[S Clark]

With all the buzz over the new GR-Research V series, I thought I'd weigh in with my comments on what I think is the top of the GR line- the LS9s.

I just got in from a concert starring the 2007 Van Cliburn winner, 8 rows back, just left of center stage- about as good as it gets acoustically.  I had been wondering how to write a review of the LS9s for a week or so, but this is it. My living room matches up amazing well compared to the (snicker, snicker) Abilene Philharmonic.  Now our little symphony may have its up days and down days, but fortunately this evening was one of the up... and a world class pianist on a 9ft Steinway is still a formidable sound.  And the LS9 creates a piano image that so nearly real, with spaciousness and impact, that you can close your eyes and paint a believable sonic picture on par with the real event. What else is there to say?

Ok, the rest is that details appear that even my Neo2Xs have missed (and these little guys get rave reviews on detail).  Bass? very clean, incredibly fast, and deeply extended.  You get this regardless of how messed up your room is.  As has been written before, they need power.  A 35 wpc tube amp didn't do the job, but my old Moscode 300 just sings. 





However, the imaging and soundstage needed work.  So in came the rolls of fiberglass, diy Persian 6" bass traps, and a pair of Pi Audio diffusors.  The rolls of fiberglass solved the reverberant bass issues, the bass traps increased detail, but the sparkle and increase in soundstage were due to the Dave's diffusor panels, seen behind the listening area.  I may even like them better at the first reflection points. I'll get a better photo, but for now...


Amazingly, moving speakers, traps, etc still sounded muffled until I changed out the outlet to a cryoed one, but I picked up on that the first day. 

The real challenge is how to set all things up so that the furniture moves back and forth, the diffusors  are set up and taken down, and bass traps change positions, quickly, so that the room does double duty for me and my very tolerant wife. And a happy wife is non negotiable!

[Charles Xavier]

I was curious about his diffusors and saw nothing on his website. Someone is selling a pair on agon

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accsacco&1293676195&/Pi-audio-group-ABB-1-Diffusers

[S Clark]

I was curious about his diffusors and saw nothing on his website. Someone is selling a pair on agon

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?accsacco&1293676195&/Pi-audio-group-ABB-1-Diffusers

They are basically sheets of styrofoam with a variable wave pattern cut in them.  They're light, easy to move around, and they work pretty darn well.  Mine are in four pieces, each 2'X4', stacked for extra height.  I've only had mine for a few days, but so far, they are effective at adding soundstage with only a few hours of messing with them.  Mine were some of the ones used in the GR-Research/Pi audio room at the RMAF. 

[Bill Baker]

 I am curious if you have tried the speakers with the Neo's on the inside. I have a pair of smaller arrays that I built with the same Neo drivers and prefered them towards the inside. With the crossover point being so low on the LS-9 (mine are at 600Hz), I was getting a much better soundstage and imaging with them inward.

 Just curious?

[S Clark]

I am curious if you have tried the speakers with the Neo's on the inside. I have a pair of smaller arrays that I built with the same Neo drivers and prefered them towards the inside. With the crossover point being so low on the LS-9 (mine are at 600Hz), I was getting a much better soundstage and imaging with them inward.

 Just curious?

I did have them like that for just a bit, right after they were put together with the crossover jumpered together, but with basically no room treatments at the time.  Since Danny had recommended the outside tweeter arrangement, I never really gave the inside arrangement a fair trial.  I'll try it sometime later this week.  Thanks for the tip
Scott

[murphy11]

Awesome setup but what makes it even more amazing (or sick ) is that I see another pair of speakers in one of the pics maybe 30 feet away. What are they and do you play them often?

[S Clark]

Those are GR Research AV3s.  They were in another listening room, were replaced by Neo2Xs, moved into the den for for HT use, and now they are sitting in an alcove in the dining area.  You would make my wife very happy if you'd make me an offer for them

[S Clark]

I am curious if you have tried the speakers with the Neo's on the inside. I have a pair of smaller arrays that I built with the same Neo drivers and prefered them towards the inside. With the crossover point being so low on the LS-9 (mine are at 600Hz), I was getting a much better soundstage and imaging with them inward.

 Just curious?

I tried arranging the LS9s with the tweeters in this evening.  It took only a minute or two to put them back to the outside.  Surprise, surprise, the designer was right about his own design.  Danny has recommended the tweeters out, and they have a wider sound stage and better imaging that way.  I still have to find the right room treatments to max these guys out.  Built another Corning 703 absorber today and will make another one tomorrow and will keep moving them around.  I'll also pick up extra diffusers when Dave can get to them. 

[Bill Baker]

Thanks for taking the time for the experiment. I was just curious as I know Danny receommends a specific way but have not yet had the chance to audition these speakers.

[S Clark]

IIRC most line sources do recommend the inside tweeter arrangement, so it was worth a try, but these big guys perform better with them out.  Regardless, thanks for the suggestion.  The truth is, I am trying make a very difficult room into a high quality listening room, and it is just going to take a lot of treatment, a lot of trial and error, and a patient wife.  But, things are slowly improving.  The Liquid Nails is currently drying on another absorber panel as I type.

Scott

[Cheeseboy]

Wow,

You own D12's.  In my youth I owned the D12, D6 and one of my all time favorites the D2. Great seakers for thier time.  Are they still functional?

Steve

[nickd]

Scott, nice Room

I built a pair of LS9's a couple of years back. best value out there indeed. best sound I've had to date. You my friend are a blessed man indeed. They need a bid room to sing and you have that. In my 14 X 21' room they would overwork my eardrums They move an incredible amount of air.

 I'm working on Super V's now as my latest wepon fighting my room issues. enjoy the music

[Hugh]

I'd like to add my 2 cents if I may.

During CES, I took some time out to go listened to some of the other speakers such as The Sonus Faber (>$170K) if I remember correctly, Magico Q3 ($34K), Zu Dominance ($40K) & Revel Ultima Salon2 ($22K) and I went away even more convinced the LS9 is a TRUE bargain in such excellent companies.

[Lundskov]

What is your opinion on the low bass. If i listen to Leonard Cohen on my ls9, i think the lowest bass is missing. Mark Knofler Golden Heart is the same.
Pink Floyd The Division Bell, same.
I have 264 examples: The bass (under 40hz) is missing.
What do you think?

[nickd]

Under 40 hz should be there in spades if the room can breathe at all I augument with a Transmission line sub thats good to 20hz.

You should be getting 30hz bass that will shudder the room. Got Krell?

[Lundskov]

I have used Mark Levinson ML335 ML380s ML390s.
Antique Sound Lab Cadenza monoblocks ASL Flora pre.
Now i use Electrocompaniet AW400 monoblocks, ASL Flora pre and Olive 4hd.

[Danny Richie]

What is your opinion on the low bass. If i listen to Leonard Cohen on my ls9, i think the lowest bass is missing. Mark Knofler Golden Heart is the same.
Pink Floyd The Division Bell, same.
I have 264 examples: The bass (under 40hz) is missing.
What do you think?

Sounds like either your cap bundle in the bass management system has been by-passed or your room is causing some sever cancellation.

I get a response in my room flat to about 25Hz then a two or three db boost to 20Hz.

[S Clark]

In the arrangement that was shown in the photos of the original post, the bass was true and clear for anything that I threw at them- at least clear down to 30 hz.  I have them now in a more WAF configuration, and I have a peak around 100 Hz to deal with, but the low notes are still clear.  Putting bass traps in the corners are a must for these guys in my room and makes a huge difference in the clarity of mid and low bass.