Varied music style and LSi 9

amitjns

Hi ,

I started looking this forum from last few days and found this club/forum to be very interesting. I am an Indian and looking for speaker with varied music styles but not the metallica. My music taste is simple sweet soft music with every details of instruments with depth.

My music taste is like Phill Collins Another day in paradise.
Celine Dion my heart will go on and The Corrs. And of course the Indian collection.

I saw the LSi 9 Bookshelves and may be this week I will be able to listen them up. Please help me selecting speakers how LSi9 will change my music and do the magic for me. Some Music specialist tech guy told me that Polk is good for bhoom bhoom or rock/metallica taste but not for fine detail music or taste as I mentioned above is that true, please help me.

phipiper10

Welcome to Club Polk.

You'll get some good advice here. I'll let the others give you the details but I think the 9s are a more refined speaker than some of Polks other offerings and should be excellent for your use.

Of course the first question is what do you plan to use for an amplifier to power these speakers as they are 4ohm?

apphd

The LSi series are Polks current "musical" speaker line. I don't have much experience with them, but there are many many owners that would probably disagree with the music specialist you spoke with. While there may be some more refined speakers out there I don't think the "good for bhoom bhoom" is an accurate statement at all. Since you will have a chance to listen to some of the LSi9's judge for yourself. All tastes are not the same so maybe they won't bring you the desired musical bliss you are looking for. Make sure when you give them a listen that a source and amp equal to what you have, or at least a quality pair, is used so you can give them a good evaluation.

and welcome to CP

john22614

With proper amplification, the LSi9's make magnificent music as well as HT. No bhoom bhoom, just crystal clear, rich deep sound. Give them a good listen, I think you will agree. Have had mine for 3 years and am still very impressed and have no plans to let them go. Just make sure you hook them up with good electronics.

LessisNevermore

amitjns wrote: »

Some Music specialist tech guy told me that Polk is good for bhoom bhoom or rock/metallica taste but not for fine detail music or taste as I mentioned above is that true, please help me.

Out of curiosity, what was the salesman trying to sell you on?

For one thing, the 9's have pretty decent bass extension, but trust me, he has no experience with the 9's. If he had, he would have never said what he said. He broke an unspoken rule: Never degrade another product just to sell your brands.

amitjns

Firstly, my sincere thanks to you for your nice posts. Yes I agree phipiper10 that amp plays a great role and I have even confusion on this too. The A/v receivers and the amplifier. I am told that for music amplifier are the best. In A/V I am told to go for Denon-1709 or Denon-1909. Presently I am looking for 2 without sub woofer system and gradually would like to expand it to HT.

Sure LessisNevermore the salesman told me that instead of american speakers choose from european speakers and he introduce me to the DALI IKON 1. He further added that for clear low mid and high you must go for Dali. I had discussion that I have read about Polk and LSI are real good but he said that you will not find the clarity and you will have to add sub woofer for base as it get lost in Polk.

But I do not agree with that statement about polk for LSi 9 and I will hear them myself with A/V receiver, with amp, with/without sub woof.

I am a newbie and would like to know more on speakers selection and matching my music taste with speaker.

Surely I will start up with Getting Started in this forum

cfrizz

Welcome to Club Polk.

That salesman doesn't know what he is talking about. You won't find the clarity if you just have the 9's hooked up to a receiver. The vast majority of receivers don't have the power needed to drive the LSI's to their full potential.

The LSI series are speakers that put music FIRST. But do both HT & music with ease. They are extremely versatile speakers.

But to get the best out of them they NEED external amplification, the more the better. And that gets expensive.

So if you do decide to get LSI's make sure you get a receiver that has preamp outputs to purchase a separate amp. Try to get at least 200wpc @8ohms.

Or if you can purchase all separates that would be great as well.

Good brands of amplification: Rotel, Parasound, Sunfire, Adcom, Nad, Emotiva, Outlaw Audio, B & K.

Good luck.

apphd

Will you be able to listen to both the Lsi9 and the Dali Ikon 1 at the same time? A lot of nice things have been said about the Ikon's, they are 8 ohm speakers and look like a pretty easy load to drive. How is the pricing on the 2? I think with some on line sales the Polks might come in a little cheaper here. Are you in the states, India, or other location the pricing may be different for you?

With the Denon AVRs you are looking at I don't think they would be enough to really get the Polk LSi series to be at their best. Especially with you intentions of building up to a HT system. Unfortunatly they do not have pre-outs so with those AVR choices you would not be able to add an external amp later. Sounds like you have a good audition plan, AVR alone, w/amp, w/without sub. Let us know what your thoughts are after you have heard them.

lumpy

my opinion

I bought these at Tweeter a couple of years ago and thought that they were the best bookshelf in the room.

