Polk LSi25 (1 Viewer)

[Michael Dils]

I auditioned the Polk LSi25 's recently. They sounded good but not as clear as the Sonus Faber speakers. Does anyone have a pair of these and what do you think about them?

I have a Yamaha RX-Z1 receiver/amplifier.

Michael D.

 

[Joey_V]

sonus faber are sooo good for music...only thing i dont really like is i feel they are too warm.

but man, midrange is most excellent and the soundstage is quite amazing on the fabers.

of course, i have the polk lsi7... and i can tell you, its all about the sweetness of the highs with these lsi speakers.

why do u prefer the 25s? the 15s should sound very similar, just add a sub.

 

[Alex F.]

Michael:

I've had a pair of the LSi25s since early 2002. As I've posted here previously, their generally warm, mid-hall sonic signature is very similar to offerings from Vandersteen, Vienna Acoustics, and Sonus-Faber. I'm very fond of the Sonus-Faber loudspeakers, with the exception of the Grand Piano Home, which my ears find too aggressive in the upper midrange and lower treble.

Out of curiosity, to which Sonus-Faber are you referring?

I personally prefer, overall, the sonics of the LSi25 to any Sonus-Faber in their Concert series. The Classic series, though, provides much tougher competition, but at a far higher price than the LSi25.

The LSi25 provides exceptionally clear reproduction when properly set up and used with appropriate equipment. Possibly your dealer did not correctly calibrate each LSi25's two bass controls (i.e., crossover frequency and output level). Proper adjustment of these controls permit fine tuning the LSi25 to the room in which they're located. On the other hand, improper settings can easily muddy the LSi25's sound, making them seem considerably less "clear."

As always, choose what best serves your listening preferences.

 

[Michael Dils]

Hi,

I'm thinking of the 25's because they have the sub built in already. What do you think?

Michael D.

 

[Alex F.]

It depends upon your bass requirements. On more than one occasion, my wife has complimented our Velodyne FSR18's deep, powerful bass during a movie, only to be told by me that the Velodyne isn't powered up. It was the LSi25's bass that impressed her. Using Stereophile's Test CD #1, our LSi25s deliver a clean 31.5 Hz, below which the bass rolls off very rapidly. For most music and DVDs, I turn off the Velodyne sub (it has a remote-controlled power switch) since there's usually not much activity in the 20-30 Hz region. But occasionally, especially for bombastic action movies, I do use the Velodyne.

If you do decide on purchasing the LSi25s and desire a separate subwoofer as well, make certain you purchase a high-performance sub. It should be capable of digging deeper into the bass (