dfwatt

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.33 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I had heard good things about this system from several online reviews. I was fortunate to get this at a fire sale price on eBay as refurbished as a system for my office. Overall, it have to say it's a quite impressive speaker except for some boomy midbass - standard issue in most mass market brands, but surprising given the speaker's target audience, which is more high-end audiophile users. The reproduction of midrange and treble is excellent, although one needs to be on axis to get the best possible sound. Very good transient response, and excellent reproduction of vocal information. Given that the boomy midbass is correctable via tone controls, this is an excellent value in people looking for alternatives to Bose mass-market 'junk' products but who don't have money to buy a $3000 system. Compared head-to-head it holds its own with some very highly regarded high end speakers. Highly recommended as a great value.

gmeredith

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $700.00 from Sontag TV

Summary:
I use my speakers in a two channel music only system. The speakers are so clean it makes you feel like you have reproduced pristine laboratory conditions. Absolute detail and analysis of your recording are heard with these speakers. Once positioned properly, these speakers absolutely disappear and all you hear is music. Also, with proper positioning, these speakers look like a couple pieces of modern art siting in your room because you hear no sound coming from them and they look very nice. Depending on the recording, these speakers will at times sound thin if the recording does not contain deep bass content. Of course the sound is also effected by the acoustics of your listening room. I have since added the matching subwoofer (PSW1000), which caused the sound to bloom, become more dark and natural sounding compared to the original laboratory, pristine sound, caused a depth in the soundstage along with more bass weight on the deepest notes. The subwoofer helped to present a more lifelike presentation of the instruments. Also, with the sub online you could at times hear certain instruments even more distinguished than before, without the sub. I am sure I will go back and forth between listening with and without the sub online. As I said, these speakers were already good by themselves.

Strengths:
The speakers are so clean it makes you feel like you have reproduced pristine laboratory conditions. Absolute detail and analysis of your recording are heard with these speakers. Once positioned properly, these speakers absolutely disappear and all you hear is music. Also, with proper positioning, these speakers look like a couple pieces of modern art siting in your room because you hear no sound coming from them and they look very nice.

Weaknesses:
Depending on the recording, these speakers will at times sound thin if the recording does not contain deep bass content. Of course the sound is also effected by the acoustics of your listening room. You may need a subwoofer to hear a more lifelike, full and weighted sound spectrum

Similar Products Used:
Polk RT2000i, which is a far better sounding speaker than the Lsi 15.

bcrisp

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
2.50 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from eBay

Summary:
I'd like to provide a detailed review once these speakers break in properly, but first I'd like to provide the following warning:

***IMPORTANT*** If you are using these speakers in a 5.1 or 7.1 system with a subwoofer, and notice weak bass, REVERSE THE PHASE OF YOUR SUBWOOFER.

When I had them playing in stereo mode along with my my subwoofer, the bass sounded very weak. There was no bottom and I couldn't understand it. I was so dissapointed with the sound I almost boxed them up and sent them back. Luckily, while I was tweaking, I tried reversing the phase of my sub and WOW what a difference. I was so relieved. Why? you ask.

My best guess is the woofers of the LSi15's are designed to fire inward and force the pressure wave into the enclosure and out the port at the bottom. This is reverse of most speakers that fire outward. The reversed waves of the speakers cancel out the positive waves of the sub and vica versa. It's the same concept used by noise-canceling headphones. Result: it's like someone turned off the bass.

Anyway, try it and your bass will come back. You'll be glad you did.

Strengths:
Clean. Clean. Clean! These speakers will astonish you! The closest thing I've heard to these was easily quadruple the price...and these sound better! Ghost notes on the snare come out. You can hear the vocalist breathing and fingers moving on the strings. Distorted guitar passages gain structure. You'll hear your favorite music like you've never heard it before. It's like someone took the cotton out of my ears.

They are beautiful. The finish is a deep black piano laquer. The cherry wood side panels are warm and well finished. The speakers look, feel, and sound very expensive. I cannot begin to express the value presented by these speakers.

Weaknesses:
These are nit-picks. For this price, you really can't complain.

