LSi9

by Tom, October 23, 2009

Strengths:

Overall value vs other so called audiophile grade speakers. Mezmorizing performers and physically beautiful as well.

Weaknesses:

Separate amp is a must.... Not sure that is a weakness, but it as close as I could come to one.

Review:

I bought these cherry finish LSi9's for musical listening in my 18X20 high ceiling den and mounted them on cherry finsh Sanus 24" stands. They are connected to an Emotiva UPA-2 185w amp, while using an Onkyo TX-SR806 as a preout. Media sources are a Wadia 170i digital idock and an Oppo disk player for my SACD's. No sub currently in use, just the LSi9's. I am very impressed to say the least. The speakers are the most realistic performers I have heard. Nothing shallow nor harsh in your face from these. They have a depth and accuracy that tends to engulf me and draw me in for a long stay. Even has a very, very respectable bass performance for bookshelf speakers. Every time I start to order a sub to go with these, I turn them on and change my mind. I close my eyes and could swear I am just about on row 5 at a live performance. I belive having separate amplification in an adequate amount is a must for these 4ohm power suckers. But if you feed them the power they crave, they will absolutely thrill you. The appearance is very attractive. The materials and workmanship are total perfection. This is what quality is all about.

by meir cohen---israel, August 28, 2006

Strengths:

rich and clear clean sound.very powerfull and worm,very tight and punchy bass,it sound like there is a subwoofer near by,fantastic live sound,it sound and looks like two time of the real price

Weaknesses:

Review:

one of the best speakers that i could find(sorry about my bad english),the amazimg fact is'that the polk lsi9 don't need a subwoofer, he has deep amazing bass of is owen.real nice wood and fantstic clear and clean sound that put a shame some expensive floorstnding speakers,iam mainly a stereo fan,but also i owen the polk rti6.now i now that polk is the way to go. an amazing look and sound!

by dennis gosier, April 25, 2010

Strengths:

Good imaging and sound quality throughout the audio spectrum. Very musical speakers. I never get tired of listening to them.

Weaknesses:

They need power and lots of it to realize their full potential. 100 to 200 watts per channel not enough. I bridge separate power amps to each speaker. Get 700-800 wpc. Makes a big difference in the power and dynamism of the sound. Should also get a decent subwoofer that can handle down to 20 cycles to get the lower bass fundamentals.

Review:

Incredible speakers! The sound texture, particularly string instruments, is very smooth and accurate.(I have an all LSi system: the LSiC for the center, LSi FX's for the surrounds, and LSi 7's for the rear surround.) These speakers are as good or better than any system I've ever heard during the 40+ years I've been a hi fi enthusiast

by Gary Bayly, May 26, 2008

Strengths:

Beautiful sound and build quality (Cherry). Well exceeded expectations for their size plus they are no slouch and have a great bass response (compared to the larger RTi10s I own as well).

Weaknesses:

No dealers in Sydney to listen to the products! (not a weakness of the speaker though)

Review:

I had been looking at updating my RTi10s to the LSi9s, as I wanted a more "musical" speaker. As a member of the Polk forums, I read the reviews, comments and opinions of fellow forum members to select which speaker to go for. I was tossing up with the LSi15 or the LSi9s, for which quite a majority of members preferred the 9s over the 15s, specifically for the crossovers. As I am in Sydney Australia, there are NO authorised Polk Dealers in Sydney, but quite a few interstate where I have purchased my RTi10s, PSW505 and the original SurroundBAR from. As with all my purchases of Polk products, they have been sight unseen and unheard. The LSi9s were no different. Understanding their power requirement, when I received them I hooked them up to a Rotel RB-991 2 channel amp (200 watts into 8 ohm and 300 into 4 ohm). These speakers are like night and day, musically compared to the RTi10s. For HT, the RTi10s are a fantastic speaker, but the tweeter on the LSi9 makes all the difference for music. Now for the rest of the LSi series - LSiC and LSi7 or LSifx to go....

by Randy, December 29, 2002

Strengths:

Transparent as anything under five grand. Mid bass and low end extention are great. Highs and vocals are accurate without being over pronouced.

Weaknesses:

Still tweaking but so far the center image is not as focused as I would like--hence the four star rating.

Review:

Ok, so you have all read about how hot these speakers are and what a value they are for what you get. I have been hard pressed to find any real definitive review on how they actually sound. My background is as follows. You may view my credibility based on this keeping in mind that sound, musical tastes, and 'how things should sound' are all subjective. I am a retired car stereo installer. I was MECP certified and also an IASCA sound competition judge when I was working as an installer. I lived, ate, and breathed car audio and related industries. I was never a 'bass head' (you know the type--that neighborhood kid that rattles your dishes off the shelves). I went to great expense to try and realistically create an accurate sound stage in a car (difficult to do). I doing so, I went out of my way to listen to Krell, Martin Logan, B&W 801's, and of course the Nautilus speaker system. Living in Montana at the time meant that I had to travel great distances out of state to find systems to reference and found great pleasure in doing so. Recently, I decided that it was time to upgrade the weakest point in my home system that I had been moving around from place to place. The system (which I believe to be important to mention) consists of a Rotel RCD-951 (CD player), Rotel RA-971 integrated amp, and a pair of B&W DM 305's. Transparent speaker wire and $150 Stinger high end car audio interconnect (car audio RCAs are great at shielding out noise). All of which was purchased with Student Aid when I was a college student. Not top of the line stuff but definitely good stuff and rated better than anything in its price range at the time. Well, as you can guess, the DM 305's were the weakest link in the system. I have had some money burning a hole in my pocket and since I own my own home now it seemed like a good time to invest in some speakers that really could bring out the best in what I had. After research on the web, I had narrowed it down to the B&W CMD 7NT's and the LSi 9s or the LSi15s. I went to the local dealers here in Boise where I live now and spent an hour in their listening rooms with my own personal reference CD library. I chose Norah Jones "Come Away with me," Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance," Rush's "Moving Pictures," (email me if you are interested in why I chose these. I listened to the CDM 7NT's first. They were pretty much what I expected, linear, smooth, accurate and by in large very transparent. They were a bit mellow and not really dull but somewhat lifeless in the mid to lower high frequencies. Classe amplification and a Krell CD player were used to drive them. The bass was tight, but not as present as I would have liked to have seen them. Bass extended low and deep. The center image was focused and narrow but seemed to shift a bit from time to time on tracks that I knew it should not. I finished up and drove down the road. THE LSi9's and LSi15's: I spent about 40 minutes with each pair. The retailer did not have a closed off listening room. My back was to a full room of appliances, bleed over from car audio rooms, and of course holiday shoppers. This made me have to focus harder to hear what I was looking for and what I hoped I did not hear in the selected tracks. The LSi15's did not sound right at all. In fact the bass sounded out of phase. The highs and mid bass/range were warm, snappy, lively and present in a way I had not heard since the last time I listened to a pair of B&W 801's. I was surprised that I was able to hear what I did despite the listening environment. I switched to the 9's. The bass immediately was lower on Rush's "Red Barchetta" that that of the 15s and the bass was much more present than the CDM 7NTs from B&W. The highs seemed to reach out SMOOTHLY and did a better job of presentation of the USC Marching Band on "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow" and "Tusk." The drums on Tusk were punchy but not boomy or bottom heavy. Norah Jones sounded as sweet as I have ever heard hear to date. Qualities of her voice were revealed that I have not noticed before. There is a grainy tone that I like but hereto was not present. Bass lines throughout "Tom Sawyer" were exceptionally well defined. Not being one to buy on impulse, I headed home and listened to the same tracks on my system that I have had for the past five years. At this point I was convinced that I needed to upgrade. I spent several days thinking of what I was hoping to accomplish by purchasing a new pair of speakers. I wanted the most transparent pair I could find for fewer than 2 large. The B&W's were nice, but the music just did not come alive like I had hoped (and expected) it would. I went back and listened to the LSi-9s again. I own a small townhouse that measures almost 21x21 feet square and the speakers and system lives in an area that is about half that size. I felt that LSi15 might be just a bit too much speaker for the room. I purchased the 9's and the Sanus 36" recommended stands and out the door I went. The retailer is a BIG BOX type store and I figured if I don't like them, I would return them and either get the 15's or revisit the CDM 7s. After simple assembly of the stands, I ran my speaker wires to the 9's and went through the CD library looking for music that had subtle nuances that could only be revealed by the best of audio equipment. I listened until my girlfriend finally dragged me out the door to get food after three hours. I am listening to these speakers at the time of writing this. Currently, Pink Floyd's "Echoes" is spinning. I am amazed at the definition of the bass guitars and the haunting sound of David Gilmore's voice. In closing I should say that I did right by getting the LSi9s for my listening environment and I wish that I could have heard the 15's in a closed room with something other than an Onkyo surround receiver, but I really don't think I am missing out at all. As a car stereo installer, I have been familiar with Polk Audio for years. To date, I still have yet to hear a 10 inch sub better than that of the DB10, but I never thought of the company as one known for 'Audiophile grade' home audio. Good work gang! I am almost afraid to see what they put out in a week or two at CES. In the mean time, I will continue to enjoy these well refined monitors. I hope that this sheds more light on what these speakers are capable of than descriptions like "Sweet," "smooth," or "awesome."

