Change Log:
Swapped speakers outside PDVD.
Owner and I swapped the following: my Polk Audio LSi9 in Ebony to his Monitor Audio RX2 in Piano Black Lacquer Finish.
Realizations during the auditions before closing the swap deal:
1. The Polks LSi9 loves vintage all this time! - worked extremely well with a vintage Yammie integrated of the new owner.
2. The RX2 Myth of 'too bright, too boomy' is busted - using my current CA Azur 650A as preamp, Rotel RB1582 as power. It is not too bright, it merely follows the recording. it is not boomy at all, its a matter of placement and/or use of acoustic absorbers.
3. The piano black lacquer finish on the MA looks more premium than the piano black laquer finsish on the LSi9.
4. The RX2 is a lot lighter (9.5KG RX2 vs 15KG LSi9 per speaker)
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Notes after a few hours of burning-in of the MA RX2 on my system:
1. The RX2 is only a bit brighter than the LSi9s, but its brightness is no longer 'beaming' (ergo: the sweet spot became larger)
2. While the LSi9 ring radiator brings treble airiness and quite forgiving with recordings, the gold dome C-CAM of the RX2 brings about brightness that goes with the music (linear?): If the recording is etchy - then you get it etchy ; if dull - then you get dull. (sounds more like a studio monitor to me)
2. RX2 has a larger sound-stage than the LSi9. Period.
3. Bass is more articulate - akin to me comparing bass of SVS ported [lsi9] vs SVS sealed[rx2]. The quantity of bass on both models are there, its just the texture of it.
4. The midrange became a bit more open with the RX2 - the voice has been moved from the front-center VIP seats on the LSi9, to the center stage itself on the RX2. Creepy but takes getting used to.
5. Since the MA's are now 8ohms (6ohms minimum), I will try using the internal power amp of the CA Azur 650A and ill see what kind of sound I get from it - I stopped attempting on using the outputs of integrateds when I had the LSi9s since only a very few integrateds were able to fully embrace it and let it bloom properly.
Pictures to be posted later, the house is a mess with the flurry of boxes from client's computer builds.
