Infinity RS 2.5 external crossover substitute.

[geoff727]

They look like they have been quite well kept over the years. The front foam, which always goes bad, can be replaced by 1" Sonic Barrier from Parts Express, or NoRez from GR Research. I would recommend the NoRez, as it incorporates a vibration damping layer. Although, it will be more expensive. Both require care in cutting, but if you go slowly you can get a result that looks like brand new.

 

[kneeOhFight]

The deteriorating foam is unsightly, but I'm not sure that changing it will improve sonics. I'm sure I'll get round to it sooner or later. The wood is thirsty for conditioning, but otherwise fine. I'm very pleased, all things considered.

 

[totem]

Another pair join the fold :thmbsp:

 

[tubed]

Snapped a few pics of the new arrivals. I'll try to upload one, and, if it's massive, I'll go about downsizing them.

Very nice!
You'll be searching for the ultra cool RS 2.5 "tie-clasp" logos?

 

[kneeOhFight]

Very nice!
You'll be searching for the ultra cool RS 2.5 "tie-clasp" logos?

I was unaware of their existence till I read this. The Bryston Active XO blew the top off the project budget, so, if I see them for like $3.00, I'll grab them up!

 

[geoff727]

I have a number of really nice Infinity logos if you need some. They are not the original, and they include the word Infinity next to the logo. But, they are brand new and are really quite striking. The silver paint that makes the word Infinity changes hue when the direction to the light changes. They're not the typical logos you see on eBay. They are plastic and screw or pin from the back. I can take a pic if you're interested (one of these days)

I made a dye cast for the original logos. I bought a bunch of them, and they can get expensive, and the finishes get old and the gold rubs off easily when you try to polish them. So I just made a dye. I can't do them in metal, but I can do them in resin. They have to be painted, so they don't look original. But, they can still come out nice.

Anyway, there's always options.

G~

 

[kneeOhFight]

I have a number of really nice Infinity logos if you need some. They are not the original, and they include the word Infinity next to the logo. But, they are brand new and are really quite striking. The silver paint that makes the word Infinity changes hue when the direction to the light changes. They're not the typical logos you see on eBay. They are plastic and screw or pin from the back. I can take a pic if you're interested (one of these days)

I made a dye cast for the original logos. I bought a bunch of them, and they can get expensive, and the finishes get old and the gold rubs off easily when you try to polish them. So I just made a dye. I can't do them in metal, but I can do them in resin. They have to be painted, so they don't look original. But, they can still come out nice.

Anyway, there's always options.

G~

Very nice. This is something that I would definitely pursue, but, there's no particular urgency or time pressure over it in my head. Whenever it can be gotten round to is fine with me. Thanks.

 

[geoff727]

Come to think of it, I'll bet there's another easy way to do these. If I use JB Weld itself as the piece, it should work okay and be pretty tough. After it sets fully, I can shape it down to a gnat's ass. I wonder if it's possible to electroplate onto JB Weld. hmmmm

 

[Bkphoto]

congrats....looks like a sweet set...

Always thought those would look really sharp with a nice dark mahogany stain...



my .02....when its all said and done I bet they sound better with just one "big" amp instead bi-amping...

 

[kneeOhFight]

congrats....looks like a sweet set...
my .02....when its all said and done I bet they sound better with just one "big" amp instead bi-amping...

Thank you, I'm quite pleased with them. I haven't heard them in anything but single amp mode (Kenwood L-07M monoblocks, 300 wpc@4 ohms each), and they sound quite impressive. I think Infinity did the best they could to cross them over, but, they themselves open the conversation of addressing the need for additional XO capability by offering one as an option. The Kenwoods aren't straining, but I just drove them hard for 90 minutes, and they reached an operating temp of 119 degrees F (in a room where it is mid 80's ambient). 8 of the 10 drivers in the system are planar, and they aren't taxing the amp one bit. It's the wonderful sounding Watkins woofers that are guzzling power. When I dedicate the monoblocks to the planar drivers, and feed the Watkins woofers a dedicated 400 wpc@4ohms of clean, clinical Altec power, I doubt they will tax that unit very much. Add in a much higher order active crossover unit than the factory offered, and I believe I can expect an upgrade in imaging and soundstage. That's what I'm after.

 

[Bkphoto]

happy hunting....hahaha...it never ends does it...I just picked up a pair of IIIa's and my wife just looked at me "really, another pair of speakers..."

 

[geoff727]

KOF, have you given any thought to what xover frequency to use, when you buy the programming boards from Bryston?

I am also curious if koogar has settled on a frequency that sounds best, using his original unit.

 

[totem]

The 2.5s can be over driven, bottoming out under certain situations.

Have a look at the spider and the amount of sag when they are sitting flat on their magnets, along with any cabinet air leaks.

 

[kneeOhFight]

KOF, have you given any thought to what xover frequency to use, when you buy the programming boards from Bryston?

I am also curious if koogar has settled on a frequency that sounds best, using his original unit.

Not really. I'm kind of groping my way through things, learning on the fly. I could only find one used unit on offer, and I pounced on it before it vanished, because I can't swing $3500+ for a new unit. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[geoff727]

KOF, I don't know if a set of these would benefit your project or not. These are 3"-long plastic logos that I have a bunch of, all brand new. I think they're really quite nice, and maybe you can see how the hue of the paint changes with the light.

Anyway, another option.

 

[kneeOhFight]

Those look great, and I can see a hint of iridescence in the photos, yeah. I'm definitely interested in some, and, I'd be surprised if you don't find more than a few others that would as well.

 

[kneeOhFight]

The more I ruminate on this, the more I think I ought to have pursued the Bryston 10b STD, as opposed to the 10b LR.

 

[geoff727]

Why is that?

 

[kneeOhFight]

Why is that?

Well, I shied away from a Marchand unit to avoid having to buy and interchange various internal bits and bobs looking for a good result because I (as aforementioned) am out of my depth regarding specific tech knowledge. The LR model pretty much puts me in the same jackpot, or, so it seems to me. The STD model looks more "not yet savvy" user friendly to me.

 

[geoff727]

I understand where you're coming from. The changing of the programming boards inside the unit is actually quite easy. The instruction manual has a picture of it, actually. Where things get a little bit dicey is in doing what I did...using two units in mono 3-way configuration. Believe me, I had a moment of really keeping my fingers crossed that I had done every hookup correctly.

Since you live in CO, do you attend the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver in October? If so, then just bring the unit with you and we can sit down and get it configured correctly.

One of the things you will learn about 4-th order networks, like the 10b LR has, is that the outputs are in phase with one another. I believe the 10b STD uses 3rd order slopes, which are not in phase with one another. In my estimation, in this case, it might complicate things a little bit. Just looking at the phase curves of the High-pass vs. the Low-pass when the crossover is set to Bi-Amp position, and taking into account the positions of the drivers where they are mounted on the baffle, and the rough crossover frequency being used, I think a fourth order network is probably a good choice.

This is almost something we need to sit down and talk about. Trying to get it all into a forum post is like taking a sip of water from a fire hose.

Anyway, no worries. It's just a process we need to nail down.