by Joey, November 22, 2004

Strengths:

Imaging is A+, Soundstage width is A/A+, Soundstage depth is A, Highs are A++, Midrange is A/A+, Bass extension/quality A+ for the size, Construction quality A+.

Weaknesses:

None at this price bracket or at a price bracket hundreds above its own. Of coures, there may be better bookshelves out there, but you are going to have to pay quite a bit more for it.

Review:

These have been my dream bookshelves ever since I heard them. However, I first bought a pair of Polk LSi7 (9's little brother) since I wasn't able to afford the LSi9s. The LSi7s are very good speakers. It has solid imaging, good soundstage depth, good lateral soundstage width, fluid highs, decent midrange, and extended quite low in terms of bass keeping in mind its size. BUT, where the LSi7 faltered, the LSi9s just moved right along! Here are my thoughts on how much of a better speaker the LSi9s are: 1. Although the two share the same tweeter, it is very apparent that the LSi9 has a much more controlled treble than does the LSi7. The LSi7 becomes a bit too forward and sibilant at high volumes. In contrast, the LSi9 keeps its composure and shows no sign of strain even at volumes higher than what I normally listen to. 2. The LSi9 improve upon the midrange of the LSi7. The 9 is more dynamic and sounds "live-lier" (for lack of a better term) than the 7s did. There is better separation (between instruments) and there seems to be a more open soundstage because of this. 3. Bass extension on the 9s are quite amazing for its size. I dont even turn the subwoofer on (SVS PC+ sub) for music listening since the speaker produces enough bass for my ears. I tested the speaker and it extends down with authority to about 43-44HZ and provides solid response down to 38-39HZ. 4. The contruction is top notch! The cabinet has been redone and the wood panelling has been improved quite dramatically from what the 7s that I have (perhaps the LSi7 I have are of an earlier version of the LSi series). The black piano finish is smoother, cleaner, and the cabinet no longer has the abrupt "edging" my LSi7s possess. I also noticed that the corners on the LSi9s are rounded whereas the corners on my LSi7s are, well, right-angle corners. 5. It is important to note, the LSi9s are free of the midbass peak that plagues the 7. All in all, I declare the LSi9s the hands down best bookshelf speaker I have ever heard (within this reasonable price range). I have heard the following: Axiom M22ti, Sonus Faber Concertino, Polk LSi7, Polk RTi6, Polk RTi4, Polk Monitor 40, Paradigm Sig 2, Paradigm Reference 20, BW 805, and probably a few others that I forgot to mention. The Polk LSi9s are truly a marvel. The 9s are the what LSi7s try to be but strain to become. The LSi9s not only do everything the LSi7s do, but the 9s do it better. These speakers are going to anchor my system for years to come.... I think my upgraditis has been cured! My 4.1 Polkie Computer Speaker System: Polk LSi9 (mains) Polk LSi7 (rears) SVS 25-31 PC+ (subwoofer) Harman Kardon AVR-330 (receiver) Audigy 2ZS (soundcard) No regular computer speakers for me! =) NOTE: I also reviewed a pair of LSi7 on this same site, you can check it out if you want.

by Miguel, September 7, 2006

Strengths:

With the price, quality, sound, and looks, nothing can outperform these speakers. Don't even dare compare it to B&W or Paradigm as Polk is in a league of its own.

Weaknesses:

Tempted to buy either the LSi7 or another pair of LSi9's for surrounds.

Review:

My fascination with the lsi9's started when someone gave me a pair of used gigantic Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers. After graduating from college and earning enough money, I decided to graduate from these hand me down speakers and replace them with simply The best audiophile high end speakers. Money was not so much of an issue so I first tried the Paradigm Studio 100 and 40, then Harman Kardon CP35, B&W 801, and the list goes on and on. For some odd reason, all these other speakers could not match the realistic pure detail and clarity that my original POLK monitor speakers produced of which I just sold for a meager 50 bucks! I wanted to buy them back. Then I decided to check out Polk Audio's website. I realized that only Polk could match, if not outperform the Monitor 10 speakers that I miss by now. There it was, the LSi9. To make a long story short, I fell in love all over again with Polk Audio. It's like the way it sounds is just the way it looks, BEAUTIFUL. I bought a Sony DA500ES receiver to power them up. Consider Nad as well since they need a lot of power.

by John, February 17, 2007

Strengths:

Elegant, rich, transparent, clear layed back sound.....no in your face harshness. Unbelievable strong, punchy, musical base, great mids and highs.

Weaknesses:

You might need to upgrade your amp......but it's worth it.

Review:

I bought my LSi9's about a year ago after many years of using LS 50's as my mains. The first thing I noticed, beyond their incredible looks, was how clear they sounded......I heard things I hadn't heard before, distinct and crisp separation of instruments and very clear, natural vocals. In addition, they had a very strong, musical and punchy base. I was driving them with a 75 watt per channel Yamaha.....a little weak, but still substantially improved over the LS 50's. These speakers perform best with a strong amp......so I upgraded to a 3 channel 225 wpc Anthem and kept my Yamaha as a pre-pro. That really opened them up and brought them to life. Such a full, clear sound coming from shelf speakers.....like having a V8 in a VW. Close your eyes and you would swear they were towers. For home theater I have them blended with a Polk 400CSi center and Monitor Radius 180 surrounds. The 400 is such a good center and a close enough timber match that I elected not to replace it. The Monitor 180's make excellent surounds......stand them on their ends and they take up very little space and compliment the LSi9's nicely. I don't use a sub because I live in a townhouse and don't want to bug my neighbors.....but the 9's have such a great base, I really don't miss the sub. These speakers are a great value....hard to imagine anything better at this price.

by Kendro_Sorval, June 21, 2007

Strengths:

Beautiful speaker with a nice sound. Perfect for living room as the wifey doesn't object to their presence.

