Polk LS90 vs Monitor 70
So i'm just getting into Polks and came across a pair of used LS90s for $300 (for the pair). Before i found these, I was looking into getting a pair of Monitor 70s for $300 (for the pair on sale at newegg.com). I've never heard either of these and they look similar, but during my "quest" for advice on the two, i've heard the LS90s reguarded as some of the best speakers polk made and for $300 it was a great deal. On other forums it was the LS90s everytime, but I figured the best place to find out would be here.
Oh, this would be used for all around music/home theater, gaming..etc. Yamaha RX-V867, I have nice sub already, Polk RM7s for surrounds and advice on a center would be welcomed as well....
Oh, this would be used for all around music/home theater, gaming..etc. Yamaha RX-V867, I have nice sub already, Polk RM7s for surrounds and advice on a center would be welcomed as well....
Post edited by qwiktune on
Comments
-
Get the LS90s, audition them in your house, and if you don't like them, flip them and get the Monitor 70s. Assuming they are in good condition, it should be very easy to recoup your investment at that price. I'd jump at the offer (if I had the room for LS90s).
RT-12, CS350-LS, PSW-300, Infinity Overture 1, Monoprice RC-65i
Adcom GFA-545II, GFA-6000, Outlaw Audio 990, Netgear NeoTV
Denon DCM-460, DMD-1000, Sony BDP-360, Bravia KDL-40Z4100/S
Monster AVL-300, HTS-2500 MKII -
Get the LS90s, audition them in your house, and if you don't like them, flip them and get the Monitor 70s. Assuming they are in good condition, it should be very easy to recoup your investment at that price. I'd jump at the offer (if I had the room for LS90s).
Good point, i could always flip the 90s, and newegg always has those sales on those Monitor speakers. I'm gonna inspect the condition when i go get them, but the guy said they were lightly used, never driven hard, still in great condition and willing to back me up if something were to some how go wrong with em.... -
LS90's. The LS line was Polks top line and was replaced by the LSi line."....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)
-
EndersShadow wrote: »LS90's. The LS line was Polks top line and was replaced by the LSi line.
Good to know, thanks! Any chance anyone might know a good center channel that would blend well with these? CS1 or CS2 maybe? Right now i have a sony, but i doubt thats gonna cut it haha. I found a guy selling a CS1 for $20.... -
Welcome to Club Polk!
A pair of LS90s years ago sold for (according to Polk) 1600 a pair MSRP compared to 900 MSRP for M-70s when they were new. But the real difference was in a heftier construction and deeper bass reaching to 35 Hz.
See Polk's product pages:
http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/specs/recent/ls90/
LS90s, you'll like them!
cnhCurrently 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] -
Good to know, thanks! Any chance anyone might know a good center channel that would blend well with these? CS1 or CS2 maybe? Right now i have a sony, but i doubt thats gonna cut it haha. I found a guy selling a CS1 for $20....
Find a CS350LS, a perfect match. They come up fairly often. -
ken brydson wrote: »Find a CS350LS, a perfect match. They come up fairly often.
Boom, problem solved
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-CS350-LS-Center-Channel-Speaker-Great-Sound-/140656959691?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item20bfcee0cb"....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) -
-
ken brydson wrote: »
This one is a problem, i'm in Pennsylvania, and this guy makes sure anyone looking at the Ad knows he wont ship it anywhere haha. I'll have to check on the ebay one, looks like $150 is the general price huh? Thanks for all the responses, i'm glad I came here! -
This one is a problem, i'm in Pennsylvania, and this guy makes sure anyone looking at the Ad knows he wont ship it anywhere haha. I'll have to check on the ebay one, looks like $150 is the general price huh? Thanks for all the responses, i'm glad I came here!
