What are the good ∞ speaker models?

[Blue Shadow]

without digging through all the threads in this forum, is there a way to find a list of the best of ∞, the worst and the stuff in the middle?

Sure would be nice if there was a discussion of Infinity speakers over the many generations with discussions of the pluses and minuses. I have only owned a parts pair of SM-122 or some such model. I know it was in the sadist and masochist line and since the woofers needing foam were removed from the speakers and stacked on each other destroying the cone these were parted out.

I know there are great Infinity speakers and a bunch of good units as well as junk, but I have no idea of what models or even generations that are good to great.

Maybe some of you can list the great speakers and the really good ones. Looking for ones that folks should hunt for to replace top of the line ADS, Dahlquist and other well regarded speakers. I already know the IRS is worthwhile but probably too expensive as are others but it would be nice to be able to know which group to put them in. Go get them, they are great, worthwhile or not worth the time. Maybe even broken down a bit further into large, bookshelf and small.

I'll be watching and maybe end up with a nice pair of ∞ speakers to enjoy.

 

[Bahamayellow]

Hello I wish I could tell you more of the classic infinities from the 60s and 70s but have not heard them. I would like to hear as many as I can one day. I own the Kappa line from the the late 80s and early 90s. Particularly the Kappa 9 and the 8.1s. I really enjoy these. Price is fairly reasonable on these as well. Power requirements differ from model to model. I know most of the lines of Infinity speakers are really good. I enjoy the sonic signature of them, very detailed and non fatiguing. That being said I also like my classic Advent 1s and monitor audio BX1s. I'm not sure if people replace their current speakers with Infinities as ADS and Dahlquist speakers are no slouches either. I started with Infinity speakers in a surround system in the 90s then 2 years ago started getting speakers for a stereo 2 channel system. infinity was a logical choice for me. I'm rambling. Lol I'm sure others will chime in. I agree the IRS line is in a league of their own.

 

[tubed]

without digging through all the threads in this forum, is there a way to find a list of the best of ∞, the worst and the stuff in the middle?

Sure would be nice if there was a discussion of Infinity speakers over the many generations with discussions of the pluses and minuses. I have only owned a parts pair of SM-122 or some such model. I know it was in the sadist and masochist line and since the woofers needing foam were removed from the speakers and stacked on each other destroying the cone these were parted out.

I know there are great Infinity speakers and a bunch of good units as well as junk, but I have no idea of what models or even generations that are good to great


Maybe some of you can list the great speakers and the really good ones. Looking for ones that folks should hunt for to replace top of the line ADS, Dahlquist and other well regarded speakers. I already know the IRS is worthwhile but probably too expensive as are others but it would be nice to be able to know which group to put them in. Go get them, they are great, worthwhile or not worth the time. Maybe even broken down a bit further into large, bookshelf and small.

I'll be watching and maybe end up with a nice pair of ∞ speakers to enjoy.

Compared to what?
I can think of a few I like better than ADS stuff I have and Dahlquist I've had.

 

[slimpikkins]

Too bad you live in SE Pa as I have bought most of the good Infinities around here . Most maintenance free floor standing infinity are the RSII and the more common RSIIIa (or b). They are very good place to start and sound very good. These are around the $500 range. The Kappa line has a problematic 3" dome midrange driver which is prone to fail. There are ways to fix them and once it is done they should give you years of enjoyment. (Couple nice pairs in our area now, no affiliation) Fine speakers as well. The Quantum series sound fantastic but have some maintenance issues which can be a hassle so if you like to tinker keep and eye out for them. Floor standers are the QLS1, Quantum 2,3,4. I love the Quantum series and have 3 pair...Any of the RS series with the Emim mid range (look like big emit tweeters) are wonderful as well but can get a little pricey.

I only mentioned floor standing models but pretty much all the speakers infinity made which have the ribbon type or round emit tweeter sound pretty darn good and will give many modern speakers a run for their money.

I don't have any experience with models older than the Quantum series. There are plenty of guys that love them as well.

It's really a tough choice which is why I mention the RSIIIa/b as a place to start. They sold many pairs of them so they are pretty easy to find and will give you a good idea of what the Infinity sound is about.
Jim

 

[swechsler]

The EMIT tweeter is what most of us are here for. As mentioned above, pretty much anything with an EMIT is going to be good (some of them, such at the Qa/Qb, punch way above their price range). Even the mass-market models with EMITs (such as the RS-x000, RS-x001 [where x is a number between 4 and 6], and Reference 4-6) sound pretty good, even if the vinyl veneer makes them look like rack system specials. Note that Infinity is very inconsistent with their model numbers, and has used very similar numbers over the years. For example, the RS II (an excellent speaker) is not the same as the RS 2 (just OK).

Starting from the mid-late 1980s through the late 1990s, the model lines with Greek letters were higher end (although there were exceptions, such as the Renaissance series, which sort of slotted between the Kappa series on the "low" end and the other Greek letters on the high end). There are fans of some of the older models with the Walsh tweeters (as in the picture added by tubed) as well, but I've never heard them. The electrostatic (early 1970s) models I'm sure sound good as well, but they're fairly rare and were not known for their reliability.