Weaknesses:

Imaging not fantastic like by Dahlquist DQ-10's, thus they are religated to home theatre apps. Had to build custom oak shelves for them.

Review:

Set up for my surround system: LSi9's front and center channels, LSi7's rear channels, Velodyne SPL-1200R subwoofer. At first I was running all Polks through a 5 channel 100W/ch Sony surround receiver because I lacked a dedicated processor. Sound was definatly muddled. Bought and OUTLAW surround processor and added three ADCOM amps to handle the Polks. What a differance!!! They love the power. For home theatre applications they are wonderful.

by Ralph C. Bill, February 1, 2003

Strengths:

The imaging and separation are phenominal. The LSi9's put the Performer and you in the same room.

Weaknesses:

NONE

Review:

You have a great salesman, Ed Bashur (owner,"The Stereo Outlet",Washington,PA.). He has asked me to listen to the LSi9's since summer. I took him up on his offer. I auditioned and A/B'd them in his showroom for 2 hours. The LSi9's sound fantastic. I did not buy them at the time of audition,however, in December '02, I did. Ed installed and tuned them to my Integra7.2 Receiver. I am currently upgrading my Velodyne system to an all Polk system. I am glad that Ed recommended the LSi9.(The LSiC and LSi7's are next). Hopefully you have another promotion (subwoofer). I have been buying all of my stereo equipment from Ed since 1979 and he has never sold me anything that he wouldn't own in his stereo set-up. Ear fatigue is not a problem. I listen to them for hours and am amazed at how good they sound. The LSi9's are smooth and exhibit great bass response,when listening to my Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CDP, I don't use a subwoofer. Let me say this, "Don't take my opinion for these speakers. Go out now and listen to the LSi9's, buy them, and enjoy them. My Thanks to Polk Audio for making the LSi9's and to Ed Bashur-The Stereo Outlet, for the recommendation, sales, installation, and being a great friend,whose opinion I will always value.

by Terry Britton, March 11, 2005

Strengths:

All of them. Silkiest highs and mids you could want; and surprisingly deep bass. An excellent sounding speaker!

Weaknesses:

HUH???????

Review:

Just gotta share this: I've owned a pair of LSi9's for about three months now, powered by a Yamaha RX-V750 at 100 watts/channel. I am continuously amazed by them - they are unbelievable! But, had to try out the 'subwoofer experience,' so I set up two 15" woofer cabinets delivering 250 watts apiece from a Crest FA-800 amp, with both woofers delivering the split mono source from the sub-preamp output jack. I tried some new recordings (to me, anyway) to run this through its paces - the two CD set, "The Organ Works of Cesar Franck" being the first test. The super low 'monster pipes' on that organ literally rattled the walls of my apartment from the low pedal-bass notes, resonating in my chest just like happens when you are actually there! (I had to hit my smoke alarm to stop it from rattling!) Awesome! Then King Crimson's live effort, "The Great Deceiver", and the kick drum was punching me in the gut! I followed that with a fine recording of Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony. In the middle of that ectasy, I got up to get a drink, and passed close to one of the big cabinets. It wasn't making any sound. I felt it for vibrations, stuck my ear in front of it. Nothing was coming out. Then the understanding suddenly came to me - the Yamaha amp was still set with the front speakers set to "Large." No signal is sent out to the subwoofer with that setting (you have to set them to "small" for 2-channel stereo sources to feed the subs) and I'd forgotten to change the setting, so this incredible realization hit me like the kiss at the end of a wet fist: ALL THAT BASS WAS COMING OUT OF THE LSi9's ALONE!!!! I am still floored! (If you had experienced the chest-shaking pedal notes coming from that great organ like I had, you'd be pretty shocked to find it all came from 'mere' bookshelf speakers yourself!) These LSi9's are the bargain of the century!!!!!! Terry

by Steve, September 22, 2006

Strengths:

Absolutely beautiful in appearance and flawless in construction. Very musical, particularly in the reproduction of massed strings. Exceptional bass response for a bookshelf (I only use my sub about 50 percent of the time).

Weaknesses:

Power-hungry at 4 ohms. Might sound a bit veiled to anyone used to bright, mid-fi-style speakers. Heavy ... choose stands carefully! And make sure stands are tall enough so that the tweeters (located in the middle of the other two drivers)is at ear level.

Review:

I've lived with the 9's for a few months now, and thought it was finally time to quickly jot down some thoughts. A longtime mid-fi guy, I had gone through any number of speakers, including several sets of Polk what-nots. The 9's were my first glimmer of the high end. My listening tastes have changed as I've gotten older, and I found that most classical music didn't sound right on other speakers -- often shrill and far too "in your face." I wanted refinement, a more "polite" sound, if you will, and that is what the LSi 9's deliver. These aren't party speakers, no way. Anyone used to the "sizzle and boom" of a lot of speakers will find the 9's a bit on the dull side. Sure, they'll play rock, but for a more delicate kind of music, they are quite astonishing, particularly in reproducing strings. But don't get me wrong: soaring orchestral passages, kettle drums and the like are equally convincing. Both in appearance and sound, these are splendid little works of art.

by Gary Clark, March 12, 2007

Strengths:

Handle anything that I throw at them. beautiful cherry cabinets.

Weaknesses:

no weaknesses. I would recommend them to ANYONE. You don't need to spend several thousand dollars to get an awsome sound.

Review:

I kept thinking I needed a BIG pair of front speakers. I used to listen to DCM TimeFrame 1000's. I like my Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode loud! The LSI 9's are ALL I need. Great sound and all the 'thump' you could ask for in a floor speaker. Oops, it's a bookshelf ! I wired them for 'bi amp' and I run them at 4 ohms. Sweet! I listen to a lot of John Coltrane and Miles Davis as well.. Not even a question! The LSI9's are all you need. (yes, I have a large living room.)I power them with a Sony STR-D1000 amp. I also source a lot of my music from my PC through the Roku Soundbridge. The sound is almost as good as sourcing from a CD player.

by sun kang, September 8, 2009

Strengths:

sound,small and beautiful and price

Weaknesses:

If I say,price is so cheap.

Review:

Before audio consultant was living in my next door. He has system valued about $150,000.00,so called world famous ,mono amp,big speaker even unimaginable priced speaker cable etc.I have listened many hours for test cds such like from bass to high tone and every genre music. My audio and music experience is more 30 years. Also I worked in audio company before. And I've listened so many famous speakers. Anyway comapairing with my neighbors'speaker,I didn't find anything better than Polk Lsi9 except spacious sound but Lsi 9 'clarity is better than that. Of course some speakers has merit some sound quality. Now I am satisfying this model. My figuring price $3,000.00 is reasonable for the Lsi9 I think.

by MARK, November 4, 2002

Strengths:

Woofer,midrange,tweeter. Smooth,smooth,smooth.

