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jim_ny
02-10-2007, 08:20 AM
Hello All!

I purchased a pair of infinity RS-4 speakers 7 years ago and was hoping to retain these speakers as part of a new system. Yes, I want to save a few dollars but also know these speakers have received good reviews. I feel these speakers are "decent" but I am really not sure since my receiver is an entry-level Sony model STR-DE445. I plan on upgrading all aspects of the system, include the receiver (Marantz or Denon) and hope that the speakers kick A$$ after doing this. Knowing speaker sound is subjective and that I am looking to piece together a pretty awesome system, I would like some opinions.

1) Will I be happy with the infinity speakers when coupled with a quality receiver ($750+)? Will the sound be rich and fill my large cathedral ceiling room with quality sound or should I definitely invest in even better speakers up front?

2) If I do stick with the RS-4s, what in-wall speakers would be good for the rears? I can spend a good quantity of money on the back speakers ($500-$750) but would need them to be recessed. Will in-wall speakers sound as good as regular rear speakers? Are there challenges with in-wall speakers in terms of projecting the sound outward?

Thanks for your help!

Florian
02-10-2007, 02:51 PM
My VERY FIRST HIFI speaker was a Infinity RS3, which is basically a 4 without a stand. Man those where the days with my little Onkyo TX-DS555 and i took the manual to school to read it. LOL Now a few years and a couple of $$$$$ later i look back and still think it was a fun time :-)

Mr Peabody
02-10-2007, 07:27 PM
In my opinion your Sony receiver never did the RS-4 justice. They are nice speakers and I think you will be happy with them using a better receiver. Onkyo would be a good match. I did see Denon claiming "high current" on a couple models that could be good. The problem will be finding a center channel to match. The front 3 speakers in a HT set up should match for optimum sound. You may be able to find a used RS center. If not, you may be better off with the RS in the rear and buying new for the front. If you haven't heard Infinity lately, they aren't what they ueed to be.

If you use in wall speakers you won't be able to move your room around. Can you use stands or on wall? There probably are some decent in wall speakers but they won't sound as good as a box speaker, especially the bass response.

jim_ny
02-11-2007, 06:34 AM
Thanks for the feedback! really don't have a clue as to what center channel would sound good with the RS-4s. I did a bit of research and some people said the IL36 might be a good just but good luck finding one. How about one of the newer infinity centers (I hope they are not junk)? If I supplied the specs on a post or brought the specs to a hi-fi shop would that help in determining a good center channel match? Short of listening to the speaker integrated into my system, how would one know? Maybe new fronts are the best decision as I can get more advice working with newer equipment. Any help would be appreciated!

Mr Peabody
02-11-2007, 09:02 AM
You would have to check with Infinity or a dealer who carried the line back then to see which center was matched with the RS. IL or other models today would not match your RS4's very well. Once you have a model# check www.audiogon.com or ebay to see if you can snag one.

Mr Peabody
02-11-2007, 09:40 AM
Did you buy your RS4's new? I did a quick search on line and looks like the last RS4 was from the 90's. I didn't see a matching center. You will definitely have to email Infinity to see if there is such an animal. One option would be to just buy another set of RS4's and use one or both for center. You could actually buy 2 pair and use them for rear as well or the same RS series 2, if you wanted smaller rears. That would be a nice set up. It wouldn't matter what sub you used. The fact that all 5 speakers matched perfectly and 5 channels of matching power would be the perfect HT arrangement.

jim_ny
02-11-2007, 10:45 AM
Thanks Mr. P!

I believe Ibought them after 2000.I read that there are 2 flavors of the speaker - 90's/00's. I am not sure of the difference. Anyhow I will try to contact the company and see what they say. I hope this is a wise decision to keep the speakers in my new setup as I do what it to be a premium system. I figure I can always upgrade the speakers at a later date. My receiver is what I think is entry level - a Sony STRDE445, so I want to upgrade that and get the rest of the speakers in place (center/woofer/surround).

I cannot use the RS-4 for a center. I want to have the center channel on a shelf on a to be purchased credenda type entertainmnet stand. Good tought though.

eisforelectronic
02-11-2007, 12:17 PM
The matching center speakers for the RS series are the CC1, CC2, and CC3. The CC1 is pretty small. The CC2 and CC3 are pretty average sized, think near an RS3 on it's side. The CC2 has a single tone control (can't remember if it was for high or mid). The CC3 has 2 tone controls, 1 for highs and 1 for mids. If I remember correctly the CC3 did sound much better than the CC2 even though they shared the majority of their components. Infinity changed from the Polypro drivers in the RS to the CMMD drivers with the introduction of the IL series. Unfortunately these drivers sound very different, so matching with any current Infinity product is going to be very difficult.

Mr Peabody
02-11-2007, 04:59 PM
You would still lay the cabinet on it's side, a RS3 or 2 may work better as a center. But now that we know what centers match, that's probably your best bet.

I checked Audiogon and surprisingly there isn't much Infinty there, you may have to keep an eye on Ebay. Also if you contact Infinity, Harmon has an outlet store where most of the old stock goes, you may want to check with them to see if any CC models are still around. You should at least try the RS4's with a better receiver.