LSiM705s Upgrade

rdavidw

I currently have a pair of Polk Audio LSi15, a LSiC and a pair of LSiFX running off a Pioneer Elite VSX-47TX with a Velodyne SPL1200 sub. I got the setup back in 2003. The Pioneer is rated at 160 watts at 6 ohms for seven channels with the front speakers bi-amped. I spend about half of my listing time playing a Pro-Ject turntable in stereo and about half watching movies or tv in 5.1. I am considering buying the LSiM705s and moving my old LSI15s down to my basement on a rebuilt Pioneer Spec 1 & Spec 4 from the late 1970s.

1. Would my bi-amped Pioneer Elite VSX-47TX be a good fit for the LSiM705s?

2. Will the older LSiC and LSiFXs play well with the new LSiM705s? I am mostly concerned about stereo quality but want to make sure the 5.1 levels will not to too far out of balance to adjust with the receiver.

3. Where can I listen to the LSiM705s? I visited and called a few of the dealers from the website dealer search but none of them had the LSiM line on their floor. I live in Germantown MD, not too far from your headquarters. Is there a time I can come and visit the showroom and listen to the LSiM705s?

Thanks for your help with this,

David

F1nut

Welcome to Club Polk.

There's a couple of things that need to be addressed. While Pioneer AVR's are some of the better ones, no AVR is capable of putting out its rated power with 7 channels driven. The LSi's are 4 ohm nominal and dip lower, your Pioneer is not rated to drive 4 ohm speakers, so you've been lucky. You are not actually bi-amping, which requires separate amplifiers, each with its own power supply, not a shared one as is the case with your AVR. It also requires the use of active crossovers.

1. The LSiM's are 8 ohm nominal, so they would work much better with your AVR. Not to mention they sound better than the LSi's. Just forget the bi-amp thing.

2. You want at least the front 3 to be the same. The surrounds matter less.

3. Polk does not have a showroom open to the public. Have you checked with SoundScape in Baltimore?

F1nut

Am I currently running the risk of damaging my LSi speakers or my AVR or both?

The risk of damage would be to the AVR, but since you've had no issues for the last 11 years it seems to not be an issue. Perhaps you don't push the volume up too high?

It looks like my old Spec 4 has a speaker load impedance of 4Ω to 16Ω so that should be fine for my LSi15s.

Correct.

Are you saying that LSiM705s will sound better then my existing LSi15s and be at the correct 8Ω; however, my AVR will significantly limit the performance capabilities of the LSiM705s?

Yes, the LSiM's sound better. I didn't say that an AVR will limit 2 channel performance, but that is true.

Adding a power amp will improve your speaker performance, but I strongly suggest you look at different brands.

Also, do you know if the LSiM704c is going to become available in the Mt Vernon Cherry finish?

No idea, but you should seriously consider the 706 instead. The center is the most important in an HT rig.

Your list slightly revised.

1. Replace the LSi15's with LSiM705's
2. Replace the LSiC with a LSi706c
3. Add a power amp and use your current AVR as a pre amp
4. Keep the AVR, get a 2 channel pre amp with an HT pass thru.
5. Replace the LSiFX's with LSiMFX's

rdavidw

Thank you so much for your speedy and informative reply; very helpful!

When I bought the LSi set back in 03 the Great Indoors sales rep was adamant that they would be a perfect match up to my Pioneer Elite VSX-47TX. No wonder they are out of business now. Am I currently running the risk of damaging my LSi speakers or my AVR or both?

It looks like my old Spec 4 has a speaker load impedance of 4Ω to 16Ω so that should be fine for my LSi15s. hifiengine.com/manual_library/pioneer/spec-4.shtml

Just to be sure I am understanding what your are saying about using my current AVR with the LSiM705s: Are you saying that LSiM705s will sound better then my existing LSi15s and be at the correct 8Ω; however, my AVR will significantly limit the performance capabilities of the LSiM705s?

Would adding something like an Emotiva XPA-2 and using my Pioneer Elite VSX-47TX as a pre-amp for my fronts and continue to use it to amp the center and surrounds be a significant improvement? Would the Emotiva XPA-5 be a better value and if so would I be better off with a Emotiva UMC-200 7.1 preamp and ditching my current AVR?

Also, do you know if the LSiM704c is going to become available in the Mt Vernon Cherry finish?

If I was going to slowly build up my current setup over time is this the order and direction that you would recommend?

1. Replace my LSi15s with LSiM705s
2. Replace my LSiC with a LSi704c
3. Add a Emotiva XPA-5 and use my current AVR as a pre-amp
4. Replace my AVR with a Emotiva UMC-200 7.1 preamp
5. Replace my LSiFX with LSiMFX

Thank you again for your help.

seabeerob213

Don't be afraid to buy a usedamp, audiogon and other websites have great used markets and amps that far exceed the emotiva can be had for its prices or less. That is where I picked up my parasound. Just do your research on anything you are looking at, and if unsure about it, I'm sure folks here will steer you right. Also, check out accessories4less, great deals on returned gear.

F1nut

Forgot to mention once again, forget bi-amping. However, you should replace the stock jumpers with high quality speaker wire.