Weaknesses:

Difficult to find for testing before purchase but Crutchfield has an excellent return policy that you won't need after you buy the LSi series and hear how incredible they are.

Review:

I've read all the reviews about the new LSi series and what amazed me was the LSi series was and is getting very good reviews from magazines and people who have purchased them. I've been into HT (Home Theater) since 1993 and it was time for me to upgrade. When I got into HT in 1993 I was in my 20's so I didn't really know what was great sound. I just knew Dolby Pro Logic was much better than the TV speakers. Well now I'm 35 and I know I want speakers that are very detailed, smooth, precise and upfront. Trust me on this...I am the proud owner of the new LSi9 and LSic speakers. I also have the PSW1200 as my sub and will be upgrading my surround speakers soon. Listen to me, the LSI series is incredible. I'm hearing music as it is supposed to be heard. Now I know what I've been missing. The detail is incredible. Be it music or movie the LSI's shine with detail. Very smooth in it's delivery. When they say the tweeter is used in speakers costing multi-thousands dollars...believe it. I could go on and on but I have to go listen to my Polk LSi's. Sorry.

by Greg, October 31, 2005

Strengths:

built nice and strong

Weaknesses:

Go figure crossed over mid at 200hz for what when the bottom woofer is in the same inclosure making the midrange flop around and move the same as the woofer.. That makes the vocals not clear and get destorted when you play them loud as deap base nots play and cause distortion from the midrange moving like crazy causing the voice to get a doppler effect. Now how could the mids in the lsi9 be so accurate when the woofer is in the same inclosure flopping the midrange all around? TWO THUMBS DOWN

Review:

Hi i bough these to replace my infinity KAPPA 6 speakers the first series in the kappa line. I am very disapointed with the lsi9 the imaging of these lsi9's is a joke with my Kappa 6 speakers i could close my eyes and pick out where the intraments where placed in the recordings with these you can't do this. the infinity kappa 6 put on a show it felt like you where right there at the live performance with these lsi9's it sounds like your listining to a old tape recording.. As with my Kappa 6 speaker you not only heard the music you also felt it..the base was so tight and acurate it felt like sombody slapping you in the chest .. Only thing i like on the lsi9 is the tweeter is the best of both worlds kind of like a dome and kind of like a ribbon .. the only thing i felt that's detailed in the LSI9 . where as in my kappa 6 all the drivers where acurate and detailed.. you can't even compare the lsi 9 to the infinity kappa 6 speakers i owned it would be down right embarresing! Maybe i am spoiled with my old infinity Kappa speakers .... they just don't make them like they used to Lsi new technolagy i don't think so.

by Jerry, September 5, 2007

Strengths:

Accurate soundstaging, smooth and forgiving with the right electronics.

Weaknesses:

All speakers have weaknesses, however, the LSi9's do not have any that are worth mentioning.

Review:

At well under $1000 street price, the LSi9's, and for that matter, the LSi7's are a bargain. Bass reproduction for a speaker of this size is above average. In fact, I would recommend the LSi9's in situations where a subwoofer is not physically practical. Properly placed, they supply an exceptional amount of low frequency information. Personnaly, I prefer them on 24" inch stands since I prefer a more dark sounding and forgiving output. Don't be fooled, however, they exhibit a nice wide soundstage that is both smooth and focused. Overall, I am very pleased how the LSi9's and the LSi7's are voiced. Also, they provide acceptable sound reproduction with less expensive electronics such as Onkyo and Yamaha.

by Jason Roemer, October 7, 2007

Strengths:

Clear highs. Good power handling for speaker size.

Weaknesses:

Lacks clarity in certain sections of mid-range.

Review:

Before I get too far... I have only had these speakers for 28 hrs, so that will affect this review somewhat. I went up to American looking to audition a pair of RTi6's, but the rep told me they also had these, so I immediately went to these. American wanted $808/pr. for these, but they didn't have any in stock yet so I got the displays for $700/pr. I was very pleased with their power handling capabilities. I had never heard a ring radiator, but was impressed by it's ability to accurately reproduce S's, C's, and T's. My system back home consists of a Marantz CC4300 changer optically hooked up to a SR5300 for processing and then to a PM7000 due to the 4 ohm power requirements. The rca's connecting the 5300 to the 7000 are currently the weak point in the setup and may also be part of the reason I am not able to give these a 5 star rating. Upon my first impression, I thought the low end of the vocals was a little too heavy. Male vocals sounded a little boomy and females sounded a little deeper than they should, as if they had a hormone problem (especially in movies). I did not seem to be impressed with the supposed "clarity" that everyone was proclaiming. I had achieved much better clarity in some of my previous speakers. This may be due to the speakers not fully being broken in yet. As of all the current statements, I did not have enough speaker cable to bi-wire these things. I had never done that and therefore had no clue how important it was or how big of a difference it could make. Out of curiosity, I stole the left channel wire and bi-wired the right channel. WOOOWWWWWW. What a difference. The speaker came alive. The already remarkable highs became even more amazingly clear and life-like. The boomy lows cleaned themselves up a bit and the females sounded like females again. Tomorrow I will go out and get some more matching Monster THX-certified cable to bi-wire the left channel and continue breaking them in. Overall, they are a pretty nice speaker. They lack certain amounts of clarity in mid-range that my Bose 901's have, but kill everything when it comes to clarity in the highs. Probably the best sounding bookshelf speaker I have heard. You're gonna need one heck of a shelf! Probably better on a stand.

by James Tang, June 21, 2002

Strengths:

Accuracy and price

Weaknesses:

None at now

Review:

Yesterday I went to Ovation Audio store in Indianapolis, IN (Castleton) to borrow my Thiel speaker back from repair service. In the mean time, I got a chance to visit the store for some new stuff, and the salesman introduced me the new Polk Audio Lsi-9s. After auditioning and comparing them with Paradigm Studio 40 (I have been a Paradigm fan for a while) side by side, WOW, I was surprised to know that they sound really good and like Paradigm in terms of tonal balance and efficiency although they were driven by a DENON 2802 receiver. Lsi-9 is accuracy and natural. Before, my image of Polk Audio is mass products for mid-fi or low-fi users, but the new Lsi-9 has totally changed my impression of Polk Audio to the best bargain in the Hi-Fi speakers as mentioned in The Absolute Sound (p 113, Issue 135, April/May 2002). In addition, I also auditioned Polk Audio LsiFX surround speakers. They are fantastic too. How amazing it is. I have been a music, Hi-Fi, and home theater fan for a while. I attend concerts and conduct choir regularly. My system includes Thiel speakers and Audio Research pre and power amps. I believer I know what the real music should sound. I always wonder why Canadian company, Paradigm, can make such good speakers in bargain prices but US company cannot. Now Polk Audio did it. It is so exciting. I know, I know the Lsi-9 can not compete my Thiels but they are in different price ranges. Since I was in a hurry to go home yesterday, I did not borrow a pair of Lsi-9 to home for serious listening. I plan to do it soon. As soon as I have more experience, I will share you. So far, Lsi-9 has impressed me a lot. If you are in the market of looking for speakers for music or HT, you must have the Polk Audio LSi series a trial before making your decision. They are 5 star all around speakers. However, speaker selection is very subjective. You have to listen to them, and make your own decision. Also, if you are living around Indianapolis, IN, Ovation is an excellent store for AV stuff. Highly recommended. Regards, James Tang, Ph.D., P.E.

by James H., February 1, 2003

Strengths:

Precise, transparent, decent image. Will expose excellent recordings and make listening very enjoyable. Good for medium to small rooms where large floor standing speakers pound your ears to pulp.

