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pink noise.
The IL60 also includes the ingenious
R.A.B.O.S. (Room Adaptive Bass Optimiza-
tion System), a user-friendly, single-band
parametric bass-equalization scheme to
deal with the low-frequency “bumps” that
afflict most rooms. With only two speakers,
it’s possible to minimize the problem with
speaker placement. But home-theater
speaker placement is often dictated by
where you put your monitor, making
R.A.B.O.S. an even more important feature
for a 5.1-channel setup.
Where did Infinity cut costs to bring the
IL60’s price down to $2000/pair? Rap the
side of the cabinet and you’ll know. Or look
at it closely: The overall construction quali-
ty—fit, finish, and bracing—is competent,
but not in the same league as far more
expensive speakers. Nonetheless, the IL60
is an amazing value that few small compa-
nies could afford to offer. And with a choice
of three grillecloth colors (Warm Platinum
is standard), it can be dressed up to look a
bit less monolithic. (A smaller, less expen-
sive 3-way system, the IL50, $1298/pair, is
also available.)
At 32 lbs, the four-driver, 3-way Interlude
IL36c is one of the heftier center-channel
speakers around. It costs $500 and has a 1-
inch dome tweeter and a 4-inch midrange,
these flanked by a pair of 6
1
⁄
2-inch bass dri-
vers. It’s 23 inches wide and 12
1
⁄
2 inches
deep, so before you buy, make sure your
monitor can accommodate it. (The smaller,
lighter, three-driver IL25c is also available,
for $299.)
Infinity also sent along a pair of Interlude
IL10s ($400/pair), one of the smaller models
in the Interlude line, for use as surrounds.
The IL10 is a stand-mounted 2-way featur-
ing a 1-inch tweeter and a 6
1
⁄
2-inch woofer.
As reviewed, the complete system cost
was $3950—a solid value. But just before
press time, Infinity reduced the cost of the
IL60 to $2000/pair (from $3000) and the
IL10 to $400/pair (from $450). That drops
the cost of the entire system to $2900—a
steal, particularly when you realize that that
includes a center-channel speaker that’s
not the usual top-of-the-TV afterthought,
and 1000W of dual 12-inch bass power;
unless you really feel the need to go below
28Hz (and I do mean feel), you won’t need a
subwoofer.
Setup
The IL60’s rear panel includes subwoofer
line-level in and out, a set of speaker-level
5-way binding posts, and switches for sub-
Big is beautiful. The Infinity
Interlude IL60 is big but not superficially
beautiful. What’s beautiful is that a big
company like Harman International can
spend millions on driver-technology R&D,
build a state-of-the-art speaker like the
$10,000 Infinity Prelude MTS—a bargain
itself—and then shower the considerable
R&D benefits on a modestly priced speaker
like the IL60. At $2000/pair, it can hardly be
described as a “poor man’s” Infinity Pre-
lude, but considering what you get for your
money, the IL60 is one of the best loud-
speaker values around.
The floorstanding 4-way tower includes a
1-inch dome tweeter, a 4-inch midrange, a
6
1
⁄2
-inch midbass driver, and a side-mount-
ed 12-inch woofer powered by a built-in
500W amplifier. The drivers, as in every
Interlude speaker, are all Ceramic Metal
Matrix Diaphragms—aluminum coated on
both sides with a ceramic material—
designed under the watchful eye of Dr.
Floyd E. Toole, Harman’s vice president of
engineering, who spent years researching
loudspeakers at Canada’s National
Research Council in Ottawa. These stiff,
lightweight, low-resonance drivers are
designed to have uniform dispersive char-
acteristics so that direct and reflected
sounds maintain similar, smooth timbral
balances. Toole’s research has shown that
the ear is particularly sensitive to resonant
peaks, whether they’re heard from on- or
off-axis. Generally, the higher the Q of the
resonance (that is, the narrower in frequen-
cy width), the greater its amplitude must be
for us to hear it. Toole’s research demon-
strates that we can perceive low-Q reso-
nances (ones that cover a wider frequency
range) that deviate as little as 1.5dB from
flat-on orchestral material and 0.3dB on
Interlude IL60 4-way floorstanding tower
speaker with powered subwoofer
Drivers: 1" dome tweeter, 4" midrange cone,
6
1
⁄
2
" midbass cone, 12" powered subwoofer
cone
Subwoofer amplifier: 500W into 8Ω
Frequency response: 28Hz–22kHz, ±3dB
(subwoofer: 20–100Hz, <0.1% THD)
Nominal impedance: 8Ω
Sensitivity: 89dB (2.83V @ 1m)
Recommended amplification: 15–175W
Dimensions: 48" × 9
1
⁄4" × 17
1
⁄4" (H×W×D)
Weight: 75 lbs
Price: $2000/pair
Interlude IL36c 3-way center speaker
Drivers: 1" dome tweeter, 4" midrange cone,
two 6
1
⁄
2
" cone woofers
Frequency response: 55Hz–22kHz, ±3dB
Nominal impedance: 8Ω
Sensitivity: 91dB (2.83V @ 1m)
Recommended amplification: 15–175W
Dimensions: 23" × 9" × 12
1
⁄
2
" (W×H×D)
Weight: 32 lbs
Price: $500
Interlude IL10 2-way surround speaker
Drivers: 1" dome tweeter, 6
1
⁄2" cone woofer
Frequency response: 56Hz–22kHz, ±3dB
Nominal impedance: 8Ω
Sensitivity: 88dB (2.83V @ 1m)
Recommended amplification: 15–150W
Dimensions: 15
5
⁄
8
" × 8
1
⁄
2
" × 11
1
⁄
2
" (H×W×D)
Weight: 18 lbs
Price: $400/pair
System
Drivers: all C.M.M.D. (Ceramic Metal Matrix
Diaphragm)
Price: $2900
Manufacturer
Infinity Systems
250 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, NY 11797
tel. (800) 553-3332
fax (516) 682-3523
www.infinitysystems.com
SPECIFICATIONS
PHOTOS © 2002 CORDERO STUDIOS
EQUIPMENT REPORT
Infinity
Interlude IL60
Michael Fremer
SURROUND SPEAKER SYSTEM
86 Stereophile Guide to Home Theater • January 2002
Stereophile Guide to Home Theater • January 2002
87
INFINITY INTERLUDE IL60
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