LSiM703 Speakers from non-authorized Ebay Vendor

Mikey081057

The only issue I have is that Polk is happy to let the grey marketeer sell the product knowing that the seller is misrepresenting the warranty. If Polk was so interested in protecting the consumer they would have ebay shut infinity down from selling their products, and they know from the s.n's which of their distributors is selling them to infinity and they should go after them. Instead the only one they would punish is the consumer.

msg

F1nut wrote: »

Some are, others are not. Other than the LSiM's is there a speaker you want to know about?

It's what I do.

I'm bad, I'm nationwide. :cheesygrin:

haha, apparently.
nah, I don't have any other questions at the moment.
it's what you do - as in, you're an audio dude by trade

Mikey081057 wrote: »

The only issue I have is that Polk is happy to let the grey marketeer sell the product knowing that the seller is misrepresenting the warranty. If Polk was so interested in protecting the consumer they would have ebay shut infinity down from selling their products, and they know from the s.n's which of their distributors is selling them to infinity and they should go after them. Instead the only one they would punish is the consumer.

Hey Mikey, I'm not sure they're happy to let the grey market run rampant. I've spoken with Polk quite a bit lately. When I called in a couple of days ago, I could hear a disdainful tone in the rep's voice when I was talking about the gray market vendors. He explained to me a little bit about how that works, whose on the authorized list, etc. they actually have a published list of unauthorized dealers. And then I've been speaking with the Ebay store guys about my RTi10's and told them a little about the other vendor, and they were saying that they are trying their best to get those types of operations shut down, which I imagine means insofar as to stop them from selling Polk product, at least.

I agree with you - it's certainly misleading. but yeah, I do agree with you - why does the consumer end up bearing the brunt of this if they unwittingly buy? kinda sucks that way. it's certainly not advertised when they're not an authorized dealer.

msg

I'm keeping them.
I opened them.
they're big.

the cherry finish. how do I put this nicely... maybe in the right room. doesn't go with any of my stuff.
I like orange, but this is not what I expected. I'm going to exchange for midnight mahogany.
this vendor at least has an acceptable exchange policy. I'm being polite as usual. I find it works well in sticky business situations to keep the emotion out of it and not be abusive, so hopefully I'll get this buttoned up quickly.



okay, so they're running right now. a little INXS going.
first off, can't get over how THICK they sound! pretty crazy for their size. sweet design. Loud&Clear - I think you mentioned this. you were right. no joke. these little guys are unassuming. I'd love to hear them next to a set of blocky B&W CM5's just for comparison.

second - haha, go ahead, call me crazy, and I know it's early and they have to break in, but... at this point, I feel a sense of loyalty to the RTi10's for all we've been through together, and I'm not sure which way I'll go. tomorrow's my RMA cutoff on the return for those, should I choose. if I do, I'll prob just take return credit toward an LSi center.


I was running them on the old B&K stuff, and they sounded pretty full and held their own compared against with the RTi's, not quite as bright. the RTi10's def pulled away on the low end, though.

switched them over to the little Pioneer to run with old 8" Infinity sub. first, the power differential is readily apparent, dropping from an early 90's 200wpc down to the 80w/ch "modern" AVR. it's apparent with the RTi10's too. taking that into account, they still sound pretty nice with the sub. full range vs small, though? - huge difference. this little AVR can't make the 703's do their thing properly. bottom drops off pretty quick.

other thing I notice - Tone adjustments go the other way now with Treble, more like what I'm used to - onto the + side. with the RTi's I had to drag that down a notch for music. Bass adjustment so far is about the same.


muddy. that's how they sound after the RTi's. haha. this is gonna take some getting used to.
my beloved RTi's...


I think I might be a Polk dude now.

F1nut

it's what you do - as in, you're an audio dude by trade

I own an antique furniture restoration business.

it's certainly not advertised when they're not an authorized dealer.

Sure it is. First off, the reduced price is a dead give away. Second, if they do not say factory warranty or authorized dealer in their ad, then you know it's gray market.

F1nut

other thing I notice - Tone adjustments go the other way now with Treble, more like what I'm used to - onto the + side. with the RTi's I had to drag that down a notch for music. Bass adjustment so far is about the same.

Leave them flat and get use to the more natural sound of a superior speaker.

msg

F1nut wrote: »

I own an antique furniture restoration business.
Sure it is. First off, the reduced price is a dead give away. Second, if they do not say factory warranty or authorized dealer in their ad, then you know it's gray market.

oh, nice. I built a workbench in my garage out of 2x4's and plywood. that's kinda the same thing, isn't it? haha, j/k.

seriously though - I had no clue how this stuff worked. I just thought the cheaper guys were making money by selling on volume - smaller margins, but moving more stuff. I only ever heard of gray market when I was buying photography gear through B&H, and I thought it was specific just to them. but with that, it was only like $20-$40 lower, and as far as I knew, it just meant you weren't getting a manual. even then I didn't realize I wasn't getting the manufacturer's warranty on that stuff. oh, it's obvious now, and I went back and checked on some of the AVR's I've been looking at - same deal.