Weaknesses:

Will expose some poor recordings and make listening difficult.

Review:

I purchased Polk's Rti38's to replace my 21 year old Yamaha NS1000M's. The 38's were OK and smooth, but I missed the detail of the Yamahas. I first heard the LSi9 speakers at Crutchfields, returned the 38's and went directly back to Crutchfields for the LSi9's. I'm glad I did. I've heard things in both music CD's and movie soundtracks that I didn't hear before. The LSi9's are at least as precise as the Yamahas, maybe better. And they are easier to listen to. The Yamahas were way too large for my surround sound arrangement, and for my living room, but the LSi9's seen to fit just right. I appreciate the precision and balance when playing CD's (in stereo). I can hear everything that's there, whether it's soft or loud. I did have a problem with imaging in the beginning. I fixed this by cutting equal length speaker wires for both speakers (even though one is parked next to the amp and the other is 16 ft away). While at it, I also bi-wired. The double wire was difficult to get into the amp, but with care and insistence, it worked. This made a noticeable difference in image and transparancy. I recommend it. I also recommend the LSi9's. I do have one more problem... the center channel I purchased to match the RTi38's does not match the LSi9's. It's passable, but not the best. Wonder where I can get the LSiC for a pittance?

by Ed S., February 10, 2003

Strengths:

Sound, looks, sound, price, sound!

Weaknesses:

The speakers are time consuming in that I feel the urge to listen to Cd's that I haven't played in years. Its as if I'm hearing the music for the first time.

Review:

Recently I purchased the Polk RTi70 tower speaker for a new room we'd added to our house. Suffice it is to say that I was impressed. So much so that I decided to replace my 10 years old JBL LX500 bookshelf speakers that I had upstairs with a Polk product. On the strength of varous reviews I bought the LSi9's. In this case the glowing reviews are right on the money. I've had them for a few weeks now and I am simply delighted. The highs are clear and the midrange has a room filling punchiness, which in my opinion is the hallmark of speakers costing far more. The bass is strong and true, although I do use a Polk 202 sub. The bottom line is that if your room dictates that you have bookshelf speakers, or even if it doesn't, you can't go wrong with these.

by Scott Kendrick, February 24, 2003

Strengths:

Imaging,transparency

Weaknesses:

You may hurt your back trying to lift speakers. I have heard no weaknesses.

Review:

I had worked in the home electronics industry several years ago. I have a very high standard for my personal A/V equipment. A recent audition of the LSI9's was a real eye opener. The imaging of these speakers is amazing for the price. I purchased the LSI center channel along with the LSI9's. The front R,L,C are all bi-amped off a Yamaha receiver and a multi-channel Marantz THX Ultra amp. Music detail is awesome. You absolutely do not need a sub for music with the right amplification. Bass is solid as a rock with smooth midrange and highs. I have a M&K THX sub that will rattle your teeth on movies that I do not even use for music. Thanks Polk Audio for introducing such a great, musical speaker!

by Ian Smith, April 13, 2003

Strengths:

That tweeter... well you just have to hear it. The best sound I have heard from bookshelves (and most towers).

Weaknesses:

That 4 ohm thing is probably not great for my 6 ohm minimum reciever. I guess I will just have to get seperate amps then. Oh well, such is life.

Review:

By far the Best speakers you can get for your money. The only thing I could possibly be dissapointed in was the fact that I got the PSW350 thinking it would help fill out the sound, but that was the waste of money since the LSi9's can take care of all the bass they need. These Speakers have no trouble filling any range of sound that is required. I am set with speakers for a good long time. The best thing I have spent my money on in a long time.

by erwin lowe, May 2, 2003

Strengths:

surprising amount of bass, clarity and good build-quality

Weaknesses:

design may not appeal to everyone, sound could be a little more transparent

Review:

recently upgraded from the 7s and found the 9s to have more weight in the bass and also richer midrange. they sounded better balanced and could play louder too. there may be better speakers musically but for music and movies, i rate them among the finest at this price point for their versatility

by Aaron, November 13, 2003

Strengths:

They only have one strength... the sound.

Weaknesses:

The HOT neighbor of yours might need help setting her's up.

Review:

The first time I heard these was at a little, high end shop in CO Springs, CO. They were running off a 60 watt X 2 Conrad Johnson amp and Marantz CD player. There was a $1200 subwoofer sitting on the floor next to the equipment. After being submerged in an amazing sound field and having the hair on my nect stand up, the bass kicked in. Wow, powerful, detailed and REAL. I couldn't see the cone on the sub moving so to satisfy my curiosity, I walked over to feel it move. It wasn't... UNBELIEVABLE! The LSi9's were giving me everything I needed and then some. Buy a set of these and be amazed.

by Larry, March 13, 2004

Strengths:

Great clarity. Solid bass. Outstanding vocals.

Weaknesses:

Don't reach super deep with bass. This is barely a weakness in my opinion. My music tastes don't beg for truly deep bass.

Review:

I have been thoroughly impressed with the performance of these little speakers. They have tremendous clarity, fantastic mid-range, and very pleasing bass. The imaging is fantastic and with good recordings they really disappear. Initially I thought I would need a sub to go along with these speakers. The truth is, I don't fell like I'm missing much. These are being used in a 2-channel music-only setup. Very solid build and very good value.

by Jim M, Escondido CA, August 4, 2004

Strengths:

1. Bass response is surprisingly powerful and has a smooth, well rounded quality. 2. The clarity of the sound presentation is pristine and crisp.

Weaknesses:

1. The cabinet is too deep to properly place on a standard bookshelf - it sticks out quite a bit and really requires proper speaker stands.

Review:

I got the LSi9 speakers yesterday. I hooked them up and OH MY GOD THEY SOUND GREAT! The Polk website talks about “hearing new details from familiar recordings”, and they were right. I played several CDs and I can’t believe the details I never knew were there. As much as I loved my Bose speakers, those things sound downright muddy and muffled compared to the LSi9s. These Polks are way more efficient and I can now truly appreciate the nuances and power of my Sony ES receiver. I've upgraded to an all-Polk Audio home theater set-up can’t wait to hear how the entire arrrangement feels and sounds when I move into a new apartment next month.

by Gary, February 17, 2005

Strengths:

Base response negates the need for towers or a sub. Fit and finish is beautiful.

Weaknesses:

Im starting to like jazz, but only because the sound is so brilliant.

Review:

I went shopping for a set of new towers to replace my aging units. The salesman directed towards the LSi9's and I was, at first sceptical. I figured I needed another set of towers to fill my living room with the sound I was accustomed to - wrong. Amazing clarity and base response from such a small package.

by Kris, April 29, 2005

Strengths:

Great sound, and my god they look sweet in cherry.

Weaknesses:

Hard to find to test them out.

