lsi15 or RtiA9 ?

rpm12

hi peeps new to the forum need some advice about to put together a simple 2 way system and will eventually add a powered sub... i see i can get the LSi15's for a good price off amazon authorized or the rtia9

Which would be better ..obviously im thinking the LSi15's as they seem to be a higher level but are they discontinued?

any input would be appreciated will prolly be using an emotiva amplifier 2 channel so if i go 4 ohms i will have about 500wrms to the lsi ..if not i can give the rtia9's 300watts a piece ..Lsi25's were also an option but iv''e read that the lsi15's with a powered sub is a better choice?

Thanks again

pyrocyborg

Your assumptions are right: The LSi line is being discontinued, so we're getting it at clearance prices... so it's now or never, as we think it's the last "batch". If you had a 8 ohms receiver, I would have said "RTi" for sure... but as you have a 4 ohm amp, I say, go LSi15 and never look back as they are a much better speaker.

While the RTiA9 is a great speaker by itself, the LSi line is a more musical speaker, and the tweeter itself worth the extra cash. You can get a pair for 934 $ at Sound Distributor while using coupon code TV15 (I think you can use it on Amazon too).

Or if you want the LSi25, you can have it for 1544.15$ including the extra 100$ in shipping, which is still probably less than the 750$ each for the RTiA9 from the autorized dealer... But I would put the extra cash elsewhere if you want my opinion. While the powered sub is a great option, I think you could get a better sub for a few hundred more than the difference between LSi15 and 25.

And take into account that Sound Distributors (and Acoustic Sound Design) are authorized online dealers, so the 5 years warranty still applies to each purchase.

Great buy if you want my opinion. You can't go wrong with either, but at these prices, better get the LSi if you have a 4 ohm amp.

My LSi7 should arrive in a few days. :cheesygrin:

By the way... welcome aboard!

F1nut

Since you plan on adding a sub, get the LSi 9's and put the money you save towards a better amp.

FYI, it's not about how many watts you can throw at a speaker, it's about the quality of those watts. The LSi 9's on an high quality, relatively low powered tube amp will put what you're thinking about to shame.

pyrocyborg

F1nut wrote: »

Since you plan on adding a sub, get the LSi 9's and put the money you save towards a better amp.

FYI, it's not about how many watts you can throw at a speaker, it's about the quality of those watts. The LSi 9's on an high quality, relatively low powered tube amp will put what you're thinking about to shame.

I agree... but not everyone likes the "tube" sound. But yeah, I guess you're right, considering rpm12 will add a sub: Bookshelf speakers, paired with a good sub should give you the same sound than a pair of LSi15, and would probably be less stressful on the amp. This way, you could get a better "low powered" amp. However, keep in consideration that a pair of LSi9 speakers mounted on quality stands (they sound way better this way!) cost something like 200$ less than a pair of LSi15... but as you'll still save some money, you could either get a low powered amp, or put that money on a sub.

If I were you, I would try to opt for a better amp which advertise less power than the Emotiva. Not that the Emo is a bad thing, but there is something else that might suit your needs and budget better.

Tankman

Rti A9's or Lsi 15?.?? and the winner is LSi 15!

rpm12

oh wow thanks for the great replies...will probably stock to the emotiva amp because of price point..is 300 watts enough to these speakers or would you get the 500 X2 just for the headroom?

and thanks again pyrocyborg for the coupon i will be using it greatly appreciated!

Richd82

Check out Polk Audio Direct $849pr. w/free shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/PAIR-LSi15-LSi-15-CHERRY-Tower-Loudspeaker-Polk-Audio-/230629800429?pt=Speakers_Subwoofers&hash=item35b29b79ed

rpm12

thanks man ut these are refurbished i think ! will prolly go with brand new at sounddistributor

pyrocyborg

Yeah, while those refurbished are just right, I think the 80$ extra for a full 5 years warranty worth it. As we said, try to take in consideration that LSi9 are awesome speakers at this price, but they need very sturdy stands that can support up to 35-40 lbs. However, it wouldn't cost more than a pair of LSi15, and you could get another amp which deliver cleaner power than the Emo, as you wouldn't need that extra power.

Also, I gotta say something: While the LSi series loves power, I don't think there will be a lot of difference between a 300w or 500w amp : I mean, each time you double the power, it increases the volume by an extra 3 dB, which isn't that much... So a 500w could give something like an extra 2 dB when compared to a 300w amp. And as the Lsi15 are rated up to 250w, I guess I wouldn't go overkill with a 500w... even if I doubt that Emo rate their amp with "real watts" in real life situations. I mean, to really use all that power, you would have to crank it to a concert hall volume level, which is, IMO bad for both your ears and the speakers.

Still, I will support what F1 said before, it is better to have a low powered amp who deliver clean watts (quality) over a high powered amp who deliver it with a small but noticeable amount of distortion (quantity). And please keep in mind that some brands like to rate their power conservatively : my 50 watts NAD, for example, sounds 3 or 4 times louder than my 100w Yamaha... and NAD isn't even one of those top brands you can buy: they're great budget buy with a plain jane look.

I know Emo offers great price point, but don't get caught in the "watts" game, as higher isn't better. You could spend the same amount in a lower power amp, and have a greater quality product. I do not bash Emotiva, as it's a good brand for what they do, but if you don't crank it up often, your money could be well placed elsewhere.

And do not thank me, I'm only "paying it foward" as I used it myself. Someone was kind enough to give me that coupon code (well... I already had it, but he thought me they add a new batch of Ebony LSi coming in, so I jumped in!). I always told myself that one day, I should have a speaker like the LSi7, but at full price, it was kind of a terrible drawback. Now we can get it at the same price than the RTiA line, so, the choice is easy for people with 4 ohm compatible amps.

NewHTguy

Money issues aside, if the sub is a foregone conclusion and you plan to use it for two-channel, then I would argue for the 9s. Blending the sub with 15s that are being run at full range (large) may not be easy to do. And if you're not going to run them at full range, then why mess with another crossover?

However, if the budget is breaking then I would skip the sub and just go with the 15s and feed them some good juice.

I have never owned the 15s, but I did own 25s and found no need for a sub. And, I had a really nice sub at one point. The Velodyne SPL-1200R rocked but there was very little that it could do for music that the 25s could not.

Good luck!

ratster

I haven't heard the RtiA9's so I can't comment on them.I can tell you that I just got my LSi15's last week and they sound wonderful.No sub needed.Put the money you saved into a better quality amp.

Toolfan66

This might seem weird for some but the LSi7's are my favorite in that line...

rpm12

okay great i will definitely look into other amplifiers i have to say u guys have been very helpfull

pyrocyborg

anonymouse wrote: »

What size if your room?

I have found that bigger is not always better. I just bought a pair of LSi7's which will be placed in a sunroom. For the time being they are installed in my two channel righ which has LSi9's. I find that the bass from the 7s is actually as good if not better than the 9s. I think this has to do with the fact that the room they are in is really small, and the 7s do better in it.

Well some people say that the bass is kinda "tighter" on the 7s. There is less bass, but it's probably enough for most people, except for HT use. I agree that sometime, a pair of bookshelf might sound as good or better than towers, but it's mostly due to room accoustic.

Sometime, a bigger bookshelf isn't always better too: in a very small room, or when you're doing some kind of nearfield listening, a larger bookshelf can sound overwhelming,