Polk lsi15 any good?

Nacken23

Hi all I am was thinking of getting a pair of Polk lsi15 and now am having doubts are they really that good I noticed that they were released back around 2002 correct me if I'm wrong but will Polk be releasing new floorstanding speakers any time soon?
All the reviews i read said they're brilliant what do ye guys think should I get them?

McLoki

yes - I think they are great... They do have a very detailed and smooth but laid back sound to them.

I can say I have not heard other speakers in the same price range I would rather have. That being said, there are a few questions that if you answer them, will help determine if they are a speaker you would like. -


What speakers do you have now and what do you like or dislike about them?

What do you want to use them for? (home theater, 2 channel listening (if so - what kind of music do you like), frat parties, something to make noise)

What kind of electronics will you be pairing with them. (AVR, Amp/pre amp, source, cables, etc.)

Do you plan on just the 15's or do you want an entire home theater based on it. Do you plan to use them with a subwoofer?

What is your listening space like and where will they be located? (i.e. - large room, wood floors and LSi's placed in the corners)



Regarding the age of the design - polk is always coming out with new speakers. Some of their best were made back in the early 90's so I would not sweat the LSi's being an "older" design.

Nacken23

The speakers I have now are just 8 year old panasonic home cinema speakers which I think still sound good. But hearing all the reviews about these Polk speakers I think I have to get them. I will use them for movies music and ps3 to get linear PCM 7.1 are these speakers good for hd audio?

McLoki

Nacken23 wrote: »

The speakers I have now are just 8 year old panasonic home cinema speakers which I think still sound good. But hearing all the reviews about these Polk speakers I think I have to get them. I will use them for movies music and ps3 to get linear PCM 7.1 are these speakers good for hd audio?

Still need to know electronics - other speakers you plan to use (besides the LSi15's and including any subwoofers), room size/placement options, etc.

That being said - As with most higher end speakers - the better quality you put into them, the better they sound. If your favorite music happens to be recorded or mastered badly - it will sound terrible. Given that - they work great for HD audio.

With what I am hearing so far (or rather not hearing) - you may be happeir with the RTiA line of Polk speakers. I will wait to give judgement on that until you answer a few more of the questions though.

nooshinjohn

I have been a fan of the older SDA series speakers for a very long time and have recently
(today) picked up a pair of LSi15's for use in my 7.1 setup I was planiing on running them in surround duty but plan on listening to them in two channel mode for a few days and compare them to my 1c's... so far I like them a lot and would not hesitate to recommend them.

Nacken23

The room I'm living in at the moment is very small I know these speakers are big enough will they work good in a small room just for now as I won't be living in the same small room forever.
I plan on getting the whole lsi series eventually I will put the lsi15 close to the wall for now coz of lack of space will they still sound good?
I also plan to use a separate subwoofer as I heard this would be needed for watching movies.
I will be using a receiver onkyo 806 and an amp any suggestions on a good amp?

BlueFox

I have 4 LSi15s, and an LSiC in my HT room, which is 11'x12'. That is not a very large room, but it is all I have at the moment, and, for me, it sounds great. I did have to treat the room with Aurolex acoustic foam pyramids, and that really made a big differance in improving the sound.

Nacken23

BlueFox wrote: »

I have 4 LSi15s, and an LSiC in my HT room, which is 11'x12'. That is not a very large room, but it is all I have at the moment, and, for me, it sounds great. I did have to treat the room with Aurolex acoustic foam pyramids, and that really made a big differance in improving the sound.

What are acoustic foam pyramids what do they do?

BlueFox

Nacken23 wrote: »

What are acoustic foam pyramids what do they do?

I should have mentioned I am using the 2" pyramids.

They are a relatively inexpensive foam panel used to reduce sound reflections. Since my HT room is so small, and the walls are bare, there was a lot of reflections which made the sound overly bright. By placing the foam panels at selected spots on the wall, the reflections were tamed, and the sound became clear and precise.

Since they are very light a push-pin is all that is needed to attach it to the wall, which makes it easy to experimewnt with location. The drawback is they are not the best looking things in the world, so if appearance means more than function to you then another type of acoustic treatment is in order.

http://www.auralex.com/acoustic_studiofoam_2p/acoustic_studiofoam_2p.asp

Nacken23

BlueFox wrote: »

I should have mentioned I am using the 2" pyramids.

