LSIM 703...What's the heck is wrong with ME?

dhart86

Dawgfish wrote: »

I currently own 703s as well as modded SRS 2s and stock CRSs (as well as some other speakers). Comparing 703s to 1Cs is definitely an apples to oranges comparison. Hello large full range speakers compared to bookies? Having said that I like my 703s as much as my SRS 2s. Both are awesome and both have their strengths. There is no substitute for the SDA soundstage, but I'm constantly amazed how well the 703s fill a room with sound, their pinpoint imaging, dynamics, and overall resolution. As an FYI my 703s didn't really open up till I had about 120 hours on them. They continued to open up till about 200 hours of playing time. The soundstage width/depth are the best I've heard out of a bookie. Keep on playing em, they only get better. I could never get rid of my 703s now.

OK Dawgfish.....your post is one I was waiting for. Just to be clear to everyone.....I didn't think the 703's would compare to or replace the SDA 1C's. I was merely stating that I had grown accustomed to the SDA sound for so long that I preferred that sound to what I was hearing from the 703's right out of the box. My post was more wondering if the 703's would open up during break-in and would the sound-stage widen. You've seemed to give me the insight I was hoping for. BTW they are sounding better with each session

dhart86

blehmbo wrote: »

moving from lsi9s to lsim703s i was initially disappointed enough to consider selling them. They seemed a bit bright and the low frequencies seemed to be anemic. After about a week and a half of heavy use these issues started to disappear. I'm very happy with them now and think they'll stay in my system for a long time.

i am starting to understand what you mean

WLDock

dhart86 wrote: »

BTW they are sounding better with each session

Some would say this is break in, which I would not refute. However, I think its more of a sychoacoustic thing....you get used to the sound. It happens...

treitz3

Alright, forgive me for being so naive with this question but what in the heck is totl? It keeps being mentioned....

Tom

TNHNDYMAN

Top of the Line

treitz3

Gotcha, thanks.

Tom

cfrizz

You aren't the only one who didn't know what TOTL meant Tom, thanks.

Dawgfish

dhart86 wrote: »

OK Dawgfish.....your post is one I was waiting for. Just to be clear to everyone.....I didn't think the 703's would compare to or replace the SDA 1C's. I was merely stating that I had grown accustomed to the SDA sound for so long that I preferred that sound to what I was hearing from the 703's right out of the box. My post was more wondering if the 703's would open up during break-in and would the sound-stage widen. You've seemed to give me the insight I was hoping for. BTW they are sounding better with each session

Good deal Dhart. They definitely sound better with time and they do take a while to break-in. I'm a believer that the improvements in sound with new equipment is due to both break-in and getting accustomed to the new sound. I'll definitely be curious to hear your impressions of them after more playing time.

msg

dhart86 wrote: »

I just picked up a pair of Lsim 703's a very nice speaker as all have said before me. I think that it really sounds good, but after listening to my SDA 1C's for so long, I really prefer the sound of the SDA's. I like the laid back sound moreso than a forward sounding speaker. The Lsim's aren't "bright" by any means....but slightly more forward than the vintage polks
I listen to mostly jazz, and while the imaging on the Lsim's are great, I kinda miss the soundstage that the SDA's present. I only got about 25 hrs or so on the Lsim's so I am hoping that more break-in time might warrant a change. I really want to like the 703's
Can anyone tell me their experience with this speaker as it relates the changes in presentation after break-in?

man, I could make this same post. I just got into a set of LSiM703's after initially getting into Polk with the RTi10 about 6 weeks ago, which I chose for an all around speaker with a bias toward music. way wrong for my goal, with the exception of use with some warmer, older B&K Sonata gear. unfortunately, that preamp isn't convenient to use, since it's pre-remote and not ready for tv/theater use.

so here I am with the 703's and having similar questions.
I have room, source, and possibly cabling in question with regard to potential causes as to why I'm not having the proper experience with the 703's. also break-in. like you, I want to like these speakers. they're beautes for sure, and I am impressed with what they're able to do for a bookshelf, but I do still find them a bit on the bright side and lacking midrange fullness and warmth. I am beginning to question whether any of the newer Polk speakers are right for me, also feeling a preference for the older Monitor 10's that I have, which seem smoother and more laid back for my use.

