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<!-- #thumb --> <p>Now that the Infinity <a href="http://youtu.be/u-THnT8LGY8" target="_blank">IRS system is installed</a> and I am listening to it I thought I might give you an update as to how things are going.</p>
<p>First I’ll describe the audio chain being used. *It’s right now about as simple as it can be. *For a source I am using either the <a href="http://www.psaudio.com/shop/perfectwave-memory-player/" target="_blank">PWT</a> or the <a href="http://www.psaudio.com/shop/perfectwave-bridge/" target="_blank">Bridge</a> connected to our music library, feeding the <a href="http://www.psaudio.com/shop/perfectwave-dac/" target="_blank">PWD</a>. *The output of the PWD is connected through a 15 meter balanced interconnect from Audioquest that is breaking in nicely. *The cable feeds directly into the PerfectWave Power Amplifier in balanced mode, that amp feeding the midrange tweeter panels. *The IRS has its own subwoofer crossover box that feeds the signal to the big woofer towers. *To this I have to neck down the balanced connection to single ended – as the entire system is single ended – they just weren’t into balanced back then.</p>
<p>The whole system is perhaps 6 to 10dB more efficient than the Magneplanar system it replaced and so all my careful notes on the back of CD cases about volume have to be recalibrated. *But that’s ok, because I too have to be recalibrated.</p>
<p>The difference in sound between the original system and this new system is hard to describe – so big the differences. *For one thing, the IRS has no apparent compression of dynamics. *Because each of the 76 tweeters and 36 midrange drivers are all playing together, one can only imagine how little effort each of these drivers is asked to provide. *Imagine for a moment a conventional pair of loudspeakers with but one tweeter and one midrange driver and what you’re asking it to do – fill the room with sound – and of course you’re pushing that driver in terms of dynamics. *But now place 18 pair of loudspeakers in the room all playing the same thing, each 1/18th the loudness of the single pair, and they could theoretically play 18 times louder at the same level of strain as could a single pair – or put another way, there’s 18 times less dynamic restriction than any conventional pair of loudspeakers.</p>
<p>What this results in is simply breathtaking levels of loudness delivered effortlessly – and I am not playing the system louder – what I mean is that there is simply no compression of anything and in most cases I had no idea of what was hidden in these recordings of mine.</p>
<p>I have a very special copy of a high resolution Nat King Cole track where the mastering engineer kept Nat front and center relative to the orchestra in back – he dominates the recording. *On the older system the presentation was a bit “muddled together” where the singer and orchestra seemed to affect each other and were cut from one cloth – which might seem like a good thing until you hear them as separate and distinct from each other – Nat is just in the room with a clarity and presence that is uncanny. *I really struggle to describe this – but once you hear the music without the dynamic compression all other conventional loudspeakers have – you’ll understand what I mean.</p>
<p>Recordings I have relegated to my secondary and tertiary shelves have now been elevated up or have gone further down – most up in pecking order. *It’s just crazy but my task right now is to spend a few weeks getting to know my library again in a whole new way. *And, oh yes, high resolution discs? *Holy maloley – the differences between standard CD’s and high resolution versions were always apparent and appreciated but now – it’s a whole new ballgame.</p>
<p>And to think – I am still not able to even set the turntable up because my shelving is being delivered later this week.</p>
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<p>First I’ll describe the audio chain being used. *It’s right now about as simple as it can be. *For a source I am using either the <a href="http://www.psaudio.com/shop/perfectwave-memory-player/" target="_blank">PWT</a> or the <a href="http://www.psaudio.com/shop/perfectwave-bridge/" target="_blank">Bridge</a> connected to our music library, feeding the <a href="http://www.psaudio.com/shop/perfectwave-dac/" target="_blank">PWD</a>. *The output of the PWD is connected through a 15 meter balanced interconnect from Audioquest that is breaking in nicely. *The cable feeds directly into the PerfectWave Power Amplifier in balanced mode, that amp feeding the midrange tweeter panels. *The IRS has its own subwoofer crossover box that feeds the signal to the big woofer towers. *To this I have to neck down the balanced connection to single ended – as the entire system is single ended – they just weren’t into balanced back then.</p>
<p>The whole system is perhaps 6 to 10dB more efficient than the Magneplanar system it replaced and so all my careful notes on the back of CD cases about volume have to be recalibrated. *But that’s ok, because I too have to be recalibrated.</p>
<p>The difference in sound between the original system and this new system is hard to describe – so big the differences. *For one thing, the IRS has no apparent compression of dynamics. *Because each of the 76 tweeters and 36 midrange drivers are all playing together, one can only imagine how little effort each of these drivers is asked to provide. *Imagine for a moment a conventional pair of loudspeakers with but one tweeter and one midrange driver and what you’re asking it to do – fill the room with sound – and of course you’re pushing that driver in terms of dynamics. *But now place 18 pair of loudspeakers in the room all playing the same thing, each 1/18th the loudness of the single pair, and they could theoretically play 18 times louder at the same level of strain as could a single pair – or put another way, there’s 18 times less dynamic restriction than any conventional pair of loudspeakers.</p>
<p>What this results in is simply breathtaking levels of loudness delivered effortlessly – and I am not playing the system louder – what I mean is that there is simply no compression of anything and in most cases I had no idea of what was hidden in these recordings of mine.</p>
<p>I have a very special copy of a high resolution Nat King Cole track where the mastering engineer kept Nat front and center relative to the orchestra in back – he dominates the recording. *On the older system the presentation was a bit “muddled together” where the singer and orchestra seemed to affect each other and were cut from one cloth – which might seem like a good thing until you hear them as separate and distinct from each other – Nat is just in the room with a clarity and presence that is uncanny. *I really struggle to describe this – but once you hear the music without the dynamic compression all other conventional loudspeakers have – you’ll understand what I mean.</p>
<p>Recordings I have relegated to my secondary and tertiary shelves have now been elevated up or have gone further down – most up in pecking order. *It’s just crazy but my task right now is to spend a few weeks getting to know my library again in a whole new way. *And, oh yes, high resolution discs? *Holy maloley – the differences between standard CD’s and high resolution versions were always apparent and appreciated but now – it’s a whole new ballgame.</p>
<p>And to think – I am still not able to even set the turntable up because my shelving is being delivered later this week.</p>
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[Source: http://www.pstracks.com/pauls-posts/ballgame/10738/]
