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Infinity Reference owners thread

264K views 2K replies 236 participants last post by  biglen 
#1 ·
The new Infinity Reference lineup is now available and while I do not own anything from this particular lineup yet, I wanted to start an owners thread for us to have some discussion and post our thoughts.

So far there has only been one review that I can find and that is from the folks over at Home Theater Review. They got a review up of the R263 yesterday and I must say these speakers look appealing. When it's time to upgrade from my P363s I might just have to check these out.

http://hometheaterreview.com/measurements-i-also-did-full/

It's nice to see Infinity re-enter the premium sound market, especially at a lucrative price. Their Reference series have been missed by more than a few.
 
#36 ·
Btw AverageJoeaudio, My owned since new Infinity Alpha 50's, 37c and 20's are in use every day, 10's in storage. Still love them. The Alpha line preceded the Betas which preceded the Primus line.
 
#37 ·
Wasn't the Alpha line designed primarily for the European market? I had a pair of 20s once and couldn't help but notice that they were manufactured in Scandinavia. I never saw them for sale here. And I think the Entra line actually preceded the Primus line, which means that the Betas were really the end of the line for their good stuff until this new Reference line came out. Been enjoying my Interludes for 11 years now.
 
#39 ·
I think Harman has decided that this new Reference line is as good as it's going to get at Infinity with Revel taking over from there on up. Concertas aren't that much more expensive (well, $700/pr for M12s). But they don't have the dealer network of Infinity.
 
#42 ·
Primus P363 Upgrade

I currently have Primus P363 towers and I am thinking of upgrading to the Reference R263. I was wondering if anyone has done this. Is it a decent upgrade?


My other question is I have very little room I can have the R263 from the wall. Does anyone know the minimum distance the R263 should be from the wall?


Thanks


Teddy
 
#43 · (Edited)
My other question is I have very little room I can have the R263 from the wall. Does anyone know the minimum distance the R263 should be from the wall?
I imagine that wherever your Primus towers sound best would also be fine for the R263s. Since they are rear-ported I'd recommend 8 inches at the very least. Most speakers create the most realistic image/soundstage when placed much further into the room than most people do. In this review the speaker fronts are 3 feet from the wall.

http://hometheaterreview.com/measurements-i-also-did-full/
 
#44 ·
Secure R253 Tower Speakers

I just bought a pair of R253 tower speakers. I have them on carpet and I am using the carpet spikes. I find the speakers are very wobbly. I have a 2 year old and I am a little worried about him knocking them over. Although, I do have large baby gate blocking the speakers.


I was wonder if there was a way to make the speakers more stable. I have tried adjusting the spikes to be longer and it did not help. I do have a thin berber like carpet with a pad underneath. Do I possibly need different spikes? I was also wondering if made a speaker stand that is low to the ground and flat to stabilize the speakers.


Thanks for any help you can offer.


Teddy
 
#45 ·
You guys shouldn't be looking forward when it comes to Infinity speakers, instead you all should look in the past! Old Skool Infinity's are the best! :)

One thing about Infinity though, why are the bass on their woofers always soo wimpy? I wonder if they just designed it that way to be more punchy and precise, having designed them around the use of a separate subwoofer to compliment the lower frequencies......... or if they just can't design a decent cabinet/woofer to get more low's out of them?
 
#46 ·
One thing about Infinity though, why are the bass on their woofers always soo wimpy? I wonder if they just designed it that way to be more punchy and precise, having designed them around the use of a separate subwoofer to compliment the lower frequencies......... or if they just can't design a decent cabinet/woofer to get more low's out of them?
Harman/Infinity made several models with great bass: 2, possibly 3 different Preludes; the Intermezzo line; the Interlude IL-60 and IL-50; and the Overture series (designed by Andrew Jones). All had powered woofer sections though. Maybe that's what it takes for them to shine.
 
#48 ·
Infinity R253 Cabinet Issues

I purchased a pair of R253 speakers a month or so ago. Out of the first pair one of the speakers was in perfect condition. The other had missing finish on the front and bottom at the corners. That speaker went back and I was sent a replacement. The replacement had the same issues. I am now being sent a 3rd speaker.


I was wondering if anyone has seen these issues on the reference line in general?


