Should I upgrade from LSi9 front to LSi25?

WLDock

Let's see here....

LSi9
Total Frequency Response- 38Hz - 27kHz
Upper -3dB Limit - 26 kHz
Lower -3dB Limit - 50 Hz


LSi25
Total Frequency Response- 20Hz - 27kHz
Upper -3dB Limit - 26 kHz
Lower -3dB Limit - 30 Hz


The OP stated 80% theater 20% music, and from previous posts has two 15" subs, a ton of power, and room treatments, and what sounds like an already awesome HT system.

...and he just dropped $1300 on the LSi25's. Which is cool as this is a set that many of us wanted for years...

But, I think this was an "I always wanted" purchase. IMO, I don't get the LSi25 upgrade? The LSi25 is the LS9 sitting on top of a sub. The OP already has two 15" subs!

Maybe its just me but, given the mostly HT use, if this were my system, I would have picked up the LSiM706 Center for the sake of the added clarity that we all have read about and/or heard with the LSiM line with the added dedicated 3-1/2" midrange. Then sell off the LSi LCR mains and get the LSiM703 L R mains. Then, at a later date sell the LSI surrounds then get the LSiM surrounds.

Nevertheless, enjoy the 25's!

...just one poor mans $0.10...

be83663

Nice comparisons between the LSi 25s and the LSi 9s.
Also, the LSi 25s are:
Driver 1: HPF at 80Hz 12dB/oct, LPF at 800Hz 12dB/oct.
Driver 2: HPF at 80Hz 12dB/oct, LPF at 2.4kHz 12dB/oct.
Tweeter: HPF at 2.4kHz 18dB/oct.

Whereas the LSi 9s are:
Driver 1: LPF at 200Hz 12dB/oct.
Driver 2: LPF at 2.4kHz 12dB/oct.
Tweeter: HPF at 2.4kHz 18dB/oct.

Which means that if you use your pre-amp/receiver to set the HPF to 80 Hz for your LSi 9 Drivers, the only difference for the Drivers between the LSi 25s and the LSi 9s would be from the Driver 1. The LSi 9 producing between the 80 Hz and the 200 Hz, and the LSi 25 producing between the 80 Hz and the 800 Hz. And the 80 Hz and belows from your dedicated Subwoofers. In LSi 25s' case, some more bass from their own subwoofers, which I do not really think will be great, considering that it is a "Polkaudio-Quality" Bass.
Still, the mid-range, at least between the 200 Hz and the 800 Hz range, should be slightly better with the LSi 25s. I do not know whether that was worth spending $2,000 more in the past when the LSi 25s were $3,000/pair and the LSi 9s $1,000/pair, but now that it is about $500/pair more, LSi 9's $800/pair vs LSi25's $1,300/pair, one might consider getting the LSi 25s instead of the LSi 9s, and get a subwoofer with the LSi 25s as well. My 2 cents.

eclypse

IN the end regardless towers look better as fronts and considering that they weight in at like 100lbs each and you can forget the stands he will be very happy! All that extra weight will make them sound better once broken in.

cfrizz

I don't see why this is up for debate. He is getting speakers that he has always wanted at a price that he can and is willing to pay. I'm sure all of us would like the latest and greatest but the wallet won't allow it.

He's not settling for something, he's getting what he has always wanted. Enjoy them!

tonyb

garnier wrote: »

I am satisfied with the bass I have with my current two subwoofers and am not looking for more bass.
In that case, should I go for the LSi15s and would I still notice an overall sound improvement than the current LSi9s then?
Thanks.

If overall sound improvement is your goal, the only logical step up for you in speakers from Polk is the LSIM series. That or invest some coin in upgrading your gear and cables.

That said, many other speaker makers out there too that can offer a jump in SQ. Not taking anything away from Polk either, they do a fantastic job in the SQ area.

be83663

eclypse wrote: »

IN the end regardless towers look better as fronts and considering that they weight in at like 100lbs each and you can forget the stands he will be very happy! All that extra weight will make them sound better once broken in.

Exactly! In case he/she has a baby issue too, there will be no issue of the baby toppling or knocking down the 100 lbs Floorstanding ones, as supposed to the speaker stands, which was in my case for getting the floorstanding speakers.

be83663

cfrizz wrote: »

I don't see why this is up for debate. He is getting speakers that he has always wanted at a price that he can and is willing to pay. I'm sure all of us would like the latest and greatest but the wallet won't allow it.

He's not settling for something, he's getting what he has always wanted. Enjoy them!

Yes I agree. I am sure that he/she is getting the LSi 25s for the sake of finally having them, with the price that had gone down tremendously!

WLDock

cfrizz wrote: »

I don't see why this is up for debate. He is getting speakers that he has always wanted at a price that he can and is willing to pay. I'm sure all of us would like the latest and greatest but the wallet won't allow it. He's not settling for something, he's getting what he has always wanted. Enjoy them!

