Technology - Infinity INTERMEZZO 2.6 Owner's Manual

T
ECHNOLOGY
Intermezzo Series loudspeakers incorporate several innovative
technologies that, when implemented by exceptional engineering
talent after hours upon hours of subjective listening evaluations,
result in a loudspeaker that realistically and accurately reproduces
the signal source with minimal distortion and coloration.
Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragms
For decades, loudspeaker engineers have known that the ideal
transducer should be stiff, yet light, and have high internal
damping (damping is a material's ability to absorb energy).
Infinity's C.M.M.D. transducer is a significant advance in
transducer technology. Ceramic, a class of material new to
loudspeakers, offers better performance than that of other
materials. Ceramic is stiffer than metals and lighter than plastics
and typical composite materials; it also offers improved damping.
These ceramic-based transducers take us a giant step closer to
the ever-elusive "ideal transducer."
In tweeters, C.M.M.D. technology offers stiffness and damping
superior to that of traditional metals and soft-dome materials.
In woofer and midrange applications, it offers accurate pistonic
operation over the entire frequency range of the driver,
completely eliminating coloration due to cone breakup and
dramatically reducing distortion. And when ceramic-metal-matrix
transducers are exposed to moisture, sunlight or extreme
temperatures, their performance does not deteriorate.
In addition to ceramic diaphragms, all the transducers incorporate
magnetic shielding and rigid cast-frames that, through our FEA
computer modeling and scanning-laser-vibrometer measurements,
have been optimized to reduce resonances.This ensures minimal
distortion and incomparable performance.
Amplifier
BASH ® is an amplifier-power-supply technology that increases
efficiency by reducing power dissipation in the output section.
The BASH topology uses a high-efficiency, fast-response, switch-
mode power supply that provides the main voltage rails for a
linear Class-AB amplifier. By varying the output of the power
supply with the audio signal being amplified, a constant voltage
drop across the output transistors of the linear amplifier can be
maintained.This means that the power dissipation in the output
transistors is greatly reduced.
The result is an extremely efficient audio amplifier that does not
compromise audio performance.
(C.M.M.D.)
™
Room-Friendly Acoustical Design
Driver quality is not the only requirement for exceptional
performance. Infinity's engineers understand that the room in
which the loudspeaker is placed can greatly affect its
performance.To ensure that Intermezzo Series loudspeakers will
sound exceptional in even the most unexceptional listening
environment, Infinity has developed two ways to solve most room-
generated problems.The first is its proprietary Room Adaptive
Bass Optimization System™ . With a single band of parametric
equalization, the Intermezzo 2.6 can be adjusted to tame any
problematic room bass resonances below 80Hz.
There is a completely different set of room-related problems that
has to do with loudspeaker directivity and that can affect the
reproduction of mid and high frequencies. One characteristic of
forward-facing loudspeakers is that the sound output lessens as
one moves away from the principal axis.This happens both
horizontally and vertically and it means that radiated sounds that
are reflected from the floor, ceiling and side walls will be lower
in amplitude than direct, forward sound.This is usually a good
thing. But, if the dispersion characteristics of the loudspeaker
are different at various frequencies, the sound quality of the
reflected sounds will be very different both from each other and
from the first (i.e., direct) sound.The ears don't ignore these
differences; they perceive them as coloration, or as sound quality
that's been degraded. Intermezzo loudspeakers have been
carefully designed to maintain a directional pattern that is
similar at every important angle, on and off axis.The positive
result is that both direct and reflected sounds arriving at the
listeners' ears have similar timbral signatures.
Completing the Experience
The technology and performance that make Infinity Intermezzo
loudspeakers ideal for music listening also make them the
perfect digital multichannel loudspeaker system.To complete a
home-theater system, Infinity has designed, to the same precise
standards as for Intermezzo 2.6, a matching 3-way center-
channel loudspeaker and a 12, " 850-watt powered subwoofer.
We hope you enjoyed this brief introduction to the technology
of Intermezzo loudspeakers. If you would like to further explore
their technology and design, please ask your Infinity dealer
for the C.M.M.D. and R.A.B.O.S. White Papers.The White
Papers can also be downloaded from Infinity's Web site at
www.infinitysystems.com.
INTERMEZZO 2.6
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