LSiM 707 unboxing and mini-review

DaveHCYJ

I haven't seen any unboxing pictures yet or pictures of the extra fluff in the box; I know some people like to see this stuff, so here it is. I've not yet looked at the manual or CD, but the only interesting extra might be the allen wrench for adjusting the feet if you didn't happen to have one already.

The packaging seems adequate. My box was fairly beat up but the speakers were just fine. The speakers themselves have a cotton cloth bag with a plastic bag on top of that and then styrofoam and cardboard. It was a slight chore to unpack by myself, but nothing unmanageable. These speakers are definitely heavy, but are moveable by yourself if you don't mind bear hugging them a bit.

I've never written a review of a speaker before so I'll just offer a few of my thoughts. My main comparisons are to the older LSi, Bower and Wilkins CM9, and Paradigm Studio 100, all of which I've done some serious listening while trying to decide on new speakers, and also the Polk RTi series which I've had in my home for the past 2 years. The LSiM 707 is in a completely different league that all of those. I've read it described in high end reviews before, but have never before experienced this for myself: On Paul Simon's Graceland CD the group vocals seem to fill the room, but cut to a Paul Simon solo and it sounds like his voice is coming right out of my TV. Not out of the center channel above the TV (which is off in 2 channel mode obviously), but right from the center of the TV, the dead center between the two 707's.

I am supremely impressed by the clarity of these speakers. The midrange on these speakers is leaps and bounds above all the others I've compared them to. Individual instruments stand out well you can really focus on bits of songs you've never noticed before. For example listening to some of my rock favorites I've always known the cymbals were there -- hell, RTis are pretty bright speakers -- I've definitely always noticed the cymbals, but the 707's bring a whole new level of precision which both allows you to more clearly pick out the cymbals if you choose to focus on them or let them fit back into the balance of the music. The balance is impressive -- I'm not sure how they made it do this, but if you put your head right on the speaker you can clearly hear the different frequencies from the tweeter, 3.25", and 6.5" speakers; then take a step back and its seemless sound as if it were only one driver. The advantage of course of dividing up the frequency spectrum is incredibly low distortion as no one driver has to reach out of its comfort zone.

The paradigms were nice, I strongly considered the CM9, but I'm very happy I ended up with the LSiM 707s. I can't say enough about the clarity of these speakers. I'm sure I'll be happy with these for years and years to come. A couple final pictures showing my setup and the 707 with some of my home decor.

Tankman

Great pick up!Nice Bro!Nice!:cool:

cnh

Nice review! Nice speakers! The new series is certainly some very appealing eye and ear candy!

And also a real "game" changer for Polk! This is a new era for Polk! Can't wait till I can save up enough pennies for a set!

Enjoy!

cnh

ravaneli

*drooling*

brianle

Nice. Time to update the center speaker too ?

Big Dawg

Nice write-up, and sexy photos.

DaveHCYJ

brianle wrote: »

Nice. Time to update the center speaker too ?

I would like to. I don't really care that much about TV or movies though... The center channel sounds a bit out of place, but I currently have Audyssey turned off. I'm hoping it will meld better after I get a chance to run the calibration. Recently I've decided to focus more on 2 channel listening -- I'll probably upgrade electronics before getting a new center channel.

We'll see what the budget can afford -- these speakers were a bit of stretch for me, but I decided I should just get what I think would really make me happy; something I can keep for a long long time.

tonyb

Good on you and congrats. I'm big on spending the coin on the front stereo pair as well, it will make you forget about surround sound real quick. Now, upgraded electronics will shine for ya bro, keep marchin' on.

TNHNDYMAN

very nice. Curious who you ordered your pair thru?

DaveHCYJ

Crutchfield. So consequently I've got a pair of Polk PSW111s I need to sell that were part of a promotion they were doing.

Drenis

Very nice. Thanks for writing the review.

polkatese

Very nice Dave! Appreciated the unboxing pics. A couple questions: why did you choose 707 over 705? curious...secondly, did Crutchfield shipped your 707 via freight on a pallet or UPS/Fedex?