You can also post a Wanted ad in the Flea Market section of this forum. Someone might have one they would be willing to sell you as well. We tend to have some hoarders around (and thats a great thing for us
) "....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) -
EndersShadow wrote: »You can also post a Wanted ad in the Flea Market section of this forum. Someone might have one they would be willing to sell you as well. We tend to have some hoarders around (and thats a great thing for us)
I'll do that right now, thanks. If everything goes to plan I should have these speakers sometime before the weeks end. -
I'll do that right now, thanks. If everything goes to plan I should have these speakers sometime before the weeks end.
Keep an eye on your local CL as well. You asked earlier, I checked mine and sure enough there was one. The 350 is a great center. I won't be parting with mine. As far as the price, $150 may be a bit steep. Although worth it, most that I've seen go for $80-125 or so depending on condition. -
ken brydson wrote: »Keep an eye on your local CL as well. You asked earlier, I checked mine and sure enough there was one. The 350 is a great center. I won't be parting with mine. As far as the price, $150 may be a bit steep. Although worth it, most that I've seen go for $80-125 or so depending on condition.
Ok thanks...you wouldn't by chance want to talk that guy down, then buy it so that I can buy it from you and ship it, would ya? Hahaha, can't blame a guy for asking! -
Ok thanks...you wouldn't by chance want to talk that guy down, then buy it so that I can buy it from you and ship it, would ya? Hahaha, can't blame a guy for asking!
We do that kind of thing here at CP from time to time. See how you do locally on here and Ebay, CL, etc. This guy isn't all that far from me but by the time you factor in the price, cost of packing and shipping it may not be quite the deal you hoped for. -
We'll see what kind of bites I get on here, as far as CL, not a thing in my area (Pittsburgh) and I only found 2 on ebay, the one EndersShadow posted above and the one a posted below here. Any other ideas where I could check?
This is prob the cheapest I found. Prob make sure the condition is great and it has the grill cover since its not shown.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Polk-Audio-CS350-Center-Speaker-/150714040869?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item231741c225 -
I plan to sell my CS350LS as soon as I can find an Infinity Overture 1CC to replace it, if that motivates anyone to help me find one.
RT-12, CS350-LS, PSW-300, Infinity Overture 1, Monoprice RC-65i
Adcom GFA-545II, GFA-6000, Outlaw Audio 990, Netgear NeoTV
Denon DCM-460, DMD-1000, Sony BDP-360, Bravia KDL-40Z4100/S
Monster AVL-300, HTS-2500 MKII -
I plan to sell my CS350LS as soon as I can find an Infinity Overture 1CC to replace it, if that motivates anyone to help me find one.
Well i'll do my best to try and help ya. Think you can shoot me a quote on how much you might be charging for that when you decide to sell it? Also where you're located cause i'm sure i'd prob need shipped -
If a Polkie helps me get an Overture 1CC I'll let it go for $150 including shipping. I guarantee you won't find a CS350LS in better condition than mine. But don't get your hopes too high; that Overture 1CC is a very rare bird. I have a wanted ad for one posted on Audiogon. What really irritates me about Audiogon is that, while my wanted ad was posted, someone posted one and sold it before I ever saw the ad. Slipped right under my nose. I was so upset. Anyway, I check it daily now.
RT-12, CS350-LS, PSW-300, Infinity Overture 1, Monoprice RC-65i
Adcom GFA-545II, GFA-6000, Outlaw Audio 990, Netgear NeoTV
Denon DCM-460, DMD-1000, Sony BDP-360, Bravia KDL-40Z4100/S
Monster AVL-300, HTS-2500 MKII -
If a Polkie helps me get an Overture 1CC I'll let it go for $150 including shipping. I guarantee you won't find a CS350LS in better condition than mine. But don't get your hopes too high; that Overture 1CC is a very rare bird. I have a wanted ad for one posted on Audiogon. What really irritates me about Audiogon is that, while my wanted ad was posted, someone posted one and sold it before I ever saw the ad. Slipped right under my nose. I was so upset. Anyway, I check it daily now.
My 350 looks like the day I took it out of the box (in '96) -
Mine too! Didn't say you wouldn't find one in equal condition, just not better.
