infinity vs polk....

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

i've never heard infinity....but i hear their good...so what ya gotta say about infinity...and while im at it...how about pioneer, nht, jbl...etc etc....what do ya think of em?

[GuitarheadCA]

What do I think of them?

I think you should go out and listen! Speakers are very personal man, people will have different opinions; you gotta go with what you think sounds good and not look back.

But to answer you question, In my opinion:
The new infinity Entra Three's sound very nice
NHT has some stuff I would take over the RTi line anyday (like the new T5 towers Ahhhhh.)
JBL has some sweet high end stuff, but I'm not into what Best Buy sells of them.

But go get your demo on......

[scottvamp]

Infinity- my brother had the large 3way MM series and they were not very impressive. Cerwin Vega makes a much better 3way. The new Infinity line is WAY too expensive for the other competition. Pioneer or any other major electronic company (Sony, JVC, RCA ect.) do not make very good speakers and are not in the same catagory as Polk.
It seems you are upset about the KLH comparision. I'm sorry to inform you but KLH is even below Bose. MY first HT system was a KLH and for a 5 speaker system is was worth the $100 I paid for it new. I have seen the KLH recievers and electronics - the shame!
2 cents

[jrausch]

The only ones I was ever lusting after was the 130,000 2ton Genisis system. Now selling for 35,000 used.

[DarqueKnight]

Originally posted by jrausch
The only ones I was ever lusting after was the 130,000 2ton Genisis system. Now selling for 35,000 used.

The older Infinitys (with the exception of some of the ultra expensive models, like Genesis and the original RS1) had serious quality issues. Most of the ones you see for resale these days (like the old Kappa series) need to have the drivers or driver surrounds replaced (they used cheap foam surround material).

I have been impressed cabinet work and the sound of some of their sealed box designs, but never got around to buying a pair.

I have not liked anything Infinity has produced since being bought-out by Harmon-Kardon.

[joe logston]

polks better

[fireshoes]

When considering the whole line, I like Polk better overall. I do like the Infinity IL60's very much though.

[bigsexy1]

Guitarhead, Last April, I was torn between Polk and Infinity. I wanted to upgrade to 7.1 with a new Denon 3802. I had Klipsch Ksp speakers in the living room for home theater, Klipsch KLF30s in the living room for 2 channel stereo music, and M&Ks in the bedroom for movies. Frankly, I was tiring of Klipsch and M&K, so I thought it was time to look elsewhere. At that time, financial circumstances limited my new speaker set to my Circuit City card. Ultimately, I went with the Polks because of the close out prices on the old RT***i line (not the newer RTI*** series). Price was the deciding factor. However, recently, I was also able to get a complete set of Infinity Interludes off of ubid.com for absolutely unbelievable prices with my tax refund check. I own them both, and even though they still aren't all properly broken in yet, here is my honest opinions:

Rt1000i vs. Interlude 50=IL 50 hands down, both on movies and music, IL50s have MUCH, MUCH better built in self-powered subs, plus they have a system or program which will supposedly tame the low frequency "bump" that every room has that affects bass

RT35i vs. IL10=VERY tough call, really, it's almost too close to call a winner

f/x300i vs. IL10=for movies, Polk, and for music, Infinity

CS400i vs. IL36c=another very close call, I really can't decide as both are big center channel speakers that are very, very good

I know my review probably sounded like a politician's, but I did call the IL50 as a clear winner over the RT1000i.
In general, I think the Infinity's sound a little brighter, while the Polks are a little richer and fuller on the bass and critical midrange. I'd say that Polk may be a little better for movies, Infinity for music.
Also, I'd say that the Infinitys probably have better drivers, while the Polk cabinets are better built. I really like them both, and I don't think you can really go totally wrong either way.
Now, I have to decide what to do with all of these speakers, Klipsch, M&K, Polk and Infinity. I need to get rid of at least one, if not 2 sets of them. Any suggestions from you guys?

[jcaut]

What M&K's do you have?

[bigsexy1]

S85c center channel, 2 pairs of S85 satellite speakers, 1 pair of s75 satellites (they are now discontinued, I have them with a Yamaha 2092 receiver which allows for an additional pair of front "effects" speakers, which are spaced further apart and higher up than the main front l & r, theorectically I could use them as rear surrounds on a 7.1 system although they are monopole direct radiators, and I feel that dipole/bipoles are better in the rear), and a v90 subwoofer (also now discontinued) I bought them all new in '96 or '97, and the S85s are still in production to this day. I feel that they are better for movies than music, but that's just my opinion. They are dead on accurate. Good recordings sound good, but bad recordings are mercilessly revealed as just that.

[mantis]

I don't think about Infinity,........had enough demoing time with many different years and lines........empty and bright.

[GuitarheadCA]

bigsexy1

I agree with your post almost completely on Infinity vs. Polk. Working at CC I have alot of time to demo the two very closely. The low end of infinity's powered towers is better, but I like the sound of Polks more. Much like you said, infinity's are a little brighter, Polk's a little warmer. FYI, I actually like the the Entrathree's more than the Interludes

Needless to say, I went with polk for my system.

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

i dont know the model number...their the same thing as the new mx 125 sub...but the one i have is 15 years old, and is in mint condition...absolutely nothing wrong with it but with the corner of the grill which isnt really noticeable...lol but its just as good as ne new one...considering is shakes my whole house

[MxStYlEpOlKmAn]

to put ion considerations...the push pull design is awesome man....makes it way accurate...

[Zero]

In spring, I can recall having a minature show-down between the Polks and the Infinities. This truely could not be based on accurate comparisons giving I only had limited amount of time and one cd.

To spare all this long drawn detailed anaylasis, I will simply say that to my ears, Polk had more energy to them. The Polks RTi line provide a lot of "punch" at lower volumes, to where the Infinity IL and Entra lines require a bit more power.

The Infinities tend to be empty, as Mantis put it. They have decent high's but the mids lack, and the bass is rather boomy and sound forced, not natural.

Though in all fairness, the Polk lines are not exactly effecient at reproducing smooth bass either.

For most people however, its a close call. Infinities highs can be impressive on some movies and music, and can quickly draw the person in. Polks seem to carry more energy and come to life with todays modern music.

Now when it comes to the actual 5 piece satallite home theatre set-up. Well, this is where Infinity rocks Polk, until you start to demo Polks 1k + systems.

But hey, those are just my ears.

[johnnyamerika]

This was a frequent topic in the past I think...basically go to Circuit City and listen their. Yes the demo rooms suck there, but they have quite an extensive selection for both Polk and Infinity's line.

Ask a sales guy...I did. They'll tell you that they sell roughly twice as many polks as they do any other speaker in the store. So you be the judge. :D

[Zero]

In all fairness though, one with a large pocket-book could claim Infinity makes the better speaker if your willing to pay the price for their high-end. To my ears, you get what you pay for with Infinity. Polk, seems to give more then what you pay for. But its all relative to ones taste.

[bigsexy1]

But what about if you can get the Infinitys at a signifigant, steep discount (as I did). How steep? Try a pair of new IL50s with full manufacturer's warranty for just a little over $300, SHIPPED! That's a pretty good price, if I do say so myself.

[mantis]

But it's relitive to ones taste

[GuitarheadCA]

Unless you can get a pair of RTi70's for about that price
:D

[GuitarheadCA]

Although I do admit, the IL50's are well worth what you paid for them.