Infinity Floorstanders for under $225...

[WmAx]

I don't have a question. I question that they will sound like B&W 802's. This I would love to hear myself.

It is not clear to me what is supposed to sound like B&W 802s. If this refers to the modification being proposed in this thread for the Primus 250; of course, it will not. The modification proposed does not consider enough points. If you are referring to my specially modified Primus 160 speakers that I use for computer speakers; they are superior to the 802D on some counts, and inferior in others. For example, my monitors are very low resonance, but not totally inert as the B&W 802D. So some timbre distortion on some tracks can occur at low levels, as opposed to none with a B&W 802D. My monitors have superior energy decay for the drivers, higher dynamic range and a more linear frequency response(+/- 0.6db up to 15khz). However, it should be noted that my monitors use a DSP active crossover, no speaker level crossover is used, and it does not have the off axis response that is as good as a B&W 802D. My computer monitors were specifically intended (and are used) for nearfield monitoring purposes, in which off axis response past 10 degrees or so is irrelevant. It should aslo be noted that it cost at least $2000 for me to get them to this state wen you consider the cost of the DSP xover, subwoofer parts, cabinet parts and base speaker to be modified.

-Chris

 

[jagxtype]

wow, you must really like what you do. I am truly impressed by your aptitude to make these speakers. I now understand that unless i want to invest a lot of time and money, my primus 250's wouldnt yield the same results. I guess the time is better spent at the desk at work making overtime to buy something already that good.

 

[WmAx]

wow, you must really like what you do. I am truly impressed by your aptitude to make these speakers. I now understand that unless i want to invest a lot of time and money, my primus 250's wouldnt yield the same results. I guess the time is better spent at the desk at work making overtime to buy something already that good.

I did not mean to say it was not worth while. My modification to my Primus's was for a very specific application that required extreme linearity/fidelity. You can do the Level 1 modification and still yield large results greatly increasing the quality. Level 1 is easy.

-Chris

 

[jagxtype]

you say easy... I say Ohh F*CK!

I might try it if i can get the materials readily available.
I will most likely come knocking on your door so to speak
when spring rolls around.

 

[WmAx]

you say easy... I say Ohh F*CK!

I might try it if i can get the materials readily available.
I will most likely come knocking on your door so to speak
when spring rolls around.

Sorry for missing this post.

Level 1 modification IS easy. To summarize(fine details covered in my post linked eariler): You just remove drivers -- install some adhesive backed damping material(Peel N' Seal or Dynamat or equivalent) and pop in some effective acoustic absorption material to replace the worthless stuff Infinity used. Put drivers back in. Done.

The other stuff(stereo subs, active crossover, etc.) is what brings up performance to a level where bass is clear/deep/perfectly integrated and relieves the bass duty from those 5" mid-woofers on the Primus 250 so they can operate in a range where they have no practical possibility to distort.

I'll mail the acoustic absorption stuff to you for raw part cost if I have to - as it can be hard to find for consumers in some regions.

I sent user Jaxvon some material and he did a Level 1 modification. I'll ask him to post his impressions in this thread, and if he personally thought it was worth the minimal effort.

-Chris

 

[jaxvon]

I sent user Jaxvon some material and he did a Level 1 modification. I'll ask him to post his impressions in this thread, and if he personally thought it was worth the minimal effort.

-Chris

I'd say it was worth it. I added 5 layers (if I remember correctly) of Peel 'n Seal to every inside surface except for the front baffle of my speakers (BIC DV62SI), then stuffed most of the internal volume with mineral wool. Finally, I added some low density white speaker fluff to cover the mineral wool to help keep the fibers from coming out of the port (it's nasty stuff). For the install I used a sturdy straightedge, a few utility knife blades (Peel 'n Seal dulls them quickly), a serrated Ikea "chef" knife (for cutting the mineral wool), gloves, and a good work mask. I would recommend some kind of eye protection as well.

As for difficulty, the first speaker took a couple hours, as I was kind of flying by the seat of my pants. The second one took about an hour from start to finish. I also added some damping material to the woofer frame to stop any resonance that could be occurring there.