Enjoy the speaks. If you are looking for a two channels amp, give Krell 400xi a spin (just a thought, I have a pair LSi15 powered by it and been very happy).

Thanks..

cfrizz

Beautiful speakers, congrats and enjoy!

DaveHCYJ

I chose 707 over 705 because there is realatively little information out about the 705 so far. Crutchfield shipped via Cevia logistics so I think the answer to that question is freight. I'm not sure if there is a limit for Fexex/UPS, but 120 pounds and the bulk of the box (it barely fit the opening to my attic) puts it above and beyond what most drivers are capable of moving on their own I would imagine.

grimmace19

Congrats! Those look amazing. I heard the 703s a few months back and loved them so I can only imagine how sweet those must be.

Esreuter

well, i would be lying if i said i wasnt jealous.

so here comes a big lie, i am not in the least bit jealous.

jerk.

lets talk about these speakers. Now that they are getting spread out there are these tuned to more music like the LSI line up or more theater like the RTIA lines?

I ma just joshing about the jerk thing too. just in case.

ESR:loneranger:

Geoff4rfc

That was a great review! You effectively described my experience with my RTiA9's. I have the matching CSiA6 and I will gladly trade you three for two so you can have a matching front stage before you upgrade your electronics. Just trying to look out for you.

michael1947

Great looking speakers and it looks like Polk did a great job with the packaging.

pyrocyborg

Is it me or the speakers aren't at the same distance from the TV (the right one seems farther away)?

Back to topic, congrats! I'm jealous, lol :cheesygrin:

Enjoy and keep us informed about your impressions.

How do they compare to the LSi series by the way, I didn't find any information about this in your review?

Stilly74

How do you find the bass out put of the 707's.

DaveHCYJ

Rick88 wrote: »

Congrats, those are beautiful!

I also love to see unboxing photos, thanks for posting them!!

Enjoy your new toys!!! :loneranger:

Attachment not found.

No problem. I have to admit I almost didn't get the pictures. I was too excited and had the first speaker all setup before I remembered that I intended to take pictures.

Esreuter wrote: »

well, i would be lying if i said i wasnt jealous.

so here comes a big lie, i am not in the least bit jealous.

jerk.

lets talk about these speakers. Now that they are getting spread out there are these tuned to more music like the LSI line up or more theater like the RTIA lines?

I ma just joshing about the jerk thing too. just in case.

ESR:loneranger:

I wouldn't describe the LSiMs as tuned for either music or home theater -- they are just good. Saying something is tuned for a particular style implys it has downfalls in other areas.

The 707 definately out performs the LSi 25 (I've never heard the 15) for music. The 707 has more detail in the highs without being fatiguing and it has cleaner bass.
I've never heard a properly amped RTiA9, so I can't comment on how the 707 would compare for deep explosions in home theater, but for everything else I'm sure the 707 would be a hands down winner. The great imaging I descibed with Paul Simon's voice -- that some characteristic I'm sure would make for better spatial sound effects. The clarity of the speaker as far as being able to pick out all of the different instruments without distortion will have the result that during movies when there is dramatic music and bullets flying everywhere and the characters are yelling at each other that their voices will still be perfectly clear and not lost in the noise.

pyrocyborg wrote: »

Is it me or the speakers aren't at the same distance from the TV (the right one seems farther away)?

Back to topic, congrats! I'm jealous, lol :cheesygrin:

Enjoy and keep us informed about your impressions.

How do they compare to the LSi series by the way, I didn't find any information about this in your review?

Yeah thats just a quick snapshot after getting them roughly in place. My listening position is actually a bit to the right as I sit on the right side of the couch usually, not dead center. I've moved things around a bit since then and taken off the rubber spike covers.

I breifly mentioned above the lows and highs of the 707 are clearly better than the LSi 25. I didn't have them side by side so for the midrange I can only comment from memory and I'll just say that the sound of the 707 is definately more cohearant and the imaging is better (maybe imaging is more a feature of the upper mids and highs?).

Stilly74 wrote: »

How do you find the bass out put of the 707's.

