LSi9, RTi12's, or RTi10's?

tenzor2002 · January 2005

hey all,

Been lurking here and posting elsewhere for a whiel but this is my first time posting here. I have just sold my current 7.1 infinity setup and my receiver will be for sale very soon since I am upgrading.

My new setup will consist of all polk items as I work for a polk dealer so I can get a nice savings on them. I cannot decide between the LSi series and the RTi series. I will be starting out with a 5.1 setup and then later on adding 2 surround sides for a 7.1 setup. Here are my the 5.1 setup choices I cam have to so far. As far as power goes I will have no problem powering any of these setups as I will be ordering an Outlaw Audio Pre-Amp and amp later on this week as they seem to be the best overall choice for the money. But please give some feedback on which would be the ideal setup. I am 85% HT and 15% music most of which is DVD-A.

Setups to choose from
Setup #1
Fronts: LSi 9's mounted on 24 or 27in stands.
Center: LSiC Center Mounted above tv
Rears: LSi 9's mounted on 24/27in stands
Surround Sides to be added later: LSiFX Mounted on the wall

Setup #2
Fronts: RTi 12's
Center: CSI5
Rears: RTi 12's
SS to be added later: FXi5's to be wall mounted

Setup #3
Fronts: RTi 10's
Center: CSi5
Rears RTi 10's
SS TBA Later: FXi5's wall mounted

The reason I choose those setups is I want to be timbre matched all the way around and have matching front and rears. With that in mind I think between the RTi's that the 10's may be a better choice. I have not heard an A/B comparassion between the LSi and RTi series speakers. I will be adding either 1 or 2 subs from either HSU, SKS or outlaw depending on which sub I get. Power defintly wont be a problem nor will running the LSi series at 4 ohms. Any input you guys have between the setups would be greatly sppricated. Thanks in advance

-J

okiepolkie · January 2005

Welcome to the forum. You have some good choices in front of you.

Without hearing them in a side by side comparison, it will be difficult to determine which speakers you should buy. It is a personal preference based on what you like from the speakers when you actually listen to them.

With that said, I am partial to the LSi series. I've had the RTi6's and LSi7's at the same time and I found more that I like out of the 7's.

Have you thought about the LSi7's for front and rears since you are getting good quality subwoofers. This would save you a little $$$ and you will not be giving much up , if any, with the 7's over 9's. Later you could add the LSiFX's for side surrounds to make it 7.1.

Hope you get some good opinions here.

Enjoy your new upgrades.

Zach

Early B. · January 2005

Go with Setup #1. The Lsi series is a much better quality speaker, especially if you're getting Outlaw separates. As Okie mentioned, you may want to consider Lsi7's for the rear to save some money and put it towards the biggest sub you can afford. You probably won't notice much difference between the 9 and 7 in the rear. Alternatively, you can use the LsiFx's in the rear of your 5.1 setup.

tenzor2002 · January 2005

I did look at the LSi 7's for rither just the rears or bothf front and rears. Now sicne I am buying at special pricing. The difference in pricing is approx 45$ a speaker. Yes it would save around 200 in toal. I think that if I went LSi series I would deifntly go with the LSi9's due to the additional driver over the 7's. I woudl consider the floorstand LSI15's but they are the same thing as the 9's just with the added non powered subwoofer in a floor standing design. From all the research I have done the subwoofer included with the 15's does not even compare to having a truw seperate powered sub. I will be getting eith 1 or 2 good subs so low freq wont be a concern to me. Thats why I choose the 9's over the 15's.

One other question. The size of the LSi9's are 14-7/8" H x 8-5/8" W x 15-1/4" D. Keepign that in mind when either building or buying stand what type of base will be needed for a good solid support? The Majority of stand I see have a maximum of 6x6 base. Now I dont have the experience with stand to knwo if that will hold but to me it seems a bit small. People with LSi9's would prolly be the best to ask but what size base is ideal for them. Also with them being a decently tall speaker what height speaker stands would be best? I am thinking of 23-27 in. Does anyone make a decent stand for these speakers for a decent price? If not I will end up building my own stands which wouldnt be an issue just rather buy premade stands. Thanks for the quick responses and thanks again in advance for all the help.

It looks like I will be calling polk later on today and putting my order in for LSi9's and an LSiC. Depending on what the total comes to I may just get the LSiFX right now. but not totally sure. everyone have a great day and thanks for the continued help.

-J

tryrrthg · January 2005

To hold the speakers to the stand just use a couple pieces of this between the speaker and stands will work just fine. Just make sure you slowly wiggle the speaker off the stand whenever you remove it. This stuff holds TIGHT!

