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Upgrade or sell Infinity RSIIb speakers

I'm wondering if someone can help? I have the aforementioned speakers in apparently excellent condition. I haven't listened to them for about 3 years, but I will likely be able to set up a dedicated listening room next year. In anticipation of this, I started research in upgrading the wiring and active and passive x-overs of this set to maximize their capabilities. I've been told by a well respected, and seemingly very technicaly knowledgable, reviewer that I should get rid of my speakers because of their "design that just doesn't work well" and get a pair of time/phase accurate speakers like Vandersteens or Dunlavys. Now if money were no object, I would do so, but I would like a concensus, if I could get one, on what I should do. I was also planning on getting the TacT room correction unit as well. Might this unit not correct the time/phase inaccuracies of a speaker as well?

Sorry for the long post and thanks if you can help me out!
mikes
12 responses Add your response
beemer
444 posts
 
Hey Mikes!

Keep your RSIIb's, biamp them with good tube amp of 100W+ per channel up top, and a stout solid state high current amp on the bottom.

Tell the reviewer to pound sand! You've got a great speaker. I had and enjoyed RSIIb's myself for many years, and still have and use RS1x and IRS Beta today.

If you've never biamped with good tubes up top and a quality frontend, you don't know what you are missing. Last but not least, in order to signifigantly better these classic will require more than you may care to spend!

Improve your sources/cables. This will go a long way too!

Paul
mikes OP
44 posts
 
Thanks, Paul. This kind of response from someone who's had a series of speakers is just what I needed.

Mike
plato
1,543 posts
 
I'm a reviewer also, and I'm familiar with the RS IIb's and other Infinity speakers. I agree with Paul. Those are very good speakers and are capable of providing very high-quality sound. Keep them. I don't know who the other reviewer might be, but it sounds like he has an agenda for whatever reason -- either that or he's not that familiar with your speakers and shouldn't be giving you advice.
mikes OP
44 posts
 
Thank you both again!
sknnyc
51 posts
 
Although I have never owned the RSIIb, I have heard them enough times to tell you that you won't be able to do significantly better without a substantial investment. I do know that the bass was a little sluggish so a "fast" solid state amp (a used Muse 100w could be had for about $400 or so) for the bass and a decent tube amp for the upper (CJ Premiers would work as would VTL Mono 100s) would bring the performance up quite a bit. I think MIT cable worked well with the speakers I'd heard.
jdc1114
19 posts
 
I owned the RS2b's and enjoyed them very much. You do need plenty of room to let them breathe. I never had much success with bi-amping. Even though solid state on the bottom did improve the bass, the overall sound lacked coherence. This bothered me more than the sluggish bass. I agree that the CJ premiers sound wonderful. Mate it with a CAT signature preamp (any version) and you will have a system that is tough to beat.
mikes OP
44 posts
 
Thanks guys!!! Is there any way to improve the bass response? Even if it means x-over/bass driver changes or adding a subwoofer , I'm open to suggestion! I want this system to be ideal.

Thanks

Mike
mikes OP
44 posts
 
Just getting this to the top, trying to get some advice.
Post removed 
rayhui39a3
1 posts
 
Does anyone know how to wire the Infinity RS2B bass speakers? I have taken them out to fix the rubber surround around the speakers. The old rubber has disintegrated due to aging.

Now that I have all 4 speakers fixed, I can't remember how the wiring goes.
decibelcat
30 posts
 
The best way to improve the bass in these wonderful speakers is to replace the sheet metal screws holding the woofers in place with #10-32 machine screws threaded into "tee" nuts. This only takes an hour to do.

Then completely bypass the low pass network of the internal crossover and use an active crossover and a good solid state amp (I currently use a Bryston 10B crossover and Bryston 7B NRB amps for the woofers in my RS-IIB's).

Replacing those loose banana jacks with good binding posts while you're in there certainly won't hurt.

If it's been a while since the woofers were last refoamed, you should send them to Bill Legall at MillerSound and have him do his magic as long as you have the speakers in pieces.
garganus
3 posts
 
These are well respected speakers assuming there are as they came new.I would give a good price for a nice pair you just need a good muscle amp to drive them
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