Thanks


Teddy
 
#1,597 ·
Yes,I did own a pr.of the reference 625.At the time I lived in NYC across the street from a bar. The patrons would actually come out of the place to listen to my speakers. I had a Yamaha receiver and CD player. The sound of that system was incredible. It sounded more like a club system. Bass off the meter,highs clear but not harsh. Very musical at any and all levels. I truly miss those speakers. I sold them and upgraded to Paradigm studio 100v2.
 
#54 ·
Where did you get that low of a price on these? I am very curious. Amazon hasn't budged on these...thanks in advance.
 
#56 ·
With the apparent discontinuation of the Primus line (RIP), I wonder if we'll start seeing these Reference speakers become more available. At present, this Reference lineup is either unavailable or in very low stock everywhere.
 
#59 ·
Hi

I picked up a pair of Infinity RS-8 speakers on Craigs List that looked like a deal and ended up a nightmare. The short of it is that it looks like the amp for the powered woofer is shot. It's a pricey fix. I'm thinking of replacing the powered crossover to a passive one. Does anyone know if this is doable and what the frequency responses are so that I can shop for an acceptable replacement
 
#63 ·
I was wondering if anyone knows, are the Reference speakers being discontinued like the Primus line? It seems they are getting harder and harder to find as time goes on.


I am looking to buy the large center channel (RC263), does anyone know what the best place to order with the lowest price for a new one?


I currently have 2 front R253 and 2 of the reference surround speakers. Due to having a baby gate where the center channel is, I skipped the center channel. There is also the issue with the large reference center being too tall for my TV stand shelf. In the next few years, the baby gate will go and I will have a new TV with a new stand. I am concerned when I am ready to buy, the Reference series will be gone. As much as I would hate to do it, I am thinking of ordering the center, opening it and testing it out then putting it away for a while.


Thanks


Teddy
 
#65 ·
I have the R12 subwoofer. it is certainly worth $150. The going rate was $499 but there are nearly impossible to find anymore except through Infinities website. They review very well in Sound&Vision. I honestly I haven't heard many others so I don't have a bases to compare it too. Mine has nice tight bass for music. Though not a fan Dubstep sound phenomenal. I don't think they go as low as others. The manual say 29Hz but no db on it. It works well for movies but gets a little boomy in the really low LFE.
 
#66 ·
Infinity Reference Home Theater

My home theater is made up mostly of speakers from the reference line. I have R162 for l/r, RC152 for centers and RS152 for surround and 2 R12 subs. I have the CS80R in ceiling for atmos. When I first got them, I was not blown away by them. I almost sent them back but I got them from Crutchfield for 40% off. The R162 were $299 when regularly they are $449.

Not being home theater savvy, I researched what I could do to improve the overall sound. Realized my placement was all wrong on the front stage. I spent a day moving, listening and moving again. The L/F were too far apart. The front baffles needed to be 3 feet from the back wall to clear up the mid. The center needed to be tilted up. They are even weighted and shaped just for that. The 2 subs I placed at 1/3's across the front.

It is night and day. The sound is clear and detailed but not bright. I still can't understand Tom Hardy's dialog in The Revenant but I'm not sure any system can fix that. I knew the bass was right when I knocked the pool cues off the rack in the next room watching U-571. They are equally good with music. They love power. I have an Onkyo tx-nr838. When I get to reference level volume, The speakers just disappear. I had always heard about it but now I know what it means. Of course the wife will disappear too if I ever do that again.

I took a risk buying them. There is so little information on them. I feel I got the most possible with my budget. My only regret was not getting the 3 way center. I don't know why there wasn't more buzz about this line when they came out. Now they are going away.
 
#67 ·
My home theater is made up mostly of speakers from the reference line. I have R162 for l/r, RC152 for centers and RS152 for surround and 2 R12 subs. I have the CS80R in ceiling for atmos. When I first got them, I was not blown away by them. I almost sent them back but I got them from Crutchfield for 40% off. The R162 were $299 when regularly they are $449.

