Polk Audio LSi9 Bookshelf Speakers Great Conditon

Model

LS-i9

Brand

Polk

Home Audio Equipment Review April 2002 Polk Audio LSi9 Loudspeakers by Doug Schneider Click to view measurements of this product Review Summary Sound Both bass and midrange are "impressively full for such a small speaker -- and smooth"; "has such great bass impact that you forget about all-out extension"; "the upper frequencies" are "every bit as smooth and non-fatiguing as the other areas." Features "One heckuva dense little speaker"; 2 1/2-way design with one woofer providing low bass and the other working into the midrange, where it hands off to a Vifa Ring Radiator tweeter; two sets of binding posts for biwiring, which Polk "recommends you take advantage of." Use Power Port allows close placement of the speakers to walls if necessary; Doug used 26" stands -- "a good height to get the tweeters to ear level." Value "Ear-opening" performance "at just a smidgen over $1000" -- "audio life is very good for admirers of small speakers these days!" When I pulled Polk’s LSi9 loudspeakers from their boxes, I was reminded of Monty Python’s And Now for Something Completely Different. When I think of Polk, I think big. I don’t know why -- I just do. Perhaps it's due to the giant speakers with all the little drivers on them that I listened to in the ‘80s. But then again, when I look back through Polk’s impressive history, their string of products has shown remarkable diversity. The $1040 USD LSi9 is positioned "second up" in the LSi series. There is a smaller LSi7 that is similar, but it uses only one woofer. There are also two floorstanders above the LSi9. A matching center-channel and surround speakers round out a full home theater. This is a very interesting proposition because the LSi9s function so well as a stereo pair, and if the others do equally well for home theater, then you have the makings of a high-quality dual-function system. What Polk has done with both the LSi7 and LSi9 minimonitors is cut way back on the cabinet size and in turn build the smaller box to a higher standard than if it were two or more times larger. You lose bass with a smaller speaker, but you gain in terms of overall refinement. If you want an expansion path for later, you can consider adding a subwoofer. The LSi9 measures 15"H x 8 5/8"W x 15 1/4"D and weighs in at a hefty 33 pounds. In comparison to many of the other bookshelf speakers in its price range, the LSi9 is a fair bit heavier, and bigger too. However, the bigness is cleverly hidden. The front of the speaker is reasonably narrow, but there’s a lot of depth to the cabinet. The LSi9 is a 2 1/2-way design. The bottom woofer works up to 200Hz, where it is rolled off with a second-order filter. The top woofer works in the bass region too, and then also continues up through the midrange to 2.4kHz, where it is rolled off with a second-order filter. A third-order filter is used with the tweeter, and that driver then flies off to the stratosphere. The drivers are all of high quality. Polk says that the 5 1/4" woofers are "polypropylene that has been ‘foamed’ with air. This technique serves to suppress cone resonance without adding mass." The tweeter is called a Ring Radiator. Perceptive eyes will notice that it’s actually a Vifa-sourced unit with a Polk Audio faceplate. It’s the same tweeter that’s used in Krell’s ultra-expensive $10,000 LAT-2 as well as other pricey speakers, but it is also used in competitive products like nOrh’s $995 SM 6.9, which I just reviewed. The LSi9 is one heckuva dense little speaker. It uses 3/4" MDF all around for the main box. Then more panels are added to the sides, top, and bottom. These are decorative, but they also add to the performance by giving the cabinet exceptional strength -- the side walls end up being 1 1/2" thick. The LSi9 and the all-synthetic-marble nOrh SM 6.9 are the most solid speakers I’ve encountered at the $1000 price point. High-quality binding posts flank the back of the LSi9. They allow for biwiring, and Polk recommends you take advantage of it. Then there’s the Power Port, which looks weird at first. But when you realize its purpose, you have to concede that it’s quite clever. Basically a plate mounted away from the back of the cabinet with a cone pointing into the rear-firing port, the Power Port serves two main purposes. The first is that the cone facilitates air travel through the port, which is said to eliminate port noise and improve efficiency. The second is that it directs the air toward the sides, top, and bottom of the speaker as opposed to straight back. Although Polk would rather you not place the speakers too close to boundaries, redirecting the port's output allows placement of the speaker close to walls if need be. Neat. On the front are two ARC ports (for Acoustic Resonance Control). These affect the midrange performance and, according to Polk's literature, improve things like vocal clarity (by reportedly removing the chesty quality sometimes heard from speakers) as well as, surprisingly, image stabili