onix x-ls vs. Infinty primus 150

[jsanfilippo5]

Just in case anyone was wondering about a comparison on these guys....

I dont know if this is a fair comparison or not , but today i recieved my infintys. I AB's them for 4 hours with my x-ls and I have to say I like the infinity better. The infinity seems to bemore accurate and pleasent sounding. In my room any way.

I htink the main problem in my room is that my speakers need to sit inside my wall unit. I think this makes the rear ported x-ls sound a little funny. It has almost a choked sound. But the infinitys have very good clatrity and the top end sparkles. I listened to the beatles LOVE and I kept going back to the infintys.

The imaging is AMAZING on the infinitys! Im listening to Dark sid eof the moon right now and I feel as if im listening to surround sound! The steel guitar in breath feels like it is rapping around me..

Havent tried them for movies yet, but im assuming they will be awesome.


Just wanted to add my opinion on these little speakers... that is exactly what it is.. The X-LS is stil an awesome speaker, if I didnt have to put them inside a wall unit Im sure I would be happier with them. So dont take this as a onix bashing post. If I had a bigger living room I would be keeping the onix and never would have bougt the infintys... But for now I need work with what I have....



This is only my opinion

 

[Sheep]

I was also very pleased with the sound of the Infinity Primus 150s. If I was in the market when they were on sale, I would have jumped on them in a heart beat.

SheepStar

 

[jsanfilippo5]

i bought the pair of 150's and the c25 center channel for only 210 shipped!! thats an awesome deal.. Im still using my X-SUB but wondering if I shoul go for the hsu stf-1.

 

[jaxvon]

i bought the pair of 150's and the c25 center channel for only 210 shipped!! thats an awesome deal.. Im still using my X-SUB but wondering if I shoul go for the hsu stf-1.

I feel like I might be a broken record here, but the the Infinity speakers can definitely stand some modification. This is indeed the same Peel 'n Seal and mineral wool mod that I have mentioned in other threads. You can see the measurements and comments made by Stereophile here. As you can see in the graph (pictured below), there is a HUGE cabinet resonance in the midrange region, resulting in very audible coloration. Addition of Peel 'N Seal to the interior walls with some mineral wool stuffed in would make a huge difference, though as mentioned before, would reduce the bass extension and output of the speaker somewhat.

 

[Rowdy S13]

I feel like I might be a broken record here, but the the Infinity speakers can definitely stand some modification. This is indeed the same Peel 'n Seal and mineral wool mod that I have mentioned in other threads. You can see the measurements and comments made by Stereophile here. As you can see in the graph (pictured below), there is a HUGE cabinet resonance in the midrange region, resulting in very audible coloration. Addition of Peel 'N Seal to the interior walls with some mineral wool stuffed in would make a huge difference, though as mentioned before, would reduce the bass extension and output of the speaker somewhat.

I have seen the "mod" mentioned before, but what exactly is it? Where do you get the materials, how do you do it and so on? This would be helpful for me because I have the 150's as surrounds and obviously the highs and mids are most important.

Thanks,
Sean

 

[rexracer]

I would also be interested in that mod, since I'm considering the 150's. Do you have a link?

 

[Sheep]

The Mod is DIY.

Peal N' Seal is a weird sort of roofing tar stuck on tine foil... thing. The Mineral wool is hard to get though. WmAx can ship it to you for the cost of it and shipping, and personally I would get it from him.

SheepStar

 

[jaxvon]

There's no link, so I'll just describe it here. I have to credit WmAx for the idea and procedure.

What you need:

2-3 Rolls Peel 'n Seal per speaker
3 bats 2'x4'x2" Mineral Wool
Cheap white speaker fluff (the kind that comes in bats, not loose) or thin (1") open cell foam

Leather work gloves
Good dust mask (or respirator if you wanna get fancy)
Safety Glasses
Utility Knife w/ Extra Blades
Cutting surface that won't dull a knife (ie NOT concrete if you can)
Old serrated kitchen knife (Ikea knives work wonderfully)
Rubber Mallet
Tape Measure
Screwdriver (Phillips and slot)
Time and Patience

Where to Get Materials:

Peel 'N Seal: Roofing Section of Lowes. It should be $13 and change for a 25'x6" roll.

