NHT M6, LSi9, or Axiom M22ti
The upgrade bug has hit. Im hoping to get advise on speakers and A/V receivers. I listen to 80% HT, 19% radio, 1% CDs, this might change with the new music CD/DVD formats. Music is 85% Rock/top 40, 15% everything else. Im beginning to like jazz, piano, sax, and trumpet. (Dire Straits Your latest trick)
Im undecided on 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1.
I like tight base and I dont like anything missing in the middle and high end.
The existing room is 21.5X11X8 with an attached 11X9X8 dining room. The TV and main speakers use 11 of a 20 wall.
Existing system is a Yamaha R8 with Klipsch Heresy II speakers. The new Klipsch speakers seem to lack balance, nothing in the middle. The sound is expected since they use larger mid/woofer drivers and a horn loaded tweeter. This seems to rule out using the Heresy speakers in the new system because matching speakers is critical for 5.1.
The speaker list has been reduced to Polk LSi9, Axiom M22ti, and NHT M5 or M6. The speaker configurations are listed below,
Polk; 4-LSi9, LSiC, and subwoofer
Polk; 2-LSi9, 2-LSi/FX, LSiC, and subwoofer
5-NHT M5 and subwoofer
5-NHT M6 and subwoofer
Axiom; 4-M22ti, VP150, and subwoofer
Axiom; 2-M22ti, 2-QS8, and subwoofer
The subwoofer list includes HSU VTF-3, SVS CS-Ultra, and SVS PB2-Plus.
Ive listened to NHT M6 and B&W CM2 and CM4. The NHT M6 speakers were great. They actually sounded better the CM2 using the same Rotel stereo. The CM2 speakers may not have been broken in. At a second store, I was amazed at the sound coming from the CM2 speakers connected to a Yamaha 3300 or 2400. It was amazing how they disappear. The local Polk dealer didnt have the LSi9 speakers available for listening.
Now for the questions
1) Has anyone compared the NHT, Polk, and Axiom speakers listed above?
2) How tight and or boomy is the bass of the LSi9 and Axiom speakers compared to the NHT speakers?
3) Is two-speaker imaging needed when dealing with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1?
4) Is the disappearing speaker design (like the B&K CM2) needed with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1?
5) Do sealed speakers usually have tighter (less boomy) bass then ported designs? (excluding subwoofers) Or is there more to it?
6) What are the best speaker types for side surround and rear surround in a 7.1 setup? (Bipole/Dipole) It looks like LSiFX is the best design for a 5.1 speaker configuration.
7) How do the Polk LSiC the Axiom VP150 compare?
8) Generally speaking what is the brightness order for the following tweeter designs? Titanium, Aluminum, Ring Radiator, CPC (Paradigm)
9) Is the Polk LSiC enough of a speaker for the center channel?
10) Will a Rotel RSX-1055 caliber A/V receiver be needed for the Polk and NHT speakers when matched with a good powered subwoofer and a crossover point of 80Hz?
11) Will a Yamaha RX-V2400 be able to drive the Polk and NHT speakers given a crossover point of 80Hz?
12) How future proof is the Rotel RSX-1055 receiver?
13) Has Rotel released any software update?
14) Will the Rotel RSX-1055 be able to support DD IIx?
Sorry for the long intro!
Rex
Im undecided on 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1.
I like tight base and I dont like anything missing in the middle and high end.
The existing room is 21.5X11X8 with an attached 11X9X8 dining room. The TV and main speakers use 11 of a 20 wall.
Existing system is a Yamaha R8 with Klipsch Heresy II speakers. The new Klipsch speakers seem to lack balance, nothing in the middle. The sound is expected since they use larger mid/woofer drivers and a horn loaded tweeter. This seems to rule out using the Heresy speakers in the new system because matching speakers is critical for 5.1.
The speaker list has been reduced to Polk LSi9, Axiom M22ti, and NHT M5 or M6. The speaker configurations are listed below,
Polk; 4-LSi9, LSiC, and subwoofer
Polk; 2-LSi9, 2-LSi/FX, LSiC, and subwoofer
5-NHT M5 and subwoofer
5-NHT M6 and subwoofer
Axiom; 4-M22ti, VP150, and subwoofer
Axiom; 2-M22ti, 2-QS8, and subwoofer
The subwoofer list includes HSU VTF-3, SVS CS-Ultra, and SVS PB2-Plus.
Ive listened to NHT M6 and B&W CM2 and CM4. The NHT M6 speakers were great. They actually sounded better the CM2 using the same Rotel stereo. The CM2 speakers may not have been broken in. At a second store, I was amazed at the sound coming from the CM2 speakers connected to a Yamaha 3300 or 2400. It was amazing how they disappear. The local Polk dealer didnt have the LSi9 speakers available for listening.
Now for the questions
1) Has anyone compared the NHT, Polk, and Axiom speakers listed above?
