Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Insignia 6.5/with GR Research mod Speakers by tube Tom

Model:	6.5/with GR Research mod
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$150
Description:	Self modded Insignia 6.5 with GR Research mod kit
Manufacturer URL:	Insignia
Manufacturer URL:	Insignia

Review by tube Tom ( A ) on September 02, 2006 at 18:00:08
IP Address: 70.96.108.123

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for the 6.5/with GR Research mod

This is a review for the Insignia 6.5 with GR Research mod kit. It should be noted that they nor any company does the mod, you have to do the mod! I bought these from Bestbuy on the fact that if i did'nt like them i could return them no questions. Wright out of the box thier sound is exceptable, especially for $50 or under...but there is a few issues (that Danny @ GR Research describes) such as "Vocals seemed very veiled"..."Highs seem smeared and muted". Also the boxes are very resonant & in stock form putting my hand against the cabinet i could almost imagine sound coming through. In stock form drums seems like thier being played on cardboard boxes & mids & hi's seem kind of mono tone. The mods are rather simple..starting with the water putty treatment after removing the drivers, but takes about a day to fully dry. The cross-over kit from GR Research is fairly simple but only comes with a schematic, i used the pictures from thier website to figure out the layout along with some help from my friend Dave in reading the schematic. Together we finished 1 in a couple hours & i did the other one the next day as he had to go to work (THANKS Dave!!). After mounting the cross overs & putting the (No-Rez) in that comes with the kit & letting dry for a day, the cabinets sound very solid when given a knuckle wrap (like rocks) & also wiegh a few pounds more. After the mods the sound is much more coherent & does'nt sound "boxey" anymore. Vocals sound more natural & highs sound much clearer. I have them on 28" stands in a small room, but have tried them in my living room on 24" stands. Even on 24" stands which put the tweeters a couple inches below ear level they projected an image taller than other speakers. I think this is because they dont have a "waveguide" tweeter like other speakers & i think to some degree the woofer acts as a guide. Bass is very firm, but not as extended as my B&W DM601's. Imaging & soudstage are good, but what's really amazing is that they simply disapear. The sound is relaxed, but detailed. When i had them in the living room they were hooked up to my 25wpc Quicksilver Mini Mites...they sounded good but the pre amp had to be turned up quite a bit. IMHO they need an amp with at least 50wpc, the are now being used with a Jolida JD1501 (100wpc). In conclusion: a decent speaker which can be made a lot better for very little money (& a little time)

Product Weakness: Without mod: Boxey sounding,drums sound like being played on cardboard,mids & hi's sort of mono tone. With mods: Still need subwoofer to accentuate lows
Product Strengths: Without mod:Sounds OK out of box,imaging,soundstage. With mods:More coherant,sounds like speaker costing considerably more,better bass,more natural sounding

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Jolida JD1501/Quicksilver Mini Mites
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Yamaha 2092 pre'd out
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony CDP, CA70ES/AH! 4000
Speakers:	Insignia, B&W DM601
Cables/Interconnects:	AR
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Classic rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	12 x 11 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	none
Time Period/Length of Audition:	50hr break in
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Without mod: Boxey sounding,drums sound like being played on cardboard,mids & hi's sort of mono tone. With mods: Still need subwoofer to accentuate lows
Product Strengths:	Without mod:Sounds OK out of box,imaging,soundstage. With mods:More coherant,sounds like speaker costing considerably more,better bass,more natural sounding