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The 1970's Infinity QLS 1...How would it compare?

How would a properly driven (worth a 500 page thesis in itself!) pair of these compare to $20,000 and under mainstays of today? These speakers have become an enigma to me...They were always two or three or a hundred and fifty steps beyond my grasp for different reasons and now they're getting hard to find and harder to find parts for so as to be forever relegated to the "one that got away" files. Anyone ever own these or otherwise spend any time with them? Closest I ever got to auditioning them was prob. late '78 at a Pacific Stereo (Unfortunately someone had underpowered them with one of the 80 lb. "monster recievers" of the day only hours before I got there so all I got was a look.) Ah, youth........
lg1
robcraigw's avatar
robcraigw
2 posts
 
QLS-1s were not bad when they were new, but I had nothing but problems with them. I blew out a mid-bass coupler, then had CONSTANT problems with the EMITs, often spending more time fixing them, than listening.

Neat concept and imposing, but an overall disappointment
tbarr's avatar
tbarr
1 posts
 
I have owned a pair of QLS1's for 30 years and I have never auditioned another system in any high end audio shop or in anyone's home that was even in the same league.Visitors to my home have initially commented the system didn't sound right to them until they listened to their own system later,then they cursed at me.The only problem with ever owning the QLS1's is that you will never be able to go back to the days when you enjoyed music from a typical stereo system.BTW, when i purchased these speakers i understood they required massive power amps, people that can't afford the amps will never truly hear what these speakers are capable of. Sincerely,Tony Barr
rozhe7
1 posts
 
The reason drivers including the EMITs are blowen is due to under powered amplifiers. I have 8 pair of other speakers, but these sound more alive than others I tried. In the past I switched to other speakers such Magnapan Tympomies, Acoustats, AR 9As, but always returned to them. For components, I purchaced thre pairs and removed all usable components. I also am using a 600 watt per channel amp.
Ive owened them since 1982 I will likely sell them in the near future because I must down size.

Henry
brian_eno
25 posts
 
Friend of mine drives them properly with a Levinson ML-3
jam1956
1 posts
 
I beg to differ with the tin eared post's listed above. The Infinity QLS1 was a trailblazer, and is still one of the finest speakers ever built. Almost every fault that people complain of with regards to these speakers occurs from them being under driven. Yes they are maybe the most power hungry speaker ever built, but if bi-amped and driven properly with 200 plus watts per side top and bottom, they have a sonic clarity, sound stage, breath and depth, seldom realized in sound reproduction. They were and continue to be awesome!
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