Should I move up the LSi 25....

[Beta]

It's been a while since I originally posted here.

Once again, I am hoping to obtain opinions. It is understood that opinions on speaker sound are subjective. Let me preface by saying I still have a very elementary understanding of audio technological terminology. I consider myself an enthusiast of exquisite sounding music. I simply lack a desire to spend time learning about the technical details of sound reproduction. That is simply not of great interest to me.

I started my quest with an original post regarding my RT-2000i speakers. I wanted to find out how to make them sound better.

Since my initial post on this site, I have acquired a Parasound Halo A-21 two channel amp, Parasound Halo P-3 pre amp and a Cambridge Audio 840c CD unit. The former are all connected via balanced cables. I run an ipod through a Wadia 170 transport directly to the DAC in my 840c. I now get CD quality sound from my ipod (I am extremely happy with that Wadia contraption. It is simply awesome). The power that services my home fluctuates, so I acquired an adequate power conditional that provides a constant flow of power.

I am still using my pair of the RT 2000i speakers and a PSW 450 Sub. I must say, this system sounds incredibly good. Unfortunately, I have this overwhelming desire to acquire new speakers.

Here are my questions.

If I upgrade to the LSi 25, will I really notice that much sonic improvement over the RT 2000i? Should I consider the LSi 15? I do like "bright" speakers (to each his/her own) and have considered Klipsch. However, my speakers are placed right up against a wall and the Klipsch RF series all have rear firing ports. The Klipsch classic line (Cornwall III, Klipschorn etc.) are simply too large. My equipment is located in my living room.

My system will never be used for HT, that's not my thing. 2 channel music only.

I'd love to hear opinions on how the LSi would perform with my system. Again, the RT2000i sound incredible, but I get the sense they were designed for HT.

I'd really appreciate any thoughts on what I have articulated above. Also, does anyone know if, or when, Polk is going to release a new replacement for the LSi series?

Thank you!

[leroyjr1]

The LSI 25 is more of a music speaker and the RT 2000 does better for HT. If you like bright speakers the LSI series speakers may not be for you. I'd say before you dish out that kind of money see if you can get your ears on a pair. If you like bright also consider RTI a9's.

Where are you located?

[dorokusai]

Just stick with your RT2000i.

[danz1906]

Congrats on the new system-Go for the LSi25!

[dorourke07]

I don't think you will get a "bright sound", but with that kind of power you will get a sweet, smooth and loud sound.

[NewHTguy]

The LSI 25 is more of a music speaker and the RT 2000 does better for HT. If you like bright speakers the LSI series speakers may not be for you. I'd say before you dish out that kind of money see if you can get your ears on a pair. If you like bright also consider RTI a9's.

Where are you located?

+1. I moved from my Rti10s to Lsi25s for two reasons. First, the 10s were too bright for me. I was feeling listener's fatigue with the 10s but not with the 25s. Guess some people are more sensitive than others. Second, I realized that music is what really matters to me (HT is a distant second) and for 2-channel the Lsi25s are really nice.

[cokewithvanilla]

i get listeners fatigue quickly with my 25's :/

[TouchOfEvil]

If you like bright i'd look at the rtiA9's personally. The lsi series is not nearly as bright sounding as the rti series.

[Beta]

Absolutely. I do prefer a bright speaker. Quite honestly, the various references I have heard to the LSi being "laid back" has made me question their suitability to my ears.

The question then becomes, does the RTi A9 really sound that much better/different than the RT 2000i? I purchased my RT 2000i new and have been the sole owner. They are in absolutely pristine operating and physical condition.

If I can, within reason, imporve the sound of my system then I would like to try do so. However, I do not necessarily want to spent money and simply end up no better than where I already am.

Thank you for all your posts. Much appreciated!

[comfortablycurt]

I just recently got my ears on some LSi's for the first time. Just the LSi9's though...I haven't heard the 25's. The 9's are some excellent sounding speakers. I was blown away by them...to say the least. There's a good chance that some LSi9's will be my next speakers.

That being said, if you like a bright sounding speaker, the LSi's may not be for you. I found the LSi tweeters to be very smooth and detailed...and a bit laid back sounding overall. I definitely wouldn't call them bright though. There was actually a thread a while back asking how many people actually boosted their treble controls when using the LSi's. It turns out that quite a few people do.