EndersShadow wrote: »

dhart, if it makes you feel any better I had the 703 demo set for about a month. I found that I preferred the soundstage of the LSi 9's (stock or modded did A/B/C with all 3). And there were 4 of us there and we all preferred the stock 9's over the 703's.
When I got them home I compared em to my 15's off a HK 3490 and still liked the 15's soundstage over the 703's (again confirmed by 2 additional unbiased non audiophile people).
That said I am one of very few that didnt like them MORE than the LSi series speakers. Perhaps the break in takes longer than I had them for, but I found them sonically quite nice, however the soundstage to me wasnt as wide, nor was it as engaging a speaker to my ears.
I am sure the guys that own em will chime in soon.

see, this is interesting, and now that I'm seeing others feeling the same way, it's got me wondering whether it's still just not quite the right fit.

how much time is enough time, you know? is it worth chasing down matching gear to make a speaker sound the way you want, or is it more correct to base with gear and chose a speaker secondary to that? just seems that you can only do so much with gear to get a speaker to sound a certain way, where as speaker choice seems to make a broader difference.

blehmbo wrote: »

Moving from lsi9s to lsim703s I was initially disappointed enough to consider selling them. They seemed a bit bright and the low frequencies seemed to be anemic. After about a week and a half of heavy use these issues started to disappear. I'm very happy with them now and think they'll stay in my system for a long time.

see, I was originally looking at the LSi9's, but then read someone who had them and moved to the 703's saying that the 703's were superior and that the 9's sounded muddy. I'm wondering now if perhaps that muddy sound is what I like, and not so much muddy or sloppy or completely inaccurate, per se, but just more laid back and smoother overall. I would like to be able to listen for hours, and to enjoy full, rich warm sound. this is when music is relaxing and soul feeding for me.

Dawgfish wrote: »

I currently own 703s as well as modded SRS 2s and stock CRSs (as well as some other speakers). Comparing 703s to 1Cs is definitely an apples to oranges comparison. Hello large full range speakers compared to bookies? Having said that I like my 703s as much as my SRS 2s. Both are awesome and both have their strengths. There is no substitute for the SDA soundstage, but I'm constantly amazed how well the 703s fill a room with sound, their pinpoint imaging, dynamics, and overall resolution. As an FYI my 703s didn't really open up till I had about 120 hours on them. They continued to open up till about 200 hours of playing time. The soundstage width/depth are the best I've heard out of a bookie. Keep on playing em, they only get better. I could never get rid of my 703s now.

Dawgfish wrote: »

They definitely sound better with time and they do take a while to break-in. I'm a believer that the improvements in sound with new equipment is due to both break-in and getting accustomed to the new sound. I'll definitely be curious to hear your impressions of them after more playing time.

these posts are encouraging, and I do plan to press on with the 703's for a while, but I'm also considering trying out a couple of other bookshelves just for reference. I'm pretty new to this level of home audio, so I'm basically starting from scratch.

Instead of asking questions about alternatives here, I'm starting a new thread asking for input in comparison of the 703 with regard to something like the Sonus Faber Concerto or Vienna Acoustic Haydn.
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?158339-Polk-LSiM703-vs-Sonus-Faber-Concerto-vs-Vienna-Acoustic-Haydn

thanks to dhart for the "guts" to post up with questioning the 703, haha

dhart86

OK fellars............just to bring things up to date. My feelings regarding these speakers are beginning to change for the better after I've made the following changes.

I hooked these speakers up to tubes. Rogue 99 pre and Rogue 90 amp. Power tubes are Shuguang Black Treasure KT-88 and signal tubes are sylvania (vt=231) 6sn7. The sound moved more toward what I prefer. It is a little warmer but still not quite where I call smooth. I added a micropro 3000 sub dialed it in and the bottom end is perfect. Things are much better, but something was still not quite right After a few more minutes of listening I had a light-bulb moment! Rolled the sylvania's and replaced them with some RCA blackplates and................Shiggity-Sham!!!

What a difference! The speakers respond well to tubes as someone mentioned. Damn..."I Love these speakers!"


