EDUBAG

That is a nice projected setup, please please do not let the ipod connectivity keep you away from a very good system. There are lots and lots of dac and docks that could work with the rotel preamp. Even a rca to 3.5mm y tipe adapter would work.

Rotel is a much better brand than hk and that system should be sweet sounding.

If you have a modern ipod check out the audioengine aw2 wireless adapter fro ipod, it lets you control your ipod while streaming your music and it cost only 99 bucks.

Regards,

eduardo

torero

EDUBAG wrote: »

That is a nice projected setup, please please do not let the ipod connectivity keep you away from a very good system. There are lots and lots of dac and docks that could work with the rotel preamp. Even a rca to 3.5mm y tipe adapter would work.

Rotel is a much better brand than hk and that system should be sweet sounding.

If you have a modern ipod check out the audioengine aw2 wireless adapter fro ipod, it lets you control your ipod while streaming your music and it cost only 99 bucks.

Regards,

eduardo

Thank you very much for your very valuable information...I will buy that audioengine aw2 wireless as well...they also have something called aw1...

By the way,a preamp is a necessity when it comes to digital music, right?

Also,some suggest using monoblocks insted of a stereo amp..I have been looking at the Rotel website but couldnt find any new monoblocks there..The advantage of a less crosstalk would be significant i guess...

http://www.rotel.com/NA/

EDUBAG

The aw1 is ti stream from a computer, not for ipod. The preamp is needed for everything, it is the piece that takes the audiosignal from your cd, dvd, turntable etc and sends it to the amplifier. If you were to buy a integrated amplifier it means that it includes both the preamp and amp together in one body.

Although monoblocks are often used by true audiophiles and a lot of people like them, i beleive that a stereo amp is more practical, since you have less cables to deal with.

I must say that you should get more recommendations from the forum , state your budget and they will send you on the right path, there are a lot of great electronics out there and a lot of knowledgeable people here.

If you dont mind going in the used market, there are a lot of choices to purchase at around the same price that might cost you to buy the rotel gear you are stating , assuming you plan on purchasing brand new.

My rotel gear i bought used and is is very well regarded, i think it was top of the line when it came out, however i bough them abou a year and a half ago for about seven hundred dollars for both the preamp and amp.

Also there are a lot of speakers put there in the 4 k range so keep researching and try to listen to as many as you can before purchasing any.

Good luck in your audio journey,

Eduardo

By the way where are you located?

nclh7

I've spent my whole life buying end of life top end equipment at a discount. It is a formula which has allowed me to accumulate some really nice equipment. Much of it, I've sold for more than I purchased it for.

Go with the 9's and a preowned Rotel digital amp.

dorokusai

Am I missing something? The HK 3490 is a Receiver and the Rotel RB-1582 is an actual Amplifier....uh, yeah, over those choices, I'd pick the Rotel. Both loudspeakers will require some solid power and I don't believe either of them will allow them to open up but they'll certainly work.

torero

dorokusai wrote: »

Both loudspeakers will require some solid power and I don't believe either of them will allow them to open up but they'll certainly work.

What gear would LSIM707 and RTI A9s do justice then? any suggestion?

tonyb

You could use any of a gazillion amps out there that are 4 ohm stable of around 150 watts on up. The speakers your looking at need solid current to perform well, which is all but absent in your standard AVR. Check into B&K, Parasound, Carver, Sunfire, Belles, Rotel, Emotiva, and a cast of thousands. Your receiver also needs preouts to be able to hook an amp up to it.

reeltrouble1

dorokusai wrote: »

Am I missing something? The HK 3490 is a Receiver and the Rotel RB-1582 is an actual Amplifier....uh, yeah, over those choices, I'd pick the Rotel. Both loudspeakers will require some solid power and I don't believe either of them will allow them to open up but they'll certainly work.

