LSiM 705 have arrived

shs

And if you just do a basic measurement using the fast sweep, one of the analysis tabs shows distortion as a function of frequency.

vavan

sure, I know that tab, the problem is how to interpret it

shs

I guess it depends on what information you need. That tab will show the level of distortion and how much is 3rd harmonic, etc, but won't show the frequency spectrum of that distortion if that is what you are interested in. It looks like the RTA will give you the spectrum as bars and seems to be intended for use with pink noise. Hmmm.

vavan

atm all I want is to ensure that my lsim are free of any defects

F1nut

vavan wrote: »

atm all I want is to ensure that my lsim are free of any defects

Trust your ears as they are better at judging the sound than anything man ever invented.

vavan

even if I trust my ears it will hardly convince anyone better than graphs demonstrating the problem

halo

vavan wrote: »

even if I trust my ears it will hardly convince anyone better than graphs demonstrating the problem

Do you need graphs to convince yourself? As far as anyone else is concerned, if they don’t believe you then that’s their problem not yours.

tonyb

I think the point here is, depending on how deep you want to measure things and graph them, you can find fault with just about everything because no 2 things will measure exactly the same.

F1nut

vavan wrote: »

even if I trust my ears it will hardly convince anyone better than graphs demonstrating the problem

What problem?

vavan

Sometimes I think that on some tracks and/or frequencies these sound not quite right and I tend to believe calibrated mic more than my own ears

halo

vavan wrote: »

Sometimes I think that on some tracks and/or frequencies these sound not quite right and I tend to believe calibrated mic more than my own ears

That could be the recordings and not the speakers.

shs

I you just want to know that there is no unusual distortion from the speakers, then the distortion tab in REW should tell you that.

tonyb

shs wrote: »

I you just want to know that there is no unusual distortion from the speakers, then the distortion tab in REW should tell you that.

The distortion may not be coming from the speakers. Could be the gear, or the source your using for music, or even cheap cabling if your using such.

F1nut

vavan wrote: »

Sometimes I think that on some tracks and/or frequencies these sound not quite right and I tend to believe calibrated mic more than my own ears

If you can't trust your ears all hope is lost.

jeremymarcinko

No mics used in my setup. I actually went well out of my way to avoid such devices and software.

Your ears are all you need. We all hear frequencies at different levels, and our perception isn’t anywhere near flat. For that reason calibrating to a standard isn’t going to give the listener the most enjoyable experience; even if were technically ideal.

lightman1

halo wrote: »

vavan wrote: »

even if I trust my ears it will hardly convince anyone better than graphs demonstrating the problem

Do you need graphs to convince yourself? As far as anyone else is concerned, if they don’t believe you then that’s their problem not yours.

I have personally heard Victors system....
No graphs as far as I know. It sounds stellar.....

vavan

shs wrote: »

I you just want to know that there is no unusual distortion from the speakers, then the distortion tab in REW should tell you that.

"Distortion Graph" rew help topic is rather cryptic for me I'm afraid, need to find something for dummies

halo

lightman1 wrote: »

I have personally heard Victors system....
No graphs as far as I know. It sounds stellar.....

Thanks for the kind words Russ! Truth be told, Brian did send me a microphone but I haven’t gotten around to using it. The setup is all by ear at this point and I agree with you as to how it sounds

WLDock

shs wrote: »

I you just want to know that there is no unusual distortion from the speakers, then the distortion tab in REW should tell you that.

Not normal or most but normal stuff for geeks. Polk was founded by geeks and use, FE analysis, Klippel motor optimization tools, test tones, test software, Anechoic chambers human ears, etc to R&D and test speakers before boxing them up....just like most other speaker manufactures. So why not run some test tones through your speakers and measure them it you have the tools.

Also, use your ears! I can't remember if it was B&W, Sonus Faber, Focal, etc. factory video that showed a worker listening to a woofer for noise after building it.

Then, give them the ultimate test...... its all about the music!

