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Amp Killers!

chef free

chef free

Super Member
Classic Infinity speakers have a reputation for being low impedance "amp killers". How many threads in this forum start with "I just scored some Infinity speakers. Which amp will survive them?" We know that most Infinity speakers were not hard-to-drive "amp killers" but that a few really were. Exactly which speakers were so hard on amplifiers?

Known Infinity Amp Killers Hall of Shame:
So far we got:
QLS-1
RS-1
RSII
RSIIIa/b
RS6b (surprise!)
Kappa 8
Kappa 9

Please add to this list...
 
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Linn Isobarik and
Gale GS-401.
I have three pairs of Gale GS-401 (two GS-401A and one GS-401C) , you need a very powerful amplifier for run them.
Regards.
 
the Linn Isoberic (a speaker i'm very fond of btw), didn't drop to a half ohm, did they? both the QLS and the original Kappa 9 do at certain frequencies due to arnie doping the woofer cones of the Watkins without changing the second vc windings
 
stevo137 said:
I don't see how the Kappa 9 or any Quantum could be in a "hall of shame".

Don't buy the speaker if you don't have the amp.

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If the speaker impedance was rated reasonably as per IEC, i.e. min impedance not less than 80% of nominal, I'd agree. Then, people would be able to more clearly understand if they wanted buy a speaker with that characteristic, nominal impedance rating of 1.1 ohms, or that they needed a particular sort of amp to run them. The 4 to 6 ohm nominal rating they have is absurd. But, I suspect sales would have been impacted with a more realistic impedance rating.
 
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I think the first version Kappa 8 may qualify, mine shut down an Eagle 7A on several occasions and quite a few other amps as well.
 
Some folks say the RS II are power/current hungry.
They do drop down to just barely over 2 ohms for part of the musical spectrum.
 
Quite a few Martin Logan's can dip to 1ohm and thus eat inferior amps, and we know everyone thinks their amp is the best.

Then the fact that ML also specs a lot of their speakers to such a large range like 25- 400 watts.

So then we get the uninformed matching that speaker to a low watt cheap receiver and it fries..

The speaker was/is great the power source and user knowledge not so much.
 
7.62 said:
I think the first version Kappa 8 may qualify, mine shut down an Eagle 7A on several occasions and quite a few other amps as well.
Click to expand...
The Eagle 7 was a brute in velvet gloves, that's scary!
Do you recall what Infinity recommended to drive them?
 
No I don't, I just remember bringing that honking heavy big SOB home, the next day the BIL and I were throwing back some cold ones having a jam session and about 1/2 hour in......SILENCE !

I was shocked....LOL. It was hotter than heck. It was the last amp I used before going with pro amp power.
 
7.62 said:
No I don't, I just remember bringing that honking heavy big SOB home, the next day the BIL and I were throwing back some cold ones having a jam session and about 1/2 hour in......SILENCE !

I was shocked....LOL. It was hotter than heck. It was the last amp I used before going with pro amp power.
Click to expand...
So, what ended up driving them?
 
Went with a QSC GX-5, the first amp to really take control of those 8's and in a good way. Never had any problems other than the fan, which I installed my own switch for on and off voiding the warranty. It was the first time I felt the kappas really came to life

My oldest son now has the 8's and the amp still in use today and absolutely loves them.
 
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