I've never heard the RT2000i's, but I have heard most of the newer RTi/RTiA series speakers. They have a nice tight bass response and nice warm midrange, but the RTi tweeters are much brighter and more forward sounding than the LSi tweeters. I've found that the RTi's are a good speaker for listening to metal or heavier rock with lots of heavy distortion. I've also found them to work very well with classical music.

The RTi's don't really suit my tastes for 2 channel listening, but that's because I generally prefer a more laid back sounding tweeter. That's one of the things that really impressed me about the LSi's. I'd give the newer RTi's a look if you haven't already. The A5's with a sub(or two) would make a nice two channel rig. Of course, the A9's wouldn't be too bad either.;) No sub needed with the A9's either.

That being said, if you like a bright speaker, Klipsch will also definitely fit the bill.

[TouchOfEvil]

Absolutely. I do prefer a bright speaker. Quite honestly, the various references I have heard to the LSi being "laid back" has made me question their suitability to my ears.

The question then becomes, does the RTi A9 really sound that much better/different than the RT 2000i? I purchased my RT 2000i new and have been the sole owner. They are in absolutely pristine operating and physical condition.

If I can, within reason, imporve the sound of my system then I would like to try do so. However, I do not necessarily want to spent money and simply end up no better than where I already am.

Thank you for all your posts. Much appreciated!

Wish i could help with the comparing the 9's to your RT's but i have never heard a pair of RT's before. Maybe someone who ahs heard both can chime in.
What is it you feel is lacking about your RT's?

[Norm Apter]

Since my initial post on this site, I have acquired a Parasound Halo A-21 two channel amp, Parasound Halo P-3 pre amp and a Cambridge Audio 840c CD unit.

Well, I just wanted to add to what others have said, because I run a Parasound Halo A23 amp, P-3 preamp with Lsi9 speakers.


I also have a pair of Rtia3s on a bedroom 2 channel rig (paired with a Yamaha receiver and lower line Marantz CDP) and Rtia5 speakers as part of my HT setup.

If you have the A21 which is has significant more power than my A23 there is no doubt that you would get fantastic sound with the Lsi series speakers. But, as others have said, its definately not bright so as good as it sounds it most likely won't be to your liking (unless your tastes change over time). What kind of music do you listen to?

My wife likes to listen to club music/dance/pop stuff and for those the RtiA series are great (along with HT duties), but I much prefer the Lsi series for what I listen to which ranges from jazz to classic rock to progressive/college rock.

Is there a retail store where you could demo them? My Polk journey literally began at a Crutchfield store in Virginia, where I heard Lsis, Rti6s and Rtia3s back-to-back, giving me a very acute sense of where their respective strengths lay.

[cnh]

Congrats on that Parasound Halo set up....that's one sweet pre and amp there....it would really sound nice with LSis!

Yeah those Tweeters are laid back but you have the power to pump them....as for me I just don't understand why people 'like' bright sounding tweeters.....how many live performances have you ever heard that you would describe as BRIGHT! I can't think of any, myself.....a nice smooth, detailed mellow tweeter with good dispersion....and imaging....how can one go wrong..

On the other hand I would take Doro's advice 'seriously' he may be right for you. You may have everything you need already, although I have not heard your speakers they do compare favorably with almost all of the RTi series including the A9 flagship...so why spend the extra money there....the tri-lam tweeters were actually pretty good for the music you want to play....

So I may have to go with Doro's suggestion on this one...obviously he's heard all of the above speakers....

cnh

[Hawkeye]

Since you mentioned another speaker, Klipsch, you may consider looking at the Paradigm Studio 100 series speaker.

I also had the RT2000i in my system. I moved to the Paradigm because I could never get the 2000's to sound right to me. The 2000's are in my daughter's house and the Paradigms at a son's.

I considered the Studio to be a bright speaker. I eventually came to dislike that presentation but as you say if you prefer it, rock on! The Paradigm Signature Series is also bright in my opinion but with a smoother top end. And a wonderful mid bass which was very accurate.

Gordon

[Beta]

On the other hand I would take Doro's advice 'seriously' he may be right for you. You may have everything you need already, although I have not heard your speakers they do compare favorably with almost all of the RTi series including the A9 flagship...so why spend the extra money there....the tri-lam tweeters were actually pretty good for the music you want to play....

So I may have to go with Doro's suggestion on this one...obviously he's heard all of the above speakers....

DOROKSAI's comment was straight to the point. Made me immediately think he knows his stuff when it comes to Polks, past and present. Funny how sometimes fewer words can have the biggest impact.

I listen to everything except rap, hip hop, tiny pop, heavy metal and opera.

