SVS Ultras to Polk LSiM703 to ?

[Mythy]

Hey everyone! I registered so I could ask you all a question that has been bugging me for the longest time! Roughly 2 years ago I purchased a pair of SVS Ultra bookshelf's and I loved them! Then... after seeing a deal for Polks LSiM703's for $399 shipped (Pair) I bought them just to have another pair. I couldn't pass it up and I had no expectations. To my surprise I was blown away! My music and movies had so much more warmth and suddenly the SVS sounded cold, dead and lifeless. The base on the Polks were significantly stronger, the mids were much thicker and present. I really loved these new speakers but I missed the more aggressive treble and clarity of the SVS. Countless times I switched back and forth but the SVS just lacked the presence, the warmth and the punch of the Polks so they always end up in my closet. So here's the question! What sounds better than either of these 2 speakers? lol I been told I am mad, the SVS are amazing and the polk are meh. I went to a few hifi stores with my impressions on both and I generally leave disappointed. I always get pointed towards Klipsch and I can't stand them. There in my livingroom on my TV where they belong but for my computer setup i just need more clarity, detail, dynamics and punch without sounding COLD... I was going to try a pair of Polk's legends L200's but honestly if I buy them I will be stuck with them I don't do the return thing I always feel awkward lol

My Impressions,
SVS Ultras: Clear, Cold, Calculating, Airy, Weak base, Small sounding, lacking something...
Polk LSiM703: Musical, Strong Base, Large and Present, Too Warm, Less Clarity, Dense, Too much Mids

 

[Kachda]

If you’re happy with the polk speakers then why do you want to buy something else? And if you do want to buy, what’s your budget?

 

[raindance]

What is "base"?

I tried the Polks and they had great bass and mids but the treble managed to be both lacking in extension and harsh at the same time (sandpaper ssss sounds). They don't sound like they measure at all.

Currently I have Ascend Sierra 2's and they have sweet, but far more extended, treble and impressive bass when fairly close to the wall. The only thing the Polks did better was extracting tom tom sounds from the mix.

 

[Mythy]

Well my budget is $1500-$2000 but obviously the less I spend the better but I am looking for a decent upgrade. As for my happiness with the LSiM703 I really am not... They are just too warm or there's not enough treble to balance the lower end out.

 

[Beershaun]

Keep the polks and add a subwoofer.

 

[Alexanderc]

Some of your experience surely has to do with your room. One might guess the SVS speakers would sound bright based on the third graph here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/svs-ultra-bookshelf-speaker-review.15055/

 

[Mythy]

I currently have a SVS Sub, I am attaching a picture of my setup.

 

[Kachda]

Well my budget is $1500-$2000 but obviously the less I spend the better but I am looking for a decent upgrade. As for my happiness with the LSiM703 I really am not... They are just too warm or there's not enough treble to balance the lower end out.

Both the ls50meta and revel m106 would fit in your budget and are good neutral speakers.

since you are listening in nearfield, you can also consider active monitors like genelec 8030c and neumann kh80

 

[GXAlan]

i just need more clarity, detail, dynamics and punch without sounding COLD...

That sounds like JBL HDI-1600 to me. For a budget, when they have the JBL Studio 590’s on sale, it is a really good option if you don’t mind the appearance. They are also top heavy which is bad if you have little kids or small animals that might topple them over. Buying the Studio 590’s from Harman direct comes with easy returns. HDI-1600 is available at Crutchfield, Music Direct, and Best Buy tor easy returns too.

I really really liked the Studio 590. I returned them because of the top-heavy warning. The bass is very impressive and beats many 12” woofers.

I had several of the first generation LSi’s (both the made in Mexico and made in China versions) of the 7, 9 and C with the Vifa Ring Radiator tweeter before they moved to their in house design in the LSiM for cost savings (though claimed similar performance) so I know what you mean about the house Polk sound.

 

[Beershaun]

Since you are hooked up to a PC try applying equalization to adjust the sound. That is the most significant change you can make to improve your sound. And it's free or a small fee. Well within your budget.

 

[Beershaun]

I found measurements for the polks so you can determine eq filters.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/polk-lsiiim703-loudspeaker-measurements

Seems like a lowpass -5db shelf filter at 10khz would help with that high frequency bump.