I'll respond to this by saying I'm not one of those people that need to feel the bass kicking me in the chest. I find the 707 bass output completely adequate -- and even more importantly its clean and tight. For all my music listening (mostly rock, classical, and vocal), I could notice no missing depth or volume when switching back and forth between full range and crossing the speakers over at 40, 50, or 60Hz to my Emotiva Ultra 12. Some rap/techno/dance/etc. style songs are also adequately deep, but a few you can tell something is missing in the low end -- that just could be a limit of my amplification (bi-amped off the receiver).
Asside from some brief testing I've had my Emotiva sub turned off the past several days and I'm not missing it.

polkfarmboy

Nice score !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bslep

Dave I've had mine for over four months now and I couldn't agree more with you. These speakers are definitely in a league of their own. Enjoy!

vitaliid

Hello Dave,

Before I start, I would like to say that this is the first serious speaker purchase we will be making and I have done a lot of research as we are new to all this. Unfortunately, there is not much info available on 707s and the initial impression of the 707 pre-production model compared to 703 from this forum members where not favorable.

Me and my wife are looking for a floor-standers in $3000 rage and listened to 707, CM9 and Studio 100.

We both instantly liked the look of the Paradigms and wanted them to sound "good" (to us) but unfortunately they have fallen a bit short in 2 ch mode. They were a bit fatiguing to us. However, They were placed a bit wide due to equipment restrictions and the room was square about 15x15 (maybe a bit bigger) but were driven by top of the line Rotel separates (not sure which).

The same room had CM9s setup even wider (right next to Digms) and driven by the same Rotels. CM9 sounded better than 100s. We switched between the two and every time B&W came on top. But they are not what you call pretty :eek:. Not that they are ugly but just plain.

Now, 707 (as well as 703s) we got to listen to about 2 hours prior and we did like 707s. Interestingly enough we liked them more then 703 with and without a sub (Interesting due to the reviews on this forum favoring 703s). However, these speakers were driven only by an older Sony 7.1 AVR (not sure which model but it was a higher end one). They were in a smaller rectangular room (about 14x10 or so) and set just wider then 65GT30 plasma (maybe at most a foot wider), while 703s where on the outside. At first I felt like 703s were at bit better, while my wife went with 707s, but wen we swapped them with 703s (placed them on the outside) they sounded better to both of us. I doubt any calibration was done, but we still liked them. They look good (maybe not as good as Digms) and they are huge (not even sure if it is good or bad). Unfortunate part is that there is no way we can listen to 707 on a better equipment and directly compare them to any other speaker (in the same room).

Now, after hearing CM9s and 100s few hours later as I mentioned we liked CM9 more than 100s but it was a lot closer between 707 and CM9s. Considering the setups described, I know 707s will sound better on a better equipment but I am not sure how much better. It was hard to say if CM9s sounded better then 707.

We will be slowly expanding our setup into 5.1 Home theater but there will always be 30-40% of 2 ch use.
At first, we will most likely drive the speakers with Denon 4311 or the upcoming 4520 (not sure if this is the correct model). In the future we might add some power to it.

So now to the question... In your (or anybody else's) experience with these speakers, how would you compare 707 to CM9? What equipment 707s were/are driven by? What tipped you over to the 707?

Thanks in advance
Vitalii

mantis

vitaliid wrote: »

Hello Dave,

Before I start, I would like to say that this is the first serious speaker purchase we will be making and I have done a lot of research as we are new to all this. Unfortunately, there is not much info available on 707s and the initial impression of the 707 pre-production model compared to 703 from this forum members where not favorable.

Me and my wife are looking for a floor-standers in $3000 rage and listened to 707, CM9 and Studio 100.

We both instantly liked the look of the Paradigms and wanted them to sound "good" (to us) but unfortunately they have fallen a bit short in 2 ch mode. They were a bit fatiguing to us. However, They were placed a bit wide due to equipment restrictions and the room was square about 15x15 (maybe a bit bigger) but were driven by top of the line Rotel separates (not sure which).

