Just scored a set of Renaissance 80!! A few questions for them...

[Codis]

Picking them up in San Diego in the next few days. I'm sure a few of you infinity audiophiles may have been tracking the ebay auction from the salvation army.

I've been obsessed with finding a solid pair of Infinity speakers since hearing the IRS Sigma's recently. I have high hopes that the renaissance speakers will be life changing next to my current ESS AMT-1b's.

My few questions.

The rear foam will need to be replaced. From what I've read, any simple closed-cell foam cut to size will be just fine as a replacement? Is it important that fully covers the square hole securely?

I'll be driving them with a McIntosh C30 pre and Crown-PS400. Will this be sufficient to make these things sing? Would I gain much by bi-amping with the PS400 for the lows and either a dc-300a II or another ps-400 for the highs?

The speaker wire terminals have the shorting straps in place. Does it matter which posts I connect the speaker wire to? (hi or lo)

Is there a minimum gauge speaker wire I should use? I would guess my current wires are 16 gauge.

I'm sure I'll have further questions when I get them up and running but I appreciate any help until then!

 

[Brunt]

So you're the lucky one that got those, I've had my eye on them for a while and was going to pull the trigger after my next paycheck. Good find and I'm sure you'll enjoy them.

The Crown should be fine for the Ren 80s. By this time in Infinity's evolution they had solved most of the 'speaker killer' reputation they had. I ran Ren 90s on a single Adcom GFA555 for a while with no issue. While I'm sure there was more performance to be gained upgrading the amplification, they certainly weren't lacking in any department.

16 Gauge I'm sure won't be much of an issue as long as you have your amp close to the speakers. I run 12 but just the cheap oxy-free copper stuff you can find on amazon for my Sigmas and it does fine.

If you don't mind my prying, where did you hear another pair of Sigmas? They're rare so I'm just curious how many are currently living on the west coast, I know of 3 total counting mine at the moment.

 

[Codis]

That was me! Planning on most likely driving down from LA this weekend to pick them up potentially.

The sigma's I heard were up in Santa Clarita, Valenica specifically. I got my C30 from the guy. He had a set of Kappa 9's he was going to be selling that had a cracked polydome.

I'm definitely jealous that you have a pair!

 

[Brunt]

Hah I know the guy, that's the third pair I'm aware of. Small world. The first and second are local here, one in my house locally in SD and another in my father's up near oceanside. I'm sure you won't be let down by those 80s. The thing I took away from the 90s after I got them sorted out was the relative ease of positioning compared to the Sigmas. They did their best in a wide range of positions vs the Sigmas which in my particular room like 1 place and 1 place only.

 

[Codis]

You have ren 90s as well as sigmas? Geez. Are the sigmas your crown piece? I'd love to hear them again if time allows while I'm down there!

 

[okeeteekid]

Congrats! I have the epsilons and had the Ren 90's and 80's, it is true that the Rens are easier to place and get good results but I think it is because most rooms are too small for the sigmas and epsilons to sound their best but once you get the bigger speakers dialed in you're in for a treat.

 

[Brunt]

The Sigmas are most certainly my crown piece. After having heard a number of T.O.T.L. speakers recently (Polk SDA SRS, JBL 250ti, most recently B&W 800 D3s) I've yet to hear anything that, to my ear, matches them.

 

[jazzmans]

Picking them up in San Diego in the next few days. I'm sure a few of you infinity audiophiles may have been tracking the ebay auction from the salvation army.

I've been obsessed with finding a solid pair of Infinity speakers since hearing the IRS Sigma's recently. I have high hopes that the renaissance speakers will be life changing next to my current ESS AMT-1b's.

My few questions.

The rear foam will need to be replaced. From what I've read, any simple closed-cell foam cut to size will be just fine as a replacement? Is it important that fully covers the square hole securely?

any will do, and I do not think dimensions matter that much.

I'll be driving them with a McIntosh C30 pre and Crown-PS400. Will this be sufficient to make these things sing? Would I gain much by bi-amping with the PS400 for the lows and either a dc-300a II or another ps-400 for the highs?

