What happened to the IRSV speakers?

[@giangvu7902]

This video touched me and it is sad to see such speakers become a museum piece.

[@Tyrannosnorus]

This makes me so sad. Pre-COVID I had been planning to make a trip to the area and nothing had me more excited than the chance to listen to those speakers. I'm beyond disappointed that I will no longer have the opportunity.

[@JamesFeighnyIV]

In the fall before the pandemic my wife and I were able to come in and hear those speakers. The engineer that gave us the tour gave us an iPad and we chose Art Blakey and the Jazz Messangers Moanin'. We couldn't believe how good such an old recording could sound. We are so grateful I was able to experience that.

[@johnlebeau5471]

I visited P.S. Audio just to hear these speakers. Thank you Paul for the opportunity. Now they are on static display. I wouldn't visit just to look at them. Sorry.

[@RichTeer]

You sounded so melancholy at the end, Paul: I feel your pain! Kind of disappointed that future visitors won't be able to hear the IRS V in all their glory (hearing them is something on my audiophile bucket list)... :-(

[@shanestephenson8423]

Now I could hear the emotion in your voice Paul. My advice for whatever it's worth never sell anything that important to you. Everytime you walk past them the memories will flood back and that is priceless.😁👍🎧🙏

[@utu8506]

That's sad. A speaker of that vintage that is not being played is like a classic car that isn't being driven. I don't think they should be a museum piece just yet.

[@RoadFai]

Inspiring and lovely to see, hear and watch how people have set out to build really awesome works of engineering, how people cherish and love the legacies, how people forge ahead into the future. Thank you Paul, PS Audio, everyone who loves music and engineering. From Singapore and Thailand.

[@stonefree1911]

I hear the pain in your voice Paul. Dreams are hard to fulfill and even harder to give up. The memorial is a nice idea...but those speakers really deserve to be played. Hopefully they will be able to be used somewhere.

[@tadeuszwrobel5022]

Paul, it sounds Little bit sad. I am still using my Infinity Kappa 7 Reference Standard. I love their sound and never let them go away ❤️Thank you Paul. Take care. 😁

[@joseontiveros8576]

Paul, you can hear the pain in your voice. Not having a dedicated space for them as just a problem that you can and should solve. Solving problems is what you do. Were pulling for ya!

[@crimlarksSteve]

Thanks for sharing the IRS V with us, Paul. Kind of a sad video, but I hope I can visit with my wife and show her them at PS Audio. A true dream speaker system.

[@mikethomas4210]

I had a chance to hear a pair of them back in the early 70's at an Audio Craft store in Cleveland Ohio. Not only did they sound amazing but their sheer size and beauty was just outstanding.

[@mikestanavech7858]

No way, collect them ultimate power set up for them and then build a space specific to them. No reason for them to become statues.

[@scottscottsdale7868]

So sad. You should just hook them up there in that space and play them for visitors upon request.

[@krisprojection2433]

Awesome Speakers. All the best Paul!

[@edgar9651]

They are much more beautiful than those new speakers. Just sell the new speakers and listen to the IRSV!

[@terryjefferylee6314]

What an incredible waste. I can understand the need to use the space for development of new speakers but to put the IRS's in a museum to only look at without playing them is outrages. If you don't have space build one, they have to be able to be heard even if they are in someones home. You don't have to sell them but don't waste them either. Ps I heard about Bascom. Very sorry to hear you have lost another friend/great man.

[@orangejjay]

Well said.

[@supes323]

It is heart breaking to let go of the old to allow the new to come through and shine. However this is just a part of the circle of life. Its this compassion that makes us feel alive and its a pleasure to experience this journey with you Paul. 😘

[@ronbates7862]

I’m glad I visited PS Audio and heard the IRS5 just before the pandemic. Well done Paul.

[@mraudioguru]

I first heard them at Sea Cliff also. Pretty small room, but WOW! Something I will never forget. Remember how packed into that room they were?

[@AudioGuyBrian]

See them but not hear them? That is sad. I actually got to hear some outside once. I couldn't believe how great they sounded even out in the open with no walls anywhere nearby. It's a shame to have them for looking at only. Maybe someday you will move to a larger location and display them audibly and visually at their grand scale once again.

[@louisperlman8030]

Wasn't Harry Pearson's room on the small side for such a large speaker? Surely the PS Audio brain trust could get the IRS to sound good in its current location.

[@johnruppert5630]

They are legendary❤️.. I owned a combo Servo-Statik I , Fulton J Modular System in the mid-70’s. I always lusted after these in the 80’s and 90’s❤️🙏

[@distractionchannel4954]

@ Montréal 🇨🇦...RS-3 b ❤️

[@rich52569]

You could really feel the sadness in this video, the way Paul kept touching the Infinities when he was talking about them.