The same room had CM9s setup even wider (right next to Digms) and driven by the same Rotels. CM9 sounded better than 100s. We switched between the two and every time B&W came on top. But they are not what you call pretty :eek:. Not that they are ugly but just plain.

Now, 707 (as well as 703s) we got to listen to about 2 hours prior and we did like 707s. Interestingly enough we liked them more then 703 with and without a sub (Interesting due to the reviews on this forum favoring 703s). However, these speakers were driven only by an older Sony 7.1 AVR (not sure which model but it was a higher end one). They were in a smaller rectangular room (about 14x10 or so) and set just wider then 65GT30 plasma (maybe at most a foot wider), while 703s where on the outside. At first I felt like 703s were at bit better, while my wife went with 707s, but wen we swapped them with 703s (placed them on the outside) they sounded better to both of us. I doubt any calibration was done, but we still liked them. They look good (maybe not as good as Digms) and they are huge (not even sure if it is good or bad). Unfortunate part is that there is no way we can listen to 707 on a better equipment and directly compare them to any other speaker (in the same room).

Now, after hearing CM9s and 100s few hours later as I mentioned we liked CM9 more than 100s but it was a lot closer between 707 and CM9s. Considering the setups described, I know 707s will sound better on a better equipment but I am not sure how much better. It was hard to say if CM9s sounded better then 707.

We will be slowly expanding our setup into 5.1 Home theater but there will always be 30-40% of 2 ch use.
At first, we will most likely drive the speakers with Denon 4311 or the upcoming 4520 (not sure if this is the correct model). In the future we might add some power to it.

So now to the question... In your (or anybody else's) experience with these speakers, how would you compare 707 to CM9? What equipment 707s were/are driven by? What tipped you over to the 707?

Thanks in advance
Vitalii

I think it's tuff for anyone to say what is a better sounding speaker. All the speakers you are looking at are all high quality respected models. They all have their strengths and weakness. So when I make the following comments , they are completely personal.

The Paradigm Studio 100 is in incredible looking speaker. If I didn't know better I would say they hired someone from B&W to help them design the cabinets. They are about as beautiful as anything on the market. When one sees them , it's a natural reaction to want to listen to them.
When we first got them in , I was excited to get them on our showroom , get some hours on them and sit down to really get a full listen. I'm the kinda guy who gets new speakers ever couple of years or so as I love to experience new sound. So when I saw the pic's of these bad boys I thought these could be a nice addition to my system and then move into a full 5.2 Studio layout.
I sat down in front of them and listened. I was completely depressed on what I heard. They to me where horrible especially for the money. I couldn't believe how bad they where and chalked it up to they have not been broken in long enough. One of our salesman had them playing for over a week non stop on some Krell gear. We had them on Cambridge Audio as well and last was the Bryston system.
I came back to them and again keeping this short didn't like them at all.

The B&W CM9's I heard at Overture in Delaware on some Rotel gear. They blew my mind. Before the CM9' , I listened to the CM7's which I almost purchased on spot and I was with someone else and I was not in the market for new speakers at that time. The CM9's are incredible in every single way. They when properly placed , powered and calibrated are probably the best in class I have ever heard. I feel they could give Dynaudio and Totem a good run for the money.( They are my favorite brands of speakers). I have considered replacing my entire system a few times now to get a full CM system. The only thing that has held be back is the surround channels being bookshelf only models. They don't have a Wall mountable surround speaker for this line. I know I can mix and match in the B&W family with surrounds but I'm completely anal when it comes to perfect matching all speakers all the way around. I want no Timbre change what so ever except when my room will cause.

The Polk LSIM line I have only heard the 703 bookshelf. I had them here at the house for a good almost 2 or more weeks. I ran them off my Rotel Intergraded and they really performed well. I really enjoyed my time with them and would love to hear the 705's and 707 floor standing models. In history I never heard a bookshelf that performed as well or as clear as it's floor standing models. The only exception to that was Totem and B&W.

