Infinity Systems Systems P-FR Prelude Floorstanding Speakers

Infinity Systems Systems P-FR Prelude Floorstanding Speakers 

DESCRIPTION

Ported design w/ 12-in sub 4 5.25-in mids, two 4-in midbass, 1-in tweeter

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 17  
[Aug 03, 2007]
augusto cerner
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

gran profundidad de bajos, agudos y medios claros sin coloracion

Weakness:

muy pesados, rejillas de los sub un poco debil, la pintura del subwoofer y de la parte superior de plastico quien lo limpia mucho se despinta o decolora

de todos los parlantes que he tenido este fue el que mas me ha gustado la calidad de sonido es excelente, en musica la voz y los instrumentos suenas como si estuvieras alli te envuelve son sus 96db de spl y que mas decir de sus 16 parlantes en total hacen de este juego una gran maravilla, y tiene un estilo serio que va con todo mi home teather, con las peliculas te hara sentir toda la fuerza del sonido dinamico del dolby o del dts, los agudos son precisos las medios son claros y los bajos son limpios y fuertes, ademas tiene tres niveles potencia de bajos y solo lo uso en minimo porque en max hace tenbrar las ventanas.

para audio lo uso con un AMPLIFICADOR CONRAD-JOHNSON MF2300
y previo de la misma marca, y como home theater lo uso con un kenwood VR-5900 y el reproductor de DVD kenwood DV-5900m

Similar Products Used:

infinity overture 3
jbl S412II

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 13, 1999]
Jim
Audiophile

Strength:

For the price I paid, it's a steal

Weakness:

They are big and heavy

I was looking for speakers for a few months. Bought a brand new pair online at a close-out price around $650 each 2 months ago. Consider a pair of Overture 3 at Circuit City sell for over $1300, I didn't waste any time to order the Prelude.

I put them in my 2-story family room with Denon AVR 2800 (BTW, lots of people went crazy about the AVR 3300, but after careful comparison, I picked the 2800, the main reason being the 3300 is made in Korea instead of Japan and the 2800 has enough power to drive the Prelude.). The system I have also include a pair of Prelude rear speakers which I bought from the same place, a Toshiba SD3109 DVD player and a Toshiba 60' HDTV ready projection TV.

I'm very impressed with the sound quality of these Prelude speakers, both DVD movies and stero music sounds realistic, warm and detailed. The powered sub woofer produce very powerful and deep base which the Overture series lacks, however if you turn the volume really loud, the cabinet will sometimes start to vibrate. This depends on the type of the music you are playing, but since it only happens occasionaly and only when the volume is realy loud, it doesn't realy bother me. The response for the high frequency is very good but directional, partially due to the caved-in design. Mid-range is very clear and the overall sound stage is very good.

Infinity just released their 2nd generation Prelude, Prelude MTS. Its sub is much more powerful and can be detached from the unit. Better material is used for the drivers to increase the speed. They go for around $3000 each! So, I'm glad I got the close-out deal.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 25, 1997]
Mark Tomer
an Audio Enthusiast

I purchased these speakers about two months ago and they are absolutely stunning. Although I compared them with speakers from Mirage, Polk, and many others, the most serious competition came from the Martin Logan SL3's. (I also tried out the Infinity Compositions Overture 3's, but trust me, spend the little extra cash and get the amazing soundstage provided by the Preludes). Overall, the ML's were a little more airy and transparent, while the PFR's had deeper and more precise bass. Purely on sonics, it was about a draw. However, throw in the facts that the PFR's had a street price of $700 less than the ML's (after a $200 Infinity rebate) and do not require anywhere near the level of electronics, and the choice was obvious. Believe it or not, I am driving them with a Denon AVR 2500, and they sound fabulous. Placement is also much easier, although I still haven't quite found the ideal spot.
As with any good speaker, they sound even better at home than they did in the store. Live Jazz recordings really draw you in, and classical recordings show off a broad, powerful soundstage. Dynamic range is fantastic -- even at extremely loud levels the speakers are just "idling". (Note: if you are expecting-top of-the line Velodyne subwoofer bass output, you will be disappointed. Nevertheless, the bass is deep and powerful.) Movies such as The Rock, True Lies, and Toy Story provided significantly better sound than I have heard in ANY THX theater. (I also bought the PCC center channel, and am debating whether to go with the quadropole surrounds or wait for an updated version that is suitable for AC-3.) My one problem so far is that the subwoofer level control is a three level switch, rather than a continuous dial. As luck would have it, the ideal spot seems to be between two settings. The acoustics in my listening room, however, are a little odd, and the room's shape constrains speaker positioning. I have a feeling that the level control problem will disappear when I have a more normal room and am able to experiment more with placement.