I am using my Lsi9's in a 2.1 set up for sacd and LP's. I very much agree that the amp will make a huge difference, and I found that this was espescially true for listening at lower volumes. I felt that there was a certian volume level that they had to be at before they really came alive. The added amp made that certian volume level much lower.

I think that the bass is very good for a bookshelf speaker, but the addition of a subwoofer made it possible to use the receiver to set the crossover so that the sub could take over the lower frequencies. I found that a sub just made much better quality base (thats what it was made to do). I also feel that this allowed the Lsi9's to be much more detailed, with better midrange.

I am happy with my 9's and often find myself grinning from ear to ear as I listen to them.

cfrizz

Nice write up Lumpy.

LuSh

I can't believe I'm recommending this but here goes....

...for that type of specific music you might consider Totem's. The Totem sttaf's would be easily driven by the Denon. I think you could however do much better then the Denon for a music only system. Depending on room specifications and use you might consider a NAD 370 Integrated with Totem Model Ones or Rainmakers. The Rainmakers will sound more forward and work better with louder music. The Model ones would be idea for softer music.

I've heard the Dali Mentor 2's on an all McIntosh system which included tube amp, ss pre-amp and CD player. The Dali's sound glorious, almost as beautiful as some of the finest Italian designs.

The Polk's would work better in a system which required more balance. The LSi's have drive and finesse but it's the drive that appeals to most audiophiles not the finesse. I think you can do better for the SPECIFIC music you listen too.

Motzart

amitjns wrote: »

Some Music specialist tech guy told me that Polk is good for bhoom bhoom or rock/metallica taste but not for fine detail music or taste as I mentioned above is that true, please help me.

WELCOME to CP!

That "Music specialist" is an idiot....sorry to be blunt!
Polks are NOT just for rock and not made exclusively for that!!
He is full of stuff I can't mention here!
I would classify Cerwin Vega or JBL more for boomy music. IMHO

Those LSi's are not only a sexy looking speaker but are excellent for "sweet soft music with details of instruments with depth"

I'd have a set for my Classical listening but they are outta my reach price wise.

amitjns

I was going to put the point the classical/religious (Abida Parveen/ Nusrat fateh Ali khan) I do not know whether these singers are known to you. But Motzart already mentioning about Classical had given a good picture about Polk this implies Polk are quite versatile.


Hmmm. so a powerful amp. Well then may be it will cross my budget limit. I am in India and the LSI 9 is costing for Rs 56000 and I need to add player and amp. What about NAD C325BEE amp. And how does a good CD player role in this system or any CD player will work as long as i have the good amp.

Yes apphd will tell you more on my experience when I get to listen up the system.

Posted By Lumpy
I am using my Lsi9's in a 2.1 set up for sacd and LP's. I very much agree that the amp will make a huge difference, and I found that this was espescially true for listening at lower volumes. I felt that there was a certian volume level that they had to be at before they really came alive. The added amp made that certian volume level much lower.

That is what I am really looking for, a slow level music filled room giving an alive music feel/experience.

lumpy

cfrizz wrote: »

Nice write up Lumpy.

thanks:)

apphd

amitjns, that NAD would be able to drive the LSi, the LSi series are 4 ohm I think those Denon would just run out of steam way to soon for you to enjoy anything especially as you start adding speakers to go to HT. Not sure what the conversion to US$ would be but are the Dali around the same? Just wondering if somehow they end up being much lower than the Polk for you.

Have you thought about LuSh's suggestions? I have heard others compare the Dali to Totems before. That gives you maybe a third option to consider.

Let your ears be the judge, but I think no matter what way you go you are going to have a really nice sounding 2 ch. set up

amitjns

LuSh wrote: »

I've heard the Dali Mentor 2's on an all McIntosh system which included tube amp, ss pre-amp and CD player. The Dali's sound glorious, almost as beautiful as some of the finest Italian designs.

The Polk's would work better in a system which required more balance. The LSi's have drive and finesse but it's the drive that appeals to most audiophiles not the finesse. I think you can do better for the SPECIFIC music you listen too.

The Dali that I am talking about is Dali Ikon 1. Also you mentioned that Polk would be better that required more balance, would like to get more on this from you how these balance/drive/finesse adds the music.

Jeb85

I have LSi 15's and i can say that they are a warm type of speaker, but they have extremely nice high's. I have not heard any Dali speakers, but i did demo many sets of speakers for about 2 months prior to buying these LSi's. Although with any of the LSi series you will need a High Current amp with decent wattage for sure. You will find that the LSi 9 speakers are very detailed if powered properly. I find that the LSi 15's have a great balance of low vs high for a 2 chan setup without a powered sub. But if you are looking for a bright speaker these would not be a good choice.
Hope this helps!