Not being home theater savvy, I researched what I could do to improve the overall sound. Realized my placement was all wrong on the front stage. I spent a day moving, listening and moving again. The L/F were too far apart. The front baffles needed to be 3 feet from the back wall to clear up the mid. The center needed to be tilted up. They are even weighted and shaped just for that. The 2 subs I placed at 1/3's across the front.

It is night and day. The sound is clear and detailed but not bright. I still can't understand Tom Hardy's dialog in The Revenant but I'm not sure any system can fix that. I knew the bass was right when I knocked the pool cues off the rack in the next room watching U-571. They are equally good with music. They love power. I have an Onkyo tx-nr838. When I get to reference level volume, The speakers just disappear. I had always heard about it but now I know what it means. Of course the wife will disappear too if I ever do that again.

I took a risk buying them. There is so little information on them. I feel I got the most possible with my budget. My only regret was not getting the 3 way center. I don't know why there wasn't more buzz about this line when they came out. Now they are going away.
Glad to hear you are happy with your setup. I'm currently running R253 towers up front, Polk TSX150 center, R152's for surrounds, Klipsch Sub-12, and I regret not dropping the cash for the 3-way center. Now I'm looking to find one of a different make that will sound good with the rest of my system. The Polk isn't bad but it starts to distort at high volumes well before the rest of my setup. :D
 
#72 ·
If I may, I'd like to add my very novice observations regarding the R263. A while back I purchased a set of R263s online from a reputable site in their scratch/dent section. Luckily the only thing dented was the outside box, and they were double boxed, so no external blemishes. They are much heavier than the pair of RF42-IIs I had been using. I like the Klipsch for their ability to be loud and dynamic without much power, but the R263s reveal a lot more detail in the upper registers. I hear things such as flute trills and wind chimes I did not hear at all with the 42-IIs. The Klipsch seem to give me listening fatigue after a while, which I haven't experienced with the Infinity. The bass seems to be accurate but not extremely powerful, so I added a sub to provide some rumble. They are connected to a Sony STR DH740 with a Samsung blu-ray player for CDs and digital files.

The R263s are obviously the nicest equipment in my setup, the rest was kind of purchased hastily to replace old non functional Fisher electronics when I acquired a plasma display. I've thought about what equipment could be improved to potentially get better sound from the speakers, to no avail. What I mean by this is that I've been reading on the forums but I lack the experience and maybe the ability to process all the information here to make good decisions on equipment purchases. I don't regret the purchase of the R263s, I've enjoyed what I've heard so far from them.
 
#73 ·
Hi,

I'm from Europe and need a Infinity tweeter part number 974206, for my Reference 31i speakers but I can't see it available anywhere. I saw that Audax supplies Infinity tweeters so I would like to know if the TW025A0 or TW025m1 fits on my speaker.

Do you guys know this?
 

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#74 ·
Pretty good discounts on the Reference Series right now.

I just ordered a pair of the R162 bookshelf speakers to evaluate.

As a side note, these speakers have one of my pet peeves - lack of exposed fasteners for the drivers. I always like to check the fastener tightness when I get new speakers, and like exposed fasteners in case a driver needs to be replaced. Trim rings to hide fasteners are a PITA, IMO...bling for the sake of bling.
 
#75 ·
... thanks for the non-link. Maybe more of a clue next time? As in, any clue. :p

After randomly clicking around looking for them, the above deal is only found on the infinityspeakers site. Not Crutchfield. Not Amazon. Not B&H, etc.

Deal ends in a few hours though. Good deal though if you're in the market and interested.
 
#76 ·
Sorry, should have mentioned the Infinity site, but googling a model number gets you there. :)

Looks like the sale is over.
 
#78 ·
R162's were delivered yesterday. Unboxed them, but only had time for a quick, casual listen. My only observation at this point is that male vocals have great clarity and presence. More to come on sound impressions as I get some time with them.

Physically, they are definitely on the larger side, especially height-wise. They seem solidly made based on a quick knuckle wrap.

Looking through the port, the back side of the tweeter is covered in a silvery case - not sure if it is plastic or metal. The connection wires penetrate this case through a hole. The magnet and wire connection tabs are not visible. I have never seen a tweeter design like this.

Has anyone ever removed a tweeter or driver from this series? Knowing how this is done would give me some peace of mind, if I hold onto them for the long-term.
 
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