TEST YOUR SPEAKERS LIKE A CAMBRIDGE AUDIO ENGINEER
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en/blog/test-your-speakers-cambridge-audio-engineer

vavan

WLDock wrote: »

TEST YOUR SPEAKERS LIKE A CAMBRIDGE AUDIO ENGINEER
https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en/blog/test-your-speakers-cambridge-audio-engineer

put these in tidal - https://tidal.com/playlist/a58c1fdc-3b4d-4369-887e-9efba2d8b4b6

VR3

Man thanks for the link and playlist, good stuff

vavan

vavan wrote: »

"Distortion Graph" rew

ok, I managed to take distortion graphs for both speakers put in the same place. any idea what could be the reason of that distortion spike in 2-3 kHz span in one of these?

naveenacharya

Hi
I just ordered Lsim 705
Lsim 704c and Polk fxi A4
Hope I have made good decision
Please suggest
Thank you in advance

halo

naveenacharya wrote: »

Hi
I just ordered Lsim 705
Lsim 704c and Polk fxi A4
Hope I have made good decision
Please suggest
Thank you in advance

Great decision!

What do you need to go with them?

Do you listen to movies or music more often?

How big is the room in which these will be placed?

Tama

Greeting’s Halo, I have a question for you sir – joined this forum just to ask it, and find myself in the same situation as you back in July of 2018. I have been looking at the LSIM 705’s for the last 2-3 months since they went on sale half off. I have been reading threads all over different places from when they first came on the market, as well as probably all you-tube videos available. I find that most people find these “warm”, “dark”, or they try to play them up and refer to them as “balanced”, maybe they say that because it’s not more treble or bass pronounced sounding, for instance Klipsch known for the brightness. After looking at these, and all the things surrounding them for instance, break in period, warm – dark “not my preference”, so called mismatched crossovers?, need to turn them up to shine, need lots of power – low sensitivity 89db, there seem to be more cons than pros, which leads me into the second part, so I started looking at the signature series s60’s. Now of course they are two very different speakers, but I have the s35 center, and 2 HTS 10 Subwoofers, I prefer listening to music that has Drums, Brass, like Steely Dan, and Chicago to name a few, I watch TV as well with the surround and don’t want to have to turn these things up just to hear them, not to mention night time listening. At the price that these are at, the market opens up to speakers like SVS Prime-Pinnacle-Speaker- the only problem with buying a different brand is people say your center will be off “tembre” – did I spell that right. Anyways from your last threads the 705’s were in their break-in period, are they really all that or not so much – S60’s right out of the box were fine, and I think the sensitivity is 90-91, currently I have a pair of the Polk Studio Monitor 12 series II, an Pioneer AVR VSX-53 100X7, that is Bi-amped with an Onkyo M504 165X2 @8ohm, what are your thoughts sir or anyone that matter. I was also going to upgrade the surrounds to the S20, but someone suggested not to, use the S10’s they won’t be so over powering?

halo

Tama wrote: »

Greeting’s Halo, I have a question for you sir – joined this forum just to ask it, and find myself in the same situation as you back in July of 2018. I have been looking at the LSIM 705’s for the last 2-3 months since they went on sale half off. I have been reading threads all over different places from when they first came on the market, as well as probably all you-tube videos available. I find that most people find these “warm”, “dark”, or they try to play them up and refer to them as “balanced”, maybe they say that because it’s not more treble or bass pronounced sounding, for instance Klipsch known for the brightness. After looking at these, and all the things surrounding them for instance, break in period, warm – dark “not my preference”, so called mismatched crossovers?, need to turn them up to shine, need lots of power – low sensitivity 89db, there seem to be more cons than pros, which leads me into the second part, so I started looking at the signature series s60’s. Now of course they are two very different speakers, but I have the s35 center, and 2 HTS 10 Subwoofers, I prefer listening to music that has Drums, Brass, like Steely Dan, and Chicago to name a few, I watch TV as well with the surround and don’t want to have to turn these things up just to hear them, not to mention night time listening. At the price that these are at, the market opens up to speakers like SVS Prime-Pinnacle-Speaker- the only problem with buying a different brand is people say your center will be off “tembre” – did I spell that right. Anyways from your last threads the 705’s were in their break-in period, are they really all that or not so much – S60’s right out of the box were fine, and I think the sensitivity is 90-91, currently I have a pair of the Polk Studio Monitor 12 series II, an Pioneer AVR VSX-53 100X7, that is Bi-amped with an Onkyo M504 165X2 @8ohm, what are your thoughts sir or anyone that matter. I was also going to upgrade the surrounds to the S20, but someone suggested not to, use the S10’s they won’t be so over powering?

