Infinity Intermezzo Sub Owners - Great Tweak!

[BassHog]

I have a pair of Infinity Intermezzo 1.2s subs in my Kappa system that I was very happy with. However, I had read somewhere that some Infinity Alpha sub owners had been able to improve the output of their subs by simply connecting the sub cable to the sub with a Y connector. I thought that if It worked for the Alpha subs, then it might work for the Intermezzo.

So I decided to do a little test. I already had 2 Y connectors that came with my sub cables, that I wasn't using. I didn't want to rely only on my hearing to determine if there was an improvement, so I set up the meter that came with the RABOS kit. I used track 52 from the RABOS calibration disc for the test tone. I took a meter reading without the Y connectors and the reading fluctuated between -4 and -3 decibals. So -3 was the peak reading. I then added the Y connectors and without changing anything else took another reading. The meter fluctuated between 0 db and out of range. Which means, at minimum, the volume increased over 3 db. This was definitely a worthwhile improvement for me and the great thing is, it didn't cost a dime.

The only thing I wonder about is why doesn't Infinity recommend this in the manual. They specifically say to attach the sub cord to only one of the sub inputs. You would think they would know of the performance difference. Any ideas?

[tonygeno]

Well yeah, but unless you'd maxed out the output on your receiver or the sub and you were unable to calibrate the system because of a lack of output, you've actually gained zippo, nada, nothing. You've essentially turned up the volume control by 3 db. So what.

[John Robert]

I think you are confusing max output with err.... output. As Tony said, you could accomplish the same thing by turning up the gain on either your sub or pre/pro. If I just change the sub level that MCACC sets on my 49txi from -3dB to 0dB, thats not a "great tweak". YMMV,

John

[BassHog]

Originally posted by John Robert
I think you are confusing max output with err.... output. As Tony said, you could accomplish the same thing by turning up the gain on either your sub or pre/pro. If I just change the sub level that MCACC sets on my 49txi from -3dB to 0dB, thats not a "great tweak". YMMV,

John

No, I'm not confusing anything. In my case my receiver's sub level was already at max and the sub level was close to max. Because of my room configuration, I can't have my subs in the optimum position, so the output is compromised. As you can probably tell from my name, I like bass. So this "tweak" gives me a lot more head room. It may not be much of a tweak to someone who wasn't looking to improve their bass output, but I was.

[John Robert]

Well, now I guess I'm the one that's confused. Having owned many subs, from Polk to Hsu (and including the 1.2 - nice sub, BTW), I have never run my sub gain at more than 50% or my pre/pro at more than 0 dB.
In my case my receiver's sub level was already at max and the sub level was close to max.
Even in your search for more bass, this seems way over the top. By increasing an already maxxed signal from your pre/pro by 3 or 4 dB, aren't you concerned about over-driving your sub's amp? Just seems like an extreme approach to me...

John

[BassHog]

Originally posted by John Robert
Even in your search for more bass, this seems way over the top. By increasing an already maxxed signal from your pre/pro by 3 or 4 dB, aren't you concerned about over-driving your sub's amp? Just seems like an extreme approach to me...

John

My receiver is a Sony 5000ES and even with the sub level at max, the subs don't seem to be pushed that hard. I don't know if the LFE signal is lower on this receiver or what. I need to mention that I'm only talking about movies when I talk about those levels. I usually listen to music in 2 channel only, but on occassion, if I do listen to music with a sub I do have to lower the gain.

I may be wrong, but I always thought that you could tell by the sound when an amp was being over taxed. Oh well, if the amps do go, they went for a good cause. :D

[JohnR_IN_LA]

Automatic Room correction turns my Infinity Interlude IL120S waay down to -6 DB, and I end up boosting it back up several DBs for movies. Still no need for this Y connector, but its a good tip to know, thanks :)

Some recievers have low sub output, sounds like yours is one of them.

I really like these 12 inch Infinity subs, very clean musical bass.

[JBaumgart]

Basshog, not sure if you're still around or not, but I have your tweak a shot for a few weeks, but ultimately decided to go back to using my two Intermezzo 1.2s subs without the "y" RCA connectors at the speaker connections. Although at first I noticed an obvious increase in output, so that I could turn them down from approximately 7 1/2 to 5 and still achieve the same volume and balance with my mains, I did notice an increase in "boominess" and it didn't seem as tight or as musical as before. I tried EQ-ing them and wasn't able to get as flat of a response as I had originally, so this confirmed what I was hearing. I also tried moving the one that was in a corner more to the center of the wall, and this didn't help either. So I went back to the single cable connection and re-calibrated, and am pleased with the results once again - I just have to turn them up to the 7 1/2 - 8 range depending on what I'm listening to. In general I prefer "clean and tight" to "thunderous room shaking" and the conventional single connections are what works best for me.

Anyone need two of the highest quality Monster Y cables?