lsi rti best choice

mailman23

LSI 9, LSI15 or any of the rti series.Which is pound for pound the best for the money.I have a 24 by 13 room.the rears have to be in ceiling.I was planning on getting a used external amp if needed.If the lsi's are as good as people say, do they warrant the price increase.

mailman23

also it looks like the lsi 15's are the same as the 9's, with just an 8 inch sub on the bottom.would the 9's and a awesome sub be just as good??

aaharvel

mailman23 wrote:

also it looks like the lsi 15's are the same as the 9's, with just an 8 inch sub on the bottom.would the 9's and a awesome sub be just as good??

welcome. If your budget allows, go with a system based around the lsi's and separate amplification. I would rather have a pair of 9's and a good sub than the lsi15's.

janmike

Welcome to CP. I agree, LSi series. But one thing, make sure you have adequate gear to drive them (amp, processor, AVR...).

mailman23

will the 9's fill that space well enough

janmike

My room is about 18.5 X 14.5 and there more than enough with the 9's up front.

mailman23

how would 9's up front, lci ceiling speakers and another pair of 9's in rear sound in 7 channel stereo mode.I am hoping to create an awesome sound stage

janmike

I am going through the upgrade and I put the 9's up front, LSiC in the middle and am waiting for the LSIFX's to hit my door. I tried the 7CH thing with the RTi series and it did not do anything for me. To each his own. Actually the sound stage with just the LSi9' and the LSiC is better than the 5.1 with the RTi speakers I had. The rears will really bring things together.

Joey_V

mailman23 wrote:

also it looks like the lsi 15's are the same as the 9's, with just an 8 inch sub on the bottom.would the 9's and a awesome sub be just as good??

Looks can be deceiving. Remember that the 15s utilize BOTH drivers for midrange while the 9s utilize ONE.

mailman23

actually according to specs and description, the 9's use both for mid range as well.they seem to just lack the sub

Joey_V

mailman23 wrote:

actually according to specs and description, the 9's use both for mid range as well.they seem to just lack the sub

Crossover Driver 1: LPF at 200Hz 12dB/oct,
Driver 2: LPF at 2.4kHz, 12 dB/oct.
Tweeter: HPF at 2.4kHz 18dB/oct.

Those are straight from Polk. One of the 9s drivers have to work the bass up to 200hz.

On the 15s, the drivers both work above 150hz... freeing them from doing grunt bass work - one stops at 800hz, the other at 2.4khz.

They're completely different.

aaharvel

Joey_V wrote:

Crossover Driver 1: LPF at 200Hz 12dB/oct,
Driver 2: LPF at 2.4kHz, 12 dB/oct.
Tweeter: HPF at 2.4kHz 18dB/oct.

They're completely different.

It's just different crossover points.

anything between 200hz to 2.5khz i consider midbass - midrange.

SKsolutions

+1 on the 9's with sub. Heavy preference over 15's. These are hard enough to place as it is without having to coordinate the imaging of the top end with the corner-loving bottom end. I also prefer the 9's on sound alone, , ,even without a sub.

I agree with Joey on what should be, but the way I hear it is quite opposite to what I see on paper.

Joey_V

aaharvel wrote:

It's just different crossover points.

anything between 200hz to 2.5khz i consider midbass - midrange.

True, though crossovers can make or break a speaker.

lbouthillier

mailman23 wrote:

LSI 9, LSI15 or any of the rti series.Which is pound for pound the best for the money.I have a 24 by 13 room.the rears have to be in ceiling.I was planning on getting a used external amp if needed.If the lsi's are as good as people say, do they warrant the price increase.

I just replaced a RT35i/CS245i system (with a PW350 sub) with LSi9/LSiC system (same sub). My rears are Rt25 for the moment (I've bought LC80i's for in-ceiling surround, but the new room addition it's all going to end up in isn't done yet, so this is a temporary set-up in the "old" living room). I can say that in this room (23x14, with vaulted ceiling to 12', open floor plan opening the room somewhat wider than the 14' on one side) the LSi9/LSiC combo with the sub are magnificent. It's all powered by a Sony ES-line receiver (5.1), and I'm very pleased, for both music playback and home theater.

The RT35i system was never very good in this space, so it's nice to enjoy the improvement. The RT25 surround aren't in the same league as the LSi series, so the surround is a little weak, but if the LC80i is consistent with the LSi9/LSiC, then this should be a stunning system when the new space is done and all the speakers match.

I highly recommend the LSi series based on my experience. I was able to find very competitive prices via eBay (new speakers in unopened boxes) that were somewhat better than the best standard retail prices I was able to find.

Larry

aaharvel

when i get a bigger place i'm gonna set up a separate 2channel system, no sub - probably some LSI9's bi-amped to my Signature 2.1, and just let the receiver tackle the rti home theater system.

300x2 into a pair of lsi9's would make for a great listening experience me thinks.

lomic

Don't let the size of the LSi9's decieve you, they have tricked me into thinking my HSU STF-2 was on when it wasn't. Pound for pound they can put out some tough bass when called upon.

Toxis

You want a good sound stage? Get some 9's or 15's and learn how to set them up. The other speakers are strictly for movies. Music will only sound worse through all speakers. Why? Because your processor will be... processing the sound aka not staying true to the recording.

I have 9's front and rear now and could not be happier. If my budget allowed, I would've went with 15's up front and still had my sub. The 15's will still be a slightly fuller sound than the 9's with or without a sub. So if your budget is large enough, get the 15's and a GOOD sub. Otherwise, the 9's will be MORE than enough. God I love my system.

AlanD

Another vote for the LSi9's. You definitely need good amplification to go with them though. Even the LSi7 needs a good amp to really sing.