Need Suggestions on my LSi set

mekatoka

Hello All,

I have been a long time lurker on these forums and gathered as much information I could and finally bought LSi speakers from Polk Direct(2xLSi25, 1xLSiC, 2xLSiFX). I haven't demoed these speakers (heck haven't even looked at them in person) and bought them purely on raving reviews about it being a gem and so different than all other Polks in general.

I do not have a dedicated home theater and will be using them in my living room to replace an existing R series speaker setup which consists of 2xR50, 1xCSi20, 2xR30. I am very excited since its a huge step up for me. My living room has vaulted ceilings, and has open space into kitchen and steps to bedrooms in the first floor.

I will be using the system for 40% Music and 60% Movies.
I currently own an Onkyo TX-SR805 and I know that my receiver
* can handle speakers at 4ohms (there is a setting in set up to switch to 4 ohms)
* Has Pre-Pro outs

I tried checking the specs but it doesn't list the output for speakers at 4ohms, it is rated at
* 130 WPC @ 8 ohms with 2 channels driven 0.05% THD
* 160 WPC @ 6 ohms with 2 channels driven 0.1% THD

I am aware that the LSi line is power hungry and will open up if I use a dedicated amp. For the time being I want to get by using the receiver only. Fyi, I don't need to watch movies at reference level.

Can I get by with my receiver? If not, what is the cheapest suggestion for an amp? Please give me suggestions in 2 ranges, below 250$ and below 400$

I currently have a cheapo 12" downfiring Dayton sub that I bought to go with my R series. Any suggestions on the subwoofer are also welcome.

Thanks guys

mekatoka

Found THIS link, it says that it can drive 150WPC @ 4 ohms.

I am assuming this is measure with 2 channels driven, anyone have any info or experience on how it would act with 5 channels driven.

Sami

Some amplifier suggestions below. Some can be found very cheap so while they might not be my first choice for the price they'd do a very good job.

Multichannel:
Carver Av405
Adcom GFA-7400
Acurus A200x3
Emotiva LPA-1
B&K AV5000

2ch:
Adcom GFA-545 or 555
B&K ST-202

Plenty of Carver's and Rotel's out there as well at your price range.

maximillian

Since you already have it, use the 805 for a little bit but don't crank the volume. That many LSi's on the 805 may end up killing it. The LSI's dip below 4 Ohms at some frequencies (even down to 2 Ohms) so you really need a good amp to do them justice.

In the future you can expand to an amp. You may be able to drive the LSiFX off the receiver and get a 3 channel amp for the front speakers. I don't know if you can safely drive the LSi-C as well. Of course a 5 channel amp would be the best solution, especially if you have a large room and want it loud. I will let someone with more experience chime in.

gmmosh

Well, I used an Onkyo 701 to run a pair of Lsi7's in the front, a pair of Lsi7's as surrounds, and the LsiC for the center. I did this for 4 years and it did an okay job. This was always a temporary plan for me, but it turned out to be longer than I planed. I was waiting for B&K to release their new Pre/Pro. From the day I heard B&K equipment hooked up to a set of Lsi 9's, I knew that is what I wanted.

I had to be careful and keep the volume down or else my 701 would go into protect mode.

I recently upgraded to a B&K Reference 200.7 Amp and B&K Reference 70 Pre/Pro. Boy did that make a world of difference. Things sound so much better, which I knew that they would.

I would say you are okay to run the speakers with your 805, but start to plan and budget for an upgrade to separates. Take your time and find the equipment that best suits your ears and budget.

polkatese

gmmosh, tell us more about REF70...how's two channel sounds?

mekatoka

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I did a little bit reading about Emotiva and looks like they have very good reviews. LPA-1 is now replaced by UPA-7 and it sells for 599.

I am wondering if I should try UPA-2 for 269$ and run the center, surrounds using my Onkyo?

Also there is an LPA-1 for sale for about 400$ here.

Decisions !!!

Sami

With your budget I would definitely go with used amps. Search also audiogon and your local craigslist.

