Polk lsi15, vandersteen, and emo amps

[feuer]

I am not sure the newbie category is the best place to post this, but...

I am considering purchasing the polk lsi15s, since they are on sale now. I am also considering the vandersteen signature II. Question one: which emo amp would be best mated with the polks? I would assume the xpa2 would be better, but the audioholics review seemed to suggest that the 2 has some grainy qualities at lower listening levels and that the rpa was the way to go for a smoother sound. Would the xpa5 or 3 have a "smoother" sound than the xpa2 on the polks?

2: The vandersteens are rated at 7ohms overall, but only a sensitivity of 86. Are these still easier to drive than the polks? That is, is the impedance more important to pay attention to than the sensitivity when it comes to mating them with the proper amp?

Ok, 3: Has anyone ever heard the polks and vandy's? Any input on their respective sound characteristics?

Thanks much

[GreenKiwi]

I haven't heard the polks, but I have heard and really liked the vandies. I would put them in the smoother category of speakers, in that I feel they aren't in your face with every detail an cymbal. I loved the 2Cs that I had.

And as for amps, the XPR series might have a slightly different sound, but I would expect the ups and xpa seres amps to have very similar sonic signatures.

[restless]

I have the Polk LSi15's for my back channel speakers (and workout area speakers). I have them currently connected to a XPA3. I had also connected them to a UPA2 as well, and they sounded great with that combination as well. The woofer in the LSi15 became more engaging with the XPA3 driving them. XPA3 will drive at higher sound levels with no problems, and the speakers remain clear and clean.
Using the UPA2 for LSi7 speakers (high 7.1), and an XPA2 with B&W 704s for the main speakers. Sound is wonderful!!
XPA2 or XPA5 should drive them with no problems.

[stiehl11]

^Similar but distinct. I have the XPA-5 and the XPA-2 and prefer the sound of the 2 over the 5. I will admit that they are very similar. My opinion would be to use XPA-1s to drive the Vandersteens; simply because of their inefficiency. The XPA-2 would do them nice as well if you don't need the extra power.

[jackfish]

Vandersteens are not so hard to drive that 300 wpc into 8 Ohms would not satisfy the vast majority of applications. The Vandersteen 2Ce Signature II is ten times the loudspeaker the Polk LSi15 is.