And at ridiculously high prices, some people asking more for them now than when they were new. a few years ago you could buy a pair of Betas from anywhere around $5000 to $6000, epsilon up there too $$. And when they don’t sell they relist them at even higher prices??? glad I bought my epsilons when I did.
My guess is that, like me, the original owners had a lot of room for their system when they were younger (and those speakers need a lot of room); now that they're downsizing and moving out of their homes into smaller living spaces the speakers are just too big. Happened to me.
The higher prices surprise me too, though there is an element of "classic speakers" at work here.
They need room and a lot of good power. I wanted them some years back but didn’t have the means or the right amps for them. They were about $6K then, now 8 to 12, those are optimistic sellers.
While they were/are a great speaker in times when Infinity was on top of the tree, those products have now got many years on them, and most by now are in need of a full resto job, and that is "very" expensive to do on these, unless you can do it yourself, then it’s just expensive and time consuming. So owners decide to flick them before they start costing them money. If you can find a pair that has been fully restored by someone who knew what they were doing, then that a pair will serve you for many years to come, and sound great to boot. But these Infinty’s IRS and Betas also need boat anchor amps to get them going to their best.
Definitely a nostalgic factor and what the current market demands are. As someone who grew up with a pair, they are a high gamble today, as components , even high end ones, deteriorate and become compromised over time. 10k new or used with more reliable modern design would get one comparable or superior sound. And although the market plays a part, sellers only have to find one buyer, so they can essentially ask whatever they want. Plus unless you can find a local pair, shipping is expensive, and also brings it fair share of potential problems. However, audiophiles are insecure folks, who in search of the holy grail, often remove common sense, and often make rash "I have to have it" decisions.
There is a guy I know who can restore them and has worked a number of the biggest IRS (forgot name). The Betas are currently over priced. The speaker restorer is Bill Legal at Miller Sound.
A pair sold on the bay about a year and a half ago for $4.200 I auditioned this pair because they were local, they were In like new condition, if I didn’t have a pair of epsilons I would have bid on them.
Before Ebay started there was another web site .The Betas went real cheap $3000. to $4000.Also Stereo Exchange NY had A pair of Betas on display in the window $6000 mint.
The sellers on Ebay buy them cheap than jack the price up
Probably because the idiots who had been using them or bought them used on and off for the last thirty or more years are about to move on to another innacurate monstrosity of the current audiophile scene; be that as it may!
I currently own a set of Betas. They're very good speakers, but if I had to pay $10k for them today, I would buy something newer. What is the price of a full restoration of these speakers? If I hold onto them, they will have to be fully restored in a few years. And frankly, I live in fear of somethng going wrong with them.
I don’t know if they can be fully restored as Infinity no longer has any parts available for them as of 15 plus years ago.
you may be able to replace the foam surrounds on the woofers and maybe buy some aftermarket neo magnets for old peeling magnets and replace caps but that’s about it.
If any diaphragms go bad, you will have to buy someones 25 to 30 year old used diaphrams and Good luck finding someone who can repair/rebuilt a non working servo unit.
That said I personally wouldn’t pay no more than $5000.
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