Greetings & welcome to the Polk Forum

I looked into your query and find that there is no clear answer for me to give to you. How speakers sound depends largely on your listening environment/listening room. The way in which the speakers interact with the room boundaries and then your ears means that they may sound very different in your room compared to my room. I think you will find that many people suggest trying the speakers you intend to purchase in your home and on your gear; this way you get an accurate perspective which allows you to have a very well-informed and very personal impression.

As you refer to the thread where I was trying to decide between the LSiM705 & the S60, I did end up staying with the S60 as they just sounded better to me in my room and on my gear. I also took part in the demo program (now concluded) with the new Polk Legend L200 speakers. These are impressive stand-mount speakers and I did look into many other speakers after taking part in the demo program. Ultimately, I discovered that I don't particularly care for the tweeter Polk uses in both the LSiM speakers or the revamped version now used in the Legend series. This is not to say that it is a bad design or that it sounds bad, I just don't care for it as much as some soft domes or AMTs or RAAL designs.

If the sale prices on the LSiM705 are good, you may want to try them for yourself. The S60 are also a good speaker that is a newer design but not a flagship for Polk. Technology and design change quickly. Look at the number of speakers ELAC has put out since Andrew Jones joined them - quite a few and quite a few revisions in a very short period of time.

Good luck in your search.

warren

I bought the lsim 705’s recently, hooked them up listened, never looked back, I’m a happy camper!!!

Tama

thanks for your opinion of the 705 warren - Does anyone have an opinion of the RTi a9 - they are now on sale for $450.00 from $750.00, alsoI have the S35 center, that will be fine with whatever Polk I buy yes/no? thanks TAMA

warren

Tams, I have faith in the Polk line, I bought the 705, sight unseen, the reviews here and there convinced me the 705’s were for me.
Polk RTi A9 Floorstanding Loudspeakers Reviewed - HomeTheaterReview
HomeTheaterReview.com
POLKAudio-rtia9-Review.gifIncorporating many of the company's most advanced driver and cabinet technologies, as well as real wood-veneer cabinetry, Polk's RTI series provides an affordable alternative to those who don't want to step up into the real loudspeaker big leagues to get some advanced performance. The series offers three floorstanding models (RTi A9/reviewed here, RTi A7, RTi A5), two bookshelf models (RTi A3, RTi A1), two center models (CSi A6, CSi A4), and two surround models (FXi A6, FXi A4).

Additional Resources
• Read more floorstanding speaker reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Find a subwoofer to pair with the RTi A9s for a 2.1 system.


The flagship of its RTi line, you don't need to squint to see the RTi A9. It's...well...kind of big. When considering its affordable price ($1699.90 per pair, MSRP), at first glance you get the firm impression that, if nothing else, you are getting a lot of speaker for the money. Measuring 48.625 inches high by 8.875 inches wide by 21.375 inches deep and weighing in at a cool 75 pounds, the RTi A9 takes over a room in a big way. On the top, the design employs a 1-inch Silk Polymer Composite Dome Tweeter crossed over at 1.8kHz and 12dB per octave to two 5.25-inch Dynamic Balance midrange drivers. Polk cleverly houses the tweeter/midrange array in its own sealed sub-enclosure which the company says improves performance, and negates the need for porting. Developed in conjunction with Johns Hopkins University, Dynamic Balance® resulted from a laser interferometry research project that enables Polk to analyze the entire surface of a vibrating driver in real time, in order to determine the right combination of materials for the particular product.

The midrange drivers cross over at 120Hz at 12dB per octave to three 7-inch Polymer Composite woofers. The RTi A9 utilizes the company's PowerPort Plus technology, which consists of two ports - one front and one rear firing - supplemented by internal "plates" to reduce air turbulence and increase efficiency. Located under the woofer array, the large front port fits nicely into the cabinet with a silver fitting. The very slick rear port puts a cone at the mouth of the port to streamline airflow, reduce chuffing, and smooth out frequency response. But unlike most ports that simply end at the edge of the cabinet, Polk uses an elegant plate to terminate the PowerPort, which adds a wonderful cosmetic touch. The RTi A9 provides two sets of 5-way, gold-plated binding posts for bi-wiring/bi-amping. As with all the RTi designs, the RTi A9 features real-wood veneer side panels and utilizes an elegant, tapered cabinet design, which looks great on a big speaker while also likely improving performance by minimizing and diffusing internal standing waves.

