Just Purchased Infinity RS2B / RSIIb owned RS 2.5


FYI Infinity Fans:
I have lusted after some RS2bs for 20 years after loveing my 2.5s. I thought the 2bs would fill in the middle and keep all of the strengths of the 2.5s. In reading the manual, I was unaware that the 2bs had a bass equilizer (not crossover) that was NOT optional. The bass equilizer has been lost. I hooked up my VTL compact 100s with several preamps & the sound was mud in the bass and boring in the emims/emits. One of the emits is even covered 50 percent, the top one in the front. These 2bs sound like monster cable . . . go figure. Monster cable was used in the speakers. Also, it turns out that ONLY the middle emim is hooked to the midrange control. The middle emim is the only one that sounds like the emims in the 2.5...they are running full out. The top and bottom emim are subdued and they are trying to mimic a good dome midrange....yes the lower vocals are better but who cares?? I have lost the magic of the emims. I have had some Infinity Sigmas in my room and one super emim did a better job than these three emims. Last night I hooked up a couple of transitor amps and the sound was MUCH improved... remember what older monster cable did to good solid state stuff? in the 80s. I guess I'm going to stay with threshold but I own several good tube amps that I love to hear the imaging etc etc. I might be nuts but the improvement I have gained with Kimber Kable 4TC and Audioquest jaguar interconects is lost in the old monster cable wire?? I am probably being to hard on these speakers, but I remember a german saying the 4.5s were the best of that vintage. How are the emims controled in the RS1bs?? are they all hooked to the crossover controls?? To be continued. Thanks for reading. Larry
apfdirtdoctor

Showing 7 responses by apfdirtdoctor

Thanks guys for your input. I have been reading the owner's manual and it states two times that the bass equilizer in cap letters MUST BE USED whether in single amp or bi-amp mode on pages 5 and 18 of owners manual. The manual suggests if you hear boomy bass reduce the bass control (<100hz) and the contour (<1khz) of the bass eq. I have my tech looking at the schematic and he said two of the transitors are given a Infinity number that does not cross to anything???? also, the schematic says to connect to mosfets?? Over the last few days I have run single amps, tube and transitor with all sorts of biamping variations....vtl 100s, vtl 75/75, ARC d-70MKII, dynaco 416, threshold 200, and two hafler xl280s in mono and stereo mode.. The best sound . . . one single hafler xl280????? I'm going to keep experimenting but I do not hear the ribbon sound that I am used to from the top and bottom emims. Elizabeth, I am hearing much lower frequencies from these two not lower output...the middle one sounds like my two emims in the 2.5s. I will clean the rheostats and connecters. BTW these speakers look like they just came from the factory. I think they may have been in storage??? absolutely no dust or discoloration anywhere. Oh preamps ARC SP8 and Quicksilver full function and VTL deluxe. Thanks again guys. audio buddies
Guys, thank you for your thoughts and input. Muzakk, I couldn't agree more that the higher and lower mids are wired to limit high frequency on the RSIIBs. I guess I got addicted to the beaming midrange of the 2.5s. I thought it was detail. To me this affect dulls the sound with my expensive tube amps and I find myself hooking up a transistor amp to offset this sound. I wonder if Infinity was using Threshold when they were working on these speakers. It seems to be a good match, but I loose the "openness" of a good tube amp. Also, the 10 inch woofers have a hooded sound to me. I miss the watkins 12 inch sound of the 2.5s and 4.5s. I know they were trying to fill in the middle with the RSIIs, but I lost the magic of the older speakers (upper midrange) . Also, I agree the bass EQ is doing alot to alter the frequency response and I am currently using the EQ for the RSIIa which is a much less complicated circuit than the EQ for the RSIIb. It is possible the EQ for the RSIIb is not working as it should. I am still amazed at people that do not realize what the EQ box is doing?? Thanks again. Larry

PS for my fun back-up speaker system I put some 12 inch polypropelene (20-400HZ) infinity car subwoofers in some Dahlquist DQ10s and then I added a Heil midrange/tweeter driver to replace the dome and piezo tweeters....sorry I understand it sounds crazy but I love the sound of these speakers with tube equipment.
After listening to the two emims in the 2.5s for 20 years, it is taking time to adapt to the two outer emims playing lower frequency but I am getting use to it. Much better on piano and vocals. The low end is my big problem. If I play at lower volumes the bass is the best I have ever heard, but when I turn it up it definitly gets boomy in my room with the built in shelves and cabnets next to the fireplace...The speakers are half in front of tile on fireplace and half in front of cabnets..two feet away. I opened the cabnets up to put up some stereo stuff in and went back to listen before shutting the doors.....Big difference in bass, total boomy mudd. I am going to take the speakers to a friends house with a solid wall behind them. I think infinity knew the speakers could get boomy and thats why they made the comments in the manual. OK I HAVE A BIG QUESTION. Can anyone tell from the circuit diagram of the bass eq if in the 12 o'clock position it is neutral and not affecting the lower frequencies??? Thanks Larry.
I sent him an email and Bill answered at 5:30 am!!!!
FYI Bill Watkins did the refoaming.

Dear Larry,

The manual is correct of course. If they're very boomy, it could mean that they were incorrectly refoamed, using the incorrect-tension material. The other reason would be too much cabinet stuffing, or damping added to the cabinet walls. The EQ was made by the good people at Monolithic Sound in CA. It's possible that they may still have an EQ available, though I doubt it. There's a company called DB Systems (location unknown) that can make custom EQ/crossovers. You may want to Google them.

The 2b's are one of the most musical of all Infiniti's, and one of my favorites.

Enjoy the weekend!

Cheers,
Bill
FYI, Believe it or not I was able to find a rs2b low frequency EQ through audiogon. Someone had sold the speaker parts and still had the equilizer. My technician said the mosfets used in the lf equilizer affected both the top end and low end. The mosfets used in the equilizer are called "Channel Enhancment Vertical Power Mosfets" and have not been made in years. With the lf equilizer the speakers sound MUCH! faster. Bass is fantastic no matter what amp I use, tube or transistor and the emims sound much better. I firmly believe the speakers were desingned to have the lf equilizer in line....JUST LIKE THE MANUAL SAYS. http://www.datasheetarchive.com/pdf/3631983.pdf
Well guys I feel like an idiot. I have listened to these "boring neutral" speakers compaired to my Infinity 2.5s for well over a year. . . . . and the other day I decided to look at the fuses. All 4 fuses for the emims and emits were sagging in the glass and they were tarnished and corroded. The wire was soooo thin....being only 1 1/4 amp fast blow fuses. Well anyway I replaced the fuses and WHAZAMM!! CRYSTAL CLEAR DEEP BEAUTIFUL SOUND. I think the fuses were original...25+ years old??? When I first set up the speakers I put my ear up to all the drivers and they all worked....so I thought the fuses were ok. I have thousands of dollars worth of preamps, amps and interconnect and all of the sound is going through a hair width wire. Sorry for the confusion above. Larry
Update Feb 2014:
I moved to a different house and put the RSIIbs on the tile floor versus sitting 12 inches up on on a large fireplace hearth at the old house. WOW!!! what a difference 12 inches makes....now I am sitting on the couch staring at the middle EMIM on the RSIIB and the midrange and highs are to die for.... no more "hooded" sound from vocals out of 10 woofer and lower EMIM. At the old house when I was sitting, ear level was between the top woofer and lower EMIM. The 2.5s sound very similar at either location....two beaming EMIMs ??? I am having fun listening to the IIbs...like this is the first time I have given them a chance...love playing with different amps and tube types. Larry