In my review of the RS-1B (Vol.8 No.4), I commented on that speaker's tendency to exaggerate grundge in the program material by adding what sounded like extremely narrow response spikes in the mid to upper treble. Since then, Infinity provided us with a modification kit for the passive crossover network feeding the mid-tweeter. The modification involves changing a potentiometer, and adding a resistor, capacitor, and choke to the crossover. It's more difficult than the instructions imply because the leads on the cap and…
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J. Gordon Holt returned to the RS-1B in November 1985 (Vol.8 No.7):
Anthony H. Cordesman wrote again about the RS-1B in March 1986 (Vol.9 No.2):
No speaker ever totally disguises the compromises it must make with the laws of physics. Infinity's two largest monitor speakers, however come as close to hiding theirs as any full-range speaker available. The Infinity IRS has long ranked as one of the top two or three speakers in the world. The RS-1B has slowly emerged as one of the top two or three speakers for the ordinary home.
I now use the RS-1B as my home reference speaker, and a nearby IRS-III at Excalibur Audio as a listening "control" when I'm…
J. Gordon Holt returned to the RS-1B in April 1986 (Vol.9 No.3):
While I (currently) favor the MartinLogan Monoliths because of their incredible you-are-there realism, I still go back to the Infinity RS-1Bs from time to time for their awesome quality of power and excitement. The Infinities can give me goosebumps more often than any other speakers I've had on hand; every audiophile needs that kind of a fix from time to time.
After a while, though, the RS-1B's peculiar (apparent) sluggishness gets to me, and I start to long once more for the delicacy and transparency of the…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Five-way, two-chassis, dynamic, floorstanding loudspeaker system with four EMIT ribbon tweeters, seven EMIM ribbon midrange units, and six servo-controlled polyproylene-cone woofers. Electronic crossover frequencies: 125Hz, 700Hz, 3kHz, and 8kHz.
Dimensions: LF section: 60" H by 14" W by 15" D. HF section. 60" H by 22" by 13" D.
Price: $5295/system (1985); no longer available (2006).
Manufacturer: Infinity Systems, Canoga Park, CA (1985); Infinity Systems, 250 Crossways Park Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797. Tel: (800) 553-3332 (2006). Web: wwww.…
"Well, Sam, are there any speakers you are really excited about?"
It was my friend Vladimir, on the phone.
"Yes, the Rasputin speakers from Petersburg. But in order to sound their best, they need this tube amp—the Balgalvis from Riga, Latvia. They also need Moldavian wire, from a wire factory in Kishiniev, which used to make wire for the Soviet military. It's kind of hard to get the system together nowadays, what with the old Union gone."
Vladimir thought for a minute, then realized I was putting him on. Maybe.
"I have heard of this Moldavian wire."
So I…
John Atkinson reviewed the Thiel CS2 2 in January 1993 (Vol.16 No.1):
"A good big'un will always beat a good littl'un" is as true in the world of loudspeakers as it is, say, in the world of car engines. Once you've driven a car with a big, torquey, low-revving V8, small-capacity, high-revving engines, no matter how quick they can make the car go, seem buzzingly inelegant. Similarly, as I've listened to a number of tiny boxes in the last few months, I felt the need to spend some time with full-range speakers. Over the next few months, therefore, I'll be reviewing a handful of speakers…
Sidebar 1: First-Order Filters: Panacea or Pain?
As mentioned, the Thiel CS 2 2's crossover features first-order, 6dB/octave slopes. Many audiophiles state, without specifying why, that first-order slopes are "the best." A first-order crossover is unique in that it offers the minimum phase error through the crossover region between the two drive-units, hence the best time-domain behavior (least ringing and overshoot). The drive-units also work in phase outside of the crossover region in a time-coherent manner; ie, they are both in phase and in time-step with the input signal. More…
Sidebar 2: Review context
Amplifiers used during the preparation of this review included pairs of Mark Levinson No.20.6 and Audio Research Classic 120 monoblocks, while the preamplifier was first the Melos SHA-1 headphone amplifier, then a Melos 333 linestage, with a Mod Squad Phono Drive EPS handling LP signals. These were provided by a Linn Sondek/Trampolin/Lingo/Ekos/Troika setup sitting on an ArchiDee table, with the Troika subsequently replaced by Linn's new Arkiv phono cartridge.
Digital source components included the VTL Reference D/A processor driven by a Meridian 602…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Fig.1 shows the CS2 2's electrical impedance amplitude and phase, measured using the magazine's Audio Precision System One. Like all Thiel speakers, the value varies very little across the audio band. Note how low in amplitude the bass humps are. Apart from the bass, where the radiator tuning is apparent at a low 28Hz, the minimum value is 3.5 ohms at 120Hz, and the maximum 5.2 ohms at 4.3kHz. Although the CS2 2 requires an amplifier capable of driving 4 ohms, its sound will not change significantly in the midrange and treble as the amplifier output impedance…
John Atkinson returned to the Thiel CS2 2 in October 1993 (Vol.16 No.10):
The natural comparison for the MartinLogan Aerius is the Thiel CS2 2, which I reviewed at the beginning of the year, and now suffers a slight price disadvantage since its recent price hike to $2750/pair. The beautifully engineered 2 2 is ST's other favorite speaker (when he can be torn away from his Advent Cheapskate Specials, that is).
Listening to the two pairs of speakers head to head, the Thiel's midbass is a bit fatter than that of the Aerius, which adds a pleasing bloom to the sound of bass…