Should be fine. the 90's are more efficient then most other infinity speakers I have or do own, so you'll likely be fine. I've driven mine with everything from a lepai 100 wpc chip amp to my carver Pro amps.

The speaker wire terminals have the shorting straps in place. Does it matter which posts I connect the speaker wire to? (hi or lo)

Is there a minimum gauge speaker wire I should use? I would guess my current wires are 16 gauge.

I usually connect to the high side, but I don't think it makes a difference.
the guage of the wire only matters for longer runs, I use 16 or 12 guage, usually 16 due to its ease of bending

I'm sure I'll have further questions when I get them up and running but I appreciate any help until then!

I think you'll be happy. My Ren 90s are still the best speakers I've ever owned, and nearly the best I've ever heard, and I currently own 8 pairs of Infinity speakers, including the mighty RS IIb

They(rens) aren't 'flashy' but goodDog! they are amazing.

 

[7.62]

I’ve been reluctant to say much, I was also watching them. I hope I’m wrong, really wrong this time. I studied the pictures and it sure looked to me that the speaker on the right has a blown mid. If that’s the case I’d fix’em. I’ve had my fun with 90’s, not for me. Those 80’s I feel completely different about.

I’ve stupidly let 2 pairs slip right out of my hands. Enough of that though. I hope you come out OK and treat us with your listening impressions, with a good sub...................they could be really, a game ender

 

[musicman95]

I’ve had my fun with 90’s, not for me. Those 80’s I feel completely different about.

Completely agree. I recently got the chance to listen to a pair of Ren80s and I was completely shocked with how different they sounded from the 90s. I actually brought my 90s to listen to them back to back. Very eye opening.

The speaker wire terminals have the shorting straps in place. Does it matter which posts I connect the speaker wire to? (hi or lo)

First, congrats. Their a fine set of speakers. Second, I once read somewhere that the energy from the high frequencies was easier to distort so they (can't remember who) recommended plugging the wires into the high binding posts. I honestly can't hear a difference so this could be totally wrong.

 

[okeeteekid]

You need a large room for the 90's to breath to sound their best, it also helps to drive them with good electronics.

I had the 80's and 90's at the same time in a large room and A and B them against each other bi amped using a pure class A amp on top with a 200 watt AB amp for the woofers and for me I wouldn't take two pairs of 80's over a pair of 90's, to me the 90's have a much larger 3d soundstage than the 80's, the 90's have way better mid bass, they hit harder, are more dynamic and go deeper than the 80's, I think the 90's sound closer to the sound of the sigma, had them too, than the 80's do.

The ren 90's have a very slight peak at 140 hz that the 80's do not have but I actually like that it has the peak because it give the speaker a little more warmth.

 

[7.62]

I agree that the 90 is a Fantastic Speaker, for some of us and I really tried with some good stuff behind them, I couldn’t take them for long periods. Just to bright. As where the 4.5 and 2.5 don’t bother me at all. The 80’s I don’t recall anything but a lack of bass. Much smother to my ears too. I’d take 2 pairs of 80’s over the 90 any day.

 

[okeeteekid]

I agree that the 90 is a Fantastic Speaker, for some of us and I really tried with some good stuff behind them, I couldn’t take them for long periods. Just to bright. As where the 4.5 and 2.5 don’t bother me at all. The 80’s I don’t recall anything but a lack of bass. Much smother to my ears too. I’d take 2 pairs of 80’s over the 90 any day.

The 80's highs are rolled off as compared to the 90's If you were using your krell on the 90's It's not a good match, the krell will sound better on the 80's because the krells high frequencies are not rolled off like some other amps are, you wouldn't probably like the sigma or the epsilon as they have even more detail than the 90's and with the wrong electronics you will make your ears bleed, you have to match the electronics to the speaker

 

[7.62]

Hmmmm, I’d say that’s a stretch predicting I wouldn’t like the Epilsons or Sigmas never hearing either speaker. You could be right. We may find out at the beginning of 2020. The Krell was not a good match, doesn’t mean I came close though. The C26 and Crown wasn’t to shabby.

What it came down to was fatigue over long term, and I stand by that.....for me.

