Infinity Quantum 5 - how do they rank?

C

cbrworm

Well-Known Member
I was watching the other guys thread, but he moved.

I was just curious about the Quantum 5s. I have heard in the past that integration was not great between all the drivers, etc - but they sound pretty good to me, if a bit heavy in mid-bass (and yet not as punchy as I would like)

I have compared them to multiple speakers and I don't like them as much as my RS IIIa's and they don't image as well as my SEAS kits, but they sound a lot better than any of the inexpensive speakers I have heard. It is hard to really compared them directly because the room they are in is tiled and my RS IIIa's are in a nice carpeted room.

The ones I have are in perfect condition except for a couple marks on one grill edge, but despite the looking and sounding good to me, my wife wants them down off the pedastal due to a new baby being on the way and she is convinced they will fall off and crush said baby.

Do I need to spend thousands of dollars to get comparable sound today or would a set of Beta 20's off E-bay sound just as good or better (assuming I use a sub). I am really tempted to make a set of ZaphAudio SEAS SR-71 kit speakers, but that will end up being $700 for good sounding bookshelf size speakers - but will they be better?

One of the things I really like about the Quantum 5s is that in a HT setup my sub only is used for the LFE channel. Realistically though I am beyond the point of needing a DVC 12 in each front speaker. As you can see from the picture, something smaller might be nice. . .
 
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cbrworm said:
I was watching the other guys thread, but he moved.

I was just curious about the Quantum 5s. I have heard in the past that integration was not great between all the drivers, etc - but they sound pretty good to me, if a bit heavy in mid-bass (and yet not as punchy as I would like)

I have compared them to multiple speakers and I don't like them as much as my RS IIIa's and they don't image as well as my SEAS kits, but they sound a lot better than any of the inexpensive speakers I have heard. It is hard to really compared them directly because the room they are in is tiled and my RS IIIa's are in a nice carpeted room.

The ones I have are in perfect condition except for a couple marks on one grill edge, but despite the looking and sounding good to me, my wife wants them down off the pedastal due to a new baby being on the way and she is convinced they will fall off and crush said baby.

Do I need to spend thousands of dollars to get comparable sound today or would a set of Beta 20's off E-bay sound just as good or better (assuming I use a sub). I am really tempted to make a set of ZaphAudio SEAS SR-71 kit speakers, but that will end up being $700 for good sounding bookshelf size speakers - but will they be better?

One of the things I really like about the Quantum 5s is that in a HT setup my sub only is used for the LFE channel. Realistically though I am beyond the point of needing a DVC 12 in each front speaker. As you can see from the picture, something smaller might be nice. . .
Click to expand...

those stands are pretty tall for some Q5s, i'd agree with your wife. get some 12" or 18" ones, or even some shorter angled ones. what are you powering them with? those 12"s should have some pretty good slam if you can give them 150-200 solid Wpc. could be that they're wired incorrectly...my first nice vintage speaks were the Quantum Jrs which have basically the same configuration in the same cabinet, and while the integration wasn't as smooth as the QLS1s i have now, i wouldn't call it a major disappointment. if you're handy, try recapping the midrange and tweeter. you might also try moving them at least 6 inches from the back wall, doesn't look like they're breathing properly right now and that could be a source of the midbass excess. you can do better for $700 (don't know about that bookshelf kit) - among others, the Infinity Modulus bookshelf/sub setup is in that price range, and it sounds like that might be more to your liking sizewise, plus the sub is supposed to be amazing.
 
They do have plenty of bass - just not super fast, and the stands are kind of high. They are also too close to the walls, but I don't have much wiggle room there. They are being powered by a high mid-line onkyo reciever which is 110wpc @ 8 ohms (200 wpc @ 4 ohms) and is 3 ohm stable (almost enough) but it does a good job. These don't get cranked to often except for movies during which they will make glasses vibrate off the shelfs in the kitchen.

The verdict has been handed down from my wife though, we need to put smaller speakers (she wants wall mounted which I am opposed to) out here.

I guess my real question is how much money do I need to spend to get comparable performance (minus the bass) in a small speaker, and what would be a good replacement - would the Beta 20 be sufficient (on those same stands)
 
To get performance like these you need to spend quite a bit, these handle very high continuous power.
You need to drive them with at least 200W / CH (continuous not peak) these are power mongers just like the the other Q's .. I have 2 sets of Q3's and a set of Q5's. They respond very well in the low range with power behind them. Don't forget they have the dual coil Watkins that dip down to 2 ohm load on the amp. So you need something that will drive these puppies. They sound great. (with the proper drive) they work OK with lower power amps but the performance is lacking.

My .02
John Mik
 
Out of approximately 110 models listed on Infinity Classics website I feel as though the Q5 model might rank around 21-22 in terms of value and desirabilty. In terms of cost, sound and ease of amplification, a little higher:)
 
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I have plenty of power for them, I have an Adcom 555 II that I have used to drive them, so I know what they are capable of - although on daily basis they are driven with the Onkyo.

My question is how to they compare to modern speakers that are $600 or less.
 
I'm sure the Q5's would have a better dynamic range than a set of todays $600 speakers, hands down.

John
 
I don't have the Q5s, but have the Quantum Jrs, with the same Emits and midrange. If you are looking for the same type of sound with $600 new speakers, I'd like to know what they are when you find it :) Most new speakers I've heard are too laid back in comparison.

I've been into listening to waveguide/compression drivers lately which you can DIY in that price range, which I find to be more accurate, but not necessarily better sounding on some types of music. Something about those Emits...

Another suggestion you might want to consider. Find yourself a nice set of used Ohm Walshes in that price range and go with a phantom center channel. They don't tip easy, and would sound great in that room. Keep the sub.
 
Hmmmm. I was hoping someone would say that I could get a set of xxx speakers at costco for $600 and they would blow away the old Q's. Or maybe a set of Zaph SR-71's would kill them. I guess there is no replacement for displacement.

I dream of the day that wall mounted satellite speakers (not necessarily super-small) with a good sub can truly recreate the effect of large, good quality floorstanding speakers. It seams like it could be done with today's technology for a reasonable price.
 
cbrworm said:
I dream of the day that wall mounted satellite speakers (not necessarily super-small) with a good sub can truly recreate the effect of large, good quality floorstanding speakers. It seams like it could be done with today's technology for a reasonable price.
Click to expand...

You might look at a set of (original) Modulus with sub. Smaller speakers, very nice quality, easier to drive, and if you're lucky you might be able to pick them up for $600 (although, with the sub included, you're probably looking more in the $800 range).

David
 
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