Lsi-7's or Lsi/fx for side's?

Pepi28
Pepi28 Posts: 248
edited August 2006 in Speakers
I'm debating on which speakers are better for surround sound if primary seating is against back wall. I have the FX's but dont think I'm getting the sound I'm supposed to get since they are on my back wall where my seating is. Any info would be great.
58" Samsung Plasma (on wall)(calibrated)
LSi15's front (modded xo's)
LSic center
LSiFX's sides
LSi7's rears
Sunfire Sig. 600 amp for 15's
Sunfire Sig. Cinema for C,S&R
Sony ES 3000 pre/pro
SVS 2039 PC Plus sub 12.3 (16hz tune)
PS3
Wii
Signal and Audioquest ic's
12 awg monster speaker-cable (bi-wired)
Belkin PF60 power conditioner
Monster power conditioner for sub
Post edited by Pepi28 on

Comments

  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited August 2006
    Keep the FX's. IMO, the sound won't improve with Lsi 7's for movies. You may prefer them for music, though.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,201
    edited August 2006
    It sounds like your seating area is the problem. The Lsifx are excellent surround speakers but like any speaker, placement is crditical for it's performance. Inwalls in the backwall where your seating is might be a better choice.

    Any pic's of the room?

    Dan
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited August 2006
    You could adjust them up a few dB to see if that helps with hearing the effects from your seating area. It's certainly cheaper than buying something else.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • Frank Z
    Frank Z Posts: 5,860
    edited August 2006
    Before you do anything....calibrate!

    http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/spl.htm
    9/11 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!! (<---<<click)
    2005-06 Club Polk Football Pool Champion!! :D
  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited August 2006
    I would be glad to swap you a pair of LSi7's for LSi FX's.... :D

    For your seating, I really think the LSi FX's would be your best best if you can live with the size. I have LSi7's for my rear speakers and they work really well, but FX's were not an option for me due to the size of the speaker.

    Michael
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited August 2006
    I have both, 7's on the sides and fx's on the back wall and my couch is right on the wall.. may not be optimal but i'll have them in the future when we have a bigger room for the ht.. id say get the fx's as they cost alot more and its alot of speaker for the money, that will be used later even if you decide to get the 7's or get a bigger room available to use for ht.. the 7's are easier to get later and cheaper if bought used..
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2


    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited August 2006
    I am currently, for a few more days, in the same position and I think he propably would get an improvement by swapping the FX's to 7's.
  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited August 2006
    If he calibrates the speakers properly & has them running with adequate amplification they should rock on just fine.

    Pepi, what are you powering your LSI's with?
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited August 2006
    I run my surrounds hot so I can hear them a little better, it's all just preference in the end.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • GATOR3000
    GATOR3000 Posts: 355
    edited August 2006
    I 3rd the calibration. There is no reason why FX's wouldn't be fine after you calibrate your system. Those babies should rock for sure!

    Gator :):)
    Theatre System 5.1
    Sumsung HP-S5053 plasma
    Receiver Denon AVR 3806 Pre/Pro
    Parasound HCA 1500A amp (front L/R)
    Parasound HCA 1000A amp (centre)
    B & K AV5000 amp (bi-amp + surround)
    Dynaco ST70 tube amp (Herbie HAL-O9)
    polkaudio Lsi15 (Cherry) 2-channel
    polkaudio Rti8 Front (Cherry)
    polkaudio Csi5 Centre
    polkaudio Rti6 Surround
    polkaudio PSW1000 Subwoofer (Cherry)
    Original A8T CD
    Pioneer DV-275 DVD Player
    MONSTER CABLE MP-HTS3500MKII Powercentre
  • Pepi28
    Pepi28 Posts: 248
    edited August 2006
    I have them connected to a Sunfire signature cinema grand amp. Bi-wired.
    58" Samsung Plasma (on wall)(calibrated)
    LSi15's front (modded xo's)
    LSic center
    LSiFX's sides
    LSi7's rears
    Sunfire Sig. 600 amp for 15's
    Sunfire Sig. Cinema for C,S&R
    Sony ES 3000 pre/pro
    SVS 2039 PC Plus sub 12.3 (16hz tune)
    PS3
    Wii
    Signal and Audioquest ic's
    12 awg monster speaker-cable (bi-wired)
    Belkin PF60 power conditioner
    Monster power conditioner for sub
  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited August 2006
    Then you need to go to Radio Shack, get a SPL meter & calibrate all of your speakers. Once you do that, you will be amazed at the difference.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
  • cheddar
    cheddar Posts: 2,390
    edited August 2006
    Do you have them set to bi-pole? Di-pole is designed for side use and creates a null area in front of the speaker. Whereas bi-pole is designed for sound reflection from a rear mount situation.
  • Pepi28
    Pepi28 Posts: 248
    edited August 2006
    I took them down a couple of days ago because I am going to repaint the room. I think I had them set to di-pole. Not sure, speakers are in a box hidden away so my kids cant get to them. I have a radioshack SPL meter coming in a few days. Got it cheap on ebay. I think I am still going to purchase the LSi-7's for the rear surrounds to finish off the 7.1 rig. I don't know, I have so many ideas of what I want to do as far as my HT rig.
    58" Samsung Plasma (on wall)(calibrated)
    LSi15's front (modded xo's)
    LSic center
    LSiFX's sides
    LSi7's rears
    Sunfire Sig. 600 amp for 15's
    Sunfire Sig. Cinema for C,S&R
    Sony ES 3000 pre/pro
    SVS 2039 PC Plus sub 12.3 (16hz tune)
    PS3
    Wii
    Signal and Audioquest ic's
    12 awg monster speaker-cable (bi-wired)
    Belkin PF60 power conditioner
    Monster power conditioner for sub
  • Ruin
    Ruin Posts: 59
    edited August 2006
    I would think that you are not going to get what you should out of a 7.1 compared to a 5.1 if your seating is really smack up against the rear wall.

    I said screw it and moved the couch 2.5 feet off the back wall in spite of the wife's protests just so that I could at last aproximate a decent angle for the surrounds in a 5.1 system. Unless you angle your rears down toward the seating they are pretty much going to be blasting away into empty (read non-seated) air if they are over you on the back wall and you are up against the back wall.

    Don't you get some boomy bass (standing wave issues) being up against the wall like that?

    Ruin
    Denon AVR4806CI
    Denon DVD3930CI
    Panamax 5500-EX
    Polk LSi25 mains/subs
    Polk LSiC center
    Polk LSi9 Surrounds on Custom Skylan stands
    Mitsubishi WD-65831
    Audio Art IC-1 Interconnects
    Audio Art SC-5 Speaker Wire