I shouldn't have listened to those 705's again

plainoledave
plainoledave Posts: 408
edited August 2013 in Speakers
So i went to my local electronics dealer and listened to their lsim705's again. They sound so much better than my lsi15s. Why did i do that? I was only there to return a damaged end table i ordered from the same place. I was just getting to the point where i was happy with these things. :eek:
Post edited by plainoledave on
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    edited August 2013
    Was that at American? What were they powering them with?

    That is where I heard them and they had like an 80W Cambridge integrated and they sounded sweeeeet.
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    Yes, that's where i listened to them. I did the same thing a while back and i didn't remember liking them that much. Maybe it was my son nagging me to leave the entire time. Maybe they have been broken in more? Who knows. They sure sounded nice this time. I never cranked them up very loud but they seemed very nice at sane listening levels. I might have to get some now. :eek:
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    I wish they had the 703's there so i could compare. It's hard to pay twice as much if you can settle for the cheaper alternative.
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  • D_M
    D_M Posts: 175
    edited August 2013
    Plainoledave,

    An interesting experiment would be to take your LSi15s and a SPL meter with you. I've thought about doing the same thing, but I have been too lazy.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,735
    edited August 2013
    Guys, the LSiM's are, by far, the better speaker.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited August 2013
    plainoledave wrote: »
    I wish they had the 703's there so i could compare. It's hard to pay twice as much if you can settle for the cheaper alternative.

    I compared the 703/705/707 in my 2-channel rig for a while, and my conclusion was that the 703 was by far the best bang for the buck. In terms of sheer performance, I'd rank them as you'd expect: 707, 705, 703; for bang for the buck I'd rank them 703, 705, 707. Some people prefer the 705's to the 707's, citing bloated bass on the 707's. Not me. Room probably has a lot to do with this though.

    Guys, the LSiM's are, by far, the better speaker.

    As a one time or another owner of the LSi-7's, 9's, and 15's, as well as the LSiM-703's, 705's, and 707's, I can say that this is unequivocally true.
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited August 2013
    plainoledave wrote: »
    I wish they had the 703's there so i could compare. It's hard to pay twice as much if you can settle for the cheaper alternative.

    I think the 703's are a good choice as an alternate to the 705's but they need good amplification. That 6 1/2" driver can get wild and over extend itself at medium to higher volumes but a good amp fixes that and keeps them under control. It's a big bookshelf and it does a good job with the lower frequencies. Wish you were around when we had the 703 demo program going on here in Wisconsin. I got my 705 system up for sale and every time I turn it on I second guess my choice in selling them.

    My favorites are 705, 703 then 707's. If I were you I'd grab the 703's first because you can always move them to the rear if you ever decide to get towers.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,461
    edited August 2013
    F1nut wrote: »
    Guys, the LSiM's are, by far, the better speaker.

    100% agreed, but they are no substitute for the SRS.:cool:
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited August 2013
    F1nut wrote: »
    Guys, the LSiM's are, by far, the better speaker.
    Extremely rare moment here , but I have to fully agree.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 33,002
    edited August 2013
    F1nut wrote: »
    Guys, the LSiM's are, by far, the better speaker.

    It would be interesting to see sales figures for the same given time span at introduction between the LSI's and LSIM's. I think at 4 g's a pair for the 707's Polk is finding out what their customer base is. Though I also have to believe their marketing told them people were willing to shell out that coin. Which I find hard to believe in today's economy.

    We all know that manufacturing anything is a numbers game, you have to move product. I just don't see a stampede for 4 g speakers these days. I could also be wrong, what the heck do I know. Polk has a track record of delivery good sound within their targeted price points. I just think as their targeted price points move higher, sales volume goes down, which spells death for a given line. Time will tell.
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    Oh, the difference between my 15's and the 705's doesn't require any a/b testing. It's pretty much a night/day thing for me. the endless upgrading in this hobby can be cruel.

    I don't think sales of these are that good, at least not at my closest dealer. They don't even stock them at this point due to slow sales or so the salesmen have told me. They don't put them on sale anymore, allegedly, due to them being special order items now.
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited August 2013
    You also have to be able to find them. According to Polks website, there isn't a dealer within 200mi of Toledo who carries them.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    edited August 2013
    Dave - I picked up those Maggie's up in your backyard. I shoulda buzzed ya and dropped in. Sorry your so disappointed with the 15's.
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    daboyz wrote: »
    Dave - I picked up those Maggie's up in your backyard. I shoulda buzzed ya and dropped in. Sorry your so disappointed with the 15's.