Review:

Had 3 pair of these for almost three months now, and they just keep getting better. Great mids and highs, so clean (voices and acoustics are fantastic), bass is surprisingly ample considering cabinet size. Just added an LSiC to complete 7.1. Fantastic for home theatre and redbook, great soundstage, but my favourite is my new discovery: dvd audio and sacd. Lifelike, these speakers come alive. Might have to get a power amp, they are power pigs...my HK635 can certainly handle them, but being half deaf from guitar amps, I could go for more volume. (though I would be listening alone since nobody else can stand the volume as it is.) Tough to find at a store to demo. I bought mine unheard, on the advice of buddies who work at an audio shop, and after spending what seemed like an eternity reading reviews. Glad I did, but I doubt many others would do that. Polk, get these speakers more exposure !

by Ferres, August 11, 2005

Strengths:

Beefy bass almost subwoofer levels with good cables. :D

Weaknesses:

power hungry!

Review:

Wired these first on a marantz sr6300 using xlo ultra12B for bi-wire. 'Was great with surprisingly powerful bass. When the store owner came by to deliver some extras he was floored when he heard the bass. The Lsi9's didn't sound like that at the store. I was playing Laura Fygi's 'Change' cd. Ultra12's tend to increase the bass and the lsi9 just loves it. :) Had to get power amps though. The Marantz could only handle stereo mode with these on.

by Gregg, December 6, 2005

Strengths:

Pure, beautiful sound. Tweeters are a thing of beauty. Cabinets are downright gorgeous.

Weaknesses:

Absolutely, unequivocably none.

Review:

What the last guy said......not. For the price you cannot, repeat cannot, find a cleaner sounding, more transparent bookshelf speaker. I've had these for about a year and a half, pushing them with a Denon 2803. Running a 5.1 system with LSIc center, PSW650 sub, and a pair of LC65i (just got those) for surrounds. Imaging: DVD-audio and SACD recordings fill out my 18x20 living room to the point that the music does not sound like it's coming from any of the speakers. Just a pure soundstage. Movie effects are downright freaky - the helicopter surround sounds in Apocalypse Now, I had to check to see that a chopper wasn't in the living room. The thing that stinks for Polk is that these suckers sound so great and are built so well, I may not be able to give them any business again for a long while.

by joseph, December 19, 2005

Strengths:

Excellent reproduction of highs and mids, voices and percussion are wonderful..

Weaknesses:

I don't really know enough to nitpick, nothing is perfect but for what you get they are a hell of a speaker...

Review:

I have owned several polk speakers, r-10, rti-25,55, and rti-10's and now the lsi 9's. The lsi's are the best of the lot, the tweeter is simply superior at producing it's range of sound as opposed to the tri-lam and the silks of the rti series. They image better the the rti's and have better bass than all but the rti 10 towers and they improve on those in the highs and midrange.. I am very pleased, I am about to receive a pair of lovan stands to put these babies on and I am jazzed ! I am a loyal polk customer and shall remain so, I am thoroughly impressed with the lsi series..

by Robert Ferreita, December 29, 2005

Strengths:

Awesome sound!

Weaknesses:

Absolutely NONE

Review:

I haved owned Advent, JBL, Infinity, NHT and Klipsh(Forte) and I can say, without a doubt that Polk LSi's are the best speakers that I have ever heard. The quality of sound is quite spectacular. I have never thought that a bookshelf speaker could sound this good! Extremely clean, well defined sound and superb dispersion. You've done and outstanding job Polk!!!!

by Sean, May 17, 2006

Strengths:

The whole of the design. Drivers are top end.

Weaknesses:

They may drive you to upgrade your source(s).

Review:

I have owned the LSi9's for about 3 months, and I am posting now as a direct result of being so pleased with my purchase. I don't have time to sing it's praises or try to illustrate it's value. I will say however, that these speakers have not disappointed my already high expectaions in any way whatsoever. Also, that I feel that I got such value with these that I will always consider Polk's top-line, my first choice. I still can be found with a twisted grin and the amps pushing hard. P.S. They are quite stunning to look at too.

by Paul Levin, May 26, 2006

Strengths:

Sound of course!! Followed closely by build quality.

Weaknesses:

They are too big to put on bookshelves, but soon forgotten.

Review:

I find it most confusing that there are only 21 reviews on one of the finest bookshelf speakers. I love these speakers and can hardly wait for the opportunity to sit down and listen to them. I do have them augmented by a great sub, but rarely use it for music. You notice upon close study that these speakers are extremely well made in every regard. It is a formidable piece of equipment with the most girth I have ever seen in a monitor of its type. The sound is another story. They a sweet, silky, punchy and powerful. They have pinpoint imaging and tremendous soundstaging. If you set them up properly they are transparent. I can only tell you to buy them and try them for two weeks, If you don't love them return them to the store. I am confident you will not do so.

by Tony, May 30, 2006

Strengths:

Wide Soundstage - Large Sweetspot - Appealing cabinet design, Very Well dampened, Believable Bass, Excellent Fit and Finish - Highly detailed yet musical, not analytical or anitseptic in their presentation.

Weaknesses:

If there ever was a speaker that would turn hoards of people into the high end audio, this is it!

Review:

When you consider this speaker does so much so right at its entry level price point, it would downright meanspirited to give the LSi9 anything less than five stars. I'm thinking the LSi9 will give many people uninitiated with high end audio, a true taste of what's possible. If you're a audiophile (Afraid to tell people what you spent on interconnects, etc.) and looking to build a second system that won't break the bank, seriously, check these out. Using these with vintage solid state pre and a 16 yr. old 375 wpc amp greased by an MF tube buffer between the two and thusly spending a lot of time with jammin the LSi9's. Believe it or not!

by Chris B, June 19, 2006

Strengths:

An unusually rare ability to beautifully portray the subtleties and detailed nuasances of music, while also offering incredible dynamic impact. A small speaker that plays much larger than its size.

Weaknesses:

I wish there were more finishes/colors available.

Review:

While I'm not an audiophile, I've owned many fine speakers over the years. The LSi9s are without doubt, some of the finest I've owned at anywhere near this price range. Not only is its soundstage and imaging incredible, its ability at nuance and detail is revealing for any speaker under $4k. I also have to take exception with anyone who thinks these speakers are "embarrassed" by any speaker anywhere near its class. If they aren't embarrassed by a $30K pair of Dynaudio, I have to question how a pair of Kappas would do this. While speakers are extrememly subjective, I also own a pair of Infinity Renaissance 90s...and while the 90s have a more solid low-end, the LSi9s have many of the same mid/upper-end attributes and refinements that I love about the 90s. Considering that one pair retailed for $3500, I'd say the Polks are a downright bargain.

by Denis, August 7, 2006

Strengths:

Beautifully styled. Well constucted. The deepest bass - without sounding muddy and very clean, natural midrange and highs (specially when bi-wired).

Weaknesses:

None that I can think of for the speakers. However, they are not easily found in Canada.

Review:

Got my pair of LSi9's a couple of weeks ago and continue to be astounded by the sound quality. This is my 6th pair of Polk speakers I've purchased in the past 20 years - and they just keep getting better! I bought these to replace a pair of SDA 2's and can't believe how closely they match the sound, but in a cabinet nearly 5 times less in volume. They are small is size only... not sound. Highly recommended. Keep up the excellent work guys!

by djreef, August 29, 2006

Strengths:

Build quality. Sound volume for size given good amplification. Lots of punch at higher volumes. Appearance - very attractive design Sound quality- very smooth, detailed presentation without edge, or graininess. They sound better without the grills as there is less coloration in the mid frequencies. That sweet Vifa ring tweeter. Hook up options (biampable).

