Vintage monitor v. Lsi9
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NeilGabriel
Posts: 1,487
I am interested in picking up a pair of Lsi9s as fronts for a 2 channel system. But, I hate to make the expense if they sound no better than the Monitor 5s or 7s I can use. Like others, I really love the 5s and got this series II pair for $60, as compared to dropping 5-6 hundred for used Lsi? ANyone listened to them both? Thoughts?
Post edited by NeilGabriel on
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There is no comparison between the 2. Completely different sound characteristics. Even my modded 5b's don't hold a candle to the 9's. The 9's are superior in every way I can think of that makes a good speaker. You have to decide if the cost is worth it; to me it easily is. I have both Lsi 9's and 5b's.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
I too own both and it's no comparison. I had to live with monitor 7's for a couple months between LSi's sale / purchases and I was okay with it *until* the LSi9's showed up and the mon7's haven't been hooked up since. The 7's sound great but it's a whole new level with the lsi's.
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I also own both Monitor 5 Series IIs and LSi 9s. I bought the Monitor's new in 1991, and they have been part of my main system until early this year when the LSi9s moved in. I'm not good at describing things in "audiophile" terms, so I'll try to explain why I like the LSi9s better. It's tough to describe because they are completely different, so I'll just point out a couple of things.
I've always thought that from a pure frequency response perspective the Monitors did a nice job. The bass wasn't stellar, but it was there. The highs were also there as well; in fact I always thought the Monitors were a little too bright. Some of this can certainly be attributed to the mid-fi electronics I used with them (yamaha and denon avrs, yamaha cd players, toshiba dvd players). The LSi9s actually do a better job low to high, and the treble is super smooth with no brightness whatsoever.
Second big thing I noticed is that the LSis actually present a stereo image (sound coming from all over the room, rather than just from the boxes). I was never satisfied with this aspect of the Monitors.
Those are just a couple of things. I also got my LSi9s used. If the cost of admission isn't too much of a hardship for you, I don't think you will ever regret that upgrade. -
Thanks.....very helpful!
