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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
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.
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