Chief engineer Bob Stadtherr rebuilt the IRSV crossovers in Music Room One. We poured a few thousand dollars in new capacitors and inductors for the crossover networks and the improvements were immediate and welcomed. Extended highs, fuller midrange, increased midbass to the point of rattling the drivers, were all benefits of investing the time and money for the upgrade. We didn't appreciate the rattling midranges and adjusted the crossover to reduce such unwelcome behavior.
Yet they weren't polished as brightly as they could be because we left setup alone. Change of this magnitude deserves new setup.
One of the classic mistakes we all make when adding new gear, processes or kit of any kind, is the mistaken belief you can simply plug and play. Of course many times you can but when a magnitude improvement is rendered it's time to reconsider the assumptions you made on setup.
I am fortunate enough to have the designer of this magnificent loudspeaker spend the day in Music Room One tweaking the speakers to match their new crossover components. Not too many people have this luxury. None the less, when you make a fundamental change in your system, even if it's just adding a new DAC, it's important to remember your system is setup for best performance based on your old equipment list. Would you have done the same starting over with new equipment? Likely not.
Don't forget one change often deserves another.
