Help me be patient!!

[Ace944gs]

So I finally got that job with the paycheck, but I still live in that apartment I hate.... :mad:

As I've posted in the past few weeks, I've upgraded to a HK 635, and that is sitting under my LCD TV, hooked up to (sorta crappy I must admit) Cambridge Soundworks Cube speakers from like 7 years ago. I knew this hobby was dangerous when I first started listening, but my budget has always kept me somewhat safe....Now (un)fortunatly, I can't stop thinking about LSi9s and a nice Adcom GFA 5500!!! (ebay = ~$200-250!...your thoughts on that?) Is this normal? I literally go to sleep thinking about how good that song I just heard COULD have sounded!

Should I wait??? I know I'll never regret buying the 9's, and from what I hear, the Adcom-HK-LSi match is great, but I worry about space considerations, and of course not even being able to enjoy everything in the apartment with annoying neighbors! Please help me, I'm way too impatient to allow myself to make sane decisions :D Maybe if enough people respond with a yes, I'll just have to admit the gods are telling me yes, and if I don't buy, they will send some more hurricanes my way (I live in FL btw...)

[audiobliss]

By all means strip yourself of whatever shreds of self-control you still manage to possess, and go ye immediately into the audio store to buy for your own enjoyment a pair of LSi9's! And forget ye not the supporting amplification!

Consider it that the gods hath spoken.

:D

[Zero]

How old are you, Ace?

When I was 20/21, the audio bug bit me pretty hard. I had and still have a strong passion for music, and one day out of nowhere, that passion led towards the desire of better reproduced sound of finished pieces that were not my own.

From that time, I have gone through more equipment than even the average audiophile goes through in a decade. The funny thing is, it all started on a simple premus; Get the LSi-9. I was entranced with this speaker, and felt it would be the ultimate and that I would never have a need or desire to get anything better or to experience anything different.

I was wrong.

The LSi's were just a launching point straight into the addiction stratosphere. A few years many thousands later, I am no happier than I was with my simple system. Sure, I've learned a lot, experienced a lot, but was it worth it? Well that depends on the day you ask me.

So what am I trying to say? I am assuming you are reasonably young. This means, you have time. You have time to enjoy toys. Most importantly, you should have time to go out and demo an enormous amount of hi-fi, especially in Florida. Do yourself a favor and experience as much as possible before laying down your hard earned cash.

Of course, if you retain the ability of strong self discipline and will bring in hoardes of free cash sometime soon - then by all means - splurge. But if not, than save your cash - get out of the situation you hate and wait a little longer.

Don't worry, your toys will be there when you are ready for them. Oh yeah, the new LSi's should be released sometime next year as well...

[Early B.]

Here's what you do -- find a way to support your habit by not relying on your paycheck, but by getting some sort of hustle on the side to generate some pocket change to feed your addiction. Best of both worlds.

BTW -- get those Lsi9's now and run them off your HK. Since you live in an apartment, you can't crank them up anyways, so the HK should be fine. Eventually, you may decide to get separate amplification, but that would be a luxury. For now, focus on building a strong foundation. This means that if you get the Lsi9's, you gotta get the LisC (or a single Lsi9) and possibly the LsiFX's if you're into surround sound. In other words, don't look at single purchases, but determine what you want in a total package and the amount of money you're willing to spend over time. This process kinda puts things into perspective. IMO, for HT I'd suggest the RTis series if financial constraints are a major limiting factor.

[Zero]

What Early B is beating around the bush to say is;

Whore yourself! hehe

[Early B.]

What Early B is beating around the bush to say is;

Whore yourself! heheSome of us will do anything for a new pair of speakers. I mean -- anything. :p

[wingnut4772]

I like the extra job/money idea. save a % and splurge the rest..enjoy!

[audiobliss]

I like the extra job/money idea. save a % and splurge the rest..enjoy!

Yeah, I think that's a good idea. How about, for a save/splurge ratio, let's say 0%/100%?

:p

[TroyD]

Before you go throwing money away...figure out what you want out of your rig. Go listen to other types of speakers, if nothing else for experience.

Have a plan, take care of the necessities first....etc etc

BDT

[Ace944gs]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....what to do, what to do....

Thanks for all the advice!!

To answer the age question- I'm 23, so yep, right around when the audio bug hit others too I guess...

Well what I think I can safely say, my impulsivity/budding addiction aside, is that it will be at least a few more months before a purchase is made. I like Early B's advice to skip out on the amp (for now), although I'm still conflicted about that- being that so many posts are out there sort of bashing the LSi's w/o amp idea. Guess I gotta go audition the difference myself!

