[exerciseguy]

I'm an avid reader of your publication, and appreciate it's sound advice and emphasis towards the real-world audio enthusiast; many thanks.

Being of somewhat limited means, I've been on a bookshelf bender for the past few years, trying to satisfy my caviar tastes on a tuna fish budget, and I may have found what I've been looking for, the Infinity Beta 20.

The Beta 20 routinely sells for well under $300/pair (I actually paid $150 for a new pair) , and to my amateur ear they are one, if not the, best values on the market today, and would give many other speakers, including models from the likes of Paradigm & B&W that cost many many times more, a run for the money.

Suffice it to say, that in my humble estimation, the Beta 20 does everything right; I'd love to know what your reviewers think?

[Affordable$$Audio]

Honest truth, if you're happy, nothing else matters.  Enjoy them, but don't be afraid to hear others from time to time.  One of the great pleasures of this hobby is comparing.

As far as a review, I'll put the idea out for the writers, and we'll see what happens.
Thanks for reading!

[exerciseguy]

Thanks, I appreciate your thoughts.

If there's one thing that I'm not, it's afraid to audition & honestly appraise what I hear; I think if I hang around here enough, you'll get to know that of me.

...though I'd still like to see that review, or even better a head to head shoot out against other bookshelf models.

Stereomojo.com just published a bookshelf shootout, but the field ways made up of some rather avantgarde models; I'd have preferred a shootout with some real-world models. I think the Beta 20 fits that bill.

[Affordable$$Audio]

I published a shootout as well in the October issue.  It was done independently of A$$A as a part of an audio gathering.  The sponsor bought all but one set of the monitors, then sold them afterwards with the proceeds going to his favorite charity.

Blind shootouts require some extensive set up, and like any review have their limitations.  The one thing that I have found in audio over the past few years is that the movers and shakers in audio are not the big guns, but the little guys like the manufacturers here in AudioCircle.  they are the ones driving the industry forward.

[exerciseguy]

Yes, I do remember reading that, and I found it quite interesting, but again I feel the the field again was a bit too eclectic, IMHO. But I understand, you can only include what was there, given that, it was a good job.

[Zero]

Excersizeguy  (something I'm gunna need ta' do soon),

In a previous life, I once put in time at Circuit City. This was right around the period when Polk Audio released yet another incarnation of the RT series. Not far along behind the release was Infinity's new BETA series. Fortunately for me, the audio department rarely had busy days - often leaving me to my own devices. I didn't mind. Although the bulk of my experience with the BETA series has been under in-store/showroom conditions, I nonetheless spent enough time with, and sold enough units to gain a pretty good understanding of what each product could do, along with their general appeal.

The break down goes a bit like this;

Polk Audio's affordable two-way monitors were the RTi4 and the RTi6 while Infinity had the BETA 10 and BETA 20 respectively. These two products had quite a bit in common with one another. Both of them were efficient, surprisingly dynamic, retained good detail, sported solid bass and were built reasonably well. Infinity's edge was in its midrange and top end clarity. The consistent comment from customers was noting how clean and well defined the Infinity's were. Individual instruments, voices, special effects, etc..  all had greater separation and were easier to discern than the other competing products. This contributed to what I consider to be an over-all presentation that gave a greater sense of refinement.

The Polk speakers had their warm and punchy midrange that many, including myself, found to be particularly appealing. The Polk's, while not as well refined and polished, nonetheless retained good detail that was easy to discern. The Polk's also had a notably wider sound-stage. After careful A/B on-the-fly comparisons (running off a HK stereo receiver that I set up), nearly all the customers walked out the door with a set of Polk Audio speakers. So whats this mean? Nada much. Infinity's sell very well and have their appeal..  yet like all other products available in the market, there is usually something just as good to compete with.

Another contender, and my personal favorite sub $300 speaker, is the ONIX X-LS. Looking at the speaker from strictly a side perspective; it's build, veneering, driver/crossover components, and general design are notably a step above the aforementioned products. I wont go on and wax poetic about why I enjoyed this speaker. There's a tremendous amount of professional and customer testimonials on the WWW that say everything I could and more. Yet even then - it may not be your cup of tea.

