[Kokopup]

I'm a newbie with limited options to audition speakers due to my location. I'm looking for some floorstanding speakers to be the heart of a 5.1 system (75% music, 25% tv/movies) for a large 20x24 room. My main concern is handling diverse blend of music; HT sound is secondary.


At Tweeter (which we do have) I listened to and liked the Polk LSi15s ($1500/pr) but am struggling with the budget, especially since these are 4 ohm speakers requiring a separate amp/pre-amp. (One possibility would be to go down to the LSi 9s and rely on the sub to fill the gap.)


I now have an opportunity to hear some KEF iQ9's ($1200/pr), which are cheaper and easier to power. Of course, I'm going to go hear them and make up my own mind, but I'm curious if anyone's done this comparison.

--Do you think these speakers are in the same league in trems of quality/value?

--Do KEF's have a distinctive "sound"? Are they known for particular strengths/weaknesses?

 

[ABSiNTH]

IMO, I thought the Polk LSi's are night and day from their other speakers. TBH, I hate Polk speakers....except the LSis, which I think sound really good. I am a fan of the British sound as I really like KEF, B&W, etc. I would probably go with the KEF if it were me. But you must choose what sounds best to you. If there are not many B&M stores in your are to audition, maybe post a reply in the KEF thread about people in your area who may have both speakers. Honestly, either choice you will be happy with. But since I have heard both, I lean towards the KEF personally. If this makes the decision harder i apologize...next step...wallet size. LSI 15s go for ~1800-1900/pr. So maybe the KEFs will fit the bill better too...I hope this helps.

 

[Tawaun da bomb]

With a room as big as you have i would go with the Lsi15s,their street price is substancially lower than their retail price.But why are you only limiting your choices to just these 2 speakers.

 

[Kokopup]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tawaun da bomb /forum/post/0


With a room as big as you have i would go with the Lsi15s,their street price is substancially lower than their retail price.But why are you only limiting your choices to just these 2 speakers.

I"m not ruling anything out but I need to hear them first. However, I'm in an area with no real quality audio shops, so there's limited selection. (I want to listen to music, not spend my life researching/tracking down audio equipment.) I've heard some JBLs, Def Techs, Klipsch, Vienna Acoustics--the other things Tweeter has to listen to here. In my budget, I liked the Polk LSi sound the best.


A local HT outfit that sells/installs the KEF HFT systems (which I didn't like) offered to get the KEF rep to bring some iQ9s for me to listen next time he's in town. That's how I'll get to hear those.


"Street price" as in "used" or "gray market"? I've seen $1500/pr wherever I look.

 

[JohnR_IN_LA]

The KEFs look very cool ... although I think the IQ5s look even better ... very sleek.

 

[btstarke]

I am looking at something similar. Trying to compare Polk LSi25's vs. KEF reference 205's.

The hard thing is getting to hear the KEF's before I buy.

 

[VicAjax]

i haven't heard the iQ9, but i did audition the iQ5 and iQ7 and didn't love them. my biggest complaint was the smeared midrange. all the instruments just sort of mushed together. perhaps the extra drivers in the 9 would help with this, but i don't know.


the LSi15, i thought, are a fantastic value, and like ABSiNTH, i'm not a polk fan at all. i really don't like the sound of their other speakers, but the LSi15 really blew me away for the price.


on the other hand, the larger LSi25 took a good thing and ruined it with overdone bass from the powered sub. just IMHO, of course.

 

[dakar80124]

After listening you should just know instinctively which ones are right for you. I actually though the Kef IQ-7s sounded better than the 9's. But that was probably more due to the placement the dealer had the 9's on each side of his big screen and the 7's were spaced much further out. Some other ones in that price range I would check out would be NHT.

 

[Kokopup]

Well, I've ruled out the KEF's. They were a little too "laid back" for me. I kept thinking the mid/upper mid sounded veiled.


However, I also heard some Dali Ikon 6's that are priced just $100 more than the Polk Lsi15's. I really enjoyed these speakers and thought they were nice and clear with a tight bass. It also looks like they'd be a little easier to power than the Polks.


So now I have a new dilemma.

 

[Monster Jam]

Oh no, the slippery slope!


Well, for a thousand more I could get the V-8. For 500 more I can get the power suite. For 750 I can get the custom wheels. 400 for the power moon roof. Wait a minute, now I'm spending X dollars and can buy this even better stock vehicle for 1000 more!


And for a thousand more I can get the V-10. For 500 more I can get the leather....


And so on....Good Luck!

 

[Ryukyu]

I have listened to both the IQ7s and IQ9s and immediately did not like them. I tried several different recordings thinking that maybe the first one just wasn't right for those speakers.

They sounded very harsh and the mid-range was way to forward sounding to me. It was like the band was acrss the hall and the singer was sitting in my lap.

They do look nice though.

 

[egcarter]

Why do you need separates just because it's a 4 ohm speaker? Any receiver worth its salt can handle that load.


Eric

 

[btstarke]

have you had a chance to listen to them yet? I am now looking at the IQ9's as well and would a fresh opinion

 

[Kokopup]

Yes, I listend to them and, personally, didn't care for them. They definitely had that "laid back" sound, very warm and soft around the edges if you know what I mean. If that's your cup of tea, they're worth a listen.


At the same time, I was able to hear some Dali Ikon 6's for almost the same price. I much preferred their tighter sound and excellent upper-mid/highs (combo ribbon/soft tweeter). They'd have to be paired with a good, musical sub, though, which is okay with me. They have very wide disperson, too, which should work great for my more casual listening, entertaining, etc. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the Dali's.

 

[VicAjax]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kokopup /forum/post/0


Yes, I listend to them and, personally, didn't care for them. They definitely had that "laid back" sound, very warm and soft around the edges if you know what I mean. If that's your cup of tea, they're worth a listen.


At the same time, I was able to hear some Dali Ikon 6's for almost the same price. I much preferred their tighter sound and excellent upper-mid/highs (combo ribbon/soft tweeter). They'd have to be paired with a good, musical sub, though, which is okay with me. They have very wide disperson, too, which should work great for my more casual listening, entertaining, etc. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on the Dali's.

i really dug the Ikon 6 when i heard them too... "shimmery and floaty anchored by good, tight bass" was how i described them in my shopping notes.


at first i thought

when you said that you'd need a sub, but then i saw you have a 20x24 room!