[@hijmestoffels5171]

Somewhere in the eighties I heard the IRS at an audio show. They were the best speakers I had listened to until then. And until now. Because they were too large and, more importantly, too expensive I have never bought them. But they have always been my reference point of what I ultimately wanted speakers to sound like.

[@traildoggy]

"My God, it's full of stars..." -- Dave Bowman, 2001

[@yma2001london]

You did the right thing. There is and will never be anything like them. I have the original Infinity Modulus that uses the same EMIT as the IRS V. I would never ever consider selling those, let alone the iconic IRS V.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗WE HOPE TO VISIT SOMEDAY…AND 👂 HEAR THEM 😁🤷‍♂️😍😍😍

[@AALavdas]

You should hook them up, even if the room is not good. These are among the best speakers ever made - as you know better than any of us!

[@Impackon]

I think the opinions are clear, they need a place to be heard!

[@mickeyd9369]

You just need to build a room at Octave studios large enough to record an orchestra, or at least the string section. Then leave the IRS's for the playback for the musicians. The most realistic audio reproduction I ever heard was at the Hit Factory in NYC in one of their larger studios.

[@genehart261]

I was able to see and hear these magnificent speakers at two different locations in my life; Bar-Shel's in Culver City CA. and at Woodland stereo in the San Fernando valley CA 1970. I guess all good things come to an end. Bar-Shel's had a Black Widow tonearm on some exotic turntable.

[@JonAnderhub]

This is perhaps the saddest video I have ever seen. It is obvious that you and Arnie Nudell were great friends and that the IRS V speakers were a labor of love. Having said that though, you would be doing Arnie a great disservice to let the speakers that he worked so hard to sound so good just sit as museum pieces and as a shrine to Arnie. I would suggest that you build a room in your home, or somewhere to be able to take these beautiful speakers and listen to them like they were intended. That would probably honor Arnie and his intent with those speakers more than anything else. Of course, you knew Arnie far better than I ever will but I'm sure that you would agree that he never built those speakers as a memorial to himself. Go and enjoy the best dam speakers ever built Paul!

[@KarlHamilton]

Bit of a sad one this. Never thought I'd see the day when you decommissioned these bad boys 😥

[@korlsa368]

For such a speaker, it’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard… Just make some space Paul, so you can play them again, and yes, put Arnie’s picture in between them, that would be very neat. Love your videos 👍🏽 by the way..!! Very best regards from Johan, an audiophile from Sweden.

[@jayjackson1044]

Wow, Paul that’s horrible! The IRSV is a “touchstone” speaker for PS Audio, as is being able hear it in person if I were able to make it there or a tour. You must make this legacy speaker system functional and ready play for visitors. No matter how good the FR30 is, the IRSV is the inspiring heart and soul of PS Audio. Yes, by all means move forward, but don’t trash that which inspired your next best thing. Can you imagine how inspiring and amazing it would be if the Smithsonian was able to keep all its aircraft still flying? The IRS is a legendary legacy speaker. Don’t turn it into a static museum display.

[@Justin-fy7xk]

Paul said the FR30 sounds even better so i guess this is why they are not cream of the crop anymore.

[@brianyoung9014]

Sorry to hear this.

[@bwoutrage21]

Paul, Understand how hard it must me. They were and still are great speakers. Yes I to remember them at Sea Cliff. Now if you want to give them a good home, just ship those puppies out to me in SC. I have a 23 x 28 foot room with canted ceiling running 9 feet to 16 feet, then will have lots of room to breath and let loose in all their glory. :)

[@LuxAudio389]

God bless you all at PS Audio. Many good things are on the horizon. Those IRS V's have really formed your company's products and image into what they are today. We see there's a new chapter. But they can still play and will again; maybe someday sooner than later. Maybe down the road you'll have a trendy PS audio boutique store in Boulder like Focal has done around the world, kind of like an Apple store, but just 1. There you can have a permanent room and exhibit for them. There the PS Audio story with a timeline, a tribute to Arney, yourself, and story of your company and employees can be told with all the chapters of the PS Audio timeline. People and tourists can come and listen to them while exploring your company's gear and history. You can even make it so that you have the cream of your current BHK line and conditioners powering them. That way the symbolic bar was set and accomplished. Ofcourse your new gear will be voiced with the FRxx line and that will evolve. But just don't entomb them or yourself. And no life size wax statue of you Paul when you stop and to smell the roses. 😉

[@10tilmeg]

Totally agree...great idea👌😁😁

[@pipiferry]

And what is music in room one? Paul didn't explain that.