I’m kinda in that territory with the 4.5, Beast of a speaker, and fantastic to my ears until you start getting higher on the volume, medium volume I’ve never heard music like they can do.

The 80’s, I never experienced that same brightness, again just a lack of bass and I really regret letting my last pair go.

So I’m looking forward to Codis report on condition and how he likes them, and I sure hope I read those pictures wrong.

 

[okeeteekid]

Hmmmm, I’d say that’s a stretch predicting I wouldn’t like the Epilsons or Sigmas never hearing either speaker. You could be right. We may find out at the beginning of 2020. The Krell was not a good match, doesn’t mean I came close though. The C26 and Crown wasn’t to shabby.

What it came down to was fatigue over long term, and I stand by that.....for me.

I’m kinda in that territory with the 4.5, Beast of a speaker, and fantastic to my ears until you start getting higher on the volume, medium volume I’ve never heard music like they can do.

The 80’s, I never experienced that same brightness, again just a lack of bass and I really regret letting my last pair go.

So I’m looking forward to Codis report on condition and how he likes them, and I sure hope I read those pictures wrong.

I guess it has to do with the room, electronics and what the person hears.

I know with the epsilons more than any of the other mentioned speakers there is a lot more detail from top to bottom especially because it uses more planar drivers, if you don't have the epsilons placed just right in the room or if the room is too small for them or the electronics don't compliment the speaker and more importantly if you play poor recording which I have found is over 90% of the time, you will get listener fatigue, play them with the right stuff and you are in for a treat.

 

[jazzmans]

The 80's highs are rolled off as compared to the 90's

How so? they both use identical High Energy Emits and High Energy Emims. I couldn't detect any difference between the two until you include bass response.

I am very excited to compare the Modulus to the Ren 90 once I get back home from California.

It's amazing how much the room affects how a speaker sounds, no matter how much dampening/absorption you add/subtract. The unchageble room dimensions and structure construction has a HUGE effect on sound.

 

[okeeteekid]

How so? they both use identical High Energy Emits and High Energy Emims. I couldn't detect any difference between the two until you include bass response.

I am very excited to compare the Modulus to the Ren 90 once I get back home from California.

It's amazing how much the room affects how a speaker sounds, no matter how much dampening/absorption you add/subtract. The unchageble room dimensions and structure construction has a HUGE effect on sound.

I think because the 90 is a taller speaker it just make the image more life size and the tweeter and mid to me sounds more open because of the added height

 

[jazzmans]

I think because the 90 is a taller speaker it just make the image more life size and the tweeter and mid to me sounds more open because of the added height

I can accept that, to my ears, (not side by side, unfortunately) there was 0 difference in the range covered by the Emit/Emim.

Someday another pair of 80's will float my way, and I'll be able to side by side compare them, with the same electronics.

 

[7.62]

Well I guess I’m looking for 2 pairs now.......

 

[Codis]

Thanks to everyone for the insights and info! I made the drive down to san diego today to pick them up and then back to LA (probably won't ever do that again!)

Everything seems to be in working condition. The sound is nothing short of BEAUTIFUL and so far I've only tested them with an old ipod & aux cable (in between turntables at the moment).

The cabinets are a bit more dinged up than the ebay description, but it's the salvation army so I dont want to give them grief for it.

Have a few more questions for all of you experts here.
1. The wire terminals definitely need a cleaning and seem to have a bit of oxidation maybe. Recommended products for this?
2. Bass flapping - This happened during Hans Zimmer's No Time For Caution from the interstellar soundtrack. A bit of clipping on the amp and when the really heavy deep bass hit the woofers flapped pretty bad and I dove to turn the volume down. Is this a sympton of too much power? Not enough power? Gains on the amp too high?
3. Lastly, any advice with speaker placement would be appreciated. I know it's something that take a fair amount of trial and error and is likely subjective without measurement, but I'm sure there are some basic rules I can follow with these. I'm attaching a pic of my current setup, the ren's will go in place of the ESS's on either side of the bookshelf. The room has about 20ft ceilings. The black outline behind the system is foamcore which is something I use for photography purposes, but stuck it back there to get it out of the way and it seems to do a good job of adding a bit of sound isolation back there.