 

[Beershaun]

And here are the SVS ultra bookshelf measurements from Amirs review along with his recommended eq settings.

https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/svs-ultra-bookshelf-speaker-review.15055/

You are not wrong about the Polks being better than the SVS based on the measurements.

 

[Kachda]

I found measurements for the polks so you can determine eq filters.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/polk-lsiiim703-loudspeaker-measurements

Seems like a lowpass -5db shelf filter at 10khz would help with that high frequency bump.

He actually complains about the polks being too dull, this will reduce the highs even more

 

[Beershaun]

He actually complains about the polks being too dull, this will reduce the highs even more

Not sure which frequency range is the "dull" range so I'm thinking they try to hit the Harman preference curve first and then tweak from there. It could be they have to turn it down a lot due to that high range exaggeration and bringing it down will allow them to then crank the volume up and get more of the rest of the speakers range.

In any case applying eq should be a way to test and experiment for free. And now that we have a response curve they can be more scientific about what the eq changes are doing.

 

[Mythy]

Basically I find the mids to be dominant, and also at higher volumes to be less precise almost muddy. Like the speakers playing through a wet rag theres no airyness no top end magic and while watching movies or say netflix the male voices are very overpowering and the females are a bit recessed vs the SVS. The SVS are sharp and clear but lack soul and warmth to my ears. I oftentimes wonder if I could use a new DAC instead I know the CMA 400i is considered a neutral dac and nothing special by a long shot. I did try a cambridge dac magic plus and that thing was so uneventful and lifeless I returned it a hour latter. I demoed a Naim Dac V1 in store with my LCD-2 headphones and was blown away by its attack and timing and the bass omg the bass it sounded entirely different then my dac powering the same cans but Its too deep to fit on my desk lol The difference tho was nothing short of extraordinary. My LCD-2's went from decent to the holy grail. So maybe in my particular setup I am just grasping at straws as to what to replace first... I just know I am not happy.

Those JBL HDI-1600 look fantastic tho and I may be able to demo them in a local world wide stereo store. On a totally different note tho I have 1 issue with my setup... My volume drops over time. If I pause a movie and come back 10 minutes later I have to remember to turn the volume down or my ears will bleed were talking if I start at 50% on my dacs knob 10 mins latter I'm turning it to 75% to maintain volume and if I play no audio I need to drop it back down again before I start.. Any ideas? Figured I'd ask since you guys are all way beyond my knowledge level when it comes to audio. I thought it might be my amp but Emotiva said that's not possible its a straight power amp.

 

[GXAlan]

My volume drops over time. If I pause a movie and come back 10 minutes later I have to remember to turn the volume down or my ears will bleed were talking if I start at 50% on my dacs knob 10 mins latter I'm turning it to 75% to maintain volume and if I play no audio I need to drop it back down again before I start.. Any ideas? Figured I'd ask since you guys are all way beyond my knowledge level when it comes to audio. I thought it might be my amp but Emotiva said that's not possible its a straight power amp.

How loud are you listening? Could be thermal effect of the voice coils heating up if you are listening at levels that are damaging your hearing...

Most likely cause is a software glitch. What’s your source upstream of the DAC (software wise). Windows could be resetting the volume to +0 dB digitally. In fact, that’s important to make sure your volume control is entirely
controlled by the DAC and not Windows.

 

[Mythy]

It acts the same regardless of my starting volume limit. I'm really not pushing these I keep the volume down to a normal level. With the volume control I cant seam to find a way to force the volume control to just the dac, so I keep windows volume at 100 also whatever app I am using. Only Tidal allows me to force volume and lock it. Netflix, youtube, amazon prime videos ect are what I normally use. The dac is connected via USB.

 

[Beershaun]

A google search found this.
https://appuals.com/fix-volume-automatically-goes-down-up-windows-10/

 

[Mythy]

My actual windows volume stays the same as far as the volume slider goes so it can't be that. Probably just a cursed dac or amp lol

 

[Beershaun]

My actual windows volume stays the same as far as the volume slider goes so it can't be that. Probably just a cursed dac or amp lol

can you try plugging your DAC into another source to separate whether it's the computer or your audio gear? For example a USB out from your phone or tablet?