Newk_Yuler
Active Member
I spent much of the day yesterday (Friday, February 7, 2020) with friends at the opening day of the Florida Audio Expo in Tampa. I went expecting modern speakers have modern engineering that reflects superiority in sound. I was surprised to find that a majority of the speakers didn't sound particularly great and many sounded unimpressive. There were exceptions but not many. For example I was reassured that I like electrostatics a lot. I'm surprised that the majority of displays have made me more gratified with what I have. The classic Arnie Nudell era Infinity speakers I've appreciated for decades. Particularly the Kappas that get the most use.
To be fair I must state that many of the manufacturers were not displaying their best sounding models which seems like a mistake IMO. A big audio show should be a manufacturer's investment in an opportunity to compare your best work to a large gathering of potential customers who go expecting to experience excellence. A lot of the manufacturers displayed lesser models that IMO likely created lesser impressions than their best potential. It seemed kind of self defeating. Understanding the manufacturers' practical considerations for what they can do with travel complications and a display in a hotel room, some of which were pretty small. Many didn't use room treatments and didn't seem to put much effort to a best possible setup. They should have invested in bigger rooms and brought their big guns. It seemed as if a lot of them didn't think of it as a competition. There will be people who are shopping for speakers making the expo a real competition. Also a writer for Stereophile states this is considered a "smallish regional show." This show is suppose to be at least 50% bigger than last year's inaugural show. The attending manufacturers are just a fraction of what's available but it's still a great way to hear many current products.
I'm reasonably certain others have said classic Infinity holds up very well against modern speakers after they've been to a modern audio show. Especially when you consider the cost differences.
So... My message to you good guys in the Infinity group is that you're doing well to be satisfied with your classic Infinity speakers because IMO there's apparently no big need to sweat the majority of much more expensive modern speaker products. Many don't measure up to a reasonable investment in a set of late 1980s Infinity Kappa and many other big Nudell era Infinity models. Unless you have God's bank account and can afford to outfit your mansion with the big dogs the current speaker manufacturers produce. Also, if you have an opportunity to attend an audio show... GO!
To be fair I must state that many of the manufacturers were not displaying their best sounding models which seems like a mistake IMO. A big audio show should be a manufacturer's investment in an opportunity to compare your best work to a large gathering of potential customers who go expecting to experience excellence. A lot of the manufacturers displayed lesser models that IMO likely created lesser impressions than their best potential. It seemed kind of self defeating. Understanding the manufacturers' practical considerations for what they can do with travel complications and a display in a hotel room, some of which were pretty small. Many didn't use room treatments and didn't seem to put much effort to a best possible setup. They should have invested in bigger rooms and brought their big guns. It seemed as if a lot of them didn't think of it as a competition. There will be people who are shopping for speakers making the expo a real competition. Also a writer for Stereophile states this is considered a "smallish regional show." This show is suppose to be at least 50% bigger than last year's inaugural show. The attending manufacturers are just a fraction of what's available but it's still a great way to hear many current products.
I'm reasonably certain others have said classic Infinity holds up very well against modern speakers after they've been to a modern audio show. Especially when you consider the cost differences.
So... My message to you good guys in the Infinity group is that you're doing well to be satisfied with your classic Infinity speakers because IMO there's apparently no big need to sweat the majority of much more expensive modern speaker products. Many don't measure up to a reasonable investment in a set of late 1980s Infinity Kappa and many other big Nudell era Infinity models. Unless you have God's bank account and can afford to outfit your mansion with the big dogs the current speaker manufacturers produce. Also, if you have an opportunity to attend an audio show... GO!
