M Jarve
Audio Geek and NGE Freak
Yesterday, I got back from an 800-mile trip to (and from) Green Bay to help a friend hook up a new receiver and to pick up a set of speakers. As you may have guessed, the speakers are a set of Infinity Systems RS6000's.
I missed an opportunity to get a set of these a couple years back and have always been a little regretful of that. Fortunately, the reason I was thinking of buying them in the first place, the theft of a set of zero9's, along with some other stuff, turned out not to be such a big deal after the burglar was caught. Still, I wanted a set for experimentation, stacking, and, most importantly, because they appeared to be something of a zero9-lite: Similar design, but in a convenient take-home size. So when I had a chance to pick up another set I went for it. The set I bought were from our own Spaaaz, and are in pretty decent shape, with new foams and the works.
Indeed, the similarities between the RS6000 and the zero9 are almost uncanny. Both use a planar tweeter, a dome mid-range (cone/dome on the zero9’s), and have a double woofer configuration. There are, of course, some stark contrasts too. The zero9’s have a ported enclosure for one, seem to be built with appreciably higher-quality components for another (as they should have; inflation adjusted, the zero9’s were nearly 3x the retail cost of the RS6000’s), and the RS6000 has only about 60% the internal volume of the zero9’s.
Still, there was hope that the RS6000 could play the Mini-Me to the zero9’s Dr. Evil.
Yesterday, I started them off with some of my typical fair played at a moderate to moderately loud volume. My initial impressions were not that good, as they just did not seem to have the air and presence that I expected. I started fidgeting around and found two dials on the back that (at first) I had mistook to be fuses. I cranked up the pots, and noted that they were in dire need of cleaning; a quick dismantling and squirt of cleaner/lubricant later and I was in business. Much better.
The first thing I noticed, when comparing them directly to the zero9’s, is their relative inefficiency. If I had to guess, I would say that they are a good 6-dB less efficient. Despite this (and due to having a good amp), they are still very, very dynamic. Second, I noticed a little more punch in the 50-60Hz area from the RS6000, but ultimately not as deep bass extension. Unlike some speakers, the RS6000’s do not seem to distort when trying to play the lowest registers- it just doesn’t do it. After some A/B-ing, I moved the zero9’s out of the room and lined up the RS6000’s in their optimal spot. I have to mention some kudos to Infinity Systems for equipping the RS6000 with adjustable front feet. I had been dreading that I would have to put the speakers on a telephone book to bring the tweeters to ear-height (as I often do when a floor-standing speaker is just short of the proper height). The feet allow the speaker to be tilted back to a good degree while maintaining stability and good coupling to the floor.
I let it rip with some of my normal listening fare, though I saved the 9th Symphony test for today. Overall, they do pretty well compared to the zero9’s. A little more punch than I am used to in the range mentioned above, but it seems to make up for a lack of extension, imitating deeper bass by slightly exaggerating low bass. Transients and dynamics are excellent. Tympani, in particular, has a healthy and realistic snap and presence, as does tight bass drum as you would find in harder rock. The Polydome midrange does a good job with vocals. Norah Jones comes through very clearly without any undue emphasis. Perhaps it’s a little laid back, but not upsettingly so. Midrange definition is exceptional; During the Ninth, I was able to distinctly make out the violins that were playing during the chorus; most speakers have the voices drowning them out. The EMIT tweeter seems add the right amount of air and extension to the performance without strain or distortion. The transition between the mid and the tweeter is very smooth. It is a little less so between the mid and the woofers, though. I persionally think that the crossover point for the mid could have been a little higher, or the system could have been 4-way with something like a 5 or 6 inch mid-bass driver. Of course this would have added appreciably to the cost and complexity of the system, but it would have been worth it. And it would likely have been the same thing as the later Kappa 9, so no harm done. Aside from the apparent peak at about 40Hz, the bass is very clean, fast, and well defined. Depending on what amp your are using, anyways.
I would not recommend using a receiver with these speakers, especially a HT model. An exception could be made for one of the “monster” receivers, but I think even that would be pushing it. You can get away with it, but you would not be doing either the speakers or the receiver justice in the least. These things need so much current that you really need a virtual arc-welder to sound their best. None of the drivers in the system are direct coupled to the amplifier which makes for something of a reactive load. That, when combined with their relative low efficiency, pushes them into separates territory. That said they do take the full brunt of my Citation Sixteen with stride and no noticable distortion.
So where are we? Ah, yes! Are they a suitable candidate for portable zero9’s? I think so, but with reservations: They have a seemingly artifical bass boost that makes up for a lack of extension and do not have the full dynamic range. And that will matter when I find a portable version of the Citation Sixteen. Has anyone seen my Sonic Impact T-Amp?