True Indeed! One can buy what they want and not post on forums....but be all know that once you post things on forums there will be before and after comments and debates. This conversation could go on about the OP's original question of "what difference they would make in an overall sound quality, should I stick with my current setup then?" I think a discussion of the 2-way MTM LSiC vs. the 3-way LSIM706C could come up...as if it has not already.:rolleyes: Still, even though the OP might have the 25's arriving at his door this week I still think selling his LSi9's & LSiC for $500 and combine that with $1376.66 he could have purchased a set of the LSiM703's and the LSiM706c on ebay (or $1744.86 Polk Audio Direct) for about the same out of pocket cost and would better address his original "overall SQ" question.

.....But, I've seen this a million times before. Folks ask questions but there mind is already made up. You only live once....if there is a set that one has always wanted to try and you have the means, then go for it! Some, change out speakers every ten years and some change speakers with the seasons! Enjoy the sound!

plainoledave

leroyjr1 wrote: »

I got all my lsim's at a third off from an authorized dealer. You could get the lsim703's and 704 center for around $1600.

Does this retailer start with an "A" and end with a "can"? If so, the guy i dealt with there said the lsim703 have never been lower than $1250 on sale. I've been waiting for them to be $1000. LMK if you can hook me up!

eclypse

The 703s were on sale $500 each about a month or so ago at Polk Direct.. I missed the sale by like a week and asked for the same price but they couldn't do it. They met me half way though at $573.70+ tax EA.

garnier

WLDock wrote: »

True Indeed! One can buy what they want and not post on forums....but be all know that once you post things on forums there will be before and after comments and debates. This conversation could go on about the OP's original question of "what difference they would make in an overall sound quality, should I stick with my current setup then?" I think a discussion of the 2-way MTM LSiC vs. the 3-way LSIM706C could come up...as if it has not already.:rolleyes: Still, even though the OP might have the 25's arriving at his door this week I still think selling his LSi9's & LSiC for $500 and combine that with $1376.66 he could have purchased a set of the LSiM703's and the LSiM706c on ebay (or $1744.86 Polk Audio Direct) for about the same out of pocket cost and would better address his original "overall SQ" question.

.....But, I've seen this a million times before. Folks ask questions but there mind is already made up. You only live once....if there is a set that one has always wanted to try and you have the means, then go for it! Some, change out speakers every ten years and some change speakers with the seasons! Enjoy the sound!

That was a nice possible alternative, as I can change what most matters in the Home Theatre System setup, the Fronts and the Center, which constitue about 85% of the audio informations being played, as supposed to the 15% coming off of both Side and Rear Surround sounds combined. Whether the LSiMs and LSis are timbre matched or not and the fact that they are of different resistance, 8 ohms vs. 4 ohms, would not have mattered much either. Thanks for sharing a nice feasible alternative though, it really could have been a nice option. Someone else who are in similar situation as I was should seriously consider your approach, I recommend too.
As Be83663 has mentioned, I do want to get a Floorstanding ones from the current Bookshelf models, because of my daughter who is approaching her first birthday. So soon she will begin taking things down. That was one big reason that I wanted to change to the heavy-duty floorstanding ones, >90 lbs each. LSiM 707s would have been nice, but too expensive, as you know. :razz:

Loud & Clear

Not sure if I'm the only one doing this, but I'm using a 703 for a center with LSi7s fronts. I have no issue with how these function together for theater or 3-channel music. The sound is cohesive to my ears and I prefer the 703 to the LSiC.

garnier

Loud & Clear wrote: »

Not sure if I'm the only one doing this, but I'm using a 703 for a center with LSi7s fronts. I have no issue with how these function together for theater or 3-channel music. The sound is cohesive to my ears and I prefer the 703 to the LSiC.

That's good to know, because the Center can carry upto 70% of informations at times, including the most of the dialogues.
If that's the case, I will consider upgrading from the LSiC first to the LSiM line center speaker down the road, preferrably to the LSiM 706C. That would be a great idea, even though not anytime soon!!!

garnier

Just got a pair of LSi 25s to replace my LSi 9s and finished a calibration.
After having wathced the Avanger in its 7.1 Soundtrack on a Bluray, I can say that they sound really nice, but cannot really say that there is a noticeable difference between now and when the front pair was the LSi 9s.
I just felt that they seem to have provided more bass and coherent mid-range than my previous setup, but it could as well be a placebo effect of having spent an extra $1,300 (soon-to-be an extra $700, after I sell my LSi 9s and their speaker stands).

Couple of Pictures of my current System though.

Thanks for the feedbacks!

eclypse

Damn those towers look awesome! Nice dark cherry shade of cherry there better then I hoped for when I thought about ordering them! Sure makes a bigger statement in that setup over just some bookshelf speakers up front!

Remember that they will improve after some break in time.

Congrats!

be83663

garnier, what kind of a receiver are you using on the bottom most rack of your TV stand, because it looks like a Marantz brand?

garnier

eclypse wrote: »

Damn those towers look awesome! Nice dark cherry shade of cherry there better then I hoped for when I thought about ordering them! Sure makes a bigger statement in that setup over just some bookshelf speakers up front!

Remember that they will improve after some break in time.

Congrats!

