Polk LSI7 or LSI9 or something in the sub 1k bookshelf category

[Guest135]

Greets.

To keep this part short, i am pretty thrilled with my Polk RTi a3 speakers.

I am looking to maybe step up the game and considering LSi7 and LSi9 among some other speakers but I am wondering if I have enough power to make either sing. Whichever I get are going to be replacing the Pioneer HPM 100's as my primary duty speaker pair. I already have a sub that works quite nicely for the room which is a Polk DSW Micropro2000. I am looking for some more brutal musical-ness that the RTi A3s made me realize in an obvious way that the HPM 100's don't have (still the best hearing-damage-level LOUD speaker I have heard, just my opinion )

I would like opinions from people who have spent some time with either or both lsi7 and lsi9. They'll be powered by a Yamaha M-85 which at 4 ohm is 330 watts fwiw. Any bookshelf speaker suggestion 1k and less USD would be appreciated and if you can point me to a shop to audition them in the western Washington area, all the better.

Not opposed to used but I distrust all shippers for speakers so being limited to local CL kind of ties the hands.

Thanks

 

[Bassmantweed]

Was hoping someone would chime in here as I am in the exact same boat.

 

[Bassmantweed]

Have had the lsi9's for a few days now and i must say I am Impressed.

Very power hungry
Dont do well in corners

But sound very very good

 

[Erik Tracy]

Greets.

To keep this part short, i am pretty thrilled with my Polk RTi a3 speakers.

I am looking to maybe step up the game and considering LSi7 and LSi9 among some other speakers but I am wondering if I have enough power to make either sing. Whichever I get are going to be replacing the Pioneer HPM 100's as my primary duty speaker pair. I already have a sub that works quite nicely for the room which is a Polk DSW Micropro2000. I am looking for some more brutal musical-ness that the RTi A3s made me realize in an obvious way that the HPM 100's don't have (still the best hearing-damage-level LOUD speaker I have heard, just my opinion )

I would like opinions from people who have spent some time with either or both lsi7 and lsi9. They'll be powered by a Yamaha M-85 which at 4 ohm is 330 watts fwiw. Any bookshelf speaker suggestion 1k and less USD would be appreciated and if you can point me to a shop to audition them in the western Washington area, all the better.

Not opposed to used but I distrust all shippers for speakers so being limited to local CL kind of ties the hands.

Thanks

I owned both the RTiA3s and the LSi7s at the same time (got greedy/lucky on some ebay bids) and have my own opinions on these.

What is it about the RTiA3s that you don't like or are wondering on improving?

I did my own informal 'death match' in my rig - at the time it was my AVR as a preamp driving a modified Carver M1.0t amp and using my Cambridge Audio 640c V2 CDP as the source.

The RTiA3s held their own against the LSi7s for both HT and music, up to a point. They do great for clean source material for jazz and what I'll call 'spacious' rock (think Pink Floyd DSOTM) that has clean sonics and 'space' around the musical notes. The RTiA3s do very well at low to medium volumes and have what I call high end 'sparkle' (or detail, or what some call 'bright'). I like that for the music I listen to.

The RTiA3s don't do very well when the music is 'busy' and 'crunchy' - say like Megadeath (yes, I used that for my shootout) especially at higher volumes- the high end can get a bit fatiguing at high volumes and the sound will start to get congested and the sound stage will start to collapse at high volumes.

The LSi7s paint a denser soundstage - not as wide as the RTiA3s, but denser, richer. The top end is more 'laid back' - not as detailed as the RTiA3s. They require some power behind them to 'wake up' for music - I did not think they did as well as the RTiA3s at lower volumes, and sounded better when pushed to higher volumes. They retain their sonic cohesiveness at higher volumes.

I ended up keeping the RTiA3s - because - for me - my musical preferences and listening habits favored the easier to drive, better low/mid level volume listening, and 'sparkle' that I like for the music I like.

If you want a crankable speaker for music and listen to 'heavier' music - then the LSi7 may be better.

 

[Guest135]

I owned both the RTiA3s and the LSi7s at the same time (got greedy/lucky on some ebay bids) and have my own opinions on these.

What is it about the RTiA3s that you don't like or are wondering on improving?

I did my own informal 'death match' in my rig - at the time it was my AVR as a preamp driving a modified Carver M1.0t amp and using my Cambridge Audio 640c V2 CDP as the source.

The RTiA3s held their own against the LSi7s for both HT and music, up to a point. They do great for clean source material for jazz and what I'll call 'spacious' rock (think Pink Floyd DSOTM) that has clean sonics and 'space' around the musical notes. The RTiA3s do very well at low to medium volumes and have what I call high end 'sparkle' (or detail, or what some call 'bright'). I like that for the music I listen to.

The RTiA3s don't do very well when the music is 'busy' and 'crunchy' - say like Megadeath (yes, I used that for my shootout) especially at higher volumes- the high end can get a bit fatiguing at high volumes and the sound will start to get congested and the sound stage will start to collapse at high volumes.

The LSi7s paint a denser soundstage - not as wide as the RTiA3s, but denser, richer. The top end is more 'laid back' - not as detailed as the RTiA3s. They require some power behind them to 'wake up' for music - I did not think they did as well as the RTiA3s at lower volumes, and sounded better when pushed to higher volumes. They retain their sonic cohesiveness at higher volumes.

I ended up keeping the RTiA3s - because - for me - my musical preferences and listening habits favored the easier to drive, better low/mid level volume listening, and 'sparkle' that I like for the music I like.

If you want a crankable speaker for music and listen to 'heavier' music - then the LSi7 may be better.

What can I say, I own LSi9 and RTi A3 both now and am pretty much in sonic bliss