I missed an opportunity to get a set of these a couple years back and have always been a little regretful of that. Fortunately, the reason I was thinking of buying them in the first place, the theft of a set of zero9's, along with some other stuff, turned out not to be such a big deal after the burglar was caught. Still, I wanted a set for experimentation, stacking, and, most importantly, because they appeared to be something of a zero9-lite: Similar design, but in a convenient take-home size. So when I had a chance to pick up another set I went for it. The set I bought were from our own Spaaaz, and are in pretty decent shape, with new foams and the works.
Indeed, the similarities between the RS6000 and the zero9 are almost uncanny. Both use a planar tweeter, a dome mid-range (cone/dome on the zero9’s), and have a double woofer configuration. There are, of course, some stark contrasts too. The zero9’s have a ported enclosure for one, seem to be built with appreciably higher-quality components for another (as they should have; inflation adjusted, the zero9’s were nearly 3x the retail cost of the RS6000’s), and the RS6000 has only about 60% the internal volume of the zero9’s.
Still, there was hope that the RS6000 could play the Mini-Me to the zero9’s Dr. Evil.
Yesterday, I started them off with some of my typical fair played at a moderate to moderately loud volume. My initial impressions were not that good, as they just did not seem to have the air and presence that I expected. I started fidgeting around and found two dials on the back that (at first) I had mistook to be fuses. I cranked up the pots, and noted that they were in dire need of cleaning; a quick dismantling and squirt of cleaner/lubricant later and I was in business. Much better.
The first thing I noticed, when comparing them directly to the zero9’s, is their relative inefficiency. If I had to guess, I would say that they are a good 6-dB less efficient. Despite this (and due to having a good amp), they are still very, very dynamic. Second, I noticed a little more punch in the 50-60Hz area from the RS6000, but ultimately not as deep bass extension. Unlike some speakers, the RS6000’s do not seem to distort when trying to play the lowest registers- it just doesn’t do it. After some A/B-ing, I moved the zero9’s out of the room and lined up the RS6000’s in their optimal spot. I have to mention some kudos to Infinity Systems for equipping the RS6000 with adjustable front feet. I had been dreading that I would have to put the speakers on a telephone book to bring the tweeters to ear-height (as I often do when a floor-standing speaker is just short of the proper height). The feet allow the speaker to be tilted back to a good degree while maintaining stability and good coupling to the floor.
I let it rip with some of my normal listening fare, though I saved the 9th Symphony test for today. Overall, they do pretty well compared to the zero9’s. A little more punch than I am used to in the range mentioned above, but it seems to make up for a lack of extension, imitating deeper bass by slightly exaggerating low bass. Transients and dynamics are excellent. Tympani, in particular, has a healthy and realistic snap and presence, as does tight bass drum as you would find in harder rock. The Polydome midrange does a good job with vocals. Norah Jones comes through very clearly without any undue emphasis. Perhaps it’s a little laid back, but not upsettingly so. Midrange definition is exceptional; During the Ninth, I was able to distinctly make out the violins that were playing during the chorus; most speakers have the voices drowning them out. The EMIT tweeter seems add the right amount of air and extension to the performance without strain or distortion. The transition between the mid and the tweeter is very smooth. It is a little less so between the mid and the woofers, though. I persionally think that the crossover point for the mid could have been a little higher, or the system could have been 4-way with something like a 5 or 6 inch mid-bass driver. Of course this would have added appreciably to the cost and complexity of the system, but it would have been worth it. And it would likely have been the same thing as the later Kappa 9, so no harm done. Aside from the apparent peak at about 40Hz, the bass is very clean, fast, and well defined. Depending on what amp your are using, anyways.
I would not recommend using a receiver with these speakers, especially a HT model. An exception could be made for one of the “monster” receivers, but I think even that would be pushing it. You can get away with it, but you would not be doing either the speakers or the receiver justice in the least. These things need so much current that you really need a virtual arc-welder to sound their best. None of the drivers in the system are direct coupled to the amplifier which makes for something of a reactive load. That, when combined with their relative low efficiency, pushes them into separates territory. That said they do take the full brunt of my Citation Sixteen with stride and no noticable distortion.
So where are we? Ah, yes! Are they a suitable candidate for portable zero9’s? I think so, but with reservations: They have a seemingly artifical bass boost that makes up for a lack of extension and do not have the full dynamic range. And that will matter when I find a portable version of the Citation Sixteen. Has anyone seen my Sonic Impact T-Amp?