 

[Blue Shadow]

Now we are getting somewhere. Info coming in and well thanks to Infinity and their names and model numbers it is a lot of learning to get this brand figured out. It appears even the infinity-classics website doesn't have all the needed info. Boiling it down, the more EMIx devices maybe the better the speakers. I'm guessing the dual tower models might be too much for many rooms but there are some that have a number of drivers that should be something nice. I'll keep following this thread and learn more.

 

[chef free]

Some of the best from Infinity include:
QLS-1 and the Quantum 2, and 3.
RS-1, RS-IIa and b, RS-IIIa and b.
Kappa 7, 8, and 9 including the .1 and .2 variants.
Renaissance 80 and 90.
Beta, Delta, Gamma and Epsilon.

There are others more expensive and rare but these models are a good sample.

 

[Blue Shadow]

QLS-1 and the Quantum 2, and 3.
RS-1, RS-IIa and b, RS-IIIa and b.
Kappa 7, 8, and 9 including the .1 and .2 variants.

Nice thanks for the list. Truncated here to show the numbering is out of control In some lines the higher number is better in others it is the lower number. No wonder I don't know squat about the Infinity line of speakers.

QLS/Quantum 1, 2, 3 but not higher or lettered (good but lower in the line)
RS-1, II and III but not the 4-10 as they are lower in the line
Kappa 7, 8, 9 and not the lower numbered 5 and 6. And that is the low end for Kappa it seems

Odd. Learning...

 

[tubed]

Infinity RSII, real deal audio goodness.

 

[okeeteekid]

Anything with drivers that look like emits, the more of them the better.

 

[Kev_rat]

I think with Infinity that there is an inverse relationship between WAF and performance (aside from SM)
of my collection (Q3, Q4, K-7, RSM, RS2.5, 4.5), the RS-4.5 are the outstanding ones but I think very few 4.5s are left intact these days.
I would expect that the larger ones Beta and other Greek letters, QLS1, and IRS would perhaps be even better

 

[goodolpg]

Infinity RSII, real deal audio goodness.
View attachment 899654
View attachment 899655

I do like my RS II's. Bought them for many reasons, one being they have no unobtanium or super costly replacement drivers. All of the RS II drivers are pretty much readily available and won't break the bank.
I also really like(d) my Infinity Reference Studio Monitors (bought new in 1983 and have the same midrange and EMIT's [though different face plates] as the RS II's I bought last year), worth considering if looking for a "book shelf" type speaker.
Though listed as "book shelf" models they are bigger than what seem to be modern day book shelf speakers.

 

[tubed]

I do like my RS II's. Bought them for many reasons, one being they have no unobtanium or super costly replacement drivers. All of the RS II drivers are pretty much readily available and won't break the bank.
I also really like(d) my Infinity Reference Studio Monitors (bought new in 1983 and have the same midrange and EMIT's [though different face plates] as the RS II's I bought last year), worth considering if looking for a "book shelf" type speaker.
Though listed as "book shelf" models they are bigger than what seem to be modern day book shelf speakers.

I'd love to hear the Infinitys that other AKers enjoy.
As far as our RSII goes, I'd rank them up there with my QLS-1 and RS 2.5.
Fairly unique sound as Infinitys go, sophisticated design and really do deliver the goods.
Of course,YMMV

 

[chef free]

Nice thanks for the list. Truncated here to show the numbering is out of control In some lines the higher number is better in others it is the lower number. No wonder I don't know squat about the Infinity line of speakers.

QLS/Quantum 1, 2, 3 but not higher or lettered (good but lower in the line)
RS-1, II and III but not the 4-10 as they are lower in the line
Kappa 7, 8, 9 and not the lower numbered 5 and 6. And that is the low end for Kappa it seems

Odd. Learning...

Yeah, it's pretty confusing! As the years went by they began to reuse model names and numbers so it gets worse...

Let me add to your confusion by stating that I forgot about the RS-4.5 and RS-2.5 which came out after the RS series but were sold at the same time. Here the 4.5 is the upper model, that makes no sense!

 

[srb02]

RS II's: I've had now for 6+ months. Every time I turn them on, simply amazing. To me, they sound their best at "moderate listening levels".
Not hard to drive: 14 watts of KT-150 SE tubes, my old Kenwood KT-405 integrated, and others, but mostly tubes.
And of course, second choice is my RSIIIA's.

my 2 cents Stu

 

[Mark B]

IRS Delta/Gamma's

 

[okeeteekid]

IRS Delta/Gamma's

View attachment 900745

Nice set up!

 

[Bahamayellow]

IRS Delta/Gamma's

View attachment 900745

Omg nice room.

 

[jazzmans]

IRS Delta/Gamma's

View attachment 900745

Purty! I do have to wonder what the tradeoff's were to orient the L-EMIM horizontally, rather then vertically, weren't dispersian patterns a large reason why the EMIT and EMIM are so prized?

Don't take this wrong, Mark B, I'd snap up a pair of Delta/Gammas in a heartbeat!

 

[swechsler]

Purty! I do have to wonder what the tradeoff's were to orient the L-EMIM horizontally, rather then vertically, weren't dispersian patterns a large reason why the EMIT and EMIM are so prized?

My guess (and this is only a guess) is that since this is an L-EMIM, dispersion is less of an issue due to the frequencies involved (high pass crossover @ 130hz, low pass crossover @ 750hz).