Polk Audio LSiM703 Bookshelf Loudspeaker, 36Hz-40kHz, Single, Midnight Mahogany

2020-01-01T15:02:08

let alone the silly sale pricing I see going on to which I was a beneficiary elsewhere. Stereophile's review pretty much nails my feelings on the speaker. I have only listened to them for about 15 hours on the new rig which was built with the Special 40 speakers in mind. It seems a shame that for the mean time they are going back into my closet until I can come up with a use case for them. Main thing to note vs the much pricier Dynaudio is that really, really quiet the LSiM 703 speakers are not as coherent across the frequency range. It is obvious once I put the Special 40s back in place but not problematic. @ reference level (85dB for me per a really old and never calibrated Radio Shack/Realistic sound pressure meter) and beyond when I am milling about the house they keep it together within their scope. Typically, I am listening at a much more subdued level (55dB max) and there are zero complaints concerning the aforementioned. Are they in the same league as Special Forty? Well, no. At MSRP are worthy of a look? Yep. At current pricing? Now we’re getting silly but just to spell it out: Without actually demoing them yourself they are as close to a sure bet as I can personally suggest for > $1000.00/pair. I auditioned a set of KEF LS50 just to hear what all the buzz was about but boxed them up and ate the shipping before the first song stopped playing on the Special Forty s. LS50 s are stunners to be sure but IMO and room acoustics there is NO getting away without a sub, especially I imagine in rooms notably larger than my 16x20 listening area. The Dynaudios were obviously more speaker in every sense of the phrasing upon first note. Both the LSiM 703 and the Special Forty are quite acceptable without a sub… in my application and room. For much smaller rooms, say an office or a computer room setup with a sub I can definitely see where the LS50 would be worth their virtures despite their low end deficiencies as tested in my system. I am a really, really big fan of the LSiM 703 speakers and think to truly upgrade from them all around you will be spending nigh Special Forty neighborhood money… Make sure you do your research and know your ear/brain combo before pulling the trigger but I am not sure how these are going to disappoint a prospective buyer in any way. Certainly, the LSiM 703 are a set of boutique grade speakers you can build up the rest of a system around over time. They resolve well enough to allow you to detect problems with your reproduction chain clearly by ear and by the time one gets the rest of the chain upgraded to the point where they are not sufficient you are definitely shopping in the ? $3k USD range. I do think they still require a sub, particularly if you have a love for hip hop, NiN, or anything that flirts with low frequencies. Most users, I think, wouldn’t notice any deficiency in the output sans sub but they deserve to have that bottom end picked up by a competent sub at some point in your ownership. Equipment used for listening all connections in the system are with XLR interconnects except where noted: Schiit Freya S in passive mode Schiit Yggdrasil A1 USB III via XLR (2) Schiit Vidar in mono mode Schiit Mani Phono Pre Sony PS-X6 with AT VML540ML cart SvS SB16 Ultra subwoofer (via line out from the Freya S, stereo pair run of sub cables) Just so you can discount my opinion, I am the kind of audio enthusiast who believes in the following: The shortest cable runs are the best cabling you can do. Once you get to a certain level of quality, which is pretty cheap, spending money on cables is one of the world’s great, highest echelon mark-up scams. One last note: I had an amp failure that nuked my much beloved, crossover modified Polk LSi 9 speakers. That sad event was the impetus for my picking up a new pre amp and amplifiers. I am a man of limited means but where some people drop loot on vacations or other interests, I put what money I can when the need arises into a decent music and audio experience. That said, the off axis improvement to the the LSiM 703 ring radiator tweeters is phenominal compared to the very narrow range of the the now toasted LSi 9 pair (R.I.P). The off axis performance characteristic of ring radiator tweets in the application of the LSiM 703 is negligible to my ears.

Roderick I.

2019-12-12T10:23:55

My first speakers ever at the age of 16 were polk audios. Back then I didn't have alot of money and just wanted some cheap towers that got the job done. Fast Forward through many brands of high end audio speakers and components and I was looking for a new set of book shelf speakers. Well I bought these on sale without hearing them just based on the reviews and I will also say that these 2 speakers blew me away. I have them paired with an Anthem MRX 510 with 100 watts per channel and they really drive them well. Sure I could always use double the power but for my needs these get extremely loud. The bass response is tight and vocals really shine. I love the true 3-way design Polk has used here and I actually got rid of my subwoofer and just use these speakers. I didn't think I'd ever go back to Polk Audio but the LSiM series really made me glad I did. Great job Polk Audio.

JonnyHiFi

2019-12-10T07:35:40

Amazing sound quality!

Jason L.

2019-12-08T15:20:10

Excellent sound great build quality.

Charles S.