Thanks for saying that. I do like the look of it for sure, compared to the Bookshelf LSi9s, just because they are bigger at about 90 lbs each. I will wait and see how they really sound after the break-in periods, as you have mentioned then.

be83663 wrote: »

garnier, what kind of a receiver are you using on the bottom most rack of your TV stand, because it looks like a Marantz brand?

Yes, I recently also bought the Marantz AV8801, which I really like, by the way. It just turned my Home Theatre System up-side-down. I did not expect a pre-amp/processor to do such a job of changing the whole dynamic of the setup and improving the overall sound quality TREMENDOUSLY!!! :eek: It was a day and night difference, after I upgraded from the earlier Marantz AV7005 to this one.

be83663

garnier wrote: »

Yes, I recently also bought the Marantz AV8801, which I really like, by the way. It just turned my Home Theatre System up-side-down. I did not expect a pre-amp/processor to do such a job of changing the whole dynamic of the setup and improving the overall sound quality TREMENDOUSLY!!! :eek: It was a day and night difference, after I upgraded from the earlier Marantz AV7005 to this one.

I see. I have the exact same pre-amp, the Marantz AV8801. It is just amazing how it changed my system's Sound Quality as well! I got it because of its Audyssey XT32 function, which calibrates your surrounding 32 times more than the XT version; and it is just speechless. It transformed all the sounds, whether from the Movies or Musics, to sound so NATURAL and REAL!!! Did I mention the sounds coming out of my speakers are so NATURAL and REAL?

mgforshort

I never heard the LSMs, but we had Magnepans and Acoustats once. Having said that, the best speakers I ever heard was a pair of Polk Lsi25s powered by a Denon 7 channel receiver. They were in Fry's audio room, which is about 35 x 65 feet, and I was left alone to listen to them with my own Nina Simone CD. No one bothered me for an hour. I wanted to buy them, but I'm too old and I didn't want another 100-pound speaker (we also have SRS 3.1 TL at home).
I bought a pair of Lsi15s instead, a mistake.
The Lsi25 with its own amplifier was great paired with the Denon. The Lsi15 with an Onkyo receiver is not that impressive. I hope that once I can afford a real amplifier it would be better.
We also have 4 Lsi9s at home, and they are fantastic with a Nad 50 watts and a Yamaha 100 watts receiver. The SRS 3.1 is also great with a 100 watt receiver. Unfortunately for me, the Lsi15 is a more demanding speaker.
I think the Lsi25 is the best speaker even for someone who doesn't (yet) own a powerful amplifier. I deeply regret not getting them, the $ 300 price difference is peanuts.

WLDock

garnier wrote: »

Just got a pair of LSi 25s to replace my LSi 9s and finished a calibration.
After having wathced the Avanger in its 7.1 Soundtrack on a Bluray, I can say that they sound really nice, but cannot really say that there is a noticeable difference between now and when the front pair was the LSi 9s.
I just felt that they seem to have provided more bass and coherent mid-range than my previous setup, but it could as well be a placebo effect of having spent an extra $1,300 (soon-to-be an extra $700, after I sell my LSi 9s and their speaker stands).

It makes a BIG difference hearing things for yourself....now you can be content and/or move forward. I hope they work out well for you.

sk88

Since OP has made the purchse, this update may not add any more value. Just in case anyone is interested in the difference between Lsi9 and 25, since I own both, I have made a sound recording and comparison in the past.
Recordings you can download from my pogoplug: http://ppl.ug/bsuWzWoz7a0/
Comparision: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?139807-Speaker-Recordings&p=1866850&viewfull=1#post1866850

In short, in terms of clean and clear, Lsi25 is way better than Lsi9. Modded LSi9 is way better than stock Lsi9.
I've not seriously compared modded Lsi9 with stock Lsi25 because I only use Lsi9 as rear surround so it's not that critical. But I can say that unless you also modded the 260uF and the 9mH inductor on the Lsi9 lower driver, there is no way that Lsi9 can compare with Lsi25 at mid low to low frequency range.

I can't comment on Lsi15 or if additional subs are mixed into the picture because I don't have them. Because OP already have additional subs, I'd still say that Lsi25 + subs is still better than Lsi9 plus subs due to the mid to high freq performance.

WLDock

Interesting feedback, thanks for sharing.

custopper30

Wow lots of interesting feedback. Like WLDock said, thank you!

garnier

sk88 wrote: »

In short, in terms of cean and clear, Lsi25 is way better than Lsi9......there is no way that Lsi9 can compare with Lsi25 at mid low to low frequency range.
Because OP already have additional subs, I'd still say that Lsi25 + subs is still better than Lsi9 plus subs due to the mid to high freq performance.

This was just my spaculation when deciding to upgrade to the LSi25s, a better mid-range sound with the LSi25s than the LSi9s. But, Thanks for supporting my guess.
I am very satisfied with my current change and the new set-up, as well as the asthetic aspect of the LSi25s.
Sure, the new LSiMs will sound better, but I will wait another 8-10 years before the LSiM 7.2 Home Theatre System, if I pay off my student loans and mortages by that time......

WLDock

garnier wrote: »

... if I pay off my student loans and mortages by that time......

Oh, don't go there...Life is too short, enjoy the music now!