BTW: not really a review.....more like a narrative

msg

niiiice, man, congratulations! sounds like you're really feeling the sound you were after! it's a great feeling when you can experience music to your satisfaction.

drummer86

I had the demo Totems and my brand new ones at the same time. No comparison in the sound. I was told by the dealer that the drivers don't benefit from any break-in but the brand new capacitors are the guilty party of that tight, shrill sound associated with a lot of new gear.

sk88

I do sound recordings and playback from time to time. It's same with microphones and speakers when people say they feel the sound is too bright or forward (or not warm or not smooth) that it is often due to lack of low bass response. I don't care about what the speaker specs says, you won't get good low end to smooth or warm your sound until you get a subwoofer that's at least 10" in diameter. The woofer in 703 is only 6.5", so don't expect it to sound smooth or warm unless you have a small room and that you only listen at low volume. Adding a sub would be an easy fix. Of course, your room, placement, and gears all can make a difference, but they can't fix the problem with a small woofer in your speaker.

TNHNDYMAN

sk88 wrote: »

I do sound recordings and playback from time to time. It's same with microphones and speakers when people say they feel the sound is too bright or forward (or not warm or not smooth) that it is often due to lack of low bass response. I don't care about what the speaker specs says, you won't get good low end to smooth or warm your sound until you get a subwoofer that's at least 10" in diameter. The woofer in 703 is only 6.5", so don't expect it to sound smooth or warm unless you have a small room and that you only listen at low volume. Adding a sub would be an easy fix. Of course, your room, placement, and gears all can make a difference, but they can't fix the problem with a small woofer in your speaker.

Do you have any experience with the 703's? Trust me it puts out nice low end bass and is the type you can feel. This is in my open area livingroom/den that opens to a kitchen and hallway. Does the sound improve with the addition of a nice sub, well yes it does, but they are damn amazing on their own. In a smaller listening area, I can see a majority of people being quite satisfied with the 703's without needing a sub unless your playlist is full of deep organ music.

sk88

Agreed. If I remember and understand correctly, the tweeter response frequency of Lsim703 starts to climb around 6kHz while in comparison Lsi9 start to decay. For most music, Lsim703 would sound clearer than Lsi9 but in few others people may feel it sounds bright and forward than Lsi9. I believe the woofer crossover is 300Hz in LsiM703 while it's 200Hz on the lower woofer in Lsi9, both only go down to 50Hz at -3db, which can be a difference too. Let me say that I don't own Lsim703, so this is purely "on paper". I do own a pair of Lsim705 and love it. A lot of people say Lsi9 sounded smooth and warm, I actually feel it sounded slow and muddy (and the mod took care of that). The bottom line is that we can't change the speaker design, and I was trying to say that adding a dedicated sub can help if you want a warmer sound.

Geoff4rfc

DSkip wrote: »

Don't underestimate what a 6.5" or 7" driver is capable of in a well-designed speaker.

*strong deep breathing* Never underestimate the powa of da dark side

txcoastal1

DSkip wrote: »

Don't underestimate what a 6.5" or 7" driver is capable of in a well-designed speaker.

Hell my 2 way Dyn's w/5.5" driver will eat up most any 6.5-8" 2 way designs for lunch in the low end

drummer86

txcoastal1 wrote: »

Hell my 2 way Dyn's w/5.5" driver will eat up most any 6.5-8" 2 way designs for lunch in the low end

No kidding. I had a pair of DM 2/7s in my system for a few days. Thought I had the sub turned on more than once. Unbelievable low end in that bookshelf.

dhart86

blehmbo wrote: »

Moving from lsi9s to lsim703s I was initially disappointed enough to consider selling them. They seemed a bit bright and the low frequencies seemed to be anemic. After about a week and a half of heavy use these issues started to disappear. I'm very happy with them now and think they'll stay in my system for a long time.

^^^^^^^^^^AGREED^^^^^^^^^^
I dont really know exactly when it happened............the speakers broke in ( or my ears did)
But all the issues I pined about when I first got these speakers seem to be gone. I will not move these speakers for a long time.
Brightness---gone! The sound is much more silky smooth and the mids are butter. Good bass response.

treitz3

Sometimes new sound isn't what the expected hype is.....with that said, sometimes it's everything you asked for and more. Time will always tell. Enjoy the music, dhart86. That's what it's all about!

Tom

HDTVAV

Good to hear!!!