2) How tight and or boomy is the bass of the LSi9 and Axiom speakers compared to the NHT speakers?
3) Is two-speaker imaging needed when dealing with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1?
4) Is the disappearing speaker design (like the B&K CM2) needed with 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1?
5) Do sealed speakers usually have tighter (less boomy) bass then ported designs? (excluding subwoofers) Or is there more to it?
6) What are the best speaker types for side surround and rear surround in a 7.1 setup? (Bipole/Dipole) It looks like LSiFX is the best design for a 5.1 speaker configuration.
7) How do the Polk LSiC the Axiom VP150 compare?
8) Generally speaking what is the brightness order for the following tweeter designs? Titanium, Aluminum, Ring Radiator, CPC (Paradigm)
9) Is the Polk LSiC enough of a speaker for the center channel?
10) Will a Rotel RSX-1055 caliber A/V receiver be needed for the Polk and NHT speakers when matched with a good powered subwoofer and a crossover point of 80Hz?
11) Will a Yamaha RX-V2400 be able to drive the Polk and NHT speakers given a crossover point of 80Hz?
12) How future proof is the Rotel RSX-1055 receiver?
13) Has Rotel released any software update?
14) Will the Rotel RSX-1055 be able to support DD IIx?
Sorry for the long intro!
Rex
Post edited by Rex on
Comments
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Hello Rex. Welcome to the Polk Forum! This is one of the friendliest forums around and you will find a lot of helpful people in here.
I cannot answer all of your questions because I have not auditioned all of the gear that you mention but I can comment on some of the gear that I own.
First, let's start off with the Rotel RSX 1055. I own this receiver. Yes it does have a port to allow software upgrades and I have updated twice already in six months. Software releases are free and available from the Rotel website. Currently, the 1055 has Dolby Digital, DPL II, and DTS. This is a very capable receiver and you get a lot for the money. The amps in the receiver are very impressive and easily drive 4 ohm loads like the LSi. Sound quality is very good much different than Yamaha. I have owned Yamaha and Onkyo receivers in the past and the Rotel is more laid back and warmer sounding. The preamp section of the 1055 is almost identical in sound quality to Rotel's seperate RSX 1066 preamp so you can easily add a Rotel amp for your mains as I have if you want to later on.
The LSi are very good and revealing speakers for jazz music. I also own Paradigm Studio 40 speakers and have compared the LSi 9 to the Studios extensively. Both are enjoyable speakers to listen to but I always seem to go back to the LSi for listening. The LSi vifa tweeter is very smooth and images awesomely. Actually spanks the Studios in this category. The LSi are more laid back sounding so this is something that if you are accustomed to listening to more forward sounding speakers like Klipsch you will have to decide if you like this amount of "laid-backness". For some folks the LSi series are so laid back that they feel they lack the detail they are looking for. The detail is there, but the presentation is more in the backrow compared to the Studio 40s. However, the LSi are a very non-fatiguing sounding speaker to listen to whereas the Studios I find to be much more bright sounding. I have heard and read that the Axioms are also bright sounding. The LSi 9 bass is tight and never boomy sounding. This is one area, much like the smooth highs where the LSi 9 shines.
The NHTs you mention, I have them on my list to listen to myself. They offer a great value for the money just like the LSi. You can find more info on them over at the AVS forum if you do a search. These are supposed to be very neutral sounding as well.
LSi / Rotel make a killer sounding combination. Good match.
Good luck and have fun auditioning all of this gear.
Paul -
Rex, I doubt that you'll get another reply as good as pj's was.
All I can add is that while I haven't heard Axioms, I did listen to the Polk LSi 25s against some NHT m6s (with their matching sub pedastals) in a side by side comparision, and as much as I hate to admit it, I thought the NHTs were clearly superior.
If you are 80% movies, and the remaining 20% of music you listen to is comprised of 85% of that being rock (if I interpreted that correctly), and of that, by far most of the time your main source is the tuner (at best a mid-fi medium), I doubt anything would really top Klipsch's Reference series for the money. As far as Polks go, you might be better off with the RTi line, also top notch for the $$$. Plus, receiver/amp matching would be much easier too with either Klipschs or Polk RTis. NHT is on another level entirely (IMHO), and actually may be too much speaker for you based on your requirements. I just think that they, or even Polk LSis for that matter, would be way overkill for what you actually need. Besides, the Polk RTis or Klipschs might actually be just flat out even better for you than Polk LSis or NHTs for your main requirements, movies and rock music.
Just something to consider.
Good luck. -
Originally posted by pjdami
This is one of the friendliest forums around and you will find a lot of helpful people in here.
Paul
Excellent response there Paul. You're a credit to the forum.
I'll ditto Big's response above to at least try out the new RTi speakers for home theater and compare them to the LSi. -
Hey Rex,
What are you going to do with those Klipsch after you get new speakers?
Maurice
