Infinity RS152 Review (Surround Speaker)

[Sancus]

My surrounds have terribly poor placement, where for 1 of the then couch is nearly under the speaker which is mounted about 6ft up, so vertical off-axis is hugely important.

Have you considered ceiling mounts, or even aimable in-ceiling speakers like the Revel C763L that are used for Atmos mastering? It's fairly commonly done for surrounds. I actually suspect you can get away with that even with actual Tops, since the Top locations are entirely different(at least for X.X.4)

 

[MZKM]

Have you considered ceiling mounts, or even aimable in-ceiling speakers like the Revel C763L that are used for Atmos mastering? It's fairly commonly done for surrounds. I actually suspect you can get away with that even with actual Tops, since the Top locations are entirely different(at least for X.X.4)

I mean, if this was a new construction house, sure. But it would cost a pretty penny to install them in our finished living room (bottom floor of a 2-story home).

I’m just glad the original owner had the home built with surrounds wired at all, even if they used what I think is 22awg wire (dude was a manager at Home Depot, could have gotten a good price of decent gauge wiring at his work).

 

[wwenze]

This is probably a good time to use that balloon plot or something

 

[MZKM]

This is probably a good time to use that balloon plot or something

Pretty please @amirm.

Would love to see how a ballon plot for a regular bipole and for a regular dipole compare.
I wonder what the phase relation between these tweeters are (90°?, bipole are 0° so on-axis is loudest, dipole are 180° so on-axis is a null).
But no, I will not be shipping to Amir the bipole surround these are replacing.

 

[thewas]

Would love to see how a ballon plot for a regular bipole and for a regular dipole compare.

So do I.

I wonder what the phase relation between these tweeters are (90°?, bipole are 0° so on-axis is loudest, dipole are 180° so on-axis is a null).

From the plots they should be bipoles, also Toole is strictly against the old surround dipoles coming from early Dolby Pro Logic times.

 

[MZKM]

proper bipole like the Revel surrounds.

Am I assuming tiered seating as for why one side is inverted? I guess when you buy a pair they are mirrored?

 

[MZKM]

Toole is strictly against the old surround dipoles coming from early Dolby Pro Logic times.

Yeah, Atmos guidelines don’t like dipole either.

The only time I have ever heard a case for dipole surrounds is when Gene (of Audioholics) stated that for tiered seating when people walk to/from the back row, they don’t get blasted in the ear as much when they walk past them.

 

[Sancus]

Am I assuming tiered seating as for why one side is inverted? I guess when you buy a pair they are mirrored?

That would be my guess as well but I'm not totally sure. FWIW, I've always thought the "make the surrounds extra wide dispersion" idea was kind of silly. Toole seemed to like it earlier on his research, but his current home theatre uses a larger number of regular monopoles instead, which I think is definitely the way to go. Trinnov guidelines as well state one set of surrounds per row is optimal(and they're the most complete I've seen, definitely more comprehensive than Dolby's own). Especially since that's just a summary of a much larger document for installers which would be fascinating to read.

 

[MZKM]

That would be my guess as well but I'm not totally sure. FWIW, I've always thought the "make the surrounds extra wide dispersion" idea was kind of silly. Toole seemed to like it earlier on his research, but his current home theatre uses a larger number of regular monopoles instead, which I think is definitely the way to go. Trinnov guidelines as well state one set of surrounds per row is optimal(and they're the most complete I've seen, definitely more comprehensive than Dolby's own). Especially since that's just a summary of a much larger document for installers which would be fascinating to read.

Yep.

For a living room though, kind of hard to do as monopoles typically don’t have good vertical dispersion, and Toole has one of his surrounds just chillin’ on his kitchen counter because of this:

Man has a 9.4.4 setup in this space.

Let’s just say the above is a no-go for me.

 

[Sancus]

Yep.

For a living room though, kind of hard to do as monopoles typically don’t have good vertical dispersion, and Toole has one of his surrounds on his kitchen counter because of this:

Yeah, it's a pain. I dealt with this by using stands that you can put underneath end tables, but I luckily have enough room to the sides for that at all. If you don't, you're pretty much stuck.

 

[abdo123]

People seem to forget that flush mounting a speaker to the wall cancels the reflections (SBIR) not the opposite.

The Klipel measurements probably reflect a flush mount the best, without the bass gain.

 

[MZKM]

People seem to forget that flush mounting a speaker to the wall cancels the reflections (SBIR) not the opposite. Nothing will be added with a flush mount.

The Klipel measurements probably reflect a flush mount the best, without the bass gain.

Well, SBIR is usually 100Hz-200Hz for most people, but once I get these mounted I will try to do an in-room measurement and see if any improvement occurs in the 650Hz null region.

 

[abdo123]

Well, SBIR is usually 100Hz-200Hz for most people, but once I get these mounted I will try to do an in-room measurement and see if any improvement occurs in the 650Hz null region.

it goes into 600 Hz but with diminishing effect. (usually till second or third harmonic).

 

[Vini darko]

Oooo the magnapan has competition. Both have negetive preference.
Home theater stuff is weird.

 

[Bear123]

And this is why I bought it. Though I couldn’t find said patent.
Paid $140 for them during Infinity’s last large sale.

These are (hopefully) replacing my pair of Fluance XLBP surrounds (MSRP $200, paid $100), which are your typical bipole:

I will try my best to do some in-room measurements of both when wall-mounted.

The Sound Power DI almost never going above 5dB is giving me hope. My surrounds have terribly poor placement, where for 1 of them the couch is nearly under the speaker which is mounted about 6ft up, so vertical off-axis is hugely important.

Maybe KEF would be a better choice for this application due to superb vertical dispersion? Maybe in walls due to flush mounting.

 

[MZKM]

Maybe KEF would be a better choice for this application due to superb vertical dispersion? Maybe in walls due to flush mounting.

Kef would be good, but I ain’t shelling out more money on surrounds .

They are just for the additional sources for the score/soundtrack and also effects (and only blockbuster movies and shows really utilize them, most stuff is practically mono), I don’t do All Channel Stereo music listening.

 

[Bear123]

Kef would be good, but I ain’t shelling out more money on surrounds .

They are just for the additional sources for the score/soundtrack and also effects (and only blockbuster movies and shows really utilize them, most stuff is practically mono), I don’t do All Channel Stereo music listening.

Understood. If your in room performance isn't what you hope for, I think KEF in walls start as low as $200/ish pair. Aesthetics may not be a high priority for your, or preferences may just be different, but I find in walls to be aesthetically fantastic in a living room, when feasible.

I tried bookshelf and satellite size speakers on stands/wall mounted and couldn't stomach them but again, that's just *my* room and preference. I've seen pics of other rooms where they look fine.

Will be interesting to see how the speakers measure in room when properly wall mounted as designed.

 

[Vladimir Filevski]

People seem to forget that flush mounting a speaker to the wall cancels the reflections (SBIR) not the opposite. Nothing will be added with a flush mount.
The Klipel measurements probably reflect a flush mount the best, without the bass gain.

This loudspeaker is not intended for flush mounting, but for on-wall mounting. Woofer is not mounted on front loudspeaker panel and is not oriented to the room, but is firing to the wall. Big difference!
When properly mounted on-wall, I expect the enormous dip around 600 Hz to be filled-in.

 

[abdo123]

When properly mounted on-wall.

how do you mount it on the wall? you seem to be an expert so what distance does the company recommends?

 

[abdo123]

a flush mount will boost the region between 80Hz and 1KHz somewhat evenly by ~3 dB. Making the speaker effectively flat. the further you're away from the speaker, the bigger that boost and the more even it will be.