Loving my Reference Fives, but I want to keep moving- What's next?

Rex81

Rex81

Well-Known Member
I'm in love with my Reference Fives (10" IMG woofer, 5" IMG mid, EMIT-R). I love the tight bass, clear highs, and overall large sound of these speakers.

I want to keep exploring in this direction. Maybe try out some older Inifinities. I'm also curious about some of the Klipsch Heritage series.

I don't want to invest a lot in amp upgrades right now so I'd like to stay away from some of the "amp killers". I have a Marantz 2252B and a Realistic 2700. The Reference Fives seem to like the higher power (100 wpc) of the Realistic.

I'm also not trying to spend a fortune. I'd like to keep my next speaker investment at less than $600. I know that limits me from a lot of the great vintage Infinities, but I have time to get to those later.

Should I be looking at the higher end of the Crescendo line? CS-3008/3009? Would these be a noticeable improvement over the Reference Five?

Or are there some good value, earlier Infinities that won't break the bank (or my amp)?

Or does any one have any comparisons with some of the Klipsch models? Heresy, Forte, Chorus? I wouldn't mind exploring some different house sounds.

Any input is appreciated.
 
if you like the five then step up to the 4-way reference six. it adds a mid-bass driver and is just that much more of a good thing. they also tend to be one of the better deals price-wise on the used infinity market. the crescendos are similar to the reference series, but their ported cabinets make the bass a little flabby and boomy for my taste. there are quite a few other good infinitys out there, but in terms of easy to drive and bang-for-the-buck, the reference six are very hard to beat.

i'm not a klipsch fan, but i'd ask klipsch questions somewhere other than the infinity forum…




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I think loquatious nailed it. The reference six takes the next step. Kappa would be a nice next step but you need the amp for it (correct me if I am wrong). The Crescendo line is great but not a step up unless you like the sound of course. I really like my 3007's. ANything else is a big jump from there in terms of power needs.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I read somewhere that the Six was of course better than the Five, but that they were close. But I suppose a step up is a step up. I'll keep my eyes open for a pair. Looks like the Crescendo 3009 was higher than the Six, certainly more expensive, but I do like the tight bass of the Reference.

Drugolf, looks like your 3007 is pretty close to my Reference Five. How do you think the 3007 compares to the Heresy?
 
You have Infinity RS ll , not RS ii

Drugolf said:
I think loquatious nailed it. The reference six takes the next step. Kappa would be a nice next step but you need the amp for it (correct me if I am wrong). The Crescendo line is great but not a step up unless you like the sound of course. I really like my 3007's. ANything else is a big jump from there in terms of power needs.
Click to expand...
I think you signature is wrong. Some call them RS II .
 
The Kappa x.1 series is not that difficult to drive compared with the original Kappa series. Give them a consideration if you find a pair in your price range.
 
I too, love my Reference Six's.

if you look around, try and find a pair of RS III /A or B's.
they would be within your budget. Your amps will be enough, and they are a notch up the Infinity ladder, and a step back in time.

Biggest problem I have, in no wife approval factor on those. As long as they
(any speaker) have a flat top she can decorate, NO PROBLEM.

my two cents, Stu
 
Rex81 said:
Thanks for the feedback. I read somewhere that the Six was of course better than the Five, but that they were close. But I suppose a step up is a step up. I'll keep my eyes open for a pair. Looks like the Crescendo 3009 was higher than the Six, certainly more expensive, but I do like the tight bass of the Reference.

Drugolf, looks like your 3007 is pretty close to my Reference Five. How do you think the 3007 compares to the Heresy?
Click to expand...

Completely different. No other way to say it. Thats why I have both. The Heresy stays on my tube system with a sub to provide the bottom end that the Heresy just doesn't. Both sound very nice.

Fixed it Jygesq. Good catch.
 
the reference five is better than the rsb, due to it's more advanced technology. the emit -r has better dispersion than the standard emit, and the five's IMG drivers are more accurate reproducers than their poly counterparts. the fives have a rated frequency response of 40hz to 40khz, while the rsb are rated 45hz to 32khz. fives are more efficient, handle more power, and are an easier load to drive at 6 ohm, vs the 4 ohm rsb. cabinet construction of the fives is better, and they just flat out sound better in side-by-side comparison.




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restoring a set of six's as we speak for my brother in law...just got all the drivers back from Millersound...putting a little system together for him (birthday present from my sister) teaming them with a "Leesonic refurb" NAD 3020b and a music hall 2.2 TT...

painted the cabs using a pewter hammered finish...(not easy to paint, takes a lot)

pics will come...
 
Used to to own some RS III's before i bought my RS IIb's. When properly powered (lots of clean, high current power), those babies sang! If you ever come across a pair, i'd pick them up. And in regards to the EMIT R being better than the original EMITS, I'd have to completely disagree (not trying to start a fight, just sharing my thoughts). Sure, they may have better dispersion, but i MUCH prefer the original EMIT (found in the rs III's and IIb's). Better, fuller sound IMO.

Here is what the RS III's look like/specs:

http://www.infinity-classics.de/mod...81-86/Reference-Standard-III/body_rs_iii.html
 
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Well, I found the Reference Sixes locally and inquired. Ended up buying 2.5 car loads of gear, including a set of Reference Threes, 2 sets of Kappa 6.1, a set of Kappa 5.1, set of RS5, 2 sets of Beovox, 2 sets of Design Acoustics, a few subs, a set of Realistic Minimus 7w, and 6 boxes of various tweeters and woofers, including a full box of various Polydomes, IMG, and EMIT-R. Maybe 8 or 10 polys, half a dozen IMG, and at least two fully functional EMIT-Rs.

I'm happy. My wife... not so much. I just couldn't say no to all this stuff.

I'm calling this a solid Infinity score. I have a lot of listening and sorting to do over the next few days.
 
Oh, I got the Reference Sixes too. Although they have replacement mids in each speaker. All drivers work, including the original 10" IMG and EMIT-R, and they sound quite good, but I'd like to get the original drivers back in. Haven't had a chance to see if my box-o-Infinity drivers has the right ones in there yet.
 
Nice score. You may find the Kappa 6.1 superior to the Reference 6, assuming the polydomes are still in good shape. The RS5s also look interesting, although I don't own anything around that vintage, so no personal experience.
 
I haven't listened to the 6.1 yet, but in a brief comparison, my wife said she much preferred the 5.1 to the Reference Fives I have. Which is interesting because the 5.1 is about half the size, with smaller woofers. It definitely has a more forward presentation. I still preferred my Reference Fives though. Looking forward to hooking up the 6.1s tonight.

I did get a chance to listen to the RS5s and they blew me away! I couldn't believe the sound I was getting out of a pair of 6.5" woofers. They sound VERY similar to the Reference Fives but with a more laid back top end, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just to be clear, these are the RS5, not the RS-5. This one looks to be a mid to late 90's, skinny tower model.

I hate Infinity's model naming "convention".
 
How's the foam on them? All of my Kappas (except the 8.1s, which seem to use a different sort of foam) have needed refoaming.
 
All have been replaced recently. Some of the spare IMGs need it, so at least I get to have SOME fun.
 
if the reference six are missing the 5" mids, you can swap the mids from the reference three. they are the same mid (which is a very good mid). the reference three are nothing to brag about, having the polycell tweet instead of the emit-r it's big brothers got. i'd use it as a donor.



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