Polk LSi Speakers

[CRMA]

I have been looking at the LSi 15 and 25s online. The Polk Direct website has them for 500-900 for the pair. I have the Monitor 50s and I think they sound pretty good for me. Does the LSi line sound that much better? It talks about the clarity and attention to detail. I dont know where I can find a place to go hear them personally, so I will go by some owners personal experiences. With the built in 8 or 10 woofer, does it really add anything a decent sub wouldnt add? The monitors dont produce much LFE, but the psw450 takes over where they leave off. Any feedback or listening experience would be great!!

[cembros]

the lsi series are amazing speakers. I have a full set of them and they will be a huge improvment over the monitor series. I opted for the 15's over the 25's because i felt the powered sub was not needed. You will need ALOT of power to drive these speakers though, a seperate amp is recomended.

[cembros]

i see you have the onkyo 605, this weill DEFIENTLY not drive the lsi speakers and could very well do damage to both the speakers and receiver if atempted.

[CRMA]

I have the 606 and the 605 but they put out 100w per channel. What is the recommended wattage?

[JJ]

Yes, I must agree with Cembros. The 605 might not be enough for the LSi series. I miss Sound Advice, that's where I toyed with these for a bit - but they sure weren't that cheap back then. Also, a separate sub is always preferable over any sort of built-in subwoofer.

And ignore anything the manufacturer says about their own speakers, obviously they're going to make them sound like the pinnacle of audio technology,

Give these reviews from Polks own website a shot, they are usually honest:

-LSi15: http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/l...iews.php#lsi15

-LSi25: http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/l...iews.php#lsi25

It has nothing to do with recommended wattage for speakers. Receivers rarely put out their "rated wattage" when running all channels. Separate components would be the way to go. And not to mention they are 4 ohms, which I am sure your 605 can't do. Trying to hook the 605 to LSi's might just end tragically.

[cembros]

i wouldnt try to push it with anything under 130 watts per ch, and even then your still not getting the full potential out of them

[CRMA]

I found the LSi's here:
here

PHP Code:

http://cgi.ebay.com/LSi15-Cherry-L-R-Loudspeakers-pair_W0QQitemZ360145832960QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSpeakers_Subwoofers?hash=item360145832960&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A30 


[JJ]

Bottom line from both Cembros and I - don't do it. lol. Unless you're getting a new receiver. Because since the 605 lacks pre-outs, you also can't go the separate components way with keeping it. You're better off looking elsewhere for speakers than the LSi line at this point in time.

[cembros]

well i wouldnt say dont do it, i would just say get yourself more power if you do. They are amazing speakers.

[JJ]

Go for these, in your price range, instead:

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....-9-V-5-Rosenut

[solarrdadd]

the thing to remember is that the LSi series are 4 ohm speakers. low resistance, high power needs. it would take less power to drive the standard 8 ohm speakers, higher resistance lower power needs. the 8's are a light weight and can be lifted by most people (receivers) but, the 4's are rather heavy weights and should be lifted by really strong people (dedicated power amps) yes, you could use a receiver to drive the LSi's but, you risk overheating the unit and having it shut down on thermal protection because the sustained request for power causes too much heat and fatigue to the receiver. the amp, on the other hand is all muscle and (if sized properly) can lift that heavy speaker load all day (play at even loud volumes all day) without any problems. I would recommend that you get an amp at not less than 200wpc with all speakers being driven @ 4 ohms. you should be in good shape then. IMO