Thinking of getting Polk LSi25s

I'm thinking of replacing my Carver 5.2 speakers with a pair of Polk LSi25s. I can get the Polk's for about 50% off retail (used, but barely).

Anyone have experience with Polks? I have a pair of LSi7s in the front living room but I never play them loud, just computer sound and/or public radio.

Then I'd probably buy the Polk LSiC for center and use my existing Carver rears for the time being.

Thanks for the advice.

 

I wanted to hear the LSi15, but the only Michigan dealer is several hours from me, way in the upper peninsula. It would be closer for me to find a dealer in Ohio or even near Chicago, if I ever get the chance. I've read some user reviews on Polk's website, and IIRC, a few of them mentioned the speakers were not "bright"...then again, many listeners are accustomed to the hotter speakers out on the market today, and find a more balanced speaker to be dull. The LSi series has had good writeups in the audiophile press--Polk's site may link to some of the reviews.

If money were no object, I'd have a pair of LSi15 for the front, LSiC for the center, and LSi9 for rears. Only thing is, my budget couldn't even get me a pair of old used Polk Monitor 5 these days. The LSi25 has the powered woofer section--it would be a steal at half the list price IMHO. Have you had a chance to listen to these yet?

 

I haven't heard the 25s but I've heard the 9s with a sub at Frys last year. I think they sounded good, and I think the 25s look nice.

I like the subs built into the speakers. They only go to 30Hz but my setup before this one only went to 29Hz and I thought they were good.

I may go by Tweeter tonight and audition them. I'll audition them before I buy for sure.

Edit: I called tweeter and they have some on display with a Denon SACD player. I'm going to go a listening tonight.

Maybe they'll have the LSiC and LSiFXs.

 

You know I may just do this.

I listened to theLSi25 and the LSi15s and I think the 15s sound better.

I thought the 25s had a muddy kind of sound and I did adjust the sub levels down. Something about the 25s didn't sound as good the the 15s.

Do the 15s have a different cross over, or drivers or something?

I like music better on the 15s. Star Wars Pod Race scene benefited from a sub (I used a PSW12). Am I crazy?

This was in a listening room but the 25s were far apart(15 feet?) and very close to the corners of the room. The 25s were probably 12 feet apart and pretty close to the corners too.

Oh, Tweeter seemed to be a little lower on list than list and they may be having a sale on November 12th and 13th.

 

I wonder if it's the way they integrated the sub to the main speakers...or it could have just been a poorly setup demo too. For that much money, it should sound as good as the LSi15 at the very least, IMHO. One thing doesn't make sense with the 25s: why would I buy a speaker with a 150 watt powered sub in it when I may have a main amp that puts out 200 or 250 watts?

How was the top end on the 15s? I'm anxious to hear the ring radiator tweeter in these.

 

About the 25 sounding bad (I mean they sounded really muddy) vs the 15s:

I wish I could hear the 25s with the sub amp turned off but with the sub powered by the main channel inputs. Maybe it's just the amps in the sub woofers.

The high end sounded nice but i wish I could set it up like my listening room. I have a small room (it's the back bedroom of my 900 sq feet condo that is my media room) and the listening room at Tweeter was twice as big.

I auditioned the LSiC at the same time and I liked it a lot. The test I did was to turn of all other speakers and listen to their demo disc at loud volume. I hear Gladiator, U571 and the pod Race on just the center and I was impressed. It makes me realize how bad my current center is.

Interesting note: The salesman said I was the first customer in almost a year to request the demo using SACD Multichannel audio. He said people are barely aware MC music. This was at Tweeter in San Diego which carries speakers well outside of the consumer , best buy, range.

 

Bought em.

Tomorrow: listening

 

Keep us posted!

 

Initail impressions from last night: sounds pretty good and has decent bass.

Steely Dan - Gaucho SACD: Glamor profession sounds great. Bass is good.
L.L. Cool J - I Need Love : Not enough "thump"
Beatles - Baby your a rich man from Yellow Sub Songbook: Bass is pretty good but I think it needs a little more.
Beck - Sea Change: Sample some tracks and it sounds great.

So I ordered a Velodyne Velodyne SPL-1000 10 Inch sub from One Call http://www.onecall.com/ProductDetails.aspx?sHist=19-1$cherry,6-38&showAdvanced=true&id=21036

I'll do some critical listening next week.

 

Tom,

Congratulations on your purchase.

These have gotten good reviews in the high end press. They use a ring radiator tweeter right?

 

They look beautiful. I would consider them for my next speaker purchase.

I'm leaning towards Paradigm Studio 40's or 60's at this point.

After updateding my television and electronics, I really do need new and better speakers (I use small bookshelf Pinnacle's at this point mated to a Velodyne sub).

 

I changed my mind.

After listening to them for a few days I though something sounded wrong, esp. with the vocals. I returned them tonight and got the Paradigm Studio 100s and the Paradigm CC570..

I wish the Paradigms looked as good, but I'll know more after a few days of listening if I made the right choice.

These seems a little bright, but I need to listen more. I think the vocals and huitars on Fleetwood Mack's Rumors sounded better, And the Police Zenyetta Moondata (sp?) sounded dead-on good.

 

Interesting--was it the midrange? Wish I were closer--I'd have stopped by for a listen, with some of my Nat King Cole discs.

I'm interested to know how the highs sounded--those ring radiator tweeters cost a small mint even on their own.

 

Gary's got a point there--even when I've rebuilt woofers with new foam surrounds, I have noticed that they take awhile to break in.

 

update: this could have been my pre-amps fault. I am testing this theory tongith with my reference discs (my music that I know well) at the local stero shop.