How would you guys compare Polk LSi7s to Ascend CBM-170s?

 

Bronze Member
Username: Raj_p

Evanston, IL USA

Post Number: 30
Registered: Oct-05
I'm just curious how these two products stack up to anyone that has heard both.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Paul98

Post Number: 91
Registered: Oct-05
I haven't heared the CBM-170, but I prefer the Polk LSi line over the paradigm Studio line if that gives you an indication of how good the polks are.
 

Gold Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 3145
Registered: Mar-05
Really a matter of taste, and of course budget since the LSi7s cost almost 3 times more if memory serves.

The LSi7s I heard at Tweeter were very pleasant at low and moderately loud volume, nice warmish sound, though a bit tunnelled and not great imaging. When pushed to high volumes (85db and up) I found that their lower midrange collapsed, Diana Krall's voice suddenly sounded muffled and just totally unnatural.

The Ascends are much more detailed and image very well, though the larger 340s do have a wider soundstage than the 170s. The 170s in particular have weak bass and I would not use them without a subwoofer. Their sonic character is not "warm" but "neutral"---very accurate, amazingly flat frequency response. And they can be cranked very, very loudly without distorting unlike many speakers costing much more.

For the price of a pair of LSi7s though I'd buy a pair of the 170s, a pair of the Alegria Audio Lings, and a speaker selector switch...I'd still save $200-300 and I would be able to use the Lings for certain types of music (simpler compositions with slower tempo) at moderate volumes and the Ascends for HT and complex/fast music at higher volumes.

Of course with the new SE Ascends coming out in mid-January, these might be even better. But they'll ever be "warm" like the Lings and LSi.
 

Silver Member
Username: Dakulis

Spokane, Washington United States

Post Number: 708
Registered: May-05
What Edster said. . .
 

Bronze Member
Username: Raj_p

Evanston, IL USA

Post Number: 31
Registered: Oct-05
but if you had the choice of one of 3 for free what would you pick
 

Gold Member
Username: Edster922

Abubala, Ababala The Occupation

Post Number: 3176
Registered: Mar-05
If it was my ONLY system for both HT and music, I'd have to take the Ascends and particularly the new SE ones.

If it was my second system for music only, I'd take the Lings.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Raj_p

Evanston, IL USA

Post Number: 32
Registered: Oct-05
I was just curious. I have some 7s that I bought long ago while there was a major Fry's sale and I'm just now giving checking them out. Right now it sounds like the woof is really really really stiff. I'm getting barely any output there. The high's however REALLY sing. I really hope the mids break in as I do like their look. If they dont and I manage to sell these guys I may be looking to jump into the search yet again.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Raj_p

Evanston, IL USA

Post Number: 33
Registered: Oct-05
Crap. I meant to say I'm just now checking them out. Whoops.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Paul98

Post Number: 96
Registered: Oct-05
What are you powering the 7's with?
 

Bronze Member
Username: Raj_p

Evanston, IL USA

Post Number: 34
Registered: Oct-05
Right now an Audire Crescendo that puts out 75x2 @ 8. Not sure its 4ohm rating. Next week I'm buying a used old Odyssey Stratus amplifier so I'm hoping that the 150x2 @ 8ohms (again not sure what the 4ohm rating would be) helps give it a little more depth.

As far as the Crescendo's ability, it ran my broken in 9s quite well from what I remember. Maybe the 7s just benefit more from the extra juice, or they really ARE just in need of a good break in period.
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