[rif]

a little while ago, I heard some infinity kappa 8.2i towers in a friend's system and was blown away.  while too big for my room, I started looking for kappa 7.1i.  but then I stumbled into others (non-kappa) like reference series, some rs series, etc... 

it's for a relatively small room in my basement.

which models are worth looking into?  id like them to be bi-amp so I can avoid the "these are power hungry" issues.  I'll use a threshold 100W for the bass, a pass vfet (15w) for the rest.

edit: I found this site for some pictures and tech details
https://www-infinity--classics-de.translate.goog/index.htm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_sch=http

[Letitroll98]

It would be hard to find a better list of the classics from Infinity than the site you linked.  The IRS series are still garnering high prices, there are a lot of bargains in the RS series, and maybe more reliability than the cutting edge drivers in the higher priced spread.

[kd4ylq]

I very well remember the Infinity 2000A electrostatic hybrid speakers I heard at a large apartment in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood back around 1972. They had astonishingly good sound, and when another friend some years later asked me to help him find great speakers for a reasonable price, I found him a pair of 2000A's (used of course) and he was happy as can be with them right up until his passing a few years ago. He was an accomplished acoustic guitar player and music teacher, so that might be noteworthy. The experience I had hearing those speakers (I had Altec VOT's at the time) launched me on a 25+ year love affair with a variety of full-range electrostatics (unfortunately not the Infinity Servo-statics) but those 2000A's were my first love for many reasons and will always be special to me.

[Don_S]

a little while ago, I heard some infinity kappa 8.2i towers in a friend's system and was blown away.  while too big for my room, I started looking for kappa 7.1i.  but then I stumbled into others (non-kappa) like reference series, some rs series, etc... 

it's for a relatively small room in my basement.

which models are worth looking into?  id like them to be bi-amp so I can avoid the "these are power hungry" issues.  I'll use a threshold 100W for the bass, a pass vfet (15w) for the rest.

edit: I found this site for some pictures and tech details
https://www-infinity--classics-de.translate.goog/index.htm?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_sch=http

I found that site hard to navigate unless you already knew what you had. I am trying to identify a pair my sister had. Circa 1970s. If I remember correctly they were wider than they were deep. The edges were a large curve of oak with vertical grooves like corduroy.

Possibly Infinity Systems RS-5 Reference Standard 5s  or Kappa 8s.

[qdrone]

I own a pair of Kappa 9's and the tweeters can be quite steely. Truth be told the Kappa series sounds much better with tubes.  I found Cardas speaker cable quite accommodating although steer clear of Cardas Golden Cross speaker cable which is elevated in the higher frequencies. The speaker cables by Cardas after the Golden Cross is where you should look. I moved on to Vandersteen and then Odyssey but the My Kappa 9's are still in the garage.
Good luck.

[SoCalWJS]

I have little to add, other than to say be VERY careful selecting your Amp.

Worked at a Pacific Stereo in the early 80’s that sold some of these and so many of them BLEW UP with the crappy Amps that we carried at the time. (Usually Phase Linear, occaionnaly Carver)

They sounded great until pushed a bit, and then poor Amps DESTROYED the amazing speakers.

YMMV. IMHO, etc.

[rif]

I've heard the kappa series can destroy amps, less so with the x.1i line. But my 15W class A amp (a Nelson Pass VFET) had no problems with my friends kappa 8.2i.  He said it was doing all the right things and doing them well.  As a reference,  he was running them mainly on Audio Research VT200, a beast of an amp.

My plan is to dual amp the speakers, if I end up getting anything.  A 100W threshold for the bass, the 15W for the rest.

[veloceleste]

I’m surprised no mention of the Renaissance 80 or 90. I’ve never heard them but my understanding is they are easier to drive than the Kappa line and are somewhat more refined. Feel free to correct me if I’m misinformed.

[rif]

My Kappa 9's are still in the garage.
Good luck.

would you part with them, if I'm close enough to pick them up?  im in NJ outside of Philly. I do think they're too big for my space but that never stopped me before. PM me.

[rif]

I just remeasured my space.  there's no way the 9's are going to fit.  oh well.

[rif]

Any thoughts on the RS III A?  Looks like they pre-dated the kappa 8 by a few years.  They are not bi-amp'able stock, but the crossover schematic makes it look simple to change it.

Given the propensity of things to go sideways, I feel better bi-amp them.

There's a 8 kappa, but the owner replaced the mid with a jbl driver, on Craigslist $600.  Also a rs iiia on Craigslist for $500. both prices seem high and they're in NYC which is likely a pain to park close to them.

[FullRangeMan]

Not sure why Infinity was chosen, low sensitivity, many times under 90dB, complex xover some times with non audiophile tone controls, original drivers unobtainium, so to just modify the not defective xover with Danny.

As a alternative option there is the Decware MG944, 94dB, 4 ohms, no crossover just a cap on the ribbon tweeter. Probably this speaker will be unsuited to action movies.
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649207740-decware-mg944-speakers/