Amplifier And Other System Components - Infinity IRS Epsilon Owner's Manual

Epsilon

Amplifier and Other System Components

AMPLIFIERS AND OTHER SYSTEM COMPONENTS
Overall Component Quality
Your Epsilon System is one of the finest loudspeaker systems ever made. You and your Epsilons deserve supporting
audio components of the highest quality. Audio systems are highly synergistic - excellent sound quality in any one
component can raise the overall performance of the other components connected to it, while poorer quality can seem to
diminish the overall result more than you would expect. Choose your other system components with the same care you
have devoted to selecting the Epsilon System.
Wiring
System cables, wiring, and connectors have come to occupy a central position in audiophile discussions about sound
quality. We make no recommendations about specifics of cables and interconnects, except to note that the power
transfer between the amplifiers and speakers should be as efficient as possible. This means using heavy gauge, low
impedance speaker cables. There is no substitute for personal experience in the selection of audio components, and
nowhere is this more true than in choosing cables and interconnects.
Important amplifier specifications
You will need to know the overall maximum voltage gain, in decibels (dB), for each of your power amplifiers, and you
also will need to know if each is phase inverting or non-inverting from input to output.
Correct set-up and operation of the Epsilon Servo Control Unit depends upon this information. Your dealer will have, or
can find out, this information. Check the specification sheets and/or manuals for amps you already own; if this
information is not provided, contact the dealer or the manufacturer. We will refer to these specifications again in the
Servo Control Unit Set-up section of this manual, and also in the Appendix: Amplifier Gain Measurement/Setting.
If any of your amplifiers have balanced input connections, you also must know if the balanced connector conforms to
AES standards for signal polarity. See the Servo Control Unit Set-Up section of this manual, and also the Appendix:
Balanced Connection Notes.
Amplifier gain requirements
If your amplifiers are not all identical, please verify that the amplifiers meet the following gain requirements:
• The gains of the two woofer amplifiers must be nearly identical, within a fraction of one dB.
• The gains of the two mid/high amplifiers must be nearly identical, also within a fraction of one dB.
• The gains of the two amplifiers (woofer and mid/high) that drive an Epsilon loudspeaker's two sections must be
the same, or be adjustable to be the same within 6dB.
If you are not sure if your amplifiers meet these basic gain requirements, please consult your dealer and read the
Appendix: Amplifier Gain Measurement/ Setting, for background about this issue.
How much amplifier power do you need?
The amount of power needed to drive the Epsilon loudspeakers depends upon how loudly you listen. The electronic
servo woofer system inherently compensates for the natural low-frequency roll-off of the woofer section. Because of
this, the woofer section can require substantially more amplifier power than the mid/high frequency section for a given
loudness. This is especially true when the program material has large amounts of low-frequency energy, such as organ
pedal tones, large drums or synthesized bass sounds.
Minimum power requirements
We recommend that the power amplifiers you use have minimum power ratings of 75 Watts per channel, continuous, for
driving the mid/high frequency section and 150 Watts per channel, continuous, for driving the woofer section. Some users
will find these minimums insufficient, while others will wonder why anyone would need larger amplifiers. Your listening
habits, the size and acoustics of your listening room, and your personal views will determine how much power you need.
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