LINK

Here are some solid inexpensive stands. LINK

okiepolkie · January 2005

The height of the speaker stand will be determined by where your ear is at when you are at your listening position.
I've seen that some people use a 26" stand with the 9's. I use 24" stands for my 7's and the tweeter is level with my listening position.
Just by looking online,which probably won't be a fully reliable determination factor, the tweeter on the 9 looks to be a little lower than the one on the 7's(maybe an inch or a little more).
If you email Polk customer service, they can tell you how far the tweeter is from the bottom of the speaker. This will help you the most to determine exactly what height your stands should be.

A few questions to help us out here:

How large is your listening room?
Does this room open in to any other room?
Are there any hallways that connect, and are open, to the room?

This will help determine what/how many sub(s) you will need in your room.

You didn't just walk into a store and listen to the Outlaw gear, so it looks like you have done a lot of research for your system.

I think you will be pleased with the LSi's. IMHO, they are worth the retail price Polk puts on them. They get even better when you can get them discounted.

AsSiMiLaTeD · January 2005

I'd choose the 7s over the 9s, I just like their sound better. The 9s have a better low end, but you won't need that with the sub anyways...

reeltrouble1 · January 2005

Go for number 2, RT means Reference Theater and you said you do almost all HT (85%). Then when you get around to deciding that music is where its at you have the Lsi to look forward to, that way you get to spend your dough twice on speakers. :rolleyes:

RT1

tenzor2002 · January 2005

Very interesting that you say you liek the sound fo the 7's better. Any reasoning in perticular you say this?

And you are correct about doing research. I sell lower end audio gear and I really like to knwo what im talking about when it comes to sales so I do alot of audio research anyways. As far as the outlaw gear, my reasoning for choosing this is shear value for the dollar. Im not that concerned about a budget or anything but when an 700 preamp is getting much better reviews and tests then alot of 2000$ preamps its an easy decision on which to go with. And the amp being the same. cheap amp getting better reviews then amps twice its price make my decision in the preamp/amp area very easy. As far as my room goes its a 14ft wide by 25 ft long room. but it opens to my dining room so on the right wall there is 6 ft of open area which is one of the reasons I am leaning towards 2 subs. One thing Im excited about is how nicely the LSi's will match up with my current gear as everything is a glass black. TV, TV stand and Audio rack are all matching gloss black. Ive noticed that svs is probaly a forum favorite but after doing alot of research I am actully leaning towards a pair of the Outlaw subwoofers. Defintly will take any input here as its still an open catogory.

I find it amusing that you posted the parts express stands because as of right nwo those were the only stand i found online that i thought were good enough for the speakers under like 300$ so I was leaning towards those. You just reafirmed that. one question though. the stuff you said to put in between the stand and speaker. Am I risking any damage to the speaker cabinet itself like say when I remove the speakers later on?

Im amazed at how helpful this board has been with such quick responses and such. Thanks alot for all the inputs and advice as it has really helped out. Can't wait to see those pretty blue speakers sitting in my living room.

One other question. Ive read a few things about wallmounting the LSiFX's and some people having issues with them not mounting up flush and having to add rubber inbetween the wall and speaker. Any truth to this and if so is it a pain?

Thanks again

-J

AsSiMiLaTeD · January 2005

As for the sound of the 7s, that's just my preference, I just prefer their sound. In fact, there was a thread started a while back that discussed that subject, and it seemed a good number of people preferred their sound.

As for the sub, ultimately it's your choice. I don't know alot about the outlaw subs, but I know you're just not going to find much better than SVS in almost any price bracket...A couple of PCi 16-46 subs from SVS would be great for your room...

okiepolkie · January 2005

I can't remember why many people prefer the 7's over 9's either. At the time, I chose the 7's because of price. I have been very satisfied with them so far.

The sticky tack shouldn't leave any marks on your speakers at all. If any tack is left on there, then you can use some mild solvents to remove it.

Two subs will be "more" adequate for your room. The Outlaw subs are good quality too. I believe someone said they are manufactured by HSU(good sub company) or someone similar.

The rubber against the wall is probablyused to keep the speaker looking better.

Looks like you are on the right track.

tryrrthg · January 2005

The tack stuff won't hurt the speakers, just take your time wiggling the speakers back and forth when you remove the speakers from the stands. Oh, and make sure you fill your speaker stands with sand.

Oh, forgot to ask, where do you live in Ohio? I'm in Columbus. There's a few buckeyes in Club Polk, always good to see a few more!

jmierzur · January 2005

My choice would be option #1.

I have the 9s front, C, FX and 7s as rears. When I compared the 9's and 7's with SVS PCU subs for front speakers, I prefer the 9s over the 7s. As mentioned, size the stands to place the tweeter at ear level when seated.

I assume the rear speakers are to be stand mounted as they will not be near the rear wall due to the 25 room length. If they are near the rear wall, consider the 7s for the rears and mount them at the same height as the FX side speakers. I have placed rubber bumper pads on the rear of my FX speakers as I do not like to place the speaker directly against the wall. I like to have the speakers isolated from the wall and will be ordering Sorbothane Hemisphere isolators in the future.