Weaknesses:

Can sound kind of mushy/blurred in the midrange with some sources, esp when compared to the Lsi7's. The bass is strong, but not deep. For that you need an additional sub.

Review:

Impressive sound for the size. Quality build in cherry (the color I purchased). The speakers have a substantial weight despite their size, and feel very solid. I also own the Lsi7's, and had used them for the mains in my HT setup. They now reside in the rear as surrounds. In comparing the two, the 7's seem to deliver a little tighter presentation, a little more focus, esp with music. They seem to display a tighter image, with a little less congestion, esp in the center fill. Perhaps this is due to the smaller radiating pattern of the front plate - less diffraction/reflection, less diffusion, or perhaps it's a crossover issue. Since both speakers use the same high quality Vifa ring tweeter, high frequencies carry in a similar fashion - clean and clear. The ring tweeter is definitely one of the strong points of the Lsi line. Where the 9's excell over the 7's is in the bass reproduction, overall power handling capability, and musical volume. I currently have them biamped in an overkill format with 2 Carver TFM35x amplifiers. The 9's seem to soak up the power effortlessly, and to be quite honest, I've yet to overdrive them, even at quite high SPL's. I have to qualify that I do, now, have them attached to a separate powered subwoofer, so the low frequencies (below 100 Hz) are being shuttled to the LF driver on the sub. This certainly makes a difference where stress to the drivers at high volume is concerned. The 9's are for those who want a stand alone bookshelf, or simply need high quality mains for a HT setup. The bass is great, but I wouldn't go as far as to call it deep. I think for most it would be ample, and certainly good enough in small rooms. I wouldn't consider playing rap, metal or deep organ music on them without a separate powered sub. Perhaps then you would step up to the Lsi25's. For blending with a dedicated sub, I'd save a couple of hundred, and go with the 7's, or maybe use the $ saved to upgrade the sub to one that punches a little harder. I give a 4 stars because, while musical presentation is very good, it's not without flaws. If it were flawless or perfect, as unattainable as that is, then I'd give it 5 stars.

by Chris, September 21, 2006

Strengths:

Great hifi speakers, great price

Weaknesses:

none

Review:

I purchased the LSI 9 speakers for hifi use and the sound is great. great seperation and bass,mid and highs blend nicely. Nothing under a 1000.00$ sounds like the LSI and they compare to others costing 3 to 4 times more

by simphiwe, January 5, 2007

Strengths:

Jazz and instrumental music

Weaknesses:

Modern Rhythm and blues (R&B)in the bass region(bass can sound wobbly), can be fixed by using a power amp that can handle a 4ohm load.

Review:

These are very good speakers. They perform the best with jazz very detailed, live sounding, can give many similarly priced floorstanders a run for their money, unfortunately they suffer when you play mordern rhytm and blues(R&B) especially in the bass region so dont use the entry level reciever on these you will be dissapointed, trust me i know. The bass problem can be fixed by using a very good power amp in the 200wtts plus region but either than that these are most definatelly value for money.

by Eric Shook, February 21, 2007

Strengths:

Beautiful Tone. Heavy (Sign of Reliability) Complex music is now made simple.

Weaknesses:

Simple music for simple people may not work here.

Review:

Meooooww!!! Fabulous! I've made many mistakes in my life, mostly with electronics. This was not one of them.

by Todd Wetzel, May 1, 2007

Strengths:

Fit, finish, build quality, and really exceptional sound.

Weaknesses:

I really can't think of one.

Review:

I'll give these speakers a highest rating w/o reservation. Really excellent sound in a med sized room. The LSi9's replaced a pair of infinity speakers of similar size and there is just no compairson. I listened to these vs several others such as axiom and definitive tech (powermonitors) etc and I was having a case of "they all sound good, just different." In the end I had to choose these as best of the best. The efficiency of the LSi9's, as mentioned by some, is not a concern to me. But it was noticable side by side with other brands.

by nathan merritt, September 13, 2007

Strengths:

Outstanding bass responce,smooth detailed sound,and sound stage.The construction is superb,and the price is right.

Weaknesses:

Not much,but at high volumes the little driver has a hard time keeping up.I would like to see polk use 51/2" to 6" driver on the bottom.

Review:

I have had these polk lsi9 now for almost a year and I have really injoyed them.When I first brought them home I had them powerd by Yamaha rx-1500 reciever not knowing that these speaker were a 4omhs and my amp was not able to do it.The yamaha did run them but they were very dull.So I went out a few days later and purchaces a Anthem mca20.WOW!!they came to life, these speakers love the power.The anthem puts out 300w to two chanles at a 4omh load and the speakers love it.I recomend any body buying these speakers must have amplification to run them properly to get full advantage out of these speakers because they are power hungry.I highly recomend these speakers to be bi-wired, its worth it!The vifa xt25 ringradiator tweeter that polk decieded to go with was a fantastic choice.The xt25 is a very detialed and refind tweeter.The same xt25 is used in Krell's $10,000 Lat-2 bookshelf speakers.This shows that polk was serious in the design of these speaker. The lsi9 retail for about $1500 can. For this kind off money you can't beat them,you will have to spend 3 times the price to equal them.Polk you have done a outstanding job on the design of these high end bookshelfs .Iam looking forword to see what polk comes out with next.

by Lou C, October 20, 2008

Strengths:

soundstage, silky smooth highs that belies the relativly low cost

Weaknesses:

power hungry. can you power them with a reciever? yes (only if it is 4 ohm stable....see the reciever specs).......is that the way you want to go? no. the better quality amplification you get on these (and any LSi for that matter), the better. The best I have heard these sound to date was on a Carver m4.0t amp (500 watts/channel into 4 ohms) and they took every watt just fine

Review:

an excellent bookshelf at an excellent price. Even at full retail you get so much for the money. The quality and "size" of the sound these relativly little speakers put out still amaze, and I;ve owned them for years. it does everything good, but the highs from the Vifa tweeter is what really sets it apart in my eyes. I've used these in 2 channel audio applications with great results, but now use them as surrounds in an all LSi surround theater. they are great surrounds, bordering on overkill to a degree. I'm considering picking up some LSi7's or LSifx's just to use the 9's in 2 channel again, they're that good

by Heimdahl, January 8, 2009

Strengths:

colorless, FULL-range sound Beautiful cabinets

Weaknesses:

OK, they are a bit on the heavy side but worth every ounce...

Review:

Outstanding! The Lsi9's rival the sound of our SDA-2's. Unbelieveable low end for such a small speaker. Probably the best bookshelf speaker you can buy at ANY price.

by Sound Boy, November 29, 2009

Strengths:

They ALWAYS blow me away.

Weaknesses:

After 6 months, I want another pair soon.

Review:

These speakers "scared me," the first time I heard them. I heard things I never heard before. I definitely agree with needing a great amp. I have my LSi9s connected to a Bryston 3BST. It doesn't matter what the volume is, whether easy listening or cranked, the sound is ALWAYS CRYSTAL CLEAR!!!

by Gatorvrx, January 13, 2012

Strengths:

Appearance Sound Build Quality

Weaknesses:

Honestly for the price you can pick these up new for these days, no weaknesses to discuss.