2019-12-08T10:02:38

I have literally bought these speakers 4 or 5 times when they go on sale. I love them but I keep thinking I can get something better for the money. You cant. I am in for the long haul this time. They are so smooth and laid back while still being incredibly detailed and clear. I am also a bit of a woodworker and the craftsmanship is what takes the cake for me. Unbelievable value on these speakers!

Joshua G.

2019-12-03T14:04:46

Phenomenal speakers. Definitely the clearest most emersive sound I've experienced. Excellent response throughout the range, no bright spots, big full bass even at low volume. Heavy, sturdy and well built cabinets. Look great and the finish is perfect.

joel h.

2019-11-29T11:11:06

These speakers are heavy! Sound fantastic for the money as they are now discontinued heavily If you can still get them go for it.... Check out all of the reviews on youtube. You won't be sorry with this purchase. Unit was double boxed and showed up in pristine condition.

DAVID F.

2019-11-29T06:06:36

Absolutely amazing speakers. I was floored by how much better these sounded than my paradigms.

Jack M.

2019-11-26T11:56:06

I think these speakers live up to the positive reviews and the sale price is great. I bought them not knowing if I would like them or not and they have impressed me. I was looking into higher end speakers to replace my front left and right speakers(Pioneer FS52s) so I could get a better experience listening to music in 2 channel stereo mode. These are really fantastic even on my budget 7.1 amplifier outputting only 100 watt per channel. They seem to lack a strong bass presence so I have them crossed over at 60 hz and let my powerful svs pb2000 sub take over the low end. These things have amazing detail and depth. I’ll have music playing in the background while working and sometimes they just catch my attention with whatever they are playing because they sound so good. The only low notes would be the bass (but that could be my amp) and the sound stage and imaging isn’t as expansive as I was hoping for. They look really classy but not 100% on the build quality because one of the speakers seemed to have glue strands still on the tweeter and midrange driver. I really want to find one of the matching centers lsim 704c or preferably the 706c but adorama seems to be sold out of them and it will likely be harder and harder to find one. 4 stars because of the glue being left on one of the speakers. Would give 5/5 for sound quality.

MITCHELL H.

2019-11-26T10:40:36

I have been tinkering with DYI audio and vintage speaker collecting forever.I had a chance to experience relatively new tech designed by pros with top shelf components and now I have a solid reference to compare and enjoy.They are first rate in my book. Well worth the highly discounted investment.

TERRY S.

2019-11-26T08:16:00

So far these have been great and only getting better. Would highly recommend, especially when on sale.

COLIN T.

2019-11-26T08:07:20

These speakers are above average. They’re built like a tank . Not just high volume sounds good low volume sounds amazing. The tone of the sound is noticeable and makes your ears happy. If you are reading my review just go ahead and buy them .

FREDERICK C.

2019-11-15T07:26:05

Bought with a set of 707’s, 706 center, and 702’s for HT. Very happy with their sound. Excellent purchase.

Andy I.

2019-11-12T09:04:23

Huge sound for their size. A little bright on the top end for my tastes (you'll a pretty significant high-shelf-boost if you look at response graphs) but easily tamed with a little DSP. Great build quality and so far seem to be rather forgiving of placement. I have mine roughly 12' apart on short stands about 12" off the ground tilted up at my listening position about 6' away. Shipped double-boxed and packed with care. Arrived sooner than expected. Great value!

Steven E.

2019-11-12T05:26:13

I bought a pair of the 703s from Adorama a month ago, at a price that made them irresistible, beating other dealers by a wide margin. My previous mains were KEF Q100s, now demoted to surrounds. I thought were pretty good, but they don't compare to these. (To be fair, at a little more than 1/3 the retail price of the 703s, they shouldn't.) With a great recording, I rate the 703s twice as good. Much bigger, wider sound stage. They don't make mediocre recordings sound better (and there are plenty of those out there), but a true hi-fidelity recording.....wow. I noticed the difference immediately. The music jumps out into the room, and makes me laugh, it sounds so good. And my setup is less than ideal, on shelves only a foot from the rear wall. A pair of good stands, further out into the room, should really make these babies sing. The only thing that stopped me from buying the 707s at that time was the size, 100 lbs each. But the 703s appear to be the sawed-off version of the 707s, same upper three drivers minus the oval woofers and large cabinet. They have little more bass than the Q100s, despite twice the cabinet volume and a 6 1/2 inch woofer vs. the KEF's 5 1/4 inch, although the bass is cleaner with the 703s. My ARC room correction shows the 703s rolling off sharply below 50 Hz. So, if you like low bass, you'll need subwoofers. Other than that, I love these things.

Kevin B.

2019-11-07T07:05:16

Clean, well balanced audio that looks great, too. They are a perfect fit for our home theater.