There are even more choices out there. Audio is a relative thing, and when you ask how a product performs.. the question always is, as compared to what? Given that you can take a stroll to your local Circuit City and pick up a set of solid, well engineered speakers - I'd say Infinity's hold up very well.

It wasn't much - but I hoped this helped satisfy some curiosity.

[exerciseguy]

Well that was very good, thanks.

It really comes down to wanting to spead the word about what I consider a real gem.

As well as the strong points you noted, I'd like to point out the strength of the Beta 20s low end, perhaps this was not apparent under the listening conditions in the store, but it's the speakers strong point, IMHO.

And yes, the X-LS's real wood veneers certainly puts it in a leauge of it's own in the sub-$300, but prices are creaping up.

[Zero]

Exerciseguy,

Until the X-LS reaches $400, they will remain a heavy contender in the ultra-affordable monitor department. That said, the usual fire-sale's over at av123 makes it fairly easy to get a set on the cheap with all the warranty goodness.

Both the Polk's and Infinity's delivered a very impressive amount of clean bass output. Honestly, I liked both companies monitors much more than I did their towers.

Meanwhile, enjoy the quest on spreading da good werd.

[exerciseguy]

Another contender, and my personal favorite sub $300 speaker, is the ONIX X-LS. Looking at the speaker from strictly a side perspective; it's build, veneering, driver/crossover components, and general design are notably a step above the aforementioned products. I wont go on and wax poetic about why I enjoyed this speaker. There's a tremendous amount of professional and customer testimonials on the WWW that say everything I could and more. Yet even then - it may not be your cup of tea.

Zero,

The X-LS cabinetry is truly beautiful, as is AV123 customer service (from what I understand), but I'm not certain the driver, crossover, or "general design" are as notable.

I think the Infinity C.M.M.D. drivers (also used by Revel) represent the sort of driver only a company with the resources like Harman International can manufacture, but perhaps I'm wrong; also, the Betas use a wave-guided tweeter, the X-LS is just getting around to one of those.

What would you consider the disticntion in "general design" between the two?

[Zero]

While Revel and Infinity fall under the Harman International umbrella, they are distinctly different. When it comes to drivers used, there are indeed a few similarities. Both rely on wave-guides for the tweeters, both use ceramic material in the driver diaphragm, and heck –they even look the same. They aren’t however. The drivers used in Revel loudspeakers not only use slightly different material, but they also achieve lower distortion, greater power handling with a supposedly better FR curve.

As you may already know - Polk Audio uses a custom drivers built by Vifa to Polk’s spec. Polk Audio and Infinity can be considered the ‘big boys’ of the industry. Both companies have a team of engineers that work daily on a whole host of products. Consequently, both companies have access to a vast amount of resources – something both companies take full advantage of. It reflects in their work, especially on great products like the RTi4/RTi6 and the BETA 10/BETA 20.
h good.

That said; it is tough for any major company – who has to pass a product through nearly a dozen hands – to compete against a business using the consumer-direct model that just so happens to be ran by the industry giant, Mark Schifter. Throw in the talents of Danny Ritchie, and you mine as well throw in the towel. Thankfully for Polk Audio and Infinity, av123 is not a direct threat to Polk Audio and Infinity’s market – which is entirely separate. In a way, that makes a direct comparison between these three brands almost mute.

However, since there’s time and a few questions have been asked – the XLS, unlike the Infinity’s or Polk’s, were designed from the ground up to accomplish one goal; to be the best speaker ever offered under the $300 price-point. A tremendous amount of effort went into producing this speaker. Without the might and industrial influence of Mark, or the design wizardry of Danny – the XLS would never happen.

