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INTERMEZZO 4.1t
Infinity Intermezzo 4.1t
This loudspeaker system represents a refinement of the
principles that have guided Infinity’s loudspeaker designs for
more than 30 years. Loudspeaker development is generally an
evolutionary process. New models usually perform slightly better
than the ones they replace. Over time, the subtle improvements
add up and, when the latest model is compared to a loudspeaker
that is ten or twelve years old, the disparity is unmistakable.
Every once in a while, a loudspeaker is developed that
transcends this pattern – its performance so remarkable, its
design so stunning, its technology so advanced, it can truly be
described as revolutionary.The new Infinity Intermezzo 4.1t
loudspeaker system is an elegant case in point.
The Intermezzo 4.1t system is a 4-way loudspeaker with its
mid-bass, midrange and high-frequency-driver array mounted
atop a 12", 850-watt powered subwoofer. With its proprietary
Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragms™
, powerful BASH
®
amplifiers
and sophisticated, yet refined, dividing networks, the
Intermezzo 4.1t will breathe life into any musical or
cinematic performance and touch the soul of the listener.
The Intermezzo 4.1t is the consummation of Infinity’s quest to
apply “science in the service of art.”
The Intermezzo 4.1t system incorporates 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
™
(C.M.M.D.
™
)
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.
Transducers
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.The 12" low-frequency transducer is the
embodiment of uncompromised driver design. The ceramic-metal-
matrix cone is attached to a rigid cast-aluminum frame, through
a compression-molded, butyl-rubber surround. The motor
assembly incorporates a vented polepiece for maximum heat
dissipation with negligible air turbulence.The frame itself is also
vented to further improve heat dissipation. The motor structure
uses a 3",edge-wound, copper voice coil for high power handling
and minimal power compression.
To maximize system performance, the flat-spider assembly and
the cone are mounted to different points on the fiberglass
former, increasing reliability and reducing distortion, especially
at high output levels. An extra-thick top plate and dual-magnet
structure are utilized to allow for huge peak-to-peak driver
excursions, with significantly lower distortion and a more linear
frequency response than is true of typical drivers.
When installed in its heavily braced and reinforced elliptical
enclosure and coupled with a powerful 850-watt amplifier and
Infinity’s proprietary Room Adaptive Bass Optimization System
™
(R.A.B.O.S.), this 12"low-frequency transducer allows the
Intermezzo 4.1t system to deliver bass that will cleanly and
naturally reproduce the lowest notes of a pipe organ or the
loudest explosions from last summer’s hottest action films.
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 the Intermezzo 4.1t 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 4.1t 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
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ECHNOLOGY