SBrown712

I have LSi15s, a C and F/Xs hooked to the Emotiva LPA-1 using a HK AVR 435 as the pre. I had the 15s hooked to the HK before I got the LPA-1 and honestly wondered if I had made a mistake in buying those speakers. Then the LPA-1 came and I couldn't believe the difference in sound. I am on the list for the UPA when it comes out but it doesn't look like it will be in the budget so I will stick with the LPA. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the LPA, I just like having the latest and greatest.
On the matter of a sub, I think you will want one. I have a Hsu STF-1 that is a leftover from my first HT set-up. I don't need any more sub given my room size and were I have it located. When I get into a bigger room I may change my mind, but for $299 it's a hard sub to beat.
Pick up the used LPA-1 and a decent sub then upgrade as budget allows. IF you even feel the need to upgrade.
Good luck and welcome to an addictive hobby.

Pepi28

Dont forget about the extra money you are going to need to buy cables to connect your receiver to any new amp you purchase.

Sami

Pepi28 wrote: »

Dont forget about the extra money you are going to need to buy cables to connect your receiver to any new amp you purchase.

Yes, but you're talking about peanuts there, $10-20.

gmmosh

Yeah, get your cables from Monoprice. Great pricing and good quality cables. That is where I got all my HDMI cables and my XLR Interconnects for the B&K equipment.

As far as the Reference 70 and how it sounds. I will be honest with you, I haven't listened to any two channel audio yet. I use my system for 95% HT. I have had the Ref 70 for a month now and the one weekend the wife and kid were gone, I spent it tweeking settings and listening to movies at reference levels.

I watched the Blu-Ray of Rent. I am not a fan of musicals, but wanted to listen to the music portion. I could close my eyes and actually feel as if I was there listening to a live performance. Especially with the opening scene. I am really looking forward to buying some concerts on Blu-Ray.

It is hard to explain what a person hears, but the LSi's just opened up. The sound was full and very clear. You could hear the individual instruments and the locations of those instruments. With the Onkyo everything was kind of muddled and almost distorted at even moderate volumes. Even the bass response improved.

I am not audio expert, but bought my equipment based on what I heard and liked. I stumbled into the LSi line 5 years ago and wasn't aware of the power requirements until after I bought them. I really liked the sound and am glad I stuck with them. Unfortunately, they started me down the upgrade road. Although right now, I am completely satisfied with my system. Just waiting for my custom built TV stand to be finished. Although I told my wife that I am done, she doesn't believe me.

I did see that Emotiva is releasing a new Pre/Pro that will decode the HD audio formats. might be a really nice companion to their amps. Also, looks like the price will be right.

But I am B&K all the way!

Mike

polkatese

Thanks for your feedback Mike.B&K and LSi are a great match.

gmmosh

polkatese wrote: »

Thanks for your feedback Mike.B&K and LSi are a great match.

They are a great match.

With that said, there are a couple of drawbacks with B&K. First, they still haven't released the daughter board for the Ref 70 that will allow it to decode the HD audio formats. I am hoping it will be out in the next month or so. At least it is a free upgrade that the end user can install.

Also, the Ref 70 has no room correction. The word is that B&K is working on it, but no time frame. They supposedly have a test unit with room correction installed. I am guessing this will be an upgrade that will cost.

As far as operation, I have not had any of the issues that have been discussed on other forums. But my Ref 70 was shipped with the most current firmware that addressed most of the issues with popping, clicking and the HDMI handshake.

I will say that I was glad I could buy from an American company, and their customer service is top notch.

If anyone is looking at B&K, PM me and I will put you in touch with my sales guy. He has some great pricing and will ship the units. I had him ship me mine.

Mike

mekatoka

I looked around here, Audiogon and Emotiva sales forums and didn't really find anything. I know its only been a couple of days but I am anxious to get things ASAP (damn this is getting addictive)

So, I called Emotiva directly and asked for B-Stock and ordered an XPA-3 for 499. I figured its better to buy from manufacturer direct than an individual

Now, I need cables. I know Monoprice, Blue Jean get referrenced alot. Any specific cable to buy? Haven't read enough to decide what I would need.

Also XPA-3 has XLR outs, what is the advantage of XLR over RCA.
I am off to doing my own research on the above questions I posted

Thanks

cfrizz

Your receiver doesn't have XLR outs so just get the regular IC's.

mekatoka

Ok, found the answer apparently XLR is superfluous in my situation.

So, XLR has three separate conductors for +, - and ground as opposed to RCA which has two conductors, where one of +/- is also carrying ground. And XLR cables are beneficial if you had very long runs (~100-150 ft) OR are very near to EM interference like refrigerator or a transformer.

mekatoka

So after a lot of contemplation bought Signal Cable "Ultra"'s.
Mentioned about being Polk member and got 5% discount from Frank
For now, only got for LCR speakers.

mekatoka

Since I rent a house, cant really wall mount LSiFX even though that is what is recommended. So, after alot of searching and posting a few threads I ended up purchasing Lovan Affinit's 38" in Piano Black (supposedly matches the finish of LSi's).