F1nut wrote: »

Leave them flat and get use to the more natural sound of a superior speaker.

yeah, natural. good descriptor.

since I've been switching stuff around a lot lately, it's dawned on me how quickly you adjust to whatever's playing - it sort of becomes your new norm. then any changes sound weird at first before they settle in a bit. I don't know, maybe this doesn't happen for trained ear people. I went back to the RTi's after, and they sounded empty and tinny, but I know a bit of that's due to lack of proper power as currently running, and also bc of going to them on heels of the 703's. they're a capable speaker as well when properly powered, but I have a feeling the 703's are gonna be what I stick with.

nhhiep

703 is nice. I've had the following Polk speakers and the only thing I am keeping is Lsim: SRT, 1C, Lsi7/9, Rti8, 12, Lsi15. The 1C with RDO194 was my 2nd most favorite. the rest are either too bright or too soft for music.

Lan077

To be honest I'm kind of stunned how many unauthorized units are turning up on ebay. Are that many electronic retailers going out of business to keep these guys with a constant supply?

txcoastal1

They are not necessarily unauthorized sellers. They may be dealers selling them on the Ebay. If they are a dealer they are not supposed to be posting discount pricing. This is why you see websites that have "call for price" on items.

Posting discount pricing without authorization is in violation of dealership.

PolkieMan

I would buy them (gamble) if the price was a lot lower.
I feel like part of the higher price is warranty and support.
Please keep us posted on problems, if any.

http://www.amazon.com/Polk-Audio-LSiM-703-Loudspeakers/dp/B0062P6D8A/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=AVTY9IOFSHRLI

msg

Okay fellas, so I didn't mean for it to seem as though I abandoned this thread, I just wanted to wait until I had something to report back with.

Recap/Review
I sat on the cherry 703's for a couple of days while discussing my options with the Ebay vendor I'd bought them from. I'd come to terms with the whole gray market anxiety after a couple of days. In light of all the tremendously valuable feedback here, and out of consideration for what it would cost me to get into a set of 703's from an authorized dealer (return shipping, possible restocking fee, additional cost for authorized + tax and possibly shipping), I decided to give them a shot and take the gamble. Annnnd, once I was here, I decided I wanted to check them out, so I opened them, knowing full well at that point if I didn't like them, I wouldn't be getting a refund; exchange only. I immediately recognized upon opening that I wouldn't be sticking with the Mt. Vernon Cherry, however, the 703's sounded very nice from what little time I spent with them.

I contacted the Ebay vendor, and told them I would like to exchange for the mahogany. The communication was a little strained - kinda slow and short by email, and I called in a couple of times to make arrangements. I wanted to try to cross-ship, but they wanted to inspect, which is understandable. They offered to execute a refund upon receipt of the originals if I wanted to just buy a new set in mahogany, but we didn't get it worked out in time before some bad weather rolled in, and delivery by the weekend was out at that point, so it didn't matter anymore. Their phone service was pretty awful - voice quality wise, I mean - so it was difficult to hear clearly and have a proper discussion, but they agreed to the exchange, no problem whatsoever, I just had to ship them back, which was reasonable. If I pressed, they probably would even have invoiced me through PayPal for a return shipping label. They were pretty nice, overall; cooperative. Not pure evil like I was imagining. Anyway, the return shipping cost no more than $51 according to the UPS shipping estimator, and I was able to use our UPS account at work for a little bit of a discount, so I think it was between $40-$50. I'll see that bill when they get it at work.

Update
The vendor received the speakers a couple of days after I sent them, and turned around the mahogany set on the same day, and they just arrived this afternoon. yup, pretty much black, just like you guys said; handsome design, for sure, and in bright light, yes, a purplish/dark brown color. those cherry ones were pretty much just big orange blocks, and they'd probably be really nice in a dimly lit room with warm decor and dark walls, maybe some warm accent lighting on them, but the mahogany/black is a much better match for my space and equipment to come. I like orange btw, but something about those speakers just wasn't right. I can see how they'd be difficult to match with other wood and stuff. anyway.

I'm testing the exchange set right now. They seem fine and nice, and no blemishes to speak of, save for some micro scratches on the front bezel, but that may have been me. They appeared to be factory sealed, but maybe they weren't I don't know. Anyone with a heat gun can remove tape. Do you normally see warranty papers in speakers like this, I don't know.

Pleased with how things worked out. Relieved. Next time I'd prob go straight to the Polk Ebay store and buy the factory refurbs there. The Polk Ebay people are super nice, in fact, everyone I've spoken with at Polk so far has been tremendously helpful.

Hopefully I won't need any warranty work.

So that's it. thanks for all the help and perspective, fellas.
Now, on with other business!

GlennDog

Nice ending to what could have been a cluster Bleep!

msg

yeah man, you said it.