CNET editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 01/13/2006
- Released on: 04/01/2004
The four included satellites can be placed on a shelf or mounted on a wall with the included all-metal swivel wall-mount bracket. Up to two additional sats can be purchased for $100 each, boosting the set to 6.1- or 7.1-channel sound, and floor stands are available for $179 per pair. The center speaker's cradle-style base allows the speaker to be directed toward the listening area from a shelf or the top of a TV.The Infinity TSS-750's satellite speakers are two-way designs using a single 3.5-inch woofer and a 0.75-inch dome tweeter; the center speaker is similar but features two woofers. The woofer and tweeter are Infinity's proprietary MMD aluminum drivers; they differ from more commonplace aluminum in that they're anodized to increase rigidity and reduce distortion. The tweeters are recess-mounted in a waveguide that Infinity claims provides precise imaging, even frequency response, and controlled directivity over a wide listening area.
The satellites' acoustically inert, curved aluminum enclosures minimize internal standing waves and resonance to produce low-distortion sound. The all-metal, gold-plated connectors accept banana plugs, spades, or bare wire ends.
The Sub 750 subwoofer boasts a side-mounted 10-inch MMD driver and a 150-watt amplifier. On the back of the 33-pound sub, you'll find a volume control, a variable 50Hz-to-150Hz crossover control, a pair of RCA inputs, a 0-to-180-degree phase switch, and a crossover bypass switch. They're all important, but we especially like the crossover bypass because it eases setup chores (many subs lack this nifty feature).Just before we started evaluating the Infinity TSS-750, we had a chance to audition the company's top-of-the-line TSS speaker package, the Infinity TSS-4000. That $2,394 system shares the TSS-750's technology, but the satellites are much larger, and each front speaker sports a grand total of four woofers, two midrange drivers, and the same tweeter. Sure, it can play louder and fill larger rooms than the TSS-750, but the overall sonic signature of both systems was damn close.
Mimicking the larger system's musicality, the Infinity TSS-750 sounded awfully nice playing CDs. In stereo, the satellites projected a satisfyingly large and spacious soundstage; engaging Dolby Pro Logic II processing on our receiver melted away the actual locations of the five speakers and dramatically escalated the scale of the experience. The sats' smooth tonality was of the sort we associate with significantly larger speakers. Norah Jones's intimate sound was richly presented on her Come Away with Me CD, and the TSS-750's shimmering treble brought every detail of Jones's music into sharp focus.
On the Eagles' Farewell Tour DVD, the band's harmonies sounded better than ever, and the cheers of the audience filled our home theater. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars on "Lying Eyes" was beautifully handled, and when we cranked up the volume to test the little satellites' stamina, they didn't protest. The Sub 750 perfectly integrated with the sats; it provided just the right amount of midbass fullness, detail, and low-end punch. The classic pitfall of subs in these types of systems is that when you push them hard, their bass turns muddy and loses definition, but the Sub 750 remained rock solid.
And speaking of the subwoofer, we achieved the best satellite/subwoofer blend when we set our A/V receiver's crossover control for 120Hz. Most receivers feature adjustable bass management/crossover controls, but if yours doesn't or--worse yet--is fixed at 80Hz, the Infinity TSS-750 will likely be lacking in 80Hz-to-120Hz bass response, and the bass will sound thin on some recordings. Regardless of your A/V receiver's specs, the subwoofer's left side-mounted driver won't sound its best positioned in your room's left corner for some reason.
Turning from music to movies, we took things up a notch with The Aviator DVD. The scene that starts with Howard Hughes test-flying a new plane was spectacular, and when the plane crashes into the Beverly Hills Country Club, the sounds of collapsing buildings and exploding fuel tanks weren't restrained by the system's wee dimensions.
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