I also appreciate the advice to take the time and listen to other speakers. I have to admit, being a polk fan from the start, and hearing the 9s first, I've sort of been taken by them. At the same time, I guess I don't know what else is truely out there (can you say that in a polk forum? ;) )

In all honesty, I am responsible enough (i think) to keep the buying of toys from getting in the way of the living of the rest of my life, and I've gotten to the point where I do think I'm going to make the jump. I don't know, I spend 75% of my time studying (phd student here...im actually a professional student at this point I think...) and would love to listen to some great music the other 25% of the time.

Zero- does anyone with any serious hobby think its worth it? I believe the journey- in your words what you learn and experience along the way- is what is most rewarding. If someone is into a 'hobby' to have the best possible equiptment to impress others, I imagine they often come up feeling empty when they realize how much $$ they spent. My view is that if you truely enjoy it- for the learning and experiences- money shouldn't matter (of course, keeping in mind to take care of your necessities and other stuff first...otherwise they call that an addiction, right?). And that yes, it IS worth it.

Thanks for the advice everyone, this is by far the most accomodating, friendly, fun forum I've ever been a part of!

[lanion]

Hey, Im 23 too and just got a job today. I'm in the same boat. However, I am actually pretty happy with my speakrs. I have LSis already and don't see any desire for anything better in the near future. I want a new amp because my reciever is low current. I can, however, envision myself spending more and more on successive bedroom systems, living room systems, etc.... that's the danger....

[Zero]

Ace,

Thanks for taking the time for giving the group a thoughtful response. The fella’s have given you great advice thus far.

While Polk Audio holds a special place in every registered members hearts, this group has no issue in recommending other speakers that may suit your needs or tastes better. Often it is encouraged for you to experience as much as possible before investing into your system – just so you can get an idea of what’s out there and to gain confidence in the direction you want to take. On the flip side of the coin; you already know and love the LSi-9 so the battle seems over half-way done as is!

Harman Kardon receivers can handle a speaker like the LSi-9. In fact, they are one of the few very affordable receivers that can do so reliably. As early stated; given your living conditions, you wont have a thing to worry about. You may find that in those conditions, a second amplifier may not even be necessary. So you could very well buy a pair of LSi-9’s and enjoy until your situation opens up for you to take it to that next level – that is if you find yourself wanting to do so.

To respond to your comments directed specifically towards me;

Education and experience offer great rewards, allotted to those who work hard and are patient. This of course, extends itself to any facet, be it hobby, career, whatever. Audio is unique in that there are no absolutes. You are right in that it is all about experiencing what you can and ultimately having fun with it. However, money is important for most folk whose pockets are not laced in gold because the price of experimentation in this hobby can become quite costly if one is not too careful in what they buy, and how.

And as you mentioned, there are those people who just have to own some brand-approved uber geek piece of equipment just for the sheer f*** all of saying they own it, and you do not. If a component does not have a certain brand logo slapped on a grill/faceplate/bezel, then its just not worth it. Hey, its still a hobby for them, only they unfortunately will never “get it” and their game is more of creating an illusion.

But I am rambling here without actually saying much of anything worthwhile or that you do not already know, so let me explain what typically happens to people in audio. You get a system. You love it, it kicks butt and takes names. But then you wonder, “hmm I would like tighter bass” or “more dynamics” or whatever the case may be. Eventually that curiosity (too many thoughts before sleep, heh) will get the best of them and its usually all down-hill from there.

I say all this not to scare you, but just to give you a heads up what to look out for so you can recognize these symptoms and ‘treat’ accordingly. Meanwhile, stick around for awhile - - and post it up!

[lomic]

I got into home audio when I was 23, I'm now 24! :p

I currently consider the room my rig is in to be the limiting factor of its development. That said, I have finally gotten to the point where I don't hear musical passages and tell myself "That didn't sound quite right". I started last year with a low-end Pioneer AVR a CSi3 and RTi6's. My oldest surviving purchase is the HSU STF-2, which has remained due to it's major bad-assness.

The only thing I think is worth upgrading at this point is the TV :) Costco is suppose to be selling a 42" 1080p LCD for $1699, online only, during the first week of March, so I hope to fix this last problem and be happy with my system for a few years.

[Taurus574]

You've came to the wrong place buddy.... you as a beginner addict should not have come to a place where addicts come to get their high. Take advice from me. I was just a beginner addict.... only had a couple questions and I thought that was it.... NOW... heh, ... sleepless nights of thinking of timbre matching, speaker placement, 75db pink noise, SPL settings, bi-amping, bi-wiring....... and the relentless hours on the internet searching for the cure. Be warn :eek:

As for advice.. I'd say get it... you can always build around what you have... are there going to be better speakers out there.. sure.. there always will be... damn there are speakers that are over $10k and i'm sure it'll blow away Polk, but that's not the point. And there will always be newer models out too. You can keep waiting and waiting and waiting but obviously your not going to be happy until you get it. That's how I am. Hey if it fits your budget, get it.