whell Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 First off, let me say that the Klipsch speakers I enjoy listening to have some of the clearest sound I've ever had in my listening room. My wife even comments that the musicians/vocalists sound like they are in the room with us. Now, seg to this weekend, when the wife is out for the weekend and hubby is left at home to play. I'm assembling a little 2nd system with good quality, vintage components (with the exception of the CD player) in my basement. The basement is relatively unfinished, exposed beams and cement walls. However, some of the components I've been able to assemble are good quality: -Kenwood KA-9100 integrated amp (found at a garage sale for $50!) -Infinity SM 100 speakers (pretty good sound for not being horny, and also just like the pair I had in college) -Denon CD/DVD player DVD1000 Pulled out a copy of a Crosby Stills and Nash CSN album, and played it for a while on the "vintage" system. I was immediately impressed by the detail in the upper midrange and trebble. Much more pronounced highs than my Klipsch/Marantz system. To determine if the Kenwood was making the system "overbright", I brought the Infinitys upstairs, and hooked them up to my main system (see below). Sure enough, there was the same emphasis on detail as I had heard downstairs. It actually was a pleasing effect to me, there was a "shimmer and sizzle" to the guitar strings and cymbals" that is not there with my RF-3's. But for overall clarity and balance, I still prefer my Klipsch. Soooo...here is the question: If the RF-3's are supposed to render high frequncies through 20K HZ, what is the reason that this "sizzle" is present on the Infinity, but not the Klipsch system? Is it an obvious answer, like "The designers of the RF-3's were after tonal balance rather than an emphasis on one part of the audio spectrum? Or is it something else? Thanks for your thoughts! ------------------ Mike - Livonia, MI Klipsch RF-3 L/R Klipsch RC-3 Center Klipsch RB-5 rears HSU Research VF-2 Sub Marantz SR-19EX receiver Marantz MM-9000 Amp NAD T550 DVD Adcom GCD 700 CD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 whell, maybe what you're hearing w/ the infinity is more coloration. at least that's my guess having owned infinity in the past (replaced by cornwalls). ------------------ My Home Systems Page Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted June 3, 2002 Author Share Posted June 3, 2002 How do you define "coloration", though. I'm not being nit-picky here, but if in two different listening situation on two different sets of equipment, the detail was there, I'm wondering if that level of detail is "supposed to" be there. Coloration suggests that the speaker is adding something that really isn't there, yet what I heard was not harshness or an "overbright" quality....at least, not to me. ------------------ Mike - Livonia, MI Klipsch RF-3 L/R Klipsch RC-3 Center Klipsch RB-5 rears HSU Research VF-2 Sub Marantz SR-19EX receiver Marantz MM-9000 Amp NAD T550 DVD Adcom GCD 700 CD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Is the SM100 a two-way or three-way speaker? 3-ways typically have a more pronounced midband. Are they monitors or floorstanders like the RF3? Monitors do not have the extended low end, so they tend to sound a little 'hotter' on top as compared to floorstanders. It is simply because the balance is tipped towards the top somewhat. It may even be as simple as saying that the HF driver and associated crossover were 'voiced' to sound this way. Many years ago, when AR was all the rave, we used to refer to Infinity designs as "tinkle boom speakers". ------------------ Deanf>s> Cary AE-25f>s>SuperAmpf>s> - Sonic Frontiers Line 1 - Sony DVP-S9000ES - Klipsch RF7's SVS 20-39 CS Plus - Samson S1000 - HSU Research elec. crossover - MIT/Monsters f>s> Inside every small problem is a large problem struggling to get outf>c>s>-- 2nd Law of Blissful Ignorancef>s>c> This message has been edited by deang on 06-03-2002 at 03:47 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whell Posted June 3, 2002 Author Share Posted June 3, 2002 The SM 100's are 2 way speakers designed as floor-standers. I do have them elevated on 10" stands. The "SM" designation stands for "Studio Monitors", but they seem to have good low end response (they are supposed reach flat down to about 37 hz or so, similar to the RF-3's. ------------------ Mike - Livonia, MI Klipsch RF-3 L/R Klipsch RC-3 Center Klipsch RB-5 rears HSU Research VF-2 Sub Marantz SR-19EX receiver Marantz MM-9000 Amp NAD T550 DVD Adcom GCD 700 CD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted June 3, 2002 Share Posted June 3, 2002 Infinities are well known to be "hot". It is the reason I can't stand to be in the room with them. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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