I love you LSi9!!!!

organ

WOW!!! For the first time I connected LSi9 to my NAD amp using the Golden Tube Audio as pre amp. I'm blown away. I've been listening for the past few hours and I'm loving it.

Alright, I've learned quite a few things after playing around with different amps/pre amps with my LSi9.

The LSi9 are naturally warm and have a lot of bass. Using "warm" sounding gear IMO is a no no. You'd want something very neutral or even cold sounding.

My NAD pre amp is a very warm sounding pre. This pre gave the LSi9 a lot of bass and warmth but sometimes it was just too much. It made the upper mids boomy at times. The Rotel pre I had was more neutral and it was an improvement but it didn't sound as refined as the NAD. The ASL worked very well with them too.

Now the GTA is one hell of a pre amp. This is the most neutral sounding pre I've heard. Soundstaging, imaging, hell, the overall sound quality is to die for. SET design using a single 6DJ8/6922 tube. It's actually an amplifier using a 6DJ8/6922. It has an output transformer for each channel. Just incredible. Puts a smile on my face everytime I listen to it.

The LSi9 just sings when using the GTA as a pre. No more chesty upper mids or sounding overly warm. The highs just sparkle and everything is so lifelike. The bass is just incredible. The pluck on the bass sounds so real. Organic is a good way to put it.

BUT, as good as it sounds, there's still a weakness to the LSi9 which IMO is due to the design. The bass can sound sloppy at times especially when listening to very heavy music or when the beats are extremely fast. It sounds like Polk was trying to get too much bass out of these small speakers. But when listening to softer material, they are amazing. I believe the LSi9 sound best with softer material.

I still use my Klipsch as my reference speakers. I like them both. The LSi have a very relaxed sound while the Klipsch is a lot more 'livelier' and dynamic performer.

Maurice

Joey_V

Good LSi9 post!!

Glad you like them.... I should try mine with a better amp.

BlueMDPicker

Maurice,

Thanks for the review. I got into vintage Polks and haven't had a chance to hear too many current production models. It looks like a good design concept (I just read through all of Polk's LSi9 info online.) Do you think crossover improvements (higher quality components) could be make an improvement in bass clarity and speed?

Mike

steveinaz

I think a speaker like the Lsi9 (or any dual woofer bookshelf) definitely benefits from a good ss power amplifer. You need the bass control with these type speakers to keep them from sounding chesty.

I'd love to hear the Lsi9, but in this cow-town I'd have to drive about 300 miles to sample them.

polkatese

Cool, Maurice!

finally you are THERE, eh?

I really believe that LSis (especially the 15 an 9) are precious, if you feed them right, they will take care of you.

okiepolkie

Hey organ(or someone else with 9's),

How far is the tweeter from the bottom of the cabinet? I'm trying to determine what size stands to place some on. I know 24" stands worked well for my LSi7's, but I haven't done a side by side comparison of the 9's and 7's to see if there is any difference in height for the tweeters.

Thanks.

Zach

heiney9

Thanks for the detailed analysis! I'm real close to buying a pair of Lsi-9's and this just reinforces my choice. I've read all the reviews and it's always nice to hear from people who own them and have "real" world systems to evaluate them with.

My brother has a pair of Lsi-7's in a second bedroom system hooked up to and Adcom integrated a Gda 600 DAC hooked through his sound card from his computer. He has ripped most of his music as Flac files and plays them right from his computer.

The Lsi-7's are so open and detailed, if a bit laid back. They do lack a bit in the bass area, but considering their size this is not a weakness, it's just a limitation. I've been very impressed with the timbral accuracy and soundstage, even though the listening position is not optimal. They are definetly not forward or upfront in any way, something I could get used to if I bought the Lsi-9's. I will admit that I miss some of the "snap" & "sparkle" that I'm used to in some recordings, but the accuracy is spot on.

All things considered they put out the kind of sound I could get used to and enjoy for a long, long time.