1. The grilles are unneccesary. They extend the full height of the tower and the drivers only occupy the top 1/3rd.

2. The manual mentions nothing about reversing the phase of your sub.

3. The very bottom end is a bit weak without a subwoofer. Easily cured.

KIRKLIN

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.83 of 5, 6.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from TWEETERS

Summary:
This bit of information if for those who you enjoy (or feel the need) to TWEAK your equipment until you get the best possible sound:

When I first bought the LSi-15's I wasn't that impressed. I'd spent several years with a very reputatable speaker that. . . . frankly was . . . . phenomenal! Why change then? Audiophile-to-the-corps! :) Anyhow, to make a very long story very short I discovered the LSi-15's are very fussy. Yes, the image well and can deliver a very large soundstage, but no where close to when the tweeter is at ear level. In "MY SEAT" in my listening area, my ears are approx 39.5 inches (remember, I said I am an audiophile-to-the-corp) ;) . The tweeters in the LSi-15's measures just a 36" when the feet are screwed in (on my carpet anyhow). I created stands that lifted the tweeter to 39.5 inches and VOILA ! ! ! ! !

Of course the speakers are set-up symmetrically: 10 1/2 feet apart, my sweet-spot - 10 1/2 feet away.

For those of you who claim to be fellow audiophiles, you MUST try it (unless you want to lower your seating postion to match that of the tweeters).

I placed the speakers 24" out from the back wall and 52" in from the sidewalls (my room is 20' X 25'.

Regardless of the size of my room, which gives me the luxury to try many things, it wasn't until I raised the tweeters to my ear level that they opened up and became all I knew they would be.

Why? Well, in my experience, speakers whose midranges straddle the tweeters tend to produce a more narrow 'voice.' Because my story is longer than I intended, I will avoid explaining what happens to the sound patterns when the mid speakers are configured in that manner.

Back to the music / performance - the important 'stuff!', pro-reviewers ought to be ashamed for not giving attention to the LSi series. I have the LSi-9's as rears and a pair of tripoles (from a very reputable company) as my sides. I love the sound; then again, tweaking my set-up was necessary. The sound is very articulate, mature, refined, defined: great for: jazz: both vocals and instruments, acoustic, strings, horns, etc. Will play anything well, but seem to shine out with instrumental, vocals, non-synthesized music (IMHO)

Lastly, I discovered POWER is the secret to the LSi-15's. I'm running 250 wpc through them from a beast of an amp. Because of the 4 ohm load, that made sense that more power (clean power) would clarify, tighten, and excite the sound. I love these speakers. I was concerned initially, but they proved well worth the change. Note: for brandnew LSi series speakers, from my experience, they needed break-in time OR . . . my ears need time to get use to sound from my other speakers. Either way, they seemed to improve greatly after 2 weeks of constant listening - so . . . . be patient with them. They will come alive with some adjusting: i.e. . . . . . TWEAKING! ! ! !)

Yes - I did purchase them for $1000 total. I got them at a close-out sale, brandnew, in the boxes. I did have to frequent the store as prices steadily declined. It was worth it!

Strengths:
Very musical! Very articulate: highs, mids, and bass are accurate to source. Constructed meticulously. Very unique look / design (sophisticate) - if that's a desired feature.

Weaknesses:
Fussy placement. Sound good arbitrarily placed. Sound phenomenal when care is taken to get tweeter placement, symmetry, breathing room (note: they were designed with specific placement in mind, i.e. labeled "right" and "left" speaker, etc. 4ohm speakers - need POWER ! ! ! !

Similar Products Used:
None - as for design. Performance: PSB, Paradigm, Klipsh, Focal - just to name a few

smargo

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Online

Summary:
Just wanted to say after owning these speakers for 2 years now they are still wonderful and very pleasing - there ia gestalt to these speakers that is remarkable. other speakers get rave reviiews and the lowly polk somehow gets overshadowed in the high end.

This is truly a speaker for the high end enthusiast - its a speaker for the long term. it's charms are discovered after extended listening. They won't bowl you over with hi fi sonics and they are not megabuck.

What they can do is melt you in the listening chair - they are subtle and sweet - a real find - this is a real gem buried in the hi fi rhetoric. - a real grown up listen and the ears love them

I would love to anwer any questions iabout the speaker if anyone wants to know - send me an email

Strengths:
musicality, listenability for the long term! caressing to the ears

Weaknesses:
lower bass a tad weak but not distracting from the music

Similar Products Used:
gallo reference 3's - jm labs obalt - avalon np's (evolution series) - magnepan 1.6