Lsi9's Or Lsifx For 5.1

fozzi112

Hey guys,
Just wanted your opinion. I have the Lsi15's as my main, lsiC, but i'm trying to determine which is better for my surrounds..the lsi9's or lsifx. i've seen that the lsi9's have gotten better reviews but i just want to know what you all think. it will be basically 70% HT / 30% music. Please give me your opinion.

sowen010599

If you plan on playing multi-channel music (SACD, DVD-A), go for the direct radiators (9's or 7's). Personally, I would save the money and get the 7's.

okiepolkie

Are the speakers going to be mounted on the side or the rear of your room?

LSi9's would be better for rear mounting, while FXi's would be better for side mounting in a home theater.

Ditto overall at saving money and going with the 7's in either case, especially if you are using a subwoofer(besides the one in the 15's).

Hope this helps

gmorris

In my experience, for HT use, the FXi's would be better if mounted on the side walls.

I had R20's mounted on my side walls, then upgraded to FXi30's, mounted in the same spot as the R20's were. The FXi30's are tons better. The diffuse soundfield the FXi's create is alot better for surround duty. My $.02.

danger boy

i like the diffused sound that the FX series of speakers gives you for HT. i tried direct ones... and didn't care for the sound. the surrounds.. envelope you in sound... esp if you're like me and only have 5.1

Early B.

Another vote for the 7's, especially if you're gonna use them for 30% music.

fozzi112

ahh, all good advice. thank you. never really thought about the 7's...i will give them a listen and try them out. have you guys seen this guy on ebay called "electronic-goods-store". he seems to be always selling the 9's and 7's. maybe i'll give him a try on the 7's.

btw, i would probably just use a stand to prop those up or maybe just use the two coffee tables for now since i'm trying to save right now. i know, i'm such a rookie at this game. haha

thanks again.

fireshoes

LSiFX's all the way. They are awesome speakers.

gmorris

Originally posted by fozzi112
btw, i would probably just use a stand to prop those up or maybe just use the two coffee tables for now since i'm trying to save right now. i know, i'm such a rookie at this game. haha

thanks again.

wall mounting either speaker doesn't cost anything, and will sound better than sitting it on a stand or coffee table due to proper placement.

polkatese

LSiFx all the way, in my experience. LSi9/7 would be good for the back surrounds, albeit a bit of an overkill...

okiepolkie

I'm not sure if I missed it or not, but where again did you say the speakers are going? On the side wall, or back wall?

fozzi112

uhm, it depends, right? if i were to get the 9's or 7's it would be the back wall, and if it were the fx it would be the side, right?

gmorris

Originally posted by fozzi112
uhm, it depends, right? if i were to get the 9's or 7's it would be the back wall, and if it were the fx it would be the side, right?

that would be ideal. but you can use the 7/9's on the side wall also.

Toxis

If you're doing SACD or DVD Audio, then I'd say go direct (9's or 7's, I'm not the biggest fan of the 7's but for rears... not a bad deal). Otherwise I say go FX's all the way. If you're doing your music in 2ch. (HOW IT SHOULD BE!) then who cares what you have in the back. Go diffused for your theater sounds and be happy.

DynamiteD

If you can, go direct radiators all around. Dipoles and Bipoles are speakers that had their hey day during the pro-logic era. Now that there are discreet sound tracks you want to have direct radiators so the sounds can be localized in the sound field like they are meant to be. THX just can't let go of the dipole/bipole thing even with discreet sound tracks. Now, having said that it really comes down to what you think sounds better, even though I strongly feel all direct radiators should be used.

scottnbnj

there are threads around here for diy stands with good pics and instructions that shouldn't set you back too far. probably less than the difference between 7's and 9's.

just a note on wall mounting, 7's are wall mountable out of the box, 9's are not.

)

Frank Z

Originally posted by okiepolkie
LSi9's would be better for rear mounting...

Pretty damn heavy to mount anywhere without building some serious shelves.

The FX's are a better option IMHO. Wall mountable, difused sound for movie soundtracks, and excellant performance for multichannel listening.

From the Polk Audio Hometheater Handbook :

The next time you’re in a movie theater,
look around. See all those speakers lining
the side and rear walls? They help the
soundtrack encircle the audience. It’s this
“surround” effect that places viewers in the
center of the action. Since it’s impractical for
homeowners to install multiple pairs of
“effects channel” loudspeakers, manufacturers
offer “bi-directional” (bipole or dipole)
speakers, which place drivers on both the
front and rear of the cabinet. This arrangement
spreads the sound along the side-walls,
making it harder for the audience to identify
the location of the surround speakers and
delivering a more enveloping experience.
This is especially important if your surround
speakers need to be placed within a few feet
of your listening position (Fig. 3a & 3b).
But bi-directional surrounds are not for
everyone. With 5.1 channel systems, your
rear speakers need to reproduce the same
high frequency range as your front speakers
and bass as low as 80 Hz, minimum. You’ll
probably be happier with high performance
front-firing speakers than with a pair of
cheap or mediocre bipoles or dipoles.
Frankly, bi-directional speakers selling for
less than $300/pair are not a wise choice.
To choose the surround speakers that are
best for you, first select a location and the
type of speakers (floor, on-wall, in-wall, etc.)
that fit well in your room. This will help
determine whether you’ll want bi-directional
or front-firing surrounds.
In Dolby Digital-equipped systems, select
surround speakers that are as close as possible
in performance to your front speakers.
Look for the same or similar driver and
tweeters as your front speakers. Pick speakers
made by the same manufacturer that made
your main speakers.

Now that there are discreet sound tracks you want to have direct radiators so the sounds can be localized in the sound field like they are meant to be.