Heiney9

scottnbnj

in my room, with my gear getting 9's and the listening position further away from the floor and other nearby objects (walls, cabinets, tables) tightens lower bass (at the expense of overall direct and reflected levels) and increases impact and the speed of attack and decay at higher bass frequencies (this gain is intense in my room with 33-36" stands).

i've had them at many heights between 24-36". i started at lower heights only because shorter stands were all i had early on. once i got them up to 30" i knew they wouldn't go lower again. but, aside from bass response, i also need them higher than most because my chair is high and near field is where i'm usually drawn with these speaks. at 30" the tweets and image are still centered below ear level.

to approach the height of where drivers are placed with lsi15's and 25s' would put 9's on 30-35" stands. while some reviews of the floorstanders attribute similar observations as above to the obvious differences and crossovers of the floorstanders, i'd be surprised if driver height (and room interactions that could be expected with such changes) didn't also contribute.

op, the center of the tweet is about 7 1/2 inches above the base.

)


carver 'the receiver'
cambridge audio 540d
lsi9

organ

Joey,
Are you looking for amps right now? Like I mentioned in my post, be sure to check out 'neutral' sounding equipments to mate with the 9's. However, I think the pre might be more important for the overall sound.

Mike,
Don't really know anything about the quality of x-over components but I believe Polk mentioned that the ones used in the LSi series are very high quality.

Remember that I'm comparing the "speed" and bass clarity to my RF-35's. Since you already own the RF-3, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Before buying the LSi9, I had a pair of RT800i, so compared to the RT series, the LSi is much 'faster'. But I still think that some of its sloppiness is due to the design.

Steve,
The NAD is a very powerful amp. The biggest difference was switching the pre amp from my NAD C160 to a Golden Tube Audio.

If softer materials, esp vocals is your thing, the LSi9 will not dissapoint. Maybe one of the dealers in your area may start selling LSi in the future so you can have a listen. Or if you can find a used pair online, give them a try, if you don't like them (which I highly doubt) sell them for whatever price you paid.

Polkatese,
Very true, they're very revealing speakers.

I was thinking about it. I know I'm already there with my Klipsch but not sure about the LSi. There's still a lot of room for improvements. I want to buy taller speaker stands because the ones I have now place the tweets below ear level. I have to tilt them back a little. I know that new stands will make a big difference.

Zach,
Scott's got your answer. 7.5".

Heiney,
Go for it! I haven't heard the 7's but I can assure you that the amount of bass the 9's can put out is unbelievable. I listen to them without a sub. Like what you mentioned about the 7's, yes the 9's are also very open and detailed, especially in the mids and highs. IMO, the LSi9 are most accurate in the mids and highs.

Aaaaah, the "snap & sparkle". If your snap and sparkle is like mine, the LSi will give you PLENTY. By snap and sparkle, are you talking about the micro dynamics in the mids and highs? Like hearing lips smaking, the wetness of the mouth, and sparkly high frequencies? This is exactly what I got with the GTA pre amp. The NAD pre amp I was using before was so warm sounding and slightly cut off on the high freq's that I got no snap and sparkle. Or if it was there, the warmth covered it up. That's why it's so important to use very neutral sounding equipments with the LSi.

What are you going to power them with?

Sean,
Is the MF warmer sounding than the NAD C370 you once had? The C370 has the same pre section as the C160 pre amp which I used to use. The C160 was overly warm and bass heavy with some cut off in the high freq's IMO.

Thanks for the port stuffing tip. I'm not getting boomy bass anymore with the GTA but I think I'll give it a try.

Scott,
Thanks for the tip on speaker stands. That's what I need to upgrade next. I want to buy the matching stands sold on the Polk web store. I'm gonna get the measuring tape out and start playing around. The stands I'm using now are too short so I'm using some jewel cases to angle them up.



UPDATE....
OK guys, here's an update. I tried listening to heavy stuff like Arch Enemy, Nightwish and Akercocke again today on the LSi9. They still sound a little slow especially when the drummers start doing blast beats on the bass drum. Compared to my Klipsch, the LSi can't do complex stuff as nicely. This is clearly heard on Arch Enemy's "Lament of a Mortal Soul". In the beginning of the song, the drummer just goes completely nuts on the bass drum. On the RF-35, every beat is heard and it sounds like a machine gun. The LSi sounds slower here and doesn't make it as 'dramatic'.

Nightwish's "Once" proves that the LSi just don't really have what it takes to reproduce extreme music. They're too "polite" IMO.

When listening to extreme music on the LSi9, they only let me focus on the mids and highs. One thing that really stands out however is the vocals and Akercocke's "Chronzon". This is black metal vocals mixed with death metal. The vocals sound so real, it's damn spooky especially the painful screeches. The real problem I see here is that the LSi sounds too clean on heavy materails. When listening to these types of music, I want to get that concert and 'live' experience and IMO the LSi can't do that.