So where are the advantages? First there is the stronger, better braced cabinet (which tips the scales at 17lbs a piece with all the goodies inside). There is the M130 woofer, which has a flatter FR curve, can cover a greater amount of range, and can move more air than what’s found in the aforementioned speakers. We also have a crossover that is very solid, resulting in a much better tweeter/woofer transition… not to mention that even the stock parts used – combined with the drivers, results in higher resolution. Because of its very even frequency curve, upgrading the crossover components to more premium parts deliver very noticeable improvements to the sound. The Infinity and Polk speakers were purposely designed with one particular type of sound and FR curve in mind – meaning that swapping parts won’t do you much

At this point, I think I’ve exhausted as much effort as I’m willing to put into the discussion…  unless of course av123 is willing to send me a commission check.. 

Those BETA 20's are great speakers. Perhaps in time, one of the Affordable Audio staff will bring in a pair of Infinity's to review..  until then, enjoy whatcha got and enjoy the tunes!

[exerciseguy]

I really appreciate your insights, you're one the few people I've met who have experience with both, so I hope You don't mind if I dig a little deeper.

I'm not getting a check either, I promise.

I've not seen the measurements for the Infinity Beta 6.5" driver, but if say you M130 driver measures better, I trust you've done your homework, but the Beta 20 does weigh in at 20.7 lbs (total), so if weight equates to solidity & strength, it's quite good.

You wrote "We also have a crossover that is very solid, resulting in a much better tweeter/woofer transition… not to mention that even the stock parts used – combined with the drivers, results in higher resolution".

Are you affiliated with Danny Richie or Mark Schifter? I've spoke with Danny and have met Mark, and both seem like very nice guys.

I'm sure the guy who designed the Beta series (I actually read several post by this fellow somewhere), while not having the same internet notoriety & following as Danny & Mark, is a very competent designer, and must have had tremendous resources at his disposal for the task. I have no idea how a company like that goes about its business, but in general they seem to have done a good job.

How does Affordable Audio go about procuring equipment for evaluation?

[Zero]

Exerciseguy,

Ya know, the Polk RTi6 hits the scale within a lb of the Beta 20   

I have zero affiliation with either Mark S or Danny R. I've never had a personal convo' with Danny. I have however, spoken with Mark on numerous occasions throughout the years. Truly a top-shelf guy.

The guy responsible for spearheading the BETA series is no doubt an exceptional engineer. You can't get into a group like Harman without knowing a thing, or two, or three even. What it really boils down to is doing the best with whats given to you. I cannot sit here and offer insight into the inner workings of Infinity, or anyone else for that matter - simply because I do not have that first-hand knowledge. However, I am confident that the guidelines and requirements the Infinity team must abide by with product design have their major differences with what Danny does. It isn't a contest of 'who's the best engineer'. It's simply two different companies designing a product for their respective target market. Both the BETA 20 and the X-LS are examples of excellent products.

Affordable Audio procures products a few ways. The first way is by receiving samples from manufacturers. The second way is simply reviewing or covering gear we happen across - even if the product is of the vintage variety.

[exerciseguy]

Do companies contact AA or are requests put out?

I'm looking forward to the X-LS SWG when it eventually gets released.

[Affordable$$Audio]

In the beginning it was equipment we happened to come across.  Quickly, it turned into making requests.  Now, it is a combination of all three.  I can tell you that manufacturers check carefully before sending out equipment to confirm a reviewer is legit.

[exerciseguy]

In case anyone is interested, I found that thread over at AVS by Patrick Hart ( http://hartacoustics.com/index.html ) who was the primary designer of the Infinity Beta Series for Harman.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=647998&page=2 .

[Audiovista]

As a happy owner of 4 pairs of Infinity speakers, I just had to check around.

$125.00 at Crutchfield....pretty good....

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-t9O8mGBCJ5V/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?I=108BT20B

[exerciseguy]

Not bad, but try this on for size from The Audio Video Source, $199/Pair http://www.theaudiovideosource.com/1BetaSeries.html

[Audiovista]

Yup, a better deal....but now those center channel speakers intrigue me....

[exerciseguy]

Audiovista,

Did you get a chance to read through that AVS thread I posted?

I hadn't read it in a while and I forgot how informative it was.

[Audiovista]

I just did - quickly....will have to come back and do it at a pace that allows me to digest all the good stuff....

Thanks!

Boris