[@ericberger6966]

The iconic IRS and the relation of PS Audio to Arnold Nudell is one of the reasons PS Audio exists. Not setting them up, is not only sad for us HiFi maniacs who witnessed their age, it is a missed big chance for marketing Hifi and PS Audio today and for the future.

[@northve25]

Wow, I’m saddened to hear about the IRS. I understand research and development needs their time and space and I support them. This is how we develop new and better systems. So I believe you should take them home and enjoy them. You have a large house and I’m certain you will combine two or more rooms made for them. This is exactly what I would do. But this does bring me to the question. What is the health of the speakers? After several decades isn’t their any rot or cancer that needs to be addressed? I believe I heard you say you first heard them back in 1974 and fell in love with them.

[@andreywagner5046]

IMHO it would be more appropriate to be able to listen to them, to really get a sense what is it all about, wouldn't that be a better tribute to Arnie.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

While they're nothing close to what Arnie originally created, what with all the modifications and upgrades, it's nice you'll keep them around. Combined Arnie/Bascom shrine.

[@kirkbobo1363]

Seriously, Paul, the IRS V is something the FR30 will NEVER be. As the owner of PS I'd find a place for them to continually be heard ! The FR30 architecture are point source speakers which have a place, but the Source 1 Genesis speaker you and Arnie created is an improvement over the IRS V. I hope to hear the FR30 soon to confirm for myself. How does Genesis Source 1 compare to IRS V with your modification to the IRS V?

[@kankudai11]

Oh no!!! This is so sad. Such a masterpiece can´t be put in the entrance section just to have a look at them. You definitely need to play them. I don´t want to interefere with your company strategy but this is of course a completely wrong decision. I own some old Infinitys which brought me to your channel and I was fortunate to hear the IRS a few times. If you put them aside an important part of this channel for me is dead. And in this case I am sure that I can speak for many other followers. Please rethink this decision.

[@ianstyring9602]

Would love to come and visit one day Paul. Just have to negotiate the Atlantic Ocean first.....

[@510Finnatic]

You can decide what do with them if you have Living Trust. The beauty of the Trust is that you can decide what happens to your assets and not just give it to whomever, but it can contain your specific instructions about how they have to use/handle, maintain, upkeep it. This is what many would do, instead of just 'entrusting' your son to hopefully 'do the right thing', which in some cases may not be in the best interest of preserving your legacy or history with these types of assets. Just something to consider. You can also change and modify the trust as you like, that's why it's a 'Living' Trust.

[@chriswright5016]

Why not create a room so that people can directly compare your new speakers and test your claims made in other videos that they are IRS V beaters? A cynic might take the view that the comparison is being avoided.

[@vinylrules4838]

Paul said in the video there is no space in the facility to set them up properly.

[@hoobsgroove]

looks like a enough room there why can't you set them up?

[@stefanfalkpetersen1376]

I think that keeping the IRS in this way is a really beautiful og touching tribute to your old friend, Arnie Nudell.

[@distractionchannel4954]

@ Montréal 🇨🇦...iNFiNiTY !❤️

[@kenklinger6437]

Paul I'm going to chime in with everybody else. It would be sad to put any iconic speaker in a museum, not to be heard. It is like when a high performance car goes to a museum, sad not to be driven. Paul I think you are a clever and resourceful l guy you'll figure out how to fulfill the space needs of PS audio and find an appropriate place for the IRSV to be honored and heard.

[@captainloudpants]

I think everyone watching this video understands it hard letting go. To my wife's lament 😆.

[@tseumd58]

Paul you can’t consider them for museum these monsters are life time enjoyment should be played all the time .

[@tudorsomkereki9603]

As you said: one day you’ll be gone! At 74 I would not accept a life long joy to be put aside for “money” !!! I understand FR30 contribute to your pocket but the IRS5 keep your soul alive along with all 40 and something years of memories!!

[@phonebackup8132]

Hook them up right where they are, they will still sound fenomenal.

[@einsteindrieu]

That was so nice what you sad Paul !!!

[@sonicgauge1]

A couple days ago I was talking with an old friend and fellow audiophile telling him we should go visit PS audio and hear the IRS's.. 🤷‍♂️..

[@Smood47]

Paul build a new music room. Even as a separate building like 'hugh's room' in acoustic fields. Just for the IRS V so that way it can be a sort of active memorial.. Arnie's picture there and people can visit it, pay their respects to him and hear these great speakers.

[@RyanDoesAll]

Love ya Paul, but could it be that the talking heads said “we cant build anything to compare with those darn irsv, unplug them now!”