    Yes, you should have. :mrgreen:

    No worries on the 15's. It's not that i'm disappointed with them, it's just that i want the next great thing. You know how it is. Have you heard the 705's, Dave? They are fantastic, I am going back with my music and sitting in front of them for an hour. I'm sure the salesmen will love that. lol.
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  • daboyz
    daboyz Posts: 5,207
    edited August 2013
    Have not had the pleasure. The Rockford American TV&A has never carried any Lsi piece. I'm about 30 mins from a Fry's. They usually have them.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,461
    edited August 2013
    daboyz wrote: »
    Have not had the pleasure. The Rockford American TV&A has never carried any Lsi piece. I'm about 30 mins from a Fry's. They usually have them.

    To my knowledge, Fry's will not be carrying the new LSi lineup.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,596
    edited August 2013
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    To my knowledge, Fry's will not be carrying the new LSi lineup.

    That is correct, the one here in Indy has the new TSx series, the RTi line (which is weird given how old it is), RTi A, and the Monitor and some R series. No LSiM's.
    "....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)
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited August 2013
    So why is the distribution of this line so restricted? It's got to be tough to sell speakers at these price points by mail order.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    xsmi wrote: »
    So why is the distribution of this line so restricted? It's got to be tough to sell speakers at these price points by mail order.

    my best guess is that most retailers don't want to stock the speaker due to the price and the slow pace at which they sell. They are priced quite a bit higher than the model they are replacing. Weren't lsi15 and lsi25 priced at $1700 & $2500, respectively? Now you're looking at $3K and $4k.

    edit: nevermind, i see 25's used to be $1499 each, still 33% more for a set of the top of the line but definitely worth it if the 707's are better than the 705's.
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited August 2013
    But I can listen to $16K B&W 801d's in town, drive 60mi to Ann Arbor and hear $250 Wilson's and $126 Sonus' TODAY! These have been out almost 2 yrs and other than driving to a fello Polkie's house, I can't get my ears on 'em. Of coarse I can just plop $4K down, sight unseen. But how many people are willing to do that?
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited August 2013
    I know, I'm whining in that last post. But the only Polks I can hear locally are the TSI line.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • xsmi
    xsmi Posts: 1,798
    edited August 2013
    Sorry for thread jacking. Mods please remove my posts.
    2-channelBelles 22A Pre, Emotiva XPA-2 Gen 2, Marantz SA8005, Pro-Ject RPM-10 Turntable, Pro-Ject Phono Box DS3B, Polk Audio Legend L800's, AudioQuest Cable throughout.
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    Don't worry about it. I'd be frustrated too, if I were you.
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  • hochpt21
    hochpt21 Posts: 5,423
    edited August 2013
    Dave,

    We can go in on a pair of 705's and switch them out every 3 months :eek: :lol: :cheesygrin:
    2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    The thing that really struck me with the 705's is how good they sounded at low volume levels. You really can't tell that you're listening to anything special with my lsi15's until you get them pretty loud.
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  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    edited August 2013
    I listened to the 705's, and thought they sounded nicer than the 707's although not in my room with my rig. my issue is how do i sneak them into the house. Just out of curiosity can anyone estimate what my VR3 Fortress modded lsi 9's be worth?
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

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  • D_M
    D_M Posts: 175
    edited August 2013
    plainoledave wrote: »
    The thing that really struck me with the 705's is how good they sounded at low volume levels. You really can't tell that you're listening to anything special with my lsi15's until you get them pretty loud.

    Plainoledave,

    What are you currently running your Lsi15s with? I understand that everyone's definition of low volume is different. I'm just curious what components are in your signal chain.
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  • plainoledave
    plainoledave Posts: 408
    edited August 2013
    D_M wrote: »
    Plainoledave,

    What are you currently running your Lsi15s with? I understand that everyone's definition of low volume is different. I'm just curious what components are in your signal chain.

    an old NAD 7600 receiver (150 wpc continuous, 400 dynamic), NAD 512 CD player. Monster Cable speaker wire and cheap cables. I should upgrade my rca cables, for sure, possibly everything. lol.
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