To answer your question , Any of these models would make a fine choice for a double duty system. Even the Paradigms are very nice IF you like the way they sound and it sounds like you don't.
So the choice here is the CM9's and the 707's. Without hearing the 707's first , I can't comment on what I would take home. I would really like to own a full polk system again as it's been quite some time they graced my main listening system. I run Polks everywhere else in my house , I have about 9 pairs of them.

vitaliid

Hi Dan,

Thanks for you input. I know it's highly subjective to say good/bad speaker especially when talking about speakers that cost $3000. I haven't realize the CM series only has bookshelves surrounds. Looks like the demo room where I listened to the CM9s had some other B&W surrounds mounted on walls . I do not know the difference, but I agree that mixing and matching speakers from different series/lines is not the first thing that comes to mind. From what I understand, using bookshelves as your surrounds narrows down your sitting position pretty much to the middle. I am wrong?

Vitalii

F1nut

vitaliid, so two of the demos you had where driven with separates and one with an AVR. You go on to say you think the sound of the 707's might improve on better gear, yet plan to drive whatever speakers you end up buying with an AVR. You also thought the CM9 and 707 were close, although the CM9 was clearly driven with better power. Perhaps there's your answer.

Anyway, to help or confuse you even more, here's a few comments on the 707/703's powered with higher quality gear than you heard.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?134196-Reminder-The-Capital-Audiofest-is-this-weekend

Topper

Haven't heard the B&Ws or the LSiM707 but I have spent a lot of time with its smaller brother - the LSiM705 - and I love them. But you mentioned that you would slowly be expanding to 5.1 which would eventually be used even more than 2ch and for that I just wanted to chime in that the LSiM706c is utterly divine !! haven't heard a better performing center and I've heard a lot . I highly recommend auditioning them if you get the chance as they just may point you in the direction to go.

So in my books - the LSiM offers better aesthetics, 'probably' better center and thus 'probably' overall better HT experience, and as good 2ch performance. If you like the center, I'd say it would be an easy decision at that point

vitaliid

Hi F1nut,

Well, that is a part of my confusion/problem, I have no ability to listen to CM9 and 707 on the same gear. I would prefer to listen to both of them on the same gear at the same time, but I guess it is rarely possible. At first I will drive the towers (whatever I end up choosing) with a decent AVR (I allocated $2000 or so for it) and later when I get more coin to spare I will be improving the system.
Also, I did read "The Capital Audiofest" thread and it was one of the reasons I started looking at Polks, but then again I doubt I will ever get into really high end gear.

The reason I posted on this thread was because OP (Dave) actually have gone through very similar process/experience and I was hoping he could add bit of comparison between CM9 and 707.

Thanks,
Vitalii

vitaliid

Topper wrote: »

Haven't heard the B&Ws or the LSiM707 but I have spent a lot of time with its smaller brother - the LSiM705 - and I love them. But you mentioned that you would slowly be expanding to 5.1 which would eventually be used even more than 2ch and for that I just wanted to chime in that the LSiM706c is utterly divine !! haven't heard a better performing center and I've heard a lot . I highly recommend auditioning them if you get the chance as they just may point you in the direction to go.

So in my books - the LSiM offers better aesthetics, 'probably' better center and thus 'probably' overall better HT experience, and as good 2ch performance. If you like the center, I'd say it would be an easy decision at that point

Hi Topper,

It is nice to hear that 705 are also great (there is very little info on them on line). The only shop that carries LSIM series in GTA (Toronto) has all of them (except 705) setup, but as I mentioned they are not getting enough power (as I understand). At first they had an entry level Sony AVR driving it and I asked if they can put "a bit more muscle" behind them, so they got an old but more powerful Sony AVR (that is the best they could do at this time) setup for me about 2-3 weeks after I originally heard them (707, 706c, Sub and Surrounds). I actually almost ignore the first audition because I had to come with my 4 year old daughter . On the "better" AVR I have only heard 2 ch and it did sounded better. This time I brought my laptop with a bunch of flac files and we (my wife and me) listen to about 10 tracks in 2 ch mode.

Do you own 706c (I assume "utterly divine" gave that away)? Are you running 5.1 or more with Polks? In which case what are you using for your rears? 702F/X or 703?

Thanks,
Vitalii