I've had my pair since 1998 and they're still cranking out great tunes

Overall these are great! They can play loud for long periods of time, adjustable treble is a nice feature and the mid-bass is strong. The problem I have with them is that in a surround sound setup they are too strong for other speakers and overpower my center and surrounds. Used in a 2 channel setup they are strong and clear. You can crank the volume on these with no fear of destroying them. Another issue is that for such a large speaker they really don't have much bass, I would strongly recommend a quality sub with a fairly high crossover setting in order to fully enjoy using these. If you are looking for a party/music/frat house speaker these are great, especially if you can find them used for cheap. If your primary goal is home theater, other speakers would be better suited.

High Sensitivity, good power handling, accurate sounding, good heights and midrange.

more than average fine tuning is needed for these speakers to sound good...

This is a very well made speaker, treble is crystal clear and the bass is good. Midrange sounds are natural and strong and these speakers have a high power handling. These speakers have incredibly high sensitivity (SPL 101 DB @ 2.83V). That kind of output rivals many professional high end speakers. People complain about them being overpowering in 5.1,6.1 or other surround souund applications but that is because they are not configured properly to their systems. With the right adjustment of the handy built in tweeter level control, as well as some adjustments and tweaking of their output levels on your amp/receiver these speakers should perform fabuolusly.

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Infinity SM215

Great Treble at any volume.... good bass at higher volumes. These speakers have a high power handeling... 200W which allows them to be played extremely LOUD!

These speakers are huge and lack bass at lower volumes. The speakers tend to screech excessively if you have them cranked up past half if you have the treble up high.

Overall this is a great speaker. the heights on these will make your ears bleed before distortion. Bass however is lacking at lower volumes, but once you have them cranked up it gets a lot better. the tweeter adjust control is a handy function especially for smaller rooms and for fine tuning the speakers for use with a surround sound system. Over all these speakers are very good. Plus i recieved them as a gift so I can't complain about them at that price!!

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JBL S312II

Great high and midrange quality. Large enough floor standing speakers so that you don''t need to buy speaker stands. Tweeter adjustment comes in handy in different size rooms. My SM 225 came with binding posts which are much better then spring clips.

The base could be better at lower volumes. They overpower the dialog on my Center SM Video speaker but that might be a limitation of the SM Video. Original Price ($899.00), I wouldn''t have paid anymore then $500.00 for these speakers.

These speakers sound great but I might be a bit biased. I only use them for Dolby Digital 5.1 surround movies and since they are voice-matched to my SM 165 surround and SM Video they are a perfect compliment to my overall system. As all Infinity speakers they have great high and midrange quality. In fact, they are a bit bright at lower volumes but do give good base once the volumes cranked. However, you can adjust the high frequency and that is a great feature for smaller rooms. I have the decibels turned down on my my receiver for these speakers because they overpower the Center Speaker dialog. Overall these speakers are great for the Audio Enthusiast who doesn''t have the cash to be an AudioPhile.

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EPI and Advent

Those three Cerwin Vega Models are 102db 1w/1m. Are the Infinitys as efficient through their rated response as the vegas? They both appear to have the same SPL.
The infinitys boxes look too wide for good imaging but so are the Vegas.
Which are better?
They both get good bass reviews.

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Cerwin Vega VS-120, RE-30, E-312

Extremely clear, VERY loud, beautiful

none I can see

Bought these back in august, earerly awaited their arrival....and was satisfied from day 1. These are one of the best pair of speakers I've ever heard, and in my small room it is total overkill. They keep knocking things off my walls!! They can take a lot of power before distortion, and by then it's so loud it hurts. This is a true best buy in my opinion. Go Infinity, keep up the good work!

"These speakers go to 11...."

Big....But who cares!

I have a friend who plays some techno rekkids one his free time. Needless to say he have a pretty nice set up in his basement and since it is underground he can really crank it. I once took these speakers over to his place to see what they can do. I was curious because I have never been able to even come close to their top end in my apt. He's got a pair of Cerwin Vega subs that you might see in a club hooked to an 800 watt crown amp, and my old DCM's for mids and highs. The DCM's are loud, but the infinity's were nuts. It was as loud and clear as any club. If you want some loud and clear speaker that don't break the bank, try these out.

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DCM KX10

Disturbingly high output, good looks

Brutally harsh highs, unnatural vocals, loose booming bass, missing bottom end of bass

Well, if you're interested in rocking a dorm room or irritating your neighbors, then you've found the right speaker. These things are loud! If you really want it intense, try hooking them up to a real amp. At 200 watts each the bass is downright intense. However, if you have any kind of respect for your ears, look elsewhere. Even at low volumes, the treble is WAY too bright and brittle. These speakers are the perfect unit to demo ear fatigue, as they grate on eardrums like sandpaper. Vocals sound very artificial and guitars tend to scream rather than sing. Also, there is a surprising lack of low bass for such a large unit. They present the illusion of low bass by providing tremendous output around 50Hz, but the response falls like a stone after that point. With quite a bit of equalization, they can improve, but are still too harsh. If you really need extreme output at a low price, for the same price you could pick up a pair of Klipsch speakers that play almost as loud, but are lightyears ahead of them as far as sound quality is concerned. You also don't have to deal with foam surrounds, which rot after a few years. My conclusion: These are a fun speaker and are great for rocking parties and irritating neighbors. Actually, the output rivals that of many high end professional speakers. They even look great too. If you can pick up a used pair cheap, go ahead. It'll be worth the entertainment. However, there are better choices in the same price range.

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Many Klipsch and professional speakers

Crisp treble. Clear Midrange. Can be played EXCESSIVELY loud without distortion. Pretty good construction.
Pretty cool looking.

Too Big. Absence of Lower Bass Response.

Got these at UBID for cheap, but one grille was missing.
Infinity replaced for free with absolutely no hassle.
These things are huge, and probably too big for the room they are in, but the treble is crisp and the midrange is pretty well defined. The bass is extremely lacking at lower volumes , but improves as you crank it up. My OLD cerwin vega 10" two-ways blow these away on bass.
Sound stage is just OK, but since they are so big it is to be expected.
Imaging is also just better than average.
BUT, these things will play LOUD and CLEAR. I am not kidding. I think you would have to get a BIG pair of Klipsch to equal the spl levels that these can produce.
I use them (for now) with an ONKYO A-809 Integrated Amp (105 wpc)and Rotel cd player. I am "upgrading" to Adcom or something pretty soon with a lot more power. I can only imaginge how loud these things will play.
Recommended for : Techno, Guitar Rock, Jazz

Similar Products Used:

Cerwin Vega, B$W, Boston Acoustics, Magnepan