Polk Flagship Line Speaker Sale - Hurry!

Making wood look like a different wood isn't new, it's been going on for centuries. The only thing that's changed are the methods for doing so.

 

No doubt, just look what any amateur can do with an ordinary can of stain from the hardware store.

Years ago, back in the early 80's, I had an older friend who lived in a 150-year old log cabin in Eastern Tennessee.

The cabin was incredible because, in addition to being authentically old, it was filled with real antiques that had been in his family for years.

He had been collecting Kentucky rifles for a good part of his life.

He explained to me, how people make fakes, so real, that you can't tell the difference.

He said, that went for any kind of antique.

Growing up in South Florida, were most everything is either new or not very old, I was never exposed to antiques and such. Everything was pretty much as it appeared to be.

Forgery is a big business, legal or otherwise.

I friend of mine was telling me about an outfit in SE Asia, who are forging Rolex watches and he mentioned another brand of watch.
He was saying, that it was not just the look and the feel. But, when Rolex watchmakers opened up the back and compared them to the real Rolex, the watchmakers only correctly identified the authentic Rolex, 10% of the time.

It is probably a good thing that the vintage audio equipment is not worth counterfeiting... yet.

 

Does anyone have an opinion on the sound quality of the 705 vs 707?

 

The 705 has the better balance.

 

Interesting... In what respect?

 

They are more evenly balanced from top to bottom.

 

Is it just that the 705 produces less bass?

 

The -3dB Hz is only a few less than the 707, so that's not it.

 

Hmm, interesting. I've been going back and forth between the two models. Haven't been able to find anywhere to listen to them locally, so it's tough.

 

I've heard all 3, if that helps you.

 

Interesting the comments on the "black/purple" phenomenon.

Every so often I've come across a number of everyday household items which appear opaque-black under normal lighting but in direct sunlight, many of these objects are actually translucent revealing an extremely deep ruby-red color. So I can easily imagine the black "Espresso" or "Expresso"(?) finish of the speakers having a purplish quality in direct sunlight.

 

Polk gives the RTi A9 a 18 Hz - 27 kHz "total response" rating;
30 Hz - 26 kHz +/- 3 dB
Recommended amplification: 50 - 500W.
Sensitivity 90dB

LsiM707 is given total response of 20 Hz - 40 kHz.

Crutchfield furnishes more detailed specs as follows: (Not provided by Polk for whatever reason)

• frequency response 38-30,000 Hz (-3dB)
• handles 20-300 watts
• sensitivity 88 dB

I was able to take advantage of a special offer from Polk's ebay store several years ago on a pair of A9 (cherry) for $1,000 delivered. Been extremely happy with them. They are used as the rears in my main system.

$2,000 for a pair of LSiM707 is an extraordinary value. I don't know how they do it while being manufactured in the US.

I agree with S & G's statement that just as it is, under a different [European] name, they would sell for several times the price. The same could probably be said of a number of other Polk models as well.

 

Aren't these manufactured in China?

 

I believe they are manufactured in China. F1nut seems to confirm this.

 

Evidently I was misinformed.

When did they stop being US manufactured?

 

Don't exactly know.

 

All this talk of the LSi series makes me want to save my pennies for them instead of the rti a9s. But I already have rti a3s and the smaller of the two Csi centers... which blends well with the a3s. I hoped to move the a3s to the rears but maintain the voicing by sticking with the rti series. In a previous thread, F1nut stated the a9s were the most musical of the rti series, and that gave me confidence.

If the time/sale was right, does anyone think that having two lsi floorstanders combined with the rti line for a surround setup would be a poor option? I really need to do this process piecemeal, as I don't have the money for big purchases and need to make my choices count.

I am impressed with my rti a3s, but I believe I have outgrown them as mains.

Thanks

 

For a surround set up keep what you have and add the A9s as Fronts get a CsiA6 the A9s will make you wish you had that as a center instead of the Csia4, move the A3s to the rear. I have a 7.2 consisting of A9's CsiA6 as the front stage A3's as Rears and A5's on the side dual subs for a decent 7.2 rig. Mostly used for movies but do listen to music mostly in the form of Blu ray concerts and SACD'S the A9s are pretty impressive.

If you can swing for those LSIMs then go for it but you would also want the matching Center to go with them that CSIa4 of yours won't be a good match with the Lsims you want.

 

Back around 1992 production was moved to Mexico and later to China.

 

You would want the front three to be from the same series. The surrounds don't matter that much.

 

The RTiA9's are awesome sounding speakers, they play loud and they play deep. The LSiM line have more refined drivers and do have a edge, sometimes, when it comes to 2-channel stereo. The A9's are a better, more dynamic sounding for HT and some types of music, were you prefer a slightly more forward, live sound. I caught them during one of their half price sales, a few years back.

I am in agreement, that the CSiA6 is far superior to the smaller CSi center channels. It is real nice sounding. I bought my LSiM's during a previous sale.

I went back to a later sale and picked up the LSiM706C center. It was too large to fit under the TV where I am keeping my CSiA6 (I believe that is the model, I'm not seeing it being currently listed). The center channel that I used with the RTiA9's works fine with the LSiM707's. If I didn't mention that it was not a matching center, you would never know that it wasn't.

Your A3's would be perfect as rears, with the A9's for mains. I use a pair of Klipsch towers, WF-35's for the rears, they sound fine.

As F1nut says, the surrounds and rears are not as important as the front mains, and even then, if the center timbre is close enough it is still highly workable.

Go for them, you will be very happy with them. As far as HT go, they are hard to beat!

As far as music goes, they are very musical.

 

What kind of edge do the 707s have? I'm curious since I'd be pretty much exclusively be using them for 2 channel stereo. I was under the impression they were very smooth and musical.

Thanks!

 

I don't think that the 707's have an edge to them, they are very smooth in their response, as far as sound goes.

The A9's have more of a live dynamic sound to them.

I find that one characteristic of Polk speakers, across their model line-up, is that none of them are harsh or have an edge to them.

All that I've heard sound fine with a decent SS amp. I don't bother using tubes on any of my Polk's.

They are very smooth and musical.

 

I just measured my new music room, it's about 15'x13'. Do you guys think that's a big enough room for the 707?

Thanks!

 

No, but the 705 would be perfect for that room.