LSi9, or LSi M703...?

daddyjt
daddyjt Posts: 2,305
I am assembling a modest 2ch rig for a good friend. It is an Oppo 103 (Playing FLAC from a portable HDD), into an Emotiva USP-1 preamp, into a Carver M500t mkII.

Due to space constraints, he needs bookshelf speakers. I am hoping for opinions on the differences between the LSi9 and the LSi M703. The LSi9 seem to be quite a bit cheaper, but that, I've found, doesn't necessarily mean a lot. I have not had much experience with bookshelf speakers - just lots and lots of floorstanders.

Thank you all in advance for any recommendations you can offer....
"Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


“Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Comments

  • Are they actually going on shelves? If they are I would recommend neither and find a sealed not rear ported bookshelf speaker. With that said I would take the LSIM 703 over the Lsi 9's all day long. I have both and the 703's are much easier to drive and are more versatile for all genres of music and HT as well.

    Just my humble opinion YMMV.

    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,305
    They will be going on stands - kind of behind a couch, maybe 6" from the back wall... Not an ideal position, but I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that his wife will be impressed enough to allow a bit of tweeking to the room décor to allow a much better listening environment:-)
    "Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


    “Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
    ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  • 703's then :)
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
    So, the speakers wont be facing the listener?
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,704
    I know I'm a minority on this one, but I do not like the 703's. There's a disconnect in there that is most evident with guitar. MillerLiteScott heard it too....actually before I did.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • F1nut wrote: »
    I know I'm a minority on this one, but I do not like the 703's. There's a disconnect in there that is most evident with guitar. MillerLiteScott heard it too....actually before I did.

    Both my 9s's and 703s' have VR3 modded crossovers... To my ears the modded 703s are easier to listen too. Stock 705' are the complete shizz
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,305
    edited September 2015
    deronb1 wrote: »
    So, the speakers wont be facing the listener?

    There's two couches facing each other, and a tv on the wall at one end. So facing the TV, there's a couch against a wall in the left, and a couch on the right, with a great room behind it. The speakers are going beside/behind the couch on the left. So sitting in the couch on the right, you'll be facing the speakers. I will lobby for up front by the TV, if the sound impresses....
    "Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


    “Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
    ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  • F1nut wrote: »
    I know I'm a minority on this one, but I do not like the 703's. There's a disconnect in there that is most evident with guitar. MillerLiteScott heard it too....actually before I did.

    YIPPEEE!!!! I'M NOT ALONE!

    Mark:

    I heard stock LSi 9's, modded LSi 9's and the 703's in the same room for a A/B/C test. I had 2 other audio nuts with me and my wife (things we ARE nuts).

    We all preferred hands down the LSi 9's (stock or modded) over the 703's. And between the stock and modded 9's there was a difference but not enough to make me mad my LSi's are all stock.

    With that said, I know you've got soldering skills so upgrading xovers for him wouldn't be that bad if you like him enough to just do it for the cost of parts, but it may not be needed either.

    I'd say go with the LSi's. Easier on the budget and IMHO sound overall better than the LSiM 703'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)
  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    For me, it was a night and day difference between the 9s and the 703s.

    I've owned both.

    Still have the 703s without one regret.

  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,305
    Thanks for the input, Dan. I should have mentioned that these will mostly be playing acoustic and vocal music - No techno, heavy rock, or the like.

    The only thing I find peculiar with the LSi9, is the small ports on the front baffle - they seem as though they would color the sound - I've never seen ports that small... Although there are two of them, and the drivers probably aren't pushing that much displacement.
    "Conservative Libertarians love the country, progressive leftists love the government." - Andrew Wilkow


    “Human beings are born with different capacities. If they are free, they are not equal. And if they are equal, they are not free.”
    ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

  • daddyjt wrote: »
    Thanks for the input, Dan. I should have mentioned that these will mostly be playing acoustic and vocal music - No techno, heavy rock, or the like.

    The only thing I find peculiar with the LSi9, is the small ports on the front baffle - they seem as though they would color the sound - I've never seen ports that small... Although there are two of them, and the drivers probably aren't pushing that much displacement.

    @daddyjt

    In this instance we were NOT listening to any of that lol.. mostly the stuff "regular" people listen to. Think "BlackBird" by the Beatles, Dianna Krall, etc.

    My wife (who is NOT a audio nut and hates doing A/B tests) described the LSi sound as more ENGAGING. Does that mean its accurate and nuetral... probably not... but we found the LSi's more like being at the concert v the 703's like listening to it on the radio.
    "....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)
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,031
    Just for sheer comparison. I feel the 703's are a much better sounding more realistic speaker. I owned a full LSI system and never was quite happy with it. I liked it a lot and tried by best to love it but in the end it had to go.
    In my system I also owned the LSI9's and always felt they where a broken speaker. They never did it for me and I so loved my LSI15's over them. Even the LSI7's I always found to be a more complete sounding speaker.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    Both the LSi9 and LSiM703 are pretty imposing in size for those who haven't seen them before. Not what most people think of when they think of speakers that could go on a bookshelf. The friend's wife may be less inclined to rearrange the room for speakers that big. The LSi7s may be another smaller option with similar characteristics.

    As far as the LSi9 vs LSiM703, they are similar in performance to me with the LSiM line being better built and sounding more refined. The LSi9s were my favorite from the older line followed by the LSi7. I'd say the LSi9s are more lively/energetic and the LSiM703 slightly more accurate and mellow. I'd be happy with either, knowing that they will sound a bit different. Both put out decent bass for being bookshelf speakers. A Polk Friends and Family sale could bring the cost difference between a used pair of LSi9 and new pair of LSiM703 down to $200-$300 a pair. The LSi9s have a more difficult impedance curve and require good amplification to work well. That doesn't appear to be a concern for your friend now, but it could be further down the line.

    There are two cosmetic variants of the LSi9. The older version with the seamed black laminate finish could be quite a few years old by now. The twin small ports on the baffle were a design feature of the LSi series, with a larger port out the back, or on the bottom for the floostanders. The design of the rear ports on both speaker lines for the bookshelf speakers is such that the speakers can be placed relatively close to a wall and still sound good.
  • Kurt300
    Kurt300 Posts: 302
    It's the difference between "very good" and "wonderful". Your price sensitivity should dictate your choice. I happen to the think the extra $ for the 703s is well worth it.
  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
    Having never heard either i vote for both, or neither. Hope that helps :smiley:
  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,021
    Replaced my 9's with 703's and I wouldn't even consider going back...and I loved my 9's.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden