LSI15 with Sunfire

Fernando1

Hi,

All I am new to this forum! I was wondering if you guys can give me some advice....
I own the lsi15 and the rest of the lsi series speakers for ht. I presently have a yamaha rxv receiver which is 7 channel. I am trying to get better sound quality out of the lsi 15s and lsi center for both music and ht.
I am planning in buying a new receiver, debating on the hi end yamaha, denon and sunfire(TGR-3) which I am getting a good deal on ebay.
I am not interested in all the bell and whistles packed into a receiver or the new codecs for the blue ray movies. I am gappy with dolby digital, dolby digital ex, dts, dts neo, dts es.
Can you please advice which of the receivers will sound best with the speakers and give me better sound quality.

Thanking you in advance

Fernando

thuffman03

LSI speakers are 4ohm speakers. Very few AVR's will drive a 4 ohm load. The Sunfire will. It is rated at 200wpc into 8ohm and 400wpc into 4ohm.

If I was writing the check to buy the AVR for your system, which I am not, I would go with the Sunfire.

nooshinjohn

Welcome to CP Fernando.. there is a smoking deal on audigon right now as well.
This is the best price I have seen on one...

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?miscrcvr&1258297471&/Sunfire-TGR-3-Theater-Grand-Re

skrol

Welcome to Club Polk.

What ever receiver you get make sure that it has pre-amp outputs. Driving the LSi series properly is no easy task and you will likely be needing an external amp that can continuously drive a low impedance. The LSi series are rated 4 ohms, but as with most speakers, will dip lower than that rating at certain frequencies. Receivers typically do not drive low impedances very well or at least not continuously. There are a few that do.

Since you are looking at high end receivers, I would suspect that the Sunfire do well. Also, since you are not looking for bells and whistles why not consider a less expensive receiver (that has pre-outs) and a decent HT amp?

You have quite an investment in speakers; feed them well.

Stan

Fernando1

Thanks guys! As you guys are the experts when it comes to this and know the pseakers!
Can you please advice which will give better sounf quality between those 3 receivers?

Fernando1

I forgot to mention some thing at this time I am using a Sunfire TGA5200 which is only a 5channel amp and the rxv1500 as the pre/pro. So I was looking at the high end Yamaha, Denon and Sunfire(TGR-3) as pre/pro except for the surrounds which will powered by the new receiver.
Which of these receiver will give me a better sound quality being used as a pre/pro? Will the quality be any or a huge difference that what I get now from my Yamaha rxv1500

BlueFox

If you give up the Sunfire TGA5200 (400W x 5 at 4 ohm) for an AVR you are going backwards. Skip the 7 channel part for now. Maybe in 5-10 years there might be some 7 channel source material on the market.

I use a Sunfire TGA5400 to drive 4 LSi15 and a PSB Synchrony One Center. If you really want a good upgrade for movie sound, replace the LSiC with the PSB Synchrony One Center. That made a big difference for me. The CC is the most important speaker in a HT.

Fernando1

BlueFox,

I am not giving the Sunfire TGA5200! I was looking at using a higher end receiver as a pre/pro to get better sound quality as my yamaha rxv1500 is an old receiver.
So I was thinking of getting a higher end receiver from Yamaha, Denon or Sunfire(TGR3) to use as a pre/pro in order to improve the sound quality.
So I do not know which will be the best for sound quality )
Any one opinions?

thuffman03

Hate to say this but sound quailty is all between your ears. What sounds good to one person might not sound so good to another. I am sure all three sound fine but to say one is better than the other is hard to say without hooking each one up and doing some listening on your own.

As to powering your speakers, I would say the Sunfire will be able to deliver the power needed while the others most like won't without the help of an external amp.

I hope this helps!

Fernando1

Please need more feedback or opinions

Thanks

megasat16

I am Carver Fan but not of SunFire! I don't own any SunFire gears but a friend of mine has all SunFire Gears (TGP-4 or 5) and Newer SunFire Ribbon Speakers All Around. He also has Carver M200 Cube Amp and Carver AL-III speakers and Carver C-4000 Pre. We demoed everything side by side and we come up with a clear winner at the end of the day. It's not SunFire unfortunately! I am sorry SunFire Fans. Bob is not himself when he worked for SunFire!

If you truly want sounds quality, get a good Pre/Pro and a separate amp. SunFire Theater Amp can undoubtedly push the LSi15, the sound quality may not be as good as a separate Pre and amplifier combo.

Why don't you look into Pioneer SC-07 (as a pre/pro) and some other 5 channel amps (200wpc) as another option?

nooshinjohn

Fernando1 wrote: »

BlueFox,

I am not giving the Sunfire TGA5200! I was looking at using a higher end receiver as a pre/pro to get better sound quality as my yamaha rxv1500 is an old receiver.
So I was thinking of getting a higher end receiver from Yamaha, Denon or Sunfire(TGR3) to use as a pre/pro in order to improve the sound quality.
So I do not know which will be the best for sound quality )
Any one opinions?

forget about needing an amp if you already have a Sunfire. It should do just fine with the LSi's. I would replace your receiver with a TGP-5. You can get one for about the price of a mid-level AVR...

debussyj

Hi, I'm driving my LSi15 with a Marantz SR-9600 receiver. I'm limited on space, even though it's a huge 70 lb. piece. I'm very into 2-channel sound and I think it sounds pretty great, it's got Cirrus DACS, but I also have a Cambridge Audio Dacmagic connected, so I can enjoy the Wolfson DACS as well. I'm really enjoying this setup and at this point, I plan to add a Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD, to round out the system. I'm also very pleased with the HT performance, but again, I'm more into the 2-channel sound. Best of luck with your system!

Fernando1

Now I am running a TGA5200 amp(5 channel) and using a yamaha rxv 1500 as a pre/pro. The yamaha is a 7.1 system, there for I have the 7 seven speakers. I do not want to lose or give up my 7 channels. Since I do not want to give up my 7 speakers all I can do is upgrade to a better receiver that has 7 channels. Hense my questions!
1. Should I get a top of the line yamaha, denon or TGR3?
2. will this give me better sound quality than the set up that I currently have? This is mentioned at the beginning of this email.

Thanks

nooshinjohn

TGR-3 is overkill unless you plan on getting rid of the amp, as the amplification is the same as you already have in the TGA-5200... What I would do and have done, is replace my Yamaha with a Sunfire TGP-5 pre/pro and will be mating it with my Cinema Grand. I would consider doing this and getting either a Sunfire two channel or another two channel amp to drive your mains, and run the other 5 channels off of the TGA... Receivers have inherrent compromises that will affect the sound output, and with having the external amp already, there is no need for having a receiver. If your goal is to eliminate some components, I would go with the TGR-3 alone and get rid of the separate amp. This receiver is the only one of the bunch you have listed that can handle the LSi's IMHO. The Elite series Pioneers may be capable as well, but I have no experience with them and will not comment on their capabilities. But for the best sound and overall performance, the best way is with a separate pre/pro and separate amps.

cfrizz

Since you already have a killer amp with the Sunfire, why don't you skip the reciever & get a matching Sunfire prepro. This is the combo I have & it is the next logical step away from a receiver. You would be crazy to get rid of that amp! Go for a prepro.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?homeproc&1258169364&/Sunfire-TGP-5-Brand-New-Sealed

danz1906

cfrizz wrote: »

Since you already have a killer amp with the Sunfire, why don't you skip the reciever & get a matching Sunfire prepro. This is the combo I have & it is the next logical step away from a receiver. You would be crazy to get rid of that amp! Go for a prepro.

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?homeproc&1258169364&/Sunfire-TGP-5-Brand-New-Sealed

Very good advice-Welcome to the Club!

Fernando1

Ok simple question! Lets say I did not have an amp and just buying a receiver! Will the sunfire(TGR3) provide me with better sound quality than the yamaha(rxv1500) that I already have? Will it be a notice able difference?
As it is a higher end receiver I imagine it will have better components and decoders!

vijayl

If we consider you don't hav an amp, TGR3 shoud definitely sound better than rxv1500. (FYI - I don't hav any direct experience w/ any of these)

nooshinjohn

Fernando1 wrote: »

Ok simple question! Lets say I did not have an amp and just buying a receiver! Will the sunfire(TGR3) provide me with better sound quality than the yamaha(rxv1500) that I already have? Will it be a notice able difference?
As it is a higher end receiver I imagine it will have better components and decoders!

The Yamaha I believe has a great decoder, but the Sunfire is better in terms of power. That said, the Yammi also has way more decoding programs than you will ever use or need, and the Sunfire will have a warmer overall sound. The Sunfire wins.:)

Are you not at all interested in using a pre/pro and a two channel amp to round things out? This would be the best scenario as it provides major improvements in performance AND gives you far greater options down the road for upgrades.

cfrizz

You will be hard pressed to find anyone on here that will favor a receiver over separates Fernando. Separates will always trump a receiver. Now that said, the Sunfire receiver will trump the Yamaha

leroyjr1

Also look at the Pioneer Elite model receivers. The SC-07 is the best I've heard to date and it's under a grand.

TNRabbit

If you have a Sunfire amp already, I'd go with a Sunfire TG-IV or V pre-pro. IF you're hell bent on a reciever, I'd personally rather have the Sunfire Ultimate Receiver I or II than the TGR-3.

Fernando1

I will consider your suggestions on a pre/pro plus an additional amp for the other two speakers!
So you guys recommend the sunfire over those other two receivers!
To my last question! Will I see a big difference and improvement in the sound quality of my lsi if I replace my Yammi(rxv1500) with the Sunfire(TGR3)?
I am just wondering what the sound difference will be for music and ht.....

Thanks for all the info! Hope to get feed back from all of you!

P.S. Once I decide on what to do I will let you guys know what I ended up with

TNRabbit

I can't say you will see a "big difference & improvement in sound" one over the other because there are a lot of variables, the WORST being your listening space/room. That said, I prefer Sunfire over anything else I've heard at 3 times the price~

As I said before, I'd go with an older Sunfire Ultimate Receiver over the TGR3....personal preference.

skipf

I have a friend running an all LSi system with a Sunfire TGR3. He has LSi15's front, LSiC & LSiFX rear. He loves it.

Fernando1

So in your opnion the Sunfire TGR3 has better components than Yamaha and Denon?
BY components I mean better decoders, better two channels, etc...

nooshinjohn

yes....

Bernal

cfrizz....
"Since you already have a killer amp with the Sunfire, why don't you skip the reciever & get a matching Sunfire prepro. This is the combo I have & it is the next logical step away from a receiver. You would be crazy to get rid of that amp! Go for a prepro."

Very good advice.

---

01) DENON AVR-4308CI: Advanced 7.1 CH/5.1+2 CH/ 3.1+2+2 CH A/V Home Theater /MultiMedia Multi-Source/Zone Receiver with Networking and WiFi/170 watts x 7 channels:D
02) SUNFIRE Grand Signature - Bob Carver's:D
03) OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio
04) OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio / DENON DVD-2500BTCI: Blu-ray Disc™ DVD/CD Digital Player/Transport
05) HITACHI P55T501. 55" HD1080 Plasma HDTV
06) POLKAUDIO LSiC (Center speaker)
07) POLKAUDIO LSi15 LEFT (Front speaker)
08) POLKAUDIO LSi15 RIGHT (Front speaker)
09) POLKAUDIO LSif/x LEFT (Surround speaker)
10) POLKAUDIO LSif/x RIGHT (Surround speaker)
11) VELODYNE 12" OPTIMUN SERIES (High Output Digital EQ SubWoofer 2400W/1200WRMS):D

Bernal

Fernando1 wrote: »

So in your opnion the Sunfire TGR3 has better components than Yamaha and Denon?
BY components I mean better decoders, better two channels, etc...

DENON....4308CI / 4810 CI.... BETTER!!!!

---

01) DENON AVR-4308CI: Advanced 7.1 CH/5.1+2 CH/ 3.1+2+2 CH A/V Home Theater /MultiMedia Multi-Source/Zone Receiver with Networking and WiFi/170 watts x 7 channels:D
02) SUNFIRE Grand Signature - Bob Carver's:D
03) OPPO DV-980H 1080p Up-Converting Universal DVD Player with HDMI and 7.1CH Audio
04) OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player w/SACD & DVD-Audio / DENON DVD-2500BTCI: Blu-ray Disc™ DVD/CD Digital Player/Transport
05) HITACHI P55T501. 55" HD1080 Plasma HDTV
06) POLKAUDIO LSiC (Center speaker)
07) POLKAUDIO LSi15 LEFT (Front speaker)
08) POLKAUDIO LSi15 RIGHT (Front speaker)
09) POLKAUDIO LSif/x LEFT (Surround speaker)
10) POLKAUDIO LSif/x RIGHT (Surround speaker)
11) VELODYNE 12" OPTIMUN SERIES (High Output Digital EQ SubWoofer 2400W/1200WRMS):D

Fernando1

I have a stupid question please don't laugh....
I have read that the TGR3 has the same components in one box as the TGP5 and the TGA7200.
Wouldn't the sound be the same as those two separates or almost identical(maybe 95% identical)?