Mineral Wool: Local insulation contractor, or you can try PMing WmAx. I know he has offered to ship the stuff at cost plus actual shipping. This is how I acquired mineral wool for my own mods.

Speaker Fluff/Foam: Any DIY site like Parts Express or Madisound. No need for fancy stuff, as it won't really be doing much.


Procedure:

1. Give your speakers the knuckle-rap test. Note the sound. Remove drivers from cabinet. You might need to pry them gently (hence the slotted screwdriver). Remove crossover and wires from cabinet (if possible, some are glued in). Remove anything else that you can that is not part of the cabinet or the port.

2. Measure the internal dimensions of the cabinet. If you think you can manage to stick Peel 'n Seal on the front baffle, more power to you, but you needn't worry about it.

3. Using your measurements, begin cutting pieces of Peel 'n Seal to fit. Do not install them yet! I made this mistake and it was hellish. Cut enough for at least six full layers on each wall. Be sure to cut out holes for the crossover and whatnot. Cut two pieces to wrap around the port to ensure that it does not resonate.

4. Grab one set of Peel 'n Seal pieces. Lay the first one on a sturdy surface, sticky side down, but still with the paper on. Remove the paper from the next sheet and place it on top of the first one, being sure to align it. Press down on the pieces and use the rubber mallet (if needed) to get them well-bonded. Repeat. Before adding more Peel 'n Seal to the newly bonded stack, install it in the cabinet. This stuff gets stiff when you stick a bunch of layers together, so installing it in 2-3 layer sets will ensure that it is cooperative. Once you get it in the cabinet, press it against the wall and get out the air pockets as best you can.

5. Repeat step 4 for all the internal faces of the cabinet.

6. Don your glasses, mask, and gloves. It's time to play with mineral wool! Re-measure the inside of the cabinet, but only one surface this time. Measure each side just before you install the mineral wool, as it will be easier to cut correctly sized pieces. Cut the mineral wool to size using the serrated knife, making sure to cut it just a little bit large. Doing this will allow you to forgo adhesive, instead holding the insulation in place by pressure and friction. Fill the cabinet almost completely with mineral wool, making sure to leave space for driver movement and enough room for the port to function correctly.

7. Cut your speaker fluff or foam to size to fit into the cabinet. It will function only as a filter to ensure that mineral wool fibers do not escape the cabinet. Place it in the cabinet as you see fit, keeping this purpose in mind. I personally used it to cover as much mineral wool surface as I could, though this is not necessary. I only went with this approach so I don't have to worry about it.

8. Cut some small pieces of peel 'n seal to wrap around the 'spokes' of the midbass driver frame. Many of these frames resonate, and this is an easy solution. Two layers should be sufficient.

9. Reinstall drivers, crossover, and any other components you removed. Give your speakers the knuckle rap test again. Is there a difference?

10. Enjoy your new(ish) speakers!


Points to note:

• This will void the warranty on your speakers.
• Don't laugh at the safety equipment. Mineral wool is nasty stuff. Razors are sharp.
• Keep in mind that you will lose some bass extension and overall output

I think that's it. Feel free to post more questions or shoot me a PM.

 

[Joe Schmoe]

The imaging is AMAZING on the infinitys! Im listening to Dark sid eof the moon right now and I feel as if im listening to surround sound! The steel guitar in breath feels like it is rapping around me.

I have to agreee with that. They are good speakers for the price all around, but imaging is their strong suit. I didn't hear better imaging until I started listening to significantly more expensive speakers.

 

[jaxvon]

Oops! I messed up the quantities in the above post, and since I can't edit it, the correct info is below:

1.5-2 rolls of Peel 'n Seal per speaker I used about 1.5, but if you want more than 6 layers, you'll need extra.

1 bat mineral wool

 

[jsanfilippo5]

when you say loss of output - how much are we talking? im not too worried about bass extension - have the subwoofer....

 

[j_garcia]

I don't know if anyone noticed, but Infinity has what appear to be the new versions of the Primus line up on their site: xx2; 152, 162, etc... They looked the same except the different color woofer. Only thing interesting is the new center:

 

[jaxvon]

when you say loss of output - how much are we talking? im not too worried about bass extension - have the subwoofer....

Only a few decibels. You'll have to give them a little more juice to reach the same volume level. Believe me, the difference is small in that regard, but the improvement is worth it.