The Outlaw sub is made by HSU. Since you mentioned SVS, look at purchasing a sub with the Ultra driver. I found they mate very well with my LSi series and sound fantastic.

Good luck with your purchases.

tenzor2002 · January 2005

jmierzur: what are Sorbothane Hemisphere isolators? I have never heard of them so I am not sure what you are referring to. and as far as rear speaker distance they will be very close to the rear wall as i have one sitting area probaly 3 feet from the rear wall. the space for the speakers are designed to be perfect for my theatre chair i have in the room. as i had my setup before it was ideal for that spot. cause thats the spot im concerned about making the best sound at. the other people will still enjoy it but its most important for my chair to be the ideal spot. My roomate complained about it before but the qucik answer to that was: I shell out the $$$ i configure it however i want.

Also you said look into the SVS ultra subwoofer. These will run approx 200$ more then each of the Outlaws. Is there that much of a difference to justify the cost difference? I know the Ultra driver is a fantastic woofer in every way. But from my understanding the outlaw driver is on the same level as the Ultra. Any perticular reasons why you think i'd be better off.

tryrrthg: I am located in akron approx 2 hrs north of you. Glad to have some others from good ole ohio here.

Thanks for the help all. I placed the order this afternoon for 2 pairs of LSi9's a LSiC and I had them allocate a pair of LSiFX's for me with the option to remove before the order ships in 2 to 3 weeks. Not sure if I wanna jump all the way in right off the back or start with the 5 then go up later.

tenzor2002 · January 2005

Also one last thing. The speaker stands from parts express. Is it just me or did they go up in price?
Mabye they were on sale or soemthing but i disictivly remember them being cheaper. oh well still approx 1/3 of the price of other stands in that quality range.

okiepolkie · January 2005

IMHO, you should start with what you have(leaving the FX's out of the picture for now). That way you can alocate those funds to the best subwoofer(s) you can buy. I think you will be happy with the Outlaws, but the SVS are very, very nice subwoofers too.
What is the warranty like with the Outlaw subs compared to the SVS? This might be the determining factor if there is any difference. Since they are both respectable companies, I expect them to be good, but you never know.

reeltrouble1 · January 2005

Congrats on your purchase, I think you will be very satisfied with your selections. Interesting that you chose the 9's for your rears/surrounds. My understanding is this speaker needs a bit of a "break in" period to reach its potential so give them some time.

The isolation pads are to damp down resonances and vibrations a bad thing, particularly with music they can protect the wall in some cases from damage.

RT1

okiepolkie · January 2005

I broke mine in for about 100 hours, per F1's suggestion(that was my first post on the forum).
They did sound more open after that.

Mjr7531 · January 2005

I would think you could do very well with RTi12s in front, a CSi5 center, and RTi6s in back and then add FXi5s to the side. If it's for HT, you won't get the oomph out of any other line like you can the RTi series (500 watts for your left and right could be very impressive

).

Edit: I missed your purchase, goodness, I need to stop skimming...
Akron, your right in there with gmorris, and really close to me.
Congrats on your purchase.

jmierzur · January 2005

Originally posted by tenzor2002
jmierzur: what are Sorbothane Hemisphere isolators? I have never heard of them so I am not sure what you are referring to.

Also you said look into the SVS ultra subwoofer. These will run approx 200$ more then each of the Outlaws. Is there that much of a difference to justify the cost difference? I know the Ultra driver is a fantastic woofer in every way. But from my understanding the outlaw driver is on the same level as the Ultra. Any perticular reasons why you think i'd be better off.

As mentioned, the rubber bumper pads or Sorbothane are used to isolate the speakers from the wall. I am not too worried about damage to the wall, just the noises the speaker would make banging etc. against the wall. You can find the isolators at McMaster-Carr by searching for 'Adhesive-Backed Bumpers'. Information on the product can be found at www.sorbothane.com. I also use Sorbothane discs I cut to size under the LSi9's. I have posted information about this on the forum.

The SVS 'ultra' products are twice the price (PCU) and four times the price (PB12-Ultra/2) of the Outlaw subs. I have not heard the Outlaw subs so I can not comment on their qualities. I have two PCU's and have no thoughts of upgrading. Comments I have made regarding these units.

Glad to see you purchased the LSi series. Happy listening.

Early B. · January 2005

The Parts Express stands are very good for the price. Heavy as hell, too. Sort of have a utilitairan look to them, so make sure they pass the WAF test before pulling the trigger on 'em.

Yeah, the prices on those things seem to fluctuate often. The shipping costs change on them as well.

Whadyasay · January 2005

Here's another thread discussing speaker stands. There are several models that offer baseplates around 6"w x 8"d. I would look for the strongest and steadiest ones you can find, and fill them with sand.

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24541