George R.

2019-11-06T12:03:45

I read a lot of Hi-end Audio magazines. Their articles about speakers and other gear they review are all about the performance of the equipment described in terms best used for paintings or other artwork. It puts me off to a degree. I can tell you in no uncertain terms, this is a very fine sounding loudspeaker. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There isn't any need to elaborate further. Any more and I would simply be repeating myself. In describing the physical attributes of the speaker, I can say it is large and heavy for what can be considered a "bookshelf speaker." It also falls into the category of an overachiever. I think its looks without the grill cloth in place would signify to most that it is well outside the ordinary. The tweeter is an unusual "ring" design, the upper mid-range mounts in a much closer proximity than the norm and above the tweeter. The mid-bass appears as the only "standard" driver in both size and location. What makes the mid-bass special is unseen. You simply must read the Polk literature about how they manufacture the cone. The box build and bass tuning help pull the driver's performance out of the ordinary and into the exceptional. As mentioned before the speaker is heavy and for a reason. The mid-bass has a die-cast metal frame and huge magnet inside thicker box walls with internal bracing plus an overall larger volume curved design. Sporting a highly engineered tuning mechanism, it achieves Polk's design goals of extraordinary high frequency and mid-range clarity with remarkably well controlled bass extension. Call me a fan-boy if you desire. However, I currently own more speakers of different brands and designs than anyone else I know (thanks to a mystified but forgiving wife). Martin Logan, JBL, DCM, KRK, Sunfire, Polk, Jamo, Altec, DIY and more, so I have a reference as to how a speaker should sound. Can you buy a better sounding loudspeaker? Sure you can but the law of diminishing returns kicks in, price and performance, immediately above this speaker. What an amazing deal here at Adorama!

CHARLES W.

2019-11-06T07:41:39

This is a great product. Make sure you check the dimensions before buying stands for these speakers as they're much larger than the average bookshelf speakers.

MR M.

2019-10-22T23:41:38

Very good speakers, and a great value at the sale price. These LSiM703 are a very noticeable upgrade to my Q Acoustics 3020i speakers.

Phillip S.

2019-09-22T09:33:43

Very fast shipping. Great price. Amazing sounding speakers.

STEVEN T.

2019-09-19T09:06:20

Fantastic bookshelf speakers. They are on the big side so be aware of that. I use four 703's as my surrounds. Absolutely love them.

Raul H.

2019-09-10T08:59:46

Great speakers. Excellent finish, great sound quality when paired with the right high-quality amps (works great for me with a Yamaha A-S1000, with a holographic soundstage and great clarity).

Francesco S.

2019-09-09T13:00:20

Has much more bass than you'd expect from a bookshelf speaker, even if the bass doesn't extend super low. The veneer looks really good, and the speaker sounds super smooth and quite efficient (ie loud). A great value at MSRP, but astounding when on sale.

Jianghai H.

2019-09-08T09:06:14

These really enhanced the sound of my back channel. Added tremendous dynamics and presence. I have Polks first series speaker the LSiM 25's. I was and still am impressed with that speaker. The latest series improves on that design. You absolutely cannot go wrong with these speakers. I have been an audiophile for over 4 decades and these speakers are top notch. they compare with speakers costing much more. What an bargain! Build quality is a solid A in my book!

Ronald C.

2019-08-19T20:30:08

Very accurate. Partnered with JL f113 sub. Warm, smooth blend. They love power.

Brent C.

2019-05-15T04:56:58

These speakers are physically gorgeous. They have a deep, rich finish that almost looks black, but In bright light it is a dark mahogany color. That would not matter if the sound were mediocre, but these sound superb. They are capable of extreme detail and nuance to your music. One caveat here - they are very revealing of your amps, processing and source materials. Do not buy these and expect to use a low end av receiver and play mp3s and have an audiophile experience. My impression here is that for most people, these speakers will not be the weak link in your audio chain. Also, the more and cleaner amplification you can feed them, the better .

Jeff M.

2019-05-07T12:56:07

These bookshelf speakers are huge and weight a ton. Sound is anything beyond I had ever imagined.

Rahul D.

2019-05-03T08:35:43

Excellent sound would reccomend this if you're doing a upgrade.

Eric H.

2019-03-19T08:35:08

Product was delivered in excellent condition, customer service was also excellent

David V.

2019-03-01T10:58:19

Love these speakers. The base is very tight and strong for this size cabinet. This is a rare 3-way bookshelf design, without the typical unevenness caused by the addition of the second crossover. The low end performance is almost as good as the floor standing LSIM705 model. Also, the fit, finish, and design are exquisite- simply a gorgeous speaker set. Highly recommended.

HAMID A.