[cporada]

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my experience with one of Alan's latest inventions, the Infinity shield.  Unlike Alan's other products which require days to weeks to settle and work their magic, Alan's website indicated that this one should reveal many of its secrets within the first hour.  Well, I could not imagine what I would hear in the course of only an hour, but, as with the other products of Alan's I have tried, he has managed to re-define what I thought was possible.  This one is  a real winner all around.  To give all of you an idea of what this little device accomplishes (all in just the first hour!), I have posted my listening impressions below during the first hour after install:
 
Listening evaluation was done using John Williams playing Bach?s 4 Lute Suites on Guitar (Sony Classical remastered DSD release)
 
0-5 minutes: Upon initial install, I noted that the sound became slightly warmer with a bit more texture.  Things sound very smooth; much more like fingers plucking and strumming real strings.
 
5-20 minutes: Each note now seems to have tremendous harmonic detail.  It is easy to hear both the fundamental and all of the harmonics/overtones very clearly.  The sound seems to be much ?rounder? and more ?ripe?.  Things are very pleasant.
 
20-37 minutes: The soundstage has now clarified.  This CD has always been a bit weird, sounding like two different guitarists are playing at different locations, so that high and low notes seem to come from different areas of the soundstage.  It is now suddenly very clear exactly where the guitarist is located.  The image is rock-solid and no longer drifts.  The soundstage also seems to be a bit taller and more true-to-life in dimension.  At about 30 minutes, things have changed a bit more now and definitely for the better.  It now sounds as if every single note is suspended in time and space, just floating in the soundstage.  It is now possible to study the timbral character and phrasing of each individual note. Despite the fact that many of the passages have notes following in rapid progression, each note has become a distinct entity.
 
38 minutes to 1 hour:  The sound has suddenly transformed and become absolutely sublime!  Every minute detail of every note and chord is now apparent with startling clarity and brilliance, yet without the slightest hint of brightness or harshness.  I never realized it was possible to have this level of detail without fatigue.  Even with my eyes open, the guitarist is sitting right in front of me in 3-D space.  No sound appears to be coming from the speakers at all.  This is really amazing; even if I get up and walk around, the sound image stays fixed in the space between the speakers and the sound stays rich and lifelike.  It?s unbelievable what has transpired in the last 40 minutes.  It is impossible to think about anything except the music.  It is as though my mind has become transfixed, hanging on every note, eagerly waiting to hear what will come next.  Wow is all I can say! After hearing my system like this, I don?t think I?m even going to need to attend concerts anymore.  Why pay to hear a performer playing in a poorly designed hall where you miss all the subtle nuances and details when he can play for me right in my house!

Chris

[alanmaher]

Great review, Chris!  You really hit the nail on the head.  The Infinity Shield is definately a different kind of design for us.  I wanted something that was effective from the get-go and 2 years later I finally perfected the design.  I would love to see your observation on day 3, 7, and 10 to compare to mine.

Thanks again for your candor!

[tenantman]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Infinity Shield Chris. That is dramatic almost insanely unbelievable but given Alan's history, not surprising. Alan how does it work? AC conditioning taken up another notch?
Does it work in "shielding" electronics from noise generated thru the air too? How is this better for someone like me who has already has a full compiment of your products and more on the way 

Luis

[alanmaher]

Luis-

The Infinity shield grounds high frequency noise to earth.  The selected shielding materials allow the bandwidth to be fairly even to maximize saturation over a broad range of frequencies.

The Shield provides suppression from all forms of noise that can be normally picked up by the ac wiring.

As you are aware, our filter line compliments each other allowing each to work in its specific frequency range without overlap.  The Infinity Shield for example provides noise suppression as low as dc up to 15 GHz, allowing the filter to address the critical analog band. The CBF is a piezoelectric filter that becomes fully saturated at 110 KHz.  The CBF address micro-vibrational frequencies.  The PE V circuit deals with component operational frequencies. The Q Studio takes the V a step further and addresses random shot noise found in the entire signal chain.  Each new addition is designed to synergize with the last and extend the bandwidth of the entire filter network installed throughout the home. 

[mdconnelly]

Chris,  nice review!   Can you tell us if you are using any of Alan's other products?  I'm curious if what you experienced is just due to the Infinity Shield or if perhaps it was in concert/synergy with other AM products.   Thanks!

[cporada]

Hi mdconnelly
Thanks!  I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit feeding an Oyaide duplex.  I then have quite a few of Alan's products: A PE V Pro is plugged into the bottom outlet and the DIY powerstrip that feeds my system is plugged into the other outlet.  A Quantum S/AC is plugged into the first outlet on the strip.  2 Ref II's are plugged into non-audio circuits in my house and 2 standard PE's are plugged into two other non-audio circuits.  I have Alan's Infinity speaker cable filters on my speakers' binding posts, and an Infinity "circuit breaker filter" on the breaker feeding my dedicated circuit.
I hope this helps
Chris

[mdconnelly]

Chris,

Wow, with all those AM products, the fact that the Infinity Shield could improve things further is quite amazing.  I've currently got a Quantum Studio plus 3 Ref IIs.   I'm very pleased with the results so far and will soon be picking up a PE v3 and Infinity CBF as well.  Looks like the Infinity Shield should also go on the list at some point.