I think your very wrong. Having a discrete channel does not mean a direct radiating speaker should be used. Using Direct Radiating speakers will cause the surround channels to be localized, but that is not a good thing. It is far to distracting and takes away from the movie. The idea is to be enveloped in a seamless sound stage that flows from one speaker to the next without being distracted by any one speaker. A direct radiating speaker makes sense for a rear speaker because it is directed straight into the listeners ear because of it's location behind the listener.


Placement of either speaker is critical to proper soundtrack reproduction. Before drilling holes in your walls, get a couple of step ladders and try putting the speakers at various heights and see what sounds the best to your ears. Make sure you use an SPL meter to properly calibrate your system after each move to level the playing field. Take a look at WWW.Dolby.com for more placement options.

fozzi112

Well, my living room isn't that big to begin with. It's only 16'10"x13'9". If you look at the pic (not my place but it's from the same development-thanks foxtons.com). I have my couches in an L- shape. two coffee tables on both sides of the couch against the right wall. i think it would be just best if i just get stands and put them on both sides of the couch aginst the right hand wall, right?? And since the speakers will be on the side, i guess i should use the FX, no?

okiepolkie

That is essentially the layout in my house. I have seriously considered putting my FXi30's on stands, but I can't find any tall enough(they would be unstable after about 48" unless they were braced to the wall too).

The direct radiating speakers(7's or 9's) might not be best if your couch is against the wall like the one in the picture.

okiepolkie

FrankZ

Originally posted by fozzi112

..the lsi9's or lsifx.

Originally posted by okiepolkie
LSi9's would be better for rear mounting...

That is is the only reason I suggested the 9's to begin with. I know they would be very heavy to wall mount, even with a sturdy shelf.

danger boy

the LSi 9's weight 33 lbs each!!

the LSiFX weigh 24 lbs each. big weight difference. that's another reason I'd go with the FX's

DynamiteD

I'm not wrong. Dolby and THX can say what they will be to me their arguments don't hold up. When a soundtrack is recorded with discrete rear speakers the sound engineer uses those speakers to pin point sounds in the sound field. This is done on purpose which is why direct radiators should be used. If someone doesn't care and wants a diffuse soundfield then fine get dipoles/bipoles but if someone wants a more accurate representation of the soundfield then get direct radiators.

After looking at those pictures I would either mount speakers on the wall or get in-walls. I don't like in-walls but we don't live in perfect theater rooms either. There's a lot you can do with that room, let us know

Tour2ma

fozzi,
In that room, as is, I see no choice except f/x's.

Directs will work, especially as rears, but you need space between them and your listening position for the sound to disperse, blend, etc. You have zero space behind you... In-walls offer no relief I can see. Even positioning the f/x's is going to be a challenge the way your room is laid out.

Consider centering the TV on the patio doors (if you don't use them much, not a big sacrifice) and forming a "V" with the sofa and love seat where you'd have to walk around them towards either side wall. Then you'd have options...

I'd still go f/x's on the sides, and later you can opt for:
- a 2nd pair of f/x's for side rears for 7.1, or
- a pair directs as rears for 7.1, or
- a single center channel for in the rear for 6.1....

gmorris

Direct radiators do not work in small rooms, like mine. Check out my system showcase, you'll see what I mean. My seated head position is about 7-8 feet from my surrounds. When I had direct radiators, the surround effects never worked. All I heard was the sound coming right out of the speakers. The effects never developed. Now that I have switched to bi/dipole speakers, mounted in the same exact location, the surround effects seem to have a sense of depth and space, they develop their own sound field.

In my opinion, following THX & Dolby in small rooms, like most regular people have, doesn't work because the entire room is not set up to the standards.

In the end, if you can, try both style of speakers, like I did. I found Direct Radiators did not work, and my FXi30's sound WAY better. You will have to be your own judge. I cast my vote for the Bi/Dipole party.

DynamiteD

I've heard direct radiators in an ideal room and it was much more enveloping than I thought it would be. The room is the real catch, my argument is really when considering an ideal room. My room isn't ideal as most rooms are and because of that I've found that I prefer my dipoles/bipoles. Don't shy away from dipoles/bipoles, but in an ideal rectangular room direct radiators should be used.

Tour2ma

DD,
How far were the "directs" behind you? to the side?

fozzi112

hmmm, all good replies guys, thanks. after reading what you've all said, I think I will go with the fx's for now then when i get a bigger place I'll upgrade the system to the 7's or 9's for 7.1.

I still have to figure out where I'm going to place the fx's. Would having them on a stand facing the couch against the wall do? Ahh, this room is hard to work. I'll just have to wait and see which location sounds best. i'll keep you guys updated.

DynamiteD

The demo I heard was at Meridian North American Headquarters in Atlanta. I was there to train on their systems. The left side speaker was only a few feet away at the most. The right side speaker was 10 ft away with the rears being 11ft behind me for the rear left and 15ft behind and to the right for the rear right. The demo was Master and Commander the first battle scene. It was very impressive to say the least.

Tour2ma

Yup, figured as much, DD. Given enough room directs will work in any duty... even your mains...

fozzi,

You need to give some serious consideration to rearranging that room (go up a few posts for a suggestion). But whether you rearrange it or not, use a couple step ladders to check out potential positions before you start hammering nails in the wall.

When checking out different placements, do a quick calibration after each change and demo some scenes from 3 or 4 different listening positions; don't just plop down in your primary spot.

DynamiteD

Tour, I agree. My argument is that in ideal conditions that direct radiators should be used given that the soundtrack is discrete. I know working in this industry that the ideal hardly ever happens and to use your eyes and ears rather than reading into marketing fluff. FX's and dipoles/bipoles do work better in many surroundings ( I use them in my room).