This journey started because I purchased a brand new pair of RT2000i's back in, give or take, the year 2000. I brought them home and hooked them up to my receiver (a mid 90's 2 channel Onkyo) and they sounded horrible. So I went out and purchased a Denon AVR 3801 hoping it would push them better. Unfortunately, they still sounded horrible. They always sounded underpowered to my ears.

So, last year I started building what I hoped would be a great sounding system. The last piece of the puzzle is the speakers. The issue I have now has become rather obvious. The upgrades I have made have really brought out the best in the RT2000i's.

As I listen to them, I keep think to myself, can it really get that much better? Hence, my posting again in this forum.

I am in Orange County (Southern California). Anyone know of a good shop in this area that carries a wide range of quality speakers one can audition?

I am guessing that, in the end, I am going to discover my system is now perfectly fine for me. I now understand the comments in posts I read when I first logged onto this forum about folks needing to contain their urges to continue to "upgrade".

Thanks again for all you comments. They helped put things in perspective for me.

[nikolas812]

If your as happy as you say are with the current setup. I would stick with 2000's....






Nik

[xcapri79]

i get listeners fatigue quickly with my 25's :/

I can listen to LSi25's all day long. I own a pair and just purchased a second pair. I guess we hear things differently. Maybe my amps bring out the best in those speakers.;)

At any rate, I highly recommend the Polk Audio LSi25 speakers!

[concealer404]

i get listeners fatigue quickly with my 25's :/


You've also got other problems. :p

Part of it is that you're using a dedicated HT processor that is known for being VERY bright and forward, as a 2-channel preamp. ;)

[dorokusai]

Beta - Sorry I didn't elaborate or anything. Those are one of the better series of loudspeakers from the semi-vintage Polk days. If they're making you happy, heck, look into doing something else. I know its hard to resist the upgrade bug all too well but have also seen many folks post comments on how they miss the RT2000i or RT3000i series after they sell them.

Post some pics of your rig and let us drool :)

[Beta]

Taken from a camera phone. Hopefully this photo attaches. 44672

[Ern Dog]

That speaker looks a bit claustrophobic with the furniture nestled in so close.

[BlueFox]

I run an ipod through a Wadia 170 transport directly to the DAC in my 840c. I now get CD quality sound from my ipod (I am extremely happy with that Wadia contraption. It is simply awesome).

That is the truth. I assume you are using lossless files on your iPod. The iPod/Wadia music server is probably the best thing I have ever bought from a music perspective. Upgrade the external power supply and digital cable to get an even bigger sonic improvement.

[Beta]

That speaker looks a bit claustrophobic with the furniture nestled in so close.

No doubt about it. I'm sure their placement negitively affects their performance. Unfortunately, I have constraints on where I can place them. They are in the living room and my wife has a say in that domain of the house.


That is the truth. I assume you are using lossless files on your iPod. The iPod/Wadia music server is probably the best thing I have ever bought from a music perspective. Upgrade the external power supply and digital cable to get an even bigger sonic improvement.

Bluefox,

I rip all my music from itunes in lossless. I would be gratful if you could eloborate on the second sentance in your post. The Wadia unit is my favorite component in my system. Might you be kind enough to recommend a a few high end digital cable brands? Also, you lost me on "upgrade the external power supply" I'd be appreciative, and interested, to learn more.

Thanks

[Hawkeye]

If your limited in speaker placement, I'd keep the speakers you have. Any improvement you may desire will be lost by the constraints you have. Buy more music!

Gordon

[BlueFox]

I rip all my music from itunes in lossless. I would be gratful if you could eloborate on the second sentance in your post. The Wadia unit is my favorite component in my system. Might you be kind enough to recommend a a few high end digital cable brands? Also, you lost me on "upgrade the external power supply" I'd be appreciative, and interested, to learn more.

There are a variety of cables you can buy and try. Every manufacturer will have a range of digital cables are various price points. This is the cable I purchased, and it made a very obvious improvement over the stock cable. The sound was wider, more open, clearer, detailed, precise, etc. A very obvious improvement.

http://www.mapleshaderecords.com/audioproducts/planardigitalzephyr.php - 1 meter

I have only seen one power supply upgrade, and it also made an improvement, although not as obvious as the cable. The bass sounded tighter, more pronounced, and the background is dead silent.

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/83276

The drawback to these upgrades is they turn a $379 product into a $1000 dollar product. :rolleyes:

[Beta]

Thank you BlueFox.

I am going to pursue both options. Much appreciated!