The sound? Definitely improved. They were cheap speakers to begin with, but the midrange was audibly cleaner. After I finished the first speaker, I set both of them up in a nearfield configuration to see if I could hear anything. While there was reduced bass in the modified speaker (I expected this because of the reduced internal volume and absorption), I kept finding myself being drawn to the sound of the modified speaker. I'd rather not get into slinging audiophile terms, but the modification did exactly what I wanted it to do: reduce the coloration in the midrange, resulting in a clearer sound.

Sadly, these speakers are now relegated to background music only. After hearing WmAx's speakers in person, I could no longer listen to my speakers without wanting to turn off my stereo. So now I use my MDR-7506 headphones as my primary listening device while I save up for some real speakers.

 

[jagxtype]

excellent. I might go for it, it might not. I am sure mineral wool is just like muffler packing in dirtbikes. Which i have readily available And the press and seal wont be hard to find. If i decide to and i have an problems i will post up. I will also post up the results if i do. It is still in contemplation for the moment though.

 

[jaxvon]

excellent. I might go for it, it might not. I am sure mineral wool is just like muffler packing in dirtbikes. Which i have readily available And the press and seal wont be hard to find. If i decide to and i have an problems i will post up. I will also post up the results if i do. It is still in contemplation for the moment though.

Perhaps, but it might not be of a high enough density to be worth it. Using high density fill is essential, not just stuff that is heat resistant. As for Peel 'n Seal, I have found that Lowes has the best prices on 25'x6" rolls.

 

[WmAx]

excellent. I might go for it, it might not. I am sure mineral wool is just like muffler packing in dirtbikes. Which i have readily available And the press and seal wont be hard to find. If i decide to and i have an problems i will post up. I will also post up the results if i do. It is still in contemplation for the moment though.

It is similar, though I am not sure of the density. Be sure the density is 5lb/ft^3 - 8lb/ft^3 range for optimal effectiveness. The material should be applied at least in 2" thickness to walls, except for the bottom of the cabinet and directly behind the drivers -- which should be 4" thick.

-Chris

 

[jagxtype]

the packing i use is high density to keep the sound down. It should be plenty dense...i will check though. I beleive it was mineral wool or some kind of fiber strand.

 

[allargon]

I hate starting new threads. I picked up a pair of Primus P362's on Monday. I just got back to test them out tonight. My bedroom receiver is a less than great Sony STR-K790 that came with a HTTiB. I have no shame. I bought the speakers from Fry's. No way will I pay a premium for that M* cable. I bought a cheap package of 24! gauge wire for temporary testing. (I said temporary.)

Anyhoo, I hooked it up and played some CD's. Music sounded pretty good. My gf and I listened to gospel, jazz, hip-hop, opera and classical. The voices were too crisp. Some tracks echoed. I blame the receiver for the crispness of the vocals. Like every review out there said, the bass floor is high. One definitely needs a sub for movies or hip-hop. I considered the RBH TK5CT's instead but my budget didn't allow. Get this, my gf asked if I would buy another pair for the bedroom. Hands off the ban button!!! I actually told her we are *not* putting towers in the bedroom! I told her that we'll get some of those EMP on/in-walls from the Audioholics store instead! (I'll discuss in another thread the amount of clipping I plan to endure hooking 6 Ohm speakers to such an inadequate receiver.)

I plan to add more of the Primus series (except for the sub) to my setup in my great room. Then, I'll see how it really performs.

 

[WmAx]

I hate starting new threads. I picked up a pair of Primus P362's on Monday. I just got back to test them out tonight. My bedroom receiver is a less than great Sony STR-K790 that came with a HTTiB. I have no shame. I bought the speakers from Fry's. No way will I pay a premium for that M* cable. I bought a cheap package of 24! gauge wire for temporary testing. (I said temporary.)

Anyhoo, I hooked it up and played some CD's. Music sounded pretty good. My gf and I listened to gospel, jazz, hip-hop, opera and classical. The voices were too crisp. Some tracks echoed. I blame the receiver for the crispness of the vocals. Like every review out there said, the bass floor is high. One definitely needs a sub for movies or hip-hop. I considered the RBH TK5CT's instead but my budget didn't allow. Get this, my gf asked if I would buy another pair for the bedroom. Hands off the ban button!!! I actually told her we are *not* putting towers in the bedroom! I told her that we'll get some of those EMP on/in-walls from the Audioholics store instead! (I'll discuss in another thread the amount of clipping I plan to endure hooking 6 Ohm speakers to such an inadequate receiver.)