RT-12, CS350-LS, PSW-300, Infinity Overture 1, Monoprice RC-65i
Adcom GFA-545II, GFA-6000, Outlaw Audio 990, Netgear NeoTV
Denon DCM-460, DMD-1000, Sony BDP-360, Bravia KDL-40Z4100/S
Monster AVL-300, HTS-2500 MKII -
*UPDATE*
Just picked these bad boys up during my break at work. Cherry wood (i believe is what the not black version is called right haha), perfect condition, no even a scratch as far as i could tell. I'm working about 3 hours then i get to take them home and listen to them. $300 bucks straight up. He told me if i ever decided to sell them there was about 10 other responses haha. He sold some old Klipsch Chorus II (is that right?) to some guy who came to PA all the way from Chicago. Gave him more for them then he was asking....i was interested in those as well, but i'm thrilled I ended up with these. Now all i need is that center channel! Got some brand new Polk RM7s to get my surrounds, those suckers pack a punch for how tiny they are. I think you've got yourself another Polkie in the making -
Congrats on the buy. $300 for a pair of minty LS90s is a freakin' steal. Jealous.
RT-12, CS350-LS, PSW-300, Infinity Overture 1, Monoprice RC-65i
Adcom GFA-545II, GFA-6000, Outlaw Audio 990, Netgear NeoTV
Denon DCM-460, DMD-1000, Sony BDP-360, Bravia KDL-40Z4100/S
Monster AVL-300, HTS-2500 MKII -
By any chance anyone know where I might be able to get an inexpensive phono preamp for my turntable, i figure since i got the speakers i wana hook up my turntables and hear the beauty that is a mint condition vinyl of DARK SIDE OF THE MOON haha. I understand you need them to get more power to get the sound (since the voltage from turntables is VERY small) but I dont know if like a $10 one of ebay is the way to go, however i dont think i need to go with something that like $100 and what not, do i?
-
TL;DR - Congrats on the awesome score! You've acquired a wonderful set of speakers
I don't know how I missed this thread until now. I have tried LS90s and M70s next to each other in multiple different rooms, on multiple different gear set-ups. From 120wpc HK integrateds to carver seperates, to big ol' vintage receivers.
I can say without 1 bit of hesitation that you made the right choice. The LS90s do not belong in the same sentence as the Monitor 70. The 70s are great speaker, yes. They are nowhere near the quality of the LS90s though. The LS90s do everything better, they go lower and play smoother, they image much better, the soundstage is wider and clearer and deeper and.... and...
You will love the 90s. Wonderful speaker to spend time listening to. The tweeter can get a little harsh if you power them with bright gear to high SPLs, however they are easily tamable with a cable change if it's a problem. I have found that one of my favorite combos was the LS90s and a Sony ES integrated. The Sony sound really brings out the bottom end possibilities of the 90s without overdoing the high-end.
On the topic of power, I've had great results with 200+wpc amps as well as 35wpc Harman Kardon AVRs. The sound only gets better as you ad more power, these towers love the watts. -
TL;DR - Congrats on the awesome score! You've acquired a wonderful set of speakers
I don't know how I missed this thread until now. I have tried LS90s and M70s next to each other in multiple different rooms, on multiple different gear set-ups. From 120wpc HK integrateds to carver seperates, to big ol' vintage receivers.
I can say without 1 bit of hesitation that you made the right choice. The LS90s do not belong in the same sentence as the Monitor 70. The 70s are great speaker, yes. They are nowhere near the quality of the LS90s though. The LS90s do everything better, they go lower and play smoother, they image much better, the soundstage is wider and clearer and deeper and.... and...
You will love the 90s. Wonderful speaker to spend time listening to. The tweeter can get a little harsh if you power them with bright gear to high SPLs, however they are easily tamable with a cable change if it's a problem. I have found that one of my favorite combos was the LS90s and a Sony ES integrated. The Sony sound really brings out the bottom end possibilities of the 90s without overdoing the high-end.