Generally (although it has to be executed properly, of course), less boxy designs have the potential to sound better, as they can cancel internal resonances and quiet the enclosure. To that end, Polk also utilizes its DAHLI (Damped Asymmetric Hex Laminate Isolation) technology to thoroughly brace the cabinet with a six-layer laminate with five viscous layers. The RTi A9 offers two optional veneer finishes - Cherry and Black - with the Cherry really distinguishing itself. The removable grills, with nice looking molding on the top and bottom creating an elegant blend into the baffle, look good but their plastic construction sticks out just a tad. Without the grills, the drivers look great against the baffle and that helps, as it seems there's, like, eighteen of them. The overall fit and finish of the RTi A9 goes a bit beyond what one would expect at the price point, even by today's standards.

Sound
The RTi A9 presents a nominal 8 ohm load with a 91dB efficiency. It needed a solid boost in overall power quality to open up properly, and went up another notch when paired with better quality power sources.

Right off the bat, the RTi A9s hit you pretty hard with a crisp, punchy sound. They threw a deep, wide soundstage with very good imaging, with an upfront tonal balance that distracts from those qualities just a smidge. The high end, while certainly veering towards crispy, never offends and offers a lot of detail and speed. The midrange offers an excellent amount of musicality, inner detail and neutrality, meshes well with the top end and excels with vocals and piano. While Polk chose to play the midrange drivers down to 120Hz, which seems pretty low, the midrange doesn't seem to have suffered for it, nor does the bass, which really packs a punch and keeps things very tight and controlled.

Click to Page 2 for The High Points, The Low Points and The Conclusion.

It stays in time with the top end, adds its own dose of pace and
musicality, and rarely sounds even a little sloppy and never sticks out
too much. The RTi A9 also plays loud when powered properly, with very
little breakup. In fact, the speaker rarely broke a sweat in this area.
Even with the PowerPort Plus, the RTi A9 needed some room around it to
sound its best, with the sound fattening up a little too much as it
moved closer to walls. Overall, the RTi A9 delivers an excellent level
of sonics with great pacing and dynamics, crisp imaging, and a healthy
dose of refinement and transparency. The forward presentation can be
defined as more of an overall flavor than an inferior aspect of one or
more particular bands. Underneath it, nothing sticks out negatively,
and the sound quality brings a ton of game on virtually every level.

High Points
• The RTi A9 provides a superb
overall level of performance and musicality, with great soundstaging, a
smooth and detailed high end and midrange, and punchy, extended bass.
• The RTi A9 provides an impressive amount of design and technology, and looks fabulous in both of its finishes.
• The RTi A9 sounds as big, if not bigger, than its large footprint
would suggest, with dynamics and bass capable of filling even very
large rooms.

Low Points
• The RTi A9 has a somewhat forward tonal balance.
• The RTi A9 needs good quality power to perform optimally.
• The RTi A9 needs some space around it to sound its best.

Conclusion
The Polk RTi A9 provides a remarkable level of performance and
musicality for its affordable price. It also earns its way there,
packing a ton of design into its large enclosure. Its minor sonic flaws
never interfere with its excellent transparency, overall neutrality,
big sound, and punchy bass. Large floorstanding speakers have come a
long way over the years. Consumers can now expect to receive high-end
design elements, lustrous finishes, and much improved performance from
what the market offered even only five years ago. The Polk RTi A9 is
indicative of that progress, and then some.
Additional Resources
• Read more floorstanding speaker reviews from HomeTheaterReview.com.
• Find a subwoofer to pair with the RTi A9s for a 2.1 system

Tama

thanks again for your insight Warren, as usual very insightful, the only reason of my concern for not buying the 705's are; 1. because of the sensitivity 89db - I'm concerned about having to turn them up more than normal for evening listening, I live in the burbs on a spacious lot - not concerned about neighbors, but just concerned that I would have to turn them up to get a sound that would not keep me from relaxing 2. I will be using a Onkyo M504 165wX2 @8ohm, I'm sure they would be fine, but last thing I need is - I've had this amp since 1992 - perfect condition, will these work it harder and wind up shortening it's life, second as I said, are they so warm that the crispness of cymbals, brass - trumpets ECT.. are dumbed down to where its nice,,but not a wow factor of accuracy, I was looking at the SVS Ultra towers, those I've seen compared to JBL monitor 590, and Klipsh RF 8000, and even those appear to have their draw backs,Boy.oh Boy...Speaker shopping is Fun, yet,,many things to consider...Later Tams..