[@stefanegger]

How loud can they play before they break? Pretty old now.

[@dougmurray7684]

Progressive Audio (Columbus OH. that store is no longer around) had a pair of Infinity speakers very similar to these, but I'm not sure they were that big. I just know they were the top of the line Infinity speaker from that era (1984-1986 time frame). They were priced at $30,000 I believe. And were brand new.

[@endrizo]

keep them side by side with the new speakers for comparison and reference

[@arthurott4561]

Wow, what a disappointment. I was planning to visit at some point to see your shop, hopefully, meet you, and hear the IRSV system. Maybe I'll meet you at an audio show but there's no reason to travel all the way from VA if the IRS speakers are in mothballs.

[@Yeybeth]

Hi .. you say TOU CAN BISIT TO US TO SEE THE SPEAKERS…. If one day I want to see the company I have to make appointment?

[@glengatt3941]

I was thinking the same thing such master piece In a sad silent.

[@spacemissing]

Connect the things where they are. At least they could be heard, even if not in the best environment.

[@doylewayne3940]

Ahhh, so sad Paul.

[@boan-dk]

I think it was the IRSV that catches my eye on KZbin. When you stand in front of thous giant speakers you just need to watch the video. I agree, do not sell thous speaks, hope you one day get at place to set them up again 🙏

[@craighoffman6876]

I live locally to PS Audio, and would be more than happy to store them indefinitely for you. Come hear them anytime ;)

[@jimtincher7357]

They need to be heard....

[@theone69ize]

Comments you see here tell you what really should be done. Even if it means building a room attached to the main building. It's worth doing. Finally set them up with beautiful vacuum tube amplifier for the panels. Analog source as they were meant to be played. Photos in the entrance for the history of speaker. Well you have the power to make it happen.

[@finscreenname]

So a perfectly good set of IRS V's are now a static display.... sad, Paul.

[@jonathanvanier]

You must find a way, Paul! These giants cannot be reduced to silence! Build a new music room!

[@JohnOBryan]

Time to fire the President.

[@MrCommunistGen]

Makes me sad that for now they're relegated to be silent monoliths. I'd long dreamed of being able to go visit your HQ and listen to those, but the pandemic delayed those plans and it looks like I've missed my window. I'd still really love to come by some time to listen to the FR30s (just to lust after) but, even if they sound better overall they lack the heritage and prestige of the IRS V.

[@derreckgilmore9422]

"Courtin' is hardship, & parting is woe..."

[@gotham61]

So sad to see the mighty IRS being emasculated! HP had them in a pretty small room, just sayin'.

[@billcarson7548]

I could be very wrong, but I'm going to bet these IRS 5's most certainly "must" have advantages, bass slam, just the power of presentation over the FR30's. Paul is saying the FR30's are just much better than these IRS 5's and I just have a hard time believing that claim. I just want to say, to have this room #2 red roped with brass hardware memorial just makes no sense. They are majestic, and Paul, no one would want to just come see those mammoth loudspeakers sitting in a room not connected, much like going to an audio show with non working displays. Another thing that comes to mind, why would you need the "huge" room to voice new loudspeakers smaller than the FR30's, you won't! You would want a smaller room, a room like they might be in actual use in someone's home. Paul, you know to have these majestic pieces of audio history displayed as some sort of display or memorial is nuts, forget all that stuff and place them in listening room 3 and roll with the music. I would think the IRS5's presentation wise are probably close to Ken Fritz's "One Man's Dream" loudspeakers. Ken recently passed from ALS, after building his perfect sound system which took him a mere 40 years. I'm just wondering if Paul had ever seen the loudspeakers Ken designed and built, an extraordinary piece of engineering to be sure. Back to the point here, could anyone see Ken's family placing those speakers in a room for observation, heck no! Come on Paul, get those IRS 5's in room #3 where they need to be, operating at full force! You have Arnie turning over in his grave! A real piece of now "improved" and perfected history, especially with all the hard and expensive work you did on the drivers and amplification. Those gems need to be displayed and operating in listening room 3, go for it Paul. Someone said, well, possibly when you move the company again, you could put them back in service, yep when you are 81, do it now, life is too darn short, let Scott run things like he wants to, but for now, put those speakers in the "really big listening room", you deserve it!

[@lexg2308]

Lol ,u look like a dwarf next to those monsterspeakers,👍🏻💯🔥

[@geddylee501]

Do they not have woofers? Am I missing something ...