On the topic of power, I've had great results with 200+wpc amps as well as 35wpc Harman Kardon AVRs. The sound only gets better as you ad more power, these towers love the watts.
Thanks for the reply! Exactly the reponse I was hoping for when comparing the 2. I'm running them on a Yamaha RX-V867 receiver, I have the little RM7s as surrounds, and a Sony center channel (for now till I get the CS350LS). Do you have any suggestions for the middle set on a 7.1 surround sound. I also have a American Acoustics (or Audio Acoutics, i cant remember off the top of my head) 15in subwoofer so my low end is covered haha. Any suggestion on a Phono preamp so I can listen to my turntable? -
Great idea to grab a CS350LS, awesome center channel - and huge -. I had looked into setting up a HT around the LS90s, they do an amazing job as mains in a HT setup. I also had recommendations to look at the CS400 as another center channel option, as well as the newer CSIa6 if I was having a hard time finding the CS350LS.
As for surrounds or mid-surrounds, I think that completely depends on your room and setup. I have had a few different 5.1/6.1/7.1 setups, some with 100% matching speakers all around, and others that were mix and match. Honestly, when it comes to matching speakers, I would say that matching the front 3 is the most important, and that mating the sub with the speakers is the next most important, and that the third most important would be matching the surround speakers to the fronts. I think it is more important to worry about finding a speaker that you can position properly in your surround setup, whether it is a satellite, bookshelf, di-pole, etc than it is to worry about purchasing a surround speaker that matches brand/model line. -
As for surrounds or mid-surrounds, I think that completely depends on your room and setup. I have had a few different 5.1/6.1/7.1 setups, some with 100% matching speakers all around, and others that were mix and match. Honestly, when it comes to matching speakers, I would say that matching the front 3 is the most important, and that mating the sub with the speakers is the next most important, and that the third most important would be matching the surround speakers to the fronts. I think it is more important to worry about finding a speaker that you can position properly in your surround setup, whether it is a satellite, bookshelf, di-pole, etc than it is to worry about purchasing a surround speaker that matches brand/model line.
Yeah all i need is that center channel and i think im good, for now lol. The sub im running is an Acoustic Audio. This is sounds great and with the LS90s low end, you can bet that area is covered. It seems to blend very nicely, here is a picture of it
Got it slightly used from someone for $100. I jumped on it for the simple fact I love bass and its pretty massive, but had no idea how good i made out until i hooked it up. I went with the RM7s cause the room i have this setup is isn't to big and i wanted something i could hang on the walls (and i got them for $30 each off newegg). They are so small but have big sound and weight as much as 2 of the speakers they replaced. As for the middle surrounds, i have a set of Cambridge SoundWorks satellites (like in the picture below) i got from a friend for free. I know Henry Kloss started that company and they seems pretty reputable from the reviews. Its owned by Creative Technology now so they've prob gone down hill, but these seem very well built and sturdy. I would assume in terms of blending speakers the mid surrounds are prob the least important, so would these work well do you think?
As for my previous question about a phono preamp for a turntable, would one of these be sufficient, or should i go with something better?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pyle-Phono-Turntable-Pre-Amp-Unit-DEvice-PP999-/350514170783?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519c45cb9f -
Welcome to the 90's club. Be sure to keep the cherry wood's out of the sun at all times. They have a potential cosmetic problem when exposed to direct sunlight. Other than that, give them plenty of clean power and sit back and enjoy.
-
wallstreet wrote: »Welcome to the 90's club. Be sure to keep the cherry wood's out of the sun at all times. They have a potential cosmetic problem when exposed to direct sunlight. Other than that, give them plenty of clean power and sit back and enjoy.
Thanks, I actually have another question i think you could help me with. These don't seem to have the jumpers (i contacted the guy who sold them to me to see if he just forgot to put them back on or whatever) but for the mean time, could i just use speaker wire? With such a short distance I figured that would be ok, cause for right now i'm not going to Biamp them. -
A short high quality wire will work fine. In fact, it is a common upgrade to the jumpers.