They are a relatively inexpensive foam panel used to reduce sound reflections. Since my HT room is so small, and the walls are bare, there was a lot of reflections which made the sound overly bright. By placing the foam panels at selected spots on the wall, the reflections were tamed, and the sound became clear and precise.

Since they are very light a push-pin is all that is needed to attach it to the wall, which makes it easy to experimewnt with location. The drawback is they are not the best looking things in the world, so if appearance means more than function to you then another type of acoustic treatment is in order.

http://www.auralex.com/acoustic_studiofoam_2p/acoustic_studiofoam_2p.asp

No not for my room but that's cool thanks for the information though I will look into other acoustic treatments for my room now

bdtae5656

BlueFox wrote: »

I have 4 LSi15s, and an LSiC in my HT room, which is 11'x12'. That is not a very large room, but it is all I have at the moment, and, for me, it sounds great. I did have to treat the room with Aurolex acoustic foam pyramids, and that really made a big differance in improving the sound.[/QUOTE

Do you like your LSI15's as rears???

nooshinjohn

mine are doing so well in the surround setup that I might go back to a 5.1 setup for my room... there is not much out there encoded with 7.1 yet anyway

bdtae5656

So the 15 aren't being wasted using them as rears? The 25's are awesome.....I've heard alot of great things about the 15's as well

zx_toth

Nacken23 wrote: »

The speakers I have now are just 8 year old panasonic home cinema speakers which I think still sound good. But hearing all the reviews about these Polk speakers I think I have to get them. I will use them for movies music and ps3 to get linear PCM 7.1 are these speakers good for hd audio?

McLoki is very right in saying that by purchasing a pair of LSi15s that does not immediately mean you will have great sound. A good pair of speakers like the LSi 15s need some matching electronics as well to make them shine. Garbage in = garbage out as one member says. Though I have no experience with Onkyo 806s, it sounds like it will do the job as a pre-amp.

Look up as many posts on Polk Forum as you can on the 15s and see what electronics people are matching them with. Pay particular attention to the amp selections people are using and enjoying paired with the 15s.

Having said that I have a pair of 25s paired with a Rotel 1080 amp/ Denon 2807 combo and love it.

The speaker you are thinking about will be LEAGUES ahead of your panasonic home theater speakers once you get them properly set up.

Z

cfrizz

Amp choices are many. Favorites around here are: Parasound, Rotel, Outlaw, Emotiva, B & K, Adcom, Nad.

Plan on getting 200wpc @ 8ohm minimum.

You will get more bang for your buck buying used on Audiogon.

BlueFox

bdtae5656 wrote: »

Do you like your LSI15's as rears???

Yes. Prior to upgrading to LSi15 I was using LSi7s as the rear (surround in 5.1). While the 7s were fine, I had the upgrade urge. After replacing the 7s with the 15s I was amazed at the increase in sound, accuracy, etc. from movies. Since the only time I use my sub is when it is a hardcore action movie, most of the time my sub is off. Consequently, I almost immediately noticed an increase in bass during movies with the sub turned off. Increased bass, and better sound integration, clarity were the biggest changes I noticed after going from LSi7s to LSi15s. Plus, tower speakers look much better than speakers on stands to my eyes.

nooshinjohn

bdtae5656 wrote: »

So the 15 aren't being wasted using them as rears? The 25's are awesome.....I've heard alot of great things about the 15's as well

The nice thing about them is that I can swap things around a bit and bring them to the front depending on the music type or to simply change things up a bit. So no, it is not a waste to run them as surrounds as it just increases my flexibility:)

bdtae5656

Wow...That sounds very tempting! I might just have to do the same

Jetmaker737

I love my LSi15's. They are powered by an Emotiva RPA-2 with an Onkyo 805 as Pre. I auditioned B&W 683's and Paradigm Studio 100's and like these just as much... and since I got them at Polk Direct on eBay the price was stellar.

Braddles

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I have been a fan of the older SDA series speakers for a very long time and have recently
(today) picked up a pair of LSi15's for use in my 7.1 setup I was planiing on running them in surround duty but plan on listening to them in two channel mode for a few days and compare them to my 1c's... so far I like them a lot and would not hesitate to recommend them.

How would you compare the two? i.e. strenghs/weekness

nooshinjohn

Braddles wrote: »

How would you compare the two? i.e. strenghs/weekness

Give me a week with them and I will get back to you...