Polk LSi 7/9 vs B&W DM601 S3 (1 Viewer)

[David CC]

I will be moving my HT to a built in bookcase soon. So need to replace front KEF C75 towers with bookcase speakers and add a subwoofer. The past week have listened to and liked two different systems:

1-Polk LSi 7(and the 9)/Polk LSiC center speaker/Velodyne SPL-1000 sub.

2-B&W DM601 S3/B&W LCR-60 center/B&W ASW-600 sub.

I am leaning toward the Polk system.

The family room is 16.5'X17.5' with one side open to kitchen. Rears are KEF 8" flush ceiling speakers.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

David

 

[Juan_R]

I like the B&W's but at the end it is you who is going to have to listen to them every day. The only thing I would change is the sub, I would go for an SVS sub.

 

[David CC]

Which SVS sub should I look at?

 

[Gil D]

David,

I wouldn't think the Polks are at the same level of performance as your Kefs and B&W 600 series.

 

[Thomas_A]

I dont know...the New Lsi series from polk...is not your fathers olds.... and is turning quite a few heads.. dismissing this bassed on the RT series..could be a mistake.....

 

[Troy LaMont]

David,
I've heard both sets of speakers that you mention and I'd really recommend trying to to an A/B to see what you prefer.
From my listening experiences with them, I'd say they both have great sound, excellent imaging with a much better bass response from the LSi9 (although the 7 is no slouch) in comparison to the B&W DM601 S3, but that point is moot if you don't plan on just using the speakers in direct mode without a sub. Very clean sound from both with the LSi sounding a bit more robust overall (IMO).
Both are power hungry and would require at least 150w+ to get the most from each, with 200w+ being ideal. The LSi speaker is a little harder to drive than the B&W (4 ohms @ 88 dBs). The Polk's can also be driven a little harder (200w handling vs. 100w).
When I heard the B&Ws, they were bi-amped with a two-channel Rotel amp (not sure of model) and a Arcam Alpha integrated amp in an acoustically conditioned room. The LSis were only bi-wired with a B&K amp. The room wasn't treated but is was a high-end showroom dedicated to the LSis.
Both sets of speakers have great build quality and finish (if that's of any consequence). Since you threw the LSi9s in the mix, I'd also recommend the B&W DM602 S3s as well.
A set of the LSi speakers were just reviewed in the April issue of The Absolute Sound and received excellent marks.
Troy

 

[David CC]

Troy,

Thanks for all the great info. I confess that my knowledge of home theater in no where near yours. All I know is that I loved the sound of the Polks LSi9s. Will these speakers work w/my present set up? Amps and bi-amps confuse me.

David

 

[Keith Mickunas]

Bi-amping and bi-wiring are things some people try to get better sound out of different speakers. I won't go into the details, I'm sure there's plenty on here you can find with a little searching, but the easy answer is you most likely won't have a problem with the Polks connecting them the same way your current speakers are hooked up. However their specs do indicate that they are not very efficient speakers and their impedance is 4 ohms, which might cause a problem with some receivers. If you're running these with a good sub and your speakers set to small on the receiver, it may not be a big problem. If your receiver has trouble running them you may need to get a separate amp. As long as that is in your budget just in case, and/or the store has a good return policy, then go for it.

 

[David CC]

Thanks Keith,

I currently have a Denon AVR-2500 rec.(plan to upgrade later this year). Will this rec. work w/the Polks?

David

 

[Tony Genovese]

Tony Cordesman reviews the LS-15, 25 and 9 in the latest issue of The Absolute Sound and gives them an unmitigated rave, particularly the 15 for music. It is worth checking out this review if you're interested in the new Polks.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

Denon makes good stuff. I can't say for certain as I'm not familiar with your model. Does it have a power rating into 4 ohms?

 

[David CC]

Keith,

It has rating of 8 ohms.

David

 

[Keith Mickunas]

It might be hard on your receiver to drive these. The only way to tell is to try. I've looked at Denon's site and found this for the 2802:

90 watts per channel (8 ohms, 20 Hz-20 kHz,

 

[David CC]

Keith,

So what numbers/specs do I look at when time for a new receiver to power the Polk LSi9s?

David

 

[Keith Mickunas]

Look at its power rating into 4 ohms if its listed. Also check to see if the manufacturer specifies whether or not it works with 4 ohm speakers. If they don't have a 4 ohm rating, as in the case of the Denon, you can extrapolate from the 6 ohm rating to get a rough idea. Its probably also best to check with the store you are buying the Polks from to see what they power them with.
Unfortunately since these speakers are so new you can't gather much info from other people's experience with them. So you'll have to do a bit of experimenting to see what works well, then tell the rest of us.

 

[David CC]

Thanks again to everyone for your comments. I plan to listen for the third time to the LSi9 and DM 601/602 S3s tomorrow.

I plan to hear the LSi9 w/Velodyne SPL800 and Polk PSW550 sub.

The SVS Model 25-31 PCi looks good from all the reviews but wonder about mail order?

Any suggestions?

David

 

[Darrell L]

I've 601S3,602S3and ASW600 sub All is B&W set up which sounds great with Yammie 2200 .I choose over denon and M&k, polk speakers.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

David, what are your concerns about mail order? Hundreds, if not thousands (literaly) of members here have got SVSes. Look around at some of the posts and you'll see why they are so popular. Tom and Ron, the founders of SVS, are regular posters here. They do a lot of the tech support at this forum and some of the others. Do a search on SVS, and you'll find hundreds of threads in the past few months, and very few complaints that weren't resolved quickly.

 

[David CC]

I think I am going with the B&W DM601 S3/LCR60 S3 center/ASW 600 sub, listened to them again and the Polk LSi7. They seem very close and the B&W package was for half the price of the Polk system.

Would anyone recommend a receiver for these speakers. I currently have the Denon AVR-2500.

Thanks,

David