Finding a dealer was tricky, since noone in Detroit deals in high-end Infinity. However, I grew up near the Buffalo, NY area, and stopped in at The Stereo Advantage on my way back home for Thanksgiving. They will give you a great price and ship the speakers to you.

Overall, I am totally satisfied. DO NOT buy a home theater package (or a 2 channel setup, for that matter) in this price range without auditioning the Infinity PFR's.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Mar 02, 1999]
Robert G. Raynor, Jr.
an Audiophile

I have owned the Preludes for appoximately 2 years and these are the best speakers I have heard or owned to date. They are very accurate, crap in crap out. However, if you have good electronics along with a good source, these speakers will reproduce some of the best sonics you'll ever hear for the money. I first had them connected to a Carver amp, the 705X, with the pre-amps being the the Sony TAE-2000esd and Sony DVP-EP9ES. However, I later bought a Krell KAV-500 multi-channel amp and the sound quality was much much better sounding extremely articulate and overall sounding more substantial. If you can find these speakers buy them. They are an excellent value. Infinity stopped making these gems prematurely.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Feb 16, 1998]
Les Briney
an Audio Enthusiast

I echo Joe Adams' review of these speakers. I have had mine for more than 2 years and didn't realize their potential until I took them OUT of my surround sound system (Yamaha DSP A-1000 based) and hooked them to some decent electronics. Driven by my new Classe CD player and amp they are stunning. The imaging is incredible and the realism is right there. The bass is excellent with the Classe amp.
As Joe alluded, their only flaw is their directionality. For a single listener, this is not an issue at all, but if you are expecting to have three people sit facing the speakers on a couch, two people will wonder what all the fuss is about.

These speakers are definitely worth a listen.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
[Jan 02, 1999]
Eric R. Drosin
an Audiophile

As the ever-proud owner of a pair of 25-watt Unison Research Smart 845s, I had been on the lookout for a pair of high-sensitivity, transparent and domestically acceptable speakers for some three years before stumbling upon the Infinity P-FR Preludes. Having made do with a pair of average sensitivity speakers along with the excellent REL Storm subwoofer, I was eager to find a transducer capable of "freeing" the amps from having to drive too heavy a load in order to savor their many qualities.
Having heard a number of truly impressive horn speakers I was won over to the advantages of their design, which managed to combine the permanently underated aspect of realistic dynamics along with a rapidity and transparency that was nothing less than lifelike. However, the problems associated with their size and demands for enough room to breathe meant that they remained nothing more than a guideline, rather than an end unto themselves.

I finally managed to hear the Infinitys at my local dealer after they had been on many months of static display. While they were hooked up to a Krell Kav500i, whose dollops of power were nothing if not overkill, and a Krell 300 cdp, their dynamic range, overall transparency and coherency spoke for themselves. I reserved the pair almost immediately and took them home several months later.

Hooked up to a system that consists of the Unisons, Counterpoint SA-5000 pre-amp, Marantz CD-95R, AA DDE v.3/DTI v.2/Power supply, Basis Debut Gold Standard/SME IV/Excel XV and Audio Magic equipment and amp stands, the Infinitys' potential was apparent almost immediately. All of the qualities that I heard in the store were present, despite a somewhat ill-defined bass and coarsenesss that permeated the rest of the audio spectrum.

These weaknesses were due to the large number of high-sensitivity drivers employed in the speaker, a design aspect which means that the speaker requires a considerable break-in period before its true potential is unleashed.

Having owned the speakers for some six weeks now, I can confirm that the bass has become more and more defined and posses a rapidity which explains Infinity's renown in this area of audio reproduction; the treble and midrange have both smoothed out and thus display a "hear-through" quality which continues to show up poor recordings for what they are.

Their spatial reproduction is nothing short of phenomenal, as is their height and depth imaging, and with precise positioning, the Infinitys allow me to virtually bathe in my favourite musical selections whenever I choose. And oh, to finally have acceptable levels of dynamic realism!

The only words of caution I can offer to those who plan to buy these speakers second-hand, as they are unfortunately no longer manufactured, are that Robert Harley's mention of the speaker's slight leaness in the bass region - something which also ventures into the low-midrange - is something to consider. I find that this problem can be resolved by sitting with my head 2' or less from the rear wall, though it would be nice if the speaker was a little more "full." The setting-up of these speakers is also nothing to be sneezed at: you must take the time to experiment with speaker location in order to release the aforementioned qualities these speakers possess.