[@pipiferry]

Woofers are in the back - in two separate boxes (in video there is only one showing - i think the other one is covered by mid/tweeter driver speaker)

[@seashackf1]

Not sure how, but I think you are missing something. The six woofer bass tower in the middle directly behind him. There’s another one too. It’s hidden behind the mid/high tower on the left.

[@geddylee501]

@@seashackf1 cool thx! separate cabinets for bass mid treble is a new one on me :)

[@seashackf1]

@@geddylee501 New to you, but funny thing is they’re 30+ years old. Cost around $90k (in 1990). Crazy

[@stevenburdick424]

Will they fit in your house?

[@MindBodySoulOk]

I was going to travel across the United States to visit...to visit the IRS.

[@AudiS4orce1]

Nah. I think essentially this is admission that FR30 isn’t and never going to be better sounding than IRSV. Hence the removal from listening rooms. It should have never been claimed as you shouldn’t compare those two with each other but since Paul made the comparison and called FR30 better, they put themselves in a bind.

[@brianfernandes2382]

It is sad to see auch iconic speakers wasting away unused. Somewhat like car collectors never using their expensive toys.

[@CimyNorway]

… that was felt!

[@D1N02]

Old speakers always wind up somewhere on the side or in the attic just waiting for a garage sale or a white van :p

[@edmaster3147]

Little speakers ain't big speakers. Bigger is better, yet bigger ain't commercial interesting. I've heard big speakers and decided to get the biggest ones that fit in my house. PS audio has made a good decision, their own speakers must not compete with really big ones.Paul, take them home and enjoy them.

[@michaelharden6538]

Once I'm dead I don't care. Hilarious Paul

[@stephensmith3111]

This is a sad moment (especially for reasons that I will not go into here). I cannot bring myself to sell my venerable and beloved ADS L520s that simply overpower my downsized apartment which has a really nasty bass resonance problem. Having the in house expertise and resources beyond what is available to me, maybe you could develop a DSPed (or something) workaround that would allow the IRSVs to still play music in the smaller space. Sure, the laws of physics will not allow them to sing with the glory that they could before, but they could still sing and probably more sweetly than what most other people (me for instance) listen to. Making a static display, even as a homage to Arnie Nudell, is not unlike a classic car collector who spends millions on a vintage 1958 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa (e.g.) only to park it in a climate controlled garage with a security system rivaling a federal reserve bank, never to see the open road again. Even old thoroughbred horses put out to pasture still get to run around the pasture (and other things). Live long and prosper.

[@toddcovington1172]

Sad guess I never hear them!

[@scottbailey7605]

Can I have them?

[@delstanley1349]

Well, when you die you could be buried in one of them! What a sweet way to...crossover...into Infinity and the next dimension! "PS": Think of the huge savings in funeral expenses. The "casket" could be lowered into the ground with those thick speaker cables. Who said "you can't take it with you"? Well by golly you can! Said he wanted to make the speaker a memorial. On the tombstone it could read, "The day the music died."

[@richarddarr3381]

When I do visit Infinity IRS.

[@Oldsukerbole]

Opportinty for a very cool video. Hook them up to a good amp. Get them alligned as best as possible. Get the People from Dirac involved. DSP the hell out of it.. I would like to see it…………..

[@johnmcl00]

I would rather listen to the IRS V than your new speakers. I find this very sad.

[@googoo-gjoob]

a cross country visit... and it _wont_ feature the IRS5 !!!

[@MrSilviut]

You could use the space you use to make the power regenerator or whatever it was Amir @ Audiosciencereview proved was useless.

[@Mark-lq3sb]

Hilarious, make a negative comment on something and not even know for sure what you're negatively commenting on. Amir's confused brother-in-law to the rescue...

[@edd2771]

Two things puzzle me. If you are maxed out on space, why take a pretty good chunk of square footage to display speakers that aren’t playing ? And more importantly, speakers are meant to play. Just like a guy hiding a vintage car in a garage and never taking it out isn’t doing it, or the car loving community any service, same with taking these out of commission. I would hope you re think this, maybe get creative, and find a way for those speakers to play. Maybe you still own them but they are in someone else’s possession. Maybe there’s a music venue that can house and play them for visitors. Etc. This current solution seems like a worst of both worlds idea.

[@TheDanEdwards]

"Just like a guy hiding a vintage car in a garage " - but the IRS V are not being hid. Did you not hear, that he wants to put up photos of his friend who built these things. It's not unusual for companies to have corners of their spaces that function as museums.

[@edd2771]

@@TheDanEdwards yes I understood. They are being hidden in the sense the are not being played. Like a car treated as a museum piece and not driven. Personally I think that’s a shame, and I kind of get the feeling Paul does too.