[RPM123]

Hi mdconnelly
Thanks!  I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit feeding an Oyaide duplex.  I then have quite a few of Alan's products: A PE V Pro is plugged into the bottom outlet and the DIY powerstrip that feeds my system is plugged into the other outlet.  A Quantum S/AC is plugged into the first outlet on the strip.  2 Ref II's are plugged into non-audio circuits in my house and 2 standard PE's are plugged into two other non-audio circuits.  I have Alan's Infinity speaker cable filters on my speakers' binding posts, and an Infinity "circuit breaker filter" on the breaker feeding my dedicated circuit.
I hope this helps
Chris

[RPM123]

So where do you have the Infinity Shield plugged? Thanks.

Glenn

[cporada]

Hi Glenn
It's plugged into a free outlet on the power strip feeding my system
Chris

[truant]

i ordered an Infinity Shield last week.  Hopefully it shows up tomorrow...will post my experiences.  Thanks everyone for all of the great info.  And, thank you Alan for including me in the Labor Day sale.

[alanmaher]

Truant-

No problem...I look forward to your comments.


Note: One thing I want to point out, the Infinity Shield lowers noise on the circuit, which is a given, but it also lowers noise (EMI) amplified by the electrical wiring that is floating around the home.  Unlike QRT that is a combination of resonate leakage and broadcast frequency, the Shield couples to the AC at the magnetic level and continually lowering noise each time the phase passes by the filter install...similar concept to our standard PE.  Radiated noise becomes a thing of the past after several days...the byproduct is less day to day fatigue, headaches, etc., which are all known factors associated with typical EMI pollution and poisoning found in a normal home environment.  Don't get me wrong, Quantum QRT products work, I have reinstalled 4 into my system the last few months, the Shield just turbo charges the benefits...as it does with our product line, which is why I stressed the importance (on our web site) of installing at least one Infinity Shield into a AM design filtered home.

[MttBsh]

I confess to being somewhat overwhelmed by this long list of products. After reading some of the glowing (to say the least) reviews here I'm very interested in getting some noise filtering for my system, but would appreciate people's thoughts on "best bang for the buck". If I have $100 - $200 to spend am I better off getting the Infinity Shield? some Infinity DIY filters? speaker wire filters? I may well add more products later but which of these products is going to make the most noticeable difference?

I'm using a Samsung Blu-ray player as a transport feeding an Audio Sector SPDIF Dac, into a battery powered Red Wine Audio 30.2 Signature integrated amp, to a pair of Abby speakers and a Bailey sub. The system sounds magnificent. I do currently use a brick wall filter and some quality power cords, I've put Walker Audio Super Silver Treatment on my connectors for added conductivity (works pretty welll) but that's about it.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Matt

[truant]

Thanks for your comments Alan.  They remind me a little of why I have considered Acoustic Revive's RR-77.
I haven't purchased the RR-77 and hadn't really thought of your filter as an alternative when I ordered it but perhaps it is?  Assuming I'm impressed with the Infinity Shield I'll have to consider the next step.

The Shield did not arrive today.  Maybe tomorrow...

[alanmaher]

Matt-

It's a tough question... under $200 the Infinity CBF, Infinity Shield, PE v3, and the Reference II all offer substantial improvements used by themselves.  My suggestion is to dip your toe and try an Infinity CBF.

3M mounting tape the CBF over the spare receptacle of the AV duplex, get freaked out by the roller coaster ride for about three weeks, then pick up your socks off the floor on week four.  All BS aside, the CBF is a substantial improvement, but it does take about 3-4 weeks for the full effect to kick in.

[owenmd]

Hi Alan,

It seems your new Infinity Shield is for the whole system and works at a different operating spectrum than your other components.... I am very aware that a significant amount of listener fatigue comes from RFI/RMI hash.

I have a single dedicated 20amp line which has my system conditioner plugged into the top of the duplex and my Quantum AC plugged into the bottom socket.  Could the Infinity shield also be plugged into the bottom outlet shared with the Quantum AC via an adapter...?  Will they work together fine...? Is this the best place to give total system benefit...?

Your website states sale all week on this item.... please, when does your week end.... Friday or Sunday...?

Best,

Mark

[alanmaher]

Hi Mark-

The Infinity Shield would be best installed on a different circuit, simply because you already have the Quantum filter installed at the AV duplex.  Like our other filters that are easily recognized on multiple different circuits, the Shield can be installed on a non-AV circuit and still be heard quite easily via the stereo.  Obviously, optimum placement would be the duplex, but unlike an active filter that can be hooked up with an extension cord and still filter the socket, the Shield works as at the magnetic level and needs to be in close proximity to the electrical wiring for it to be effective.  As long as it is connected to electrical wiring anywhere in the home, it will offer the AV system an improvement.

I'm holding the sale price valid until Friday.