I believe that the real audio gems out there are those that offer an unsurpassed price-quality ratio, be that in a $500, $1000 or $5000 price range. It's facile to make a $20,000 reference product, or a brilliant speaker for $7000 - though evidence does of course exist to the contrary. But to extract the maximum performance out of a product designed to sell in a more moderate price range is the real challenge; giving us 90% of the performance of that reference product for one-third or half the price. Therein lies the true challenge, one which Infinity, in my opinion, has met and overcome in their P-FR Preludes.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Jan 10, 1999]
Andrew L.
an Audio Enthusiast

I committed the ultimate audiophile sin when I upgraded to the Prelude-FRs from NHT 2.5i… I bought them based solely upon Stereophile’s review (class B) and a quick in-store demo.
Being just a college student, I was quite satisfied with the NHTs. Great imaging, good soundstage, decent bass (not very good at deep bass though)…I thought hi-fi audio couldn’t get too much better. But when my local dealer gave me a killer deal a pair of Prelude FRs, I couldn’t resist. So I took a gamble and bought them blindly.

After carefully setting them up, the first thing I noticed was how much more real the music sounded. Both the highs and lows were much more extended and vocals (mids) were more lifelike. The one thing I liked better with the NHTs was mid-bass sound (since it has a 8 inch woofer). Imaging was about equal, since the NHTs excelled at this, but the soundstaging of the Preludes was clearly superior. I agree with the previous review that stated that with some instruments, these speakers almost reach out and touch you.

Now that I’ve had to live with these speakers for few months now, I can truthfully say that I am glad I bought these speakers. They have enriched my everyday music experience significantly. My NHTs were good, but these Preludes are great.

System consist of:
Sony s300 dvd player (used as a transport)
Sony EP9ES Digital Processor (used for D/A and preamp)
H/K Signature 2.1 amp (this amp is overkill for the preludes since it has a built-in sub amp)
MIT Term 5 interconnects
Kimber toslink
AudioQuest type 4

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Feb 04, 1999]
Phil Liautaud
an Audio Enthusiast

I recently bought a used pair of the P-FR's that were about 18 mos old and I have to say I'm smitten. I listen to a lot of acoustic jazz, primarily small groups (trios to quintets) and it truly sounds as if the musicians are "in the room"-especially on analog recordings. With large scale orchestral music, the soundstage often seems to extend outside my listening room. Its also mux=ch easier to distinguish individual instruments in the orchestra rather than just a mass of strings, horns, etc. Even my wife (a casual listener) noticed right away how much more "musical" most recordings sounded. The system I replaced included Polk SRS spkrs, Adcom GFP565 preamp & GFA565 monoblocks and it's amazing what only 100wpc can do when it's matched up to the right speakers. Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with the Infinitys & look forward to working my way through all my albums & CDs & rediscovering what made me get hooked on HiFi 25 years ago!
Related equipment:
Arcam Alpha 10 Int w/phono stage
Dual CS 5000 w/Blue Point Special
Cal Audio Icon MkII
Nakamichi BX300
Audioquest Crystal interconnect & spkr cables

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
[Jun 28, 1999]
BRYAN RUBEN
an Audiophile

A good friend of mine has had a pair for 2 years or more, sold them and bought the JM LAb 810's. We were both pleased with the general neutrality of the tonal balance, but they seamed to be a little foward for some equipment. The friend has a habit of changing equipment weekly (he is still in the audio bizz) and tried everything from single ended tubes to Krell. These speakers seam to have an inherent coloration in the mids, probably due to the under damped poly mids, and the thin plastic baffle. I tried to talk him into damping the back side of the baffle with elastomeric sealants but was a little afraid to take his audio training beyond the reading of "Stereophiles Best of...". The overall transparency was good as well as a good stable center image, but the tweeter usually called attention to itself from time to time with a horn like coloration. I was impressed with the bass integration as well as speed and detail, it rivals some of the better designs on the market. Overall, I would rate this speaker a 3 star design with alot of potential for improvement via damping and mechanical resonance manipulation. I would suggest that these are great Home Theater speakers, but do not agree with Stereophile and thier review of this product, I would not hook these up to a 20K stack of equipment and expect to hear a live band in front of me.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
[Aug 18, 1999]
Jack Hsu
an Audiophile

After extensive testing of the P-FR Prelude, I must say that they are a pair of excellent sounding speakers, especially in female vocal. It is
very accurate and also warm in vocal portions of the music. I noticed
that the background music is a bit muddy, but I had concluded that it was
my Yamaha RX-V2090 receiver not able to perform up to the speaker's
performance. I used a Parasound power amp and B & K preamp from my brother
to try the speakers again, and the sound was much much more detail and has cleaner background music. I just wish that Infinity could make more of these handsome speakers for more people to enjoy. One minor down side is the
material being used on these speakers could use a bit more wood and less plastic pieces. I would definitely give a 5 star for its sound quality.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
Showing 1-10 of 17  

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