I plan to add more of the Primus series (except for the sub) to my setup in my great room. Then, I'll see how it really performs.

The Primus 360 is actually producing a load under 4 ohms for much of the power hungry mid-bass band. I presume the 362 is essentially identical in the load it presents. A quality external amplifier should be added if you have pre-outs. Receivers designed to drive such loads are usually limited to the upper end units.

-Chris

 

[allargon]

The Primus 360 is actually producing a load under 4 ohms for much of the power hungry mid-bass band. I presume the 362 is essentially identical in the load it presents. A quality external amplifier should be added if you have pre-outs. Receivers designed to drive such loads are usually limited to the upper end units.

Crap. I guess I won't be cranking it up as I am so not buying separates anytime soon.

 

[allargon]

Bumping this old thread to ask those of you with Primus P362's (maybe the 360's) if you're using spades or plugs. I know plugs are preferred but several people on AVS (including matt) said that plugs didn't fit the P362's binding posts.

I'm still using bare 24 gauge wire. However, I'm adding my in-ceiling surrounds now, so I'm likely going w/ 14 gauge Monoprice wire. For the end caps I'm likely going plugs to my receiver but spades? to the speakers.

 

[Matt34]

Bumping this old thread to ask those of you with Primus P362's (maybe the 360's) if you're using spades or plugs. I know plugs are preferred but several people on AVS (including matt) said that plugs didn't fit the P362's binding posts.

I'm still using bare 24 gauge wire. However, I'm adding my in-ceiling surrounds now, so I'm likely going w/ 14 gauge Monoprice wire. For the end caps I'm likely going plugs to my receiver but spades? to the speakers.

Did I? I've only used banana plugs in with the P362, you just have to pop off the caps on the terminals.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

The Primus 250s (without mods) are good enough to be well worth their original $400/pr list price. If you can get them for a lot less, they are a steal!

 

[Matt34]

Bumping this old thread to ask those of you with Primus P362's (maybe the 360's) if you're using spades or plugs. I know plugs are preferred but several people on AVS (including matt) said that plugs didn't fit the P362's binding posts.

I'm still using bare 24 gauge wire. However, I'm adding my in-ceiling surrounds now, so I'm likely going w/ 14 gauge Monoprice wire. For the end caps I'm likely going plugs to my receiver but spades? to the speakers.

Another cheap banana plug speaker cable option is available at the audioholics store. I'm using them in my livingroom setup and am happy with them.

http://store.audioholics.com/product/406/115/impact-acoustics-10ft-velocity-12awg-speaker-interconnect

 

[allargon]

Not bad...certainly cheaper than the stuff at Fry's, Best Buy, etc. (Note to all Fry's shoppers, look in the component section by the hard drives for cheaper audio cable rather than the home/car audio stereo section.)

Didn't you have to force those IA plugs into the binding posts of the Primuses? I've also got a PC250 center (which I kind of loathe, but maybe I just need to set up the distances in my receiver and not just the volume levels to appreciate) with similar posts.

 

[Matt34]

Not bad...certainly cheaper than the stuff at Fry's, Best Buy, etc. (Note to all Fry's shoppers, look in the component section by the hard drives for cheaper audio cable rather than the home/car audio stereo section.)

Didn't you have to force those IA plugs into the binding posts of the Primuses? I've also got a PC250 center (which I kind of loathe, but maybe I just need to set up the distances in my receiver and not just the volume levels to appreciate) with similar posts.

Yeah they took a little force to get in but they seat nicely. I'm thinking about trying a 162 as a center and keep the PC350 in case I move and don't have room for a bookshelf center.

 

[Alex2507]

It's spades that don't fit on the Primus line. I didn't know that the caps popped off so I've been using bananas and screwing them down in the hole in the binding post. Those wires ain't ever coming out.