Review:

For the money paid for these on sale, they are very good, no excellent bookshelf speakers. Are they perfect, No. Not sure how many speakers are "Perfect", but the detail and depth of music in my audio system is outstanding. Make sure you have enough power at 4 ohms to drive them. I have these hooked up to a pair of Outlaw M2200's at 300 wpc @ 4 ohm. These LSI9's seem to be as happy as a pig in .... Again excellent choice for the budding audiophiles seeking a well rounded, very listenable speaker to add to their collections. Are they the last name in bookshelves. No, but I truly think most people will be very pleased with the speakers. Just remember they like lots of power to sound their best.

by Juan Miguel Rodriguez, July 12, 2012

Strengths:

Sound Quality: Can be compared with speaker pairs costing 3-4 times more Sound Character: Warm/Bright - often mistaken for high end European marques Price/Performance: Insanely disproportionate to they buyer's favor. Its like having the performance of a Ferrari at the price of a Ford.

Weaknesses:

4 ohms: Really beefy power amp with ultra high current reserves is required if you want to play music at reference levels. Puny integrated amps and receivers need not apply. Compatibility: Sits well with cheap electronics, but do not expect expensive sound nor loud volume. If you want the LSi9s to outperform its peers and play loud, feed it properly. Invest in a good power amp (100W and above), Preamp and source. Quirks: The ring radiators are very directional. Toe Ins are required for nearfield listening at very-low to low playback volumes. Toe Ins become optional at moderate and reference (loud) volume levels.

Review:

I upgraded from the RTiA3s to the LSi9s. I mean UPGRADE. Bass was really deep, articulate and clean. Midrange is silky smooth. Treble isnt as bright as I was accustomed to the RTiA3s, but the graininess disappeared and all I hear is airy lightness. Imaging and sound staging is just HiDef holographic. If the holographic imaging and soundstaging of the RTiA3s is as good as as the black/white vision of princess Leah being projected by R2D2 in star wars in the 1980s, The LSi9's holographic scene is 21st century - in high definition color that you can literally touch. Orchestral and Opera performances seems to come out of nowhere, unbound by the LSi9s physical location, but with pinpoint accuracy that you can tell which row is which instrument in the orchestra. I paired it to a Harman Kardon HK3470 Stereo Receiver and while the HK was very much in control of the RTiA3s, I felt that it was inadequate with the LSi9s. Months later I finally waved the white flag and put the 10 year stereo receiver out to pasture. I replaced the HK3470 Stereo Receiver with a Rotel RA-06SE Integrated amp which made stereo performance stand out better at low / moderate volumes. Alas, I still end up tripping the protect feature of the amp because it's just rated at 70 watts whenever I play my music at my preferred volume - reference levels. My equipment supplier told me to try using a more beefier amp - So I tried the LSi9s with the Rotel RB-1582 with a 200W per channel rating at 8 ohms (320W at 4 ohms) Finally! I have achieved Audio Nirvana with the RB-1582s. In a nutshell, The LSi9s do not disappoint. Its way up there in the speaker performance level costing 3000-4000 US$ and may even rival speakers costing more, but that doesn't mean you can pair it with cheap equipment. The RB-1582 power amp is around 1500 US$ and the RA-06SE which I got for 700 US$ was reduced as a mere preamp. As they say, If you want your gears to sound the best, you have to invest in the best, and it will cost you - but just a little. =)

by Roman, November 4, 2012

Strengths:

-Incredible honesty -Tight mids and lows, especially for bookshelfs -A soundstage that engulfs you -Looks that KILL - I get compliments all day -Heavy so they're not going anywhere

Weaknesses:

-Slightly boomy mid-lows at times -I didn't buy these sooner

Review:

I bought these speakers even though I already had a pair of RTi6's and I was completely satisfied with them, but the deal was so good I budgeted out living off bread and water for a month to be able to afford these. Oh boy... I've had them for about a month now and let me say - I had no idea what I was missing. The highs are more laid-back and real than the brighter RTi6's I had, the mids and lows on these speakers sound tight and precise. I have a sub with a 58Hz crossover just to add some low rumbles, it does not need to be set any higher. Even by themselves the speakers take plenty of care of the lows. The soundstage on these speakers is incredible, they really open up and create a far stretching soundscape beyond the walls of the cabinets. Music sounds very honest, with laid back (in a good way) highs, tight mids and surprising lows you wouldn't expect from a bookshelf. If I had a single gripe it would be that the bottom mids sound a tiny bit boomy sometimes; this is however very rare and only happens with certain songs. As home theater speakers these things had my jaw floored the entire time. Life-like and real. Their silky qualities really come out in human voices, they sound oh so real. Great experience. Also, the SUPPORT FROM POLK AUDIO is bar-none amazing. A badge was missing on one of my speaker grilles and the other grille had a scratch on the badge, I bought the floor model so this wasn't a big deal. I thought I would call and ask for 2 new badges from Polk, hopefully they can send me them complimentary and I could stick them on no problem. NOPE! Polk insisted on shipping me 2 brand new grilles on the house! They said allow 7-10 days for shipping, they came 2 days later. Could not possibly be happier. Polk, you rock, don't stop doing what you do best and thanks for the great support, always a pleasure buying speakers from you.

SoundStage.com, April 2002

—Doug Schneider

"The LSi9 is capable of wallop on the bottom end that is very impressive."

"The midrange has oomph that is very impressive too. Vocals rocket out of this speaker, but without being too forward. There is fullness along with wonderful smoothness."

"The center image is amazingly solid, and voices have absolutely realistic size, as they should but often don't. The width and depth of stage that these speakers create are outstanding too."

"...the Polk speaker sounds more refined in the treble. It's smooth, clear, extended, and without a hint of grain or edge."

"They've hit the bull's-eye with the LSi9. Not only is it an exceedingly refined, first-class performer, it has specific sonic qualities that make it stand out in its price class."

"All this adds up to a level of performance that is ear-opening -- and at just a smidgen over $1000. I'm sure even big-speaker lovers are going to find a lot to like in this little gem."

[ Open Review ]

Fred Manteghian

Stereophile Guide to Home Theater
July/August 2003

"Sounding better than an inexpensive speaker has any right to, the Polk LSi9 is a pleasant find. Low to unnoticeable levels of compression, a sweetly extended treble, and a warm midrange (once you get above that minimum-volume threshold) make the LSi9 a natural for music or movies."

"The competition is tough in the $2000/pair category, but few buffalo roam where the LSi9 play. The Polk LSi9 is clearly a big winner."

[ Open Review ]

Area DVD.com (Germany)

"A perfect introduction for Polk Audio: The LSi9 amazes through exceptional power handling, excellent bass response and brilliant dynamic range values."

"Pros:
First class bass performance
Exceptional Dynamic Range with both Music and Films
Excellent accuracy and tightness
Very high technical quality and workmanship
Very fair price

Contras:
For the price, unquestionably exceptional quality and performace - no contras"

"...first class workmanship and attention to detail, no corner cutting, every detail is exact; for example the brilliant cabinet workmanship and finishing as well as the input terminals which establish a 'Reference' level."

"...the bass response and tightness is especially impressive; at the point where other speakers reach their limits, the LSi9 is able, effortlessly, to put out that 'last little bit'."

"...the Polk LSi9 is undoubtedly one of the best bookshelf loudspeaker systems known to us."

[ Open Review ]

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September 2005