But when listening to softer stuff, DAMN!!! Everytime I hear good vocals on them, I get butterflies in my stomach. They give me that warm fuzzy feeling inside. I let my mom listen to "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Sarah Brightman (Queen cover) and she couldn't believe how lifelike the vocals sound. I also listened to Summer, Charlotte Church and Opera Babes and they were damn good. Also, their soundstaging and imaging is spectacular.

I'm so glad I didn't give up on the LSi9 and that I still own them. With the right music and gear, they can really touch your heart. These speakers will never go anywhere. They're my little babies.

Now, for all you LSi owners who love great sounding vocals. BUY THIS CD!!!! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002SMW/qid=1111028184/sr=8-2/ref=pd_csp_2/102-9835034-7026525?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846
This is THE reference CD IMO if you want accurate vocals or if you want to show off how good your system can do vocals. I don't know why but this CD is just killer on the LSi. And the music is just amazing. Forget all the poppy **** Ms. Brightman is doing today. This is her best CD, pure classical and top notch production. At $9.99 there's no excuse for not buying. I had a few friends over a few months ago and they almost crapped their pants when they heard how lifelike the vocals sound.

Maurice

scottnbnj

Originally posted by organ
Scott,
...The stands I'm using now are too short so I'm using some jewel cases to angle them up.

please tell me you're using blu-tack on the cases.

)

lomic

Now, for all you LSi owners who love great sounding vocals. BUY THIS CD!!!! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...ssical&n=507846

Was thinking of buying the CD based on your rec., then did an SACD search and I see, for whatever reason, there is a Hong Kong only SACD release of this album. Now considering getting that, but at $25 I think I'd want to hear the CD first... choices!

danger boy

the link didn't work.

dorokusai

Sorry, I thought this was a sex hotline thread.....damn you LSi9!

organ

Sean,
I can see how that works out great with the LSi. I actually like brighter sounding gear on them. That's why at the minimum I'd go neutral on them. It takes quite a bit to get that Vifa to boogie.

Scott,
No blue tacks. I only placed the jewel cases on the front spikes to tilt the speakers back a little.

Iomic,
It's your call. You can sample the songs on the amazon link I provided. I thought about getting the SACD but I'm completely satisfied with the redbook version. Also, I have a cheapo DVD/SACD/DVD-A player, so I doubt it will sound better than my cd set up.

I'm sure you will enjoy the music and sound. Like I mentioned before, it's my reference CD and it sounds amazing on the LSi. I'm sure this will be the disc you pull out when you want to show off your system to friends.

Danger Boy,
Go to amazon.com and type 'sarah brightman'. Click on the "Time to Say Goodbye" album.

Doro,
This isn't a sex hotline thread. If you want some hardcore LSi pics, check the archives for that picture of Russ plugging the LSi15 a few years ago.

Maurice

scottnbnj

i was just teasing. i had mine on some pretty uh,creative er,pedestals while i was trying to figure out which height stands to buy. i got lucky and found demo adjustable height stands locally that were too good a deal to pass up. they're not a permanent solution because they're not as rock solid as i'd like them, but, they make height experimentation an easy task.

i wouldn't limit myself to the stands on the polk site. there are a lot of really interesting options out there and 9's don't need any special inclines to align drivers like vintage monitor stands unless, like what you've got now, with the speaks off verticle axis of the listening position.

one thing i noticed with low stand heights, when my listening position was close the image would stick to the floor at centerstage but struggle for verticle image height at the edges and above the speaks at centerstage. as stand height got higher the image would reach towards the ceiling too with less effort and the height at the edges of the stage also grew. though, i'm thinking at least part of the edge height growth was due to many of my experimental stands being much more massive than the new stands.

)

Tide

Originally posted by dorokusai
Sorry, I thought this was a sex hotline thread.....damn you LSi9!

For dorokusai, call 1-800-555-1212 to talk to Agent LSi 99.

dorokusai

Yea Baby!

rnp614

Originally posted by Zero
Maurice,

I am glad to see you are enjoying your Lsi's again. The other day I hooked the 15's up to the Musical Fidelity and was rather blown away. This came as a surprise as the MF is a very warm sounding piece.

If you want to significantly reduce that bass boom - stuff a freakin rag into the rear firing port of the 9. Tightens that bass up.

I'd be scared to put any rag in there what if it got sucked in!