Exactly. I have read some of the demo reports and the gear being used, as everyone has their ideas and does what they can and so on I did not want to sound hostile, but here is my .02, yes, perhaps some will come with the backlash that seems pointed at some members who invest in hi-fi gear, so feel free as it has been awhile since a tussle with the anti-hi-fi-audio-insurgents has occured. I am not looking to single anybody out but I have some different thoughts about Polk Audio's latest speaker than some others I have read. Not really looking to call anyone's baby ugly, yet the bar has been raised.

The LSiM are a Statement Speaker from Polk many years in the making, something different with a much higher bar, I do not believe the company built them thinking the owner would be using mass market type gear, receivers, mid or lo-fi amplifiers and the like with them. The speakers are designed to produce a much more refined type of sound than the companies prior offerings, Polk seeks to deliver the audiophile, serious hobbiest a musical listening experience, while still holding true to the companies core values. I have spent some solid time doing critical type listening with them, my experience has shown they need/require quality gear upstream from source to amplifier, weak links in the chain will result in a sound most will not like. That said they still fall within the established vision of providing high value to dollar. They still play Rock and Roll as all Polk speakers are voiced to do, however, they are quite a step up from what may have become the associated house sound.

I just do not think your going to get them anywhere near their musical potential using H&K or Rotel, looking for 200 watts per channel, HT gear or such things which have generally been held as a rule of thumb for some Polk Speakers or what may have been acceptable for the Theatre speaker line-up.

To make them sing and shine as far as amplifiers go, think about gear with quality electronics, few gain stages, appropriate or no feedback, discreet differential circuitry, capacitor type and size, yes they do need high current/amperage, however, they are not a difficult load per say. The impedance is established at 8 ohms unlike the 4 ohm found in the Lsi and Lci lineup. During two seperate demo sessions when less than stellar gear was used the group found the sound was simply flat, non-dynamic, and at times even harsh.

One consistent finding is the 707 needs a large room, when used in to small an area there are some serious node issues, most unpleasent, if you dont have the big room, think the 703 bookshelf or 705. Polk did build one for everyone's needs and they are quite a value when compared to other speakers who reach for this level of listening pleasure, albiet not exactly made for background tunes while doing the dishes...my personal favorite is the 703. You are going to find some nice features in the lineup, magnetic grills, leveling spikes, the ring radiator is extended, however it needs an amplifier that is quick and responsive to impedance changes. If your source does not provide the musical signal to begin with...well your going to hear it, get a good one or a good DAC if your using digital. The pre-amp needs to pass the signal along without degrading it any more than possible, no small or easy task and just not something your AVR with its amplifier stage crammed into it was ever meant to do.

I would imagine as we all become more familiar with the speakers, gear will be realized at various price points which will work well with them, as well as certain components that will allow them to reach their musical potential. But receivers and such are just not going to get you there..well, unless your not looking to go very far. No I am not going to replace the Sound Lab in my reference rig, however, I certainly will have a pair of LsiM to enjoy, most likely the 703, which do still need just a bit of room to breathe to sound their best.

RT1

dorokusai

Excellent post Ted, you should speak up coherently more often instead of using the weird lanuage rearrangement machine you usually use.

F1nut

Excellent indeed and right on the money!

doctor r

Ted states it well. Another way to look at it though, and what I heard at Polkfest, is that the LSmI line actually reveals the weakness in equipment driving them. It is not a fault of the speaker if it has the ability to reveal the "brightness", "flatness", or other general "HiFi" presentations of equipment in the chain. On the other hand, in this scenario, each improvement you make in a system with these speakers will be rewarded by their ability to fully present it in the sound scape. They like quality because the are excellent at passing along what they receive.

torero

All I really understand from the above conversations is that LSIM 707 will need a high end gear such as CLASSE range to be able to fully show off what it's got..

But as for RTI A 9s; Rotel gear would do them justice fully and even maybe HK 3490-although a receiver- would be a good match ?

Am I correct ?

reeltrouble1

yes, pretty much, the RTi 9 though is no slouch of a speaker and will benefit as well from good electronics. Your Polk speakers can take you quite a long way if you send them a quality signal.

RT1