Polk Audio LSi 15 - are these the REAL DEAL ???

I actually owned these speakers once upon a time. I found them to be just the slightest bit forward, and not quite the last word in microdynamics. Overall, though, I'd say they were a 9 out of 10 (especially at that price point).

I had to upgrade all the way to Merlin VSM-MM's ($8,000) to better the LSi 15's by a truly meaningful margin.

So for many systems, and many sonic preferences, they could really be a quality choice. The near-full rangeness of them was a nice benefit as well.

When I went speaker shopping a few months ago, I promised myself I would not spend more then $6,000.00 for my new speakers. So I set out and listened to ALOT of really nice speakers but, I ended up buying the Polk LSi15's..and im glad I did they sound great with my Accuphase.
I bought them because, for my ears the whole sonic prefomance [sound stage,imaging,etc.]was just better on average then all the others I'd listened to.
they are a 4 ohm speaker so you might want to keep that in mind if you are thinking of buying some. So yeah... I think they are the real deal.

I found them to be lacking in the low end but what can you expect with an unpowered 8" woofer. I was waffling between the LSi25's & B&W N804 - got the 804's for a mere $350 more.
My previous Polks - RT20p - had probelms with internal amp and voice coils on the 8" powered subs. I was concerned about quality but Polk's CS was always a pleasure to work with.

I own the Polk Audio LSi9's and use them with a JW modded Museatex DAC and transport, with decent amplification they can do things that many other speakers in their price point simply cannot. They do tend to shock people when you listen to them. From what I understand Polk Audio tried really hard to bring back an "Audiophile" speaker trying to appeal to a forgotten market when they shifted more downmarket.

The reason their such a secret imho has more to do with distribution networks and not really quality of speaker. Most of the dealers that carry these speakers focus on price rather then quality and usually don't have the quality electronics to really show people what their capable of. I have heard from a person in the industry that remarked the LSi15's embarrassed a number of higher end offerings from B&W, Krell and Thiel 3yrs ago at CES. During that demo I think the LSi's were using all Ayre electronics. Again not the kind of electronic's you'd find at most dealers showrooms who carry Polk Audio.

YES THEY ARE THE REAL DEAL. Real glad to see that this line is getting some of the visibility it deserves.

I have owned these speakers for 2 years, and purchased them in part because of that 2002 Golden Ear award from Absolute Sound on the LSI 15, and partly because ( I admit it!) of their classy looks. I sincerely think that the LSI 15’s are a steal, the best of the LSI series (surpassing the LSI 25 IMHO, and are way under priced. They smoke my previous ‘’ almost $ 4,000.00’’ (name withheld to protect a well-established and much-respected brand...) previous speakers in the area of imaging , mids, and top-end refinement. Their downside is mainly this : They suffer from lack of ‘’audiophile grade’’ prestige, and this is their ONLY flaw at this price point. Polk is one of the larger companies out there and they have finally come out with a line to get the most of their R&D.

To their credit, it is a hard challenge to manufacture affordable speakers that sound good. That’s what they did with their current ,’Circuit City type’ products.

However, for once, they put the same objectives in an ‘’no-excuses’’ design with the LSI series. The results are even more impressive. I would have to spend 3 times the price, in my opinion, to better them, and then not necessarily on every parameters.

So yes, they are ‘’the real deal’’, but for real folks only. If you need boutique prestige brands, look elsewhere! The LSI-15 should satisfy even jaded audiophiles. I hear the recent upgraded lacquer finish and real wood cabinetry makes these even better looking.

Too bad that Polks are only available in chain stores – that in turn do not carry this more expensive LSI line because high-end audio is not their typical market.....Polk, if you are reading this – Get in the specialty stores or sell direct ( but keep the price reasonable will you? !)