I used to get Harmen speakers at a discount. Started with infinity reference and Kappa. Arnie Nudell was a genius. He made his own drivers like EMIT and EMIM. He knew the early pure poly woofers were too soft, and he used graphite injected woofers in the Kappa. The Kappa speakers were pure music. Transparent, detailed, open (non boxy) sound with great bass. Elegant looking too.
I'm a 1st gen Kappa 8 owner - I purchased them around 1989 when I was 19 and have purchased lots of other speakers since then. But none of them has come close to the tonality and bass of my Kappa 8 - so I'm still using