Also, LSiFX will not have any holes at the bottom that will allow you to mount the speaker to the plate of the stand. I have been suggested to use "poster putty" AKA reusable adhesive that can be bought at any of the stationary stores.

Bought at www.standsandmounts.com, the price was lower than that from the Lovan's website. Btw, Lovans are also sold at Amazon, they just didnt have the size I wanted


In case, people haven't been noticing I am trying to post my experience so that it will helpful for somebody who is in the same boast as I am

cfrizz

Nice going Mekatoka. Keep us posted.

tonyb

Sami wrote: »

Yes, but you're talking about peanuts there, $10-20.

Really....at salvation army or what ?

Buy decent IC's,10-20 clams will barely get you rat shack stuff.

Sami

tonyb wrote: »

Really....at salvation army or what ?

http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021803&p_id=2869&seq=1&format=2

Ten bucks for 5 pairs + another five for shipping. You can think whatever you want about cables, whether they make a difference or not, but there is no reason to push overpriced IC´s for someone putting together a budget system.

mekatoka

Do the IC's make a difference? All these years I have always used cheap Ratshack cables. However, on reading more and more I have been convinced that good cables do make a difference (I know, I know it also depends on the person who is hearing it. But what about the IC's?

I am going to be connecting Onkyo 805 --> Emotiva XPA-3
The IC's on Signal Cable seem to go for 30$ a piece, so for LCR thats 90$
The IC's on BJC go for about 13-15$ a piece, so for LCR thats 45-50$

--Mekatoka

Sami

If you want to test, get the $10 IC´s from Monoprice as well. Instead of testing yourself, get a friend to help you. Have him/her install the cables while you´re blindfolded. Listen to IC's A (don't use real names) first, and then have your friend switch to IC's B. Mark down which one sounded better, A or B. Repeat at least 10 times, this time in random order without knowing if you're listening to A or B. If you got the same IC sounding better 8 times or more, keep that IC. If not, then it doesn't matter which one you keep, they sound the same.

Do not "test" which sounds best by yourself, you won't get correct results.

mekatoka

Thanks for the advice Sami, I am going to try it out

Face

You won't hear much of a difference, if any from Rat Shack cables to Monprice.

mekatoka

Face wrote: »

You won't hear much of a difference, if any from Rat Shack cables to Monprice.

I was talking about the IC's. I have already bought Singal Cable Ultra's, so I will try to compare them to my existing cheap cables (14G) that I bought at Ratshack. At this point I am pretty sure I will see a difference in speaker cables, not sure about IC's.

Sami

mekatoka wrote: »

I was talking about the IC's. I have already bought Singal Cable Ultra's, so I will try to compare them to my existing cheap cables (14G) that I bought at Ratshack. At this point I am pretty sure I will see a difference in speaker cables, not sure about IC's.

Don't know what the RadioShack cables are like but I think a much better comparison would be with the Monoprice cables. For $20 shipped you're not out of much money.

mekatoka

So I am looking to purchase an audio rack and am interested in Lovan products. However, I cant find alot of reviews about the internet sites that I might want to purchase from. Please rate your experiences with any of the following sites

1. www.rackandstands.com
2. www.standsandmounts.com
3. www.hometheaterplus.com

do you have any suggestions of good stores that are competitive in pricing?

Thanks

Face

mekatoka wrote: »

So I am looking to purchase an audio rack and am interested in Lovan products. However, I cant find alot of reviews about the internet sites that I might want to purchase from. Please rate your experiences with any of the following sites

1. www.rackandstands.com
2. www.standsandmounts.com
3. www.hometheaterplus.com

do you have any suggestions of good stores that are competitive in pricing?

Thanks

R&S has poor communication. I've always had good dealings with S&M.

mekatoka

So, I am interested in Lovan Legacy Series HiFi Frame with Clear Glass and it is priced at Home Theater Plus for 189.99 (4"), 182.99 (7") and 192.99 (10") where as the same is priced at 219.99$ (4"), 239.99 (7"), 259.99(10") for all three sizes at Racks and Stands.

I am unaware of HometheaterPlus, should I got for it??