Which receiver?

[Marcus21]

I just went to the electronic store and now im really thinkin about getting the whole Lsi series, once i get the money together, :) .
Well my question to you guys would be which receiver would be best to power those bad boys? I looked at a few onlin under 1k.
OnkyoTx-SR803
Denon AVR-3805
Sony STR-DA3100ES
Would any of these work or would i need an extra amplifier or just a better receiver?

Thanks alot.

[pjdami]

I just went to the electronic store and now im really thinkin about getting the whole Lsi series, once i get the money together, :) .
Well my question to you guys would be which receiver would be best to power those bad boys? I looked at a few onlin under 1k.
OnkyoTx-SR803
Denon AVR-3805
Sony STR-DA3100ES
Would any of these work or would i need an extra amplifier or just a better receiver?

Thanks alot.

Is this going to be a home theater application or two channel? It sounds like HT based on your post. The Lsi are 4 ohm speakers and require a lot of current. Do a search for Lsi+receiver as this has been discussed a lot of times over and over.

Here is a link to one discussion:

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25864&highlight=LSi+receiver

If I were you, do it right up front the first time; you've got tons of information here to make the right decision. If you have any questions after you've made up your mind post here again.

Good luck, happy shopping, and welcome to Club Polk. The Lsi are very nice speakers for the money but require the "red carpet" treatment to get their full potential.

[*Seby*-Polk-]

I listen LSi speakers with a Yamaha RX-V2500 and sounds great. For me, better than Onkyo and FAR better than Sony. Try it. Great for music and movies :)

[gregure]

While the LSi are superior speakers and will sound good even on lesser receivers, you are truly wasting your money on LSi if you're going to drive them with a sub-$1k receiver. That's like buying a BMW but only filling it with 87 Octane gas, and driving it only in 25 mph zones. Good rule of thumb-spend at least the same on your pre/pro/amp as you do on the speakers. That will give you the performance you deserve from speakers of that quality. Honestly, if you're not willing to pony up for a nicer receiver, or-even better-separates, than you ought to just buy the Rti speakers, as they won't reveal the lesser qualities of the lower-end amp as readily as the Lsi would. People just don't know how good it can be if they don't understand that a great amp is worth the extra money in the long run. Way better for music, and louder, crisper and more detailed for movies.

Case in point: When I first watched Return of the King on my system, I had an Onkyo 701 reciever. When the Witch King first revealed himself on his winged beast atop the dark city, and screeched that horrible cry, I was very disappointed. It just didn't have the same chilling feeling that I felt when I saw it in theaters. However, when I watched in again after I got my B&K, I had to turn it down as it was terribly shrill and chilling, just like in the theaters. That's just one example of how a better amp can bring more performance and more realism to the home theater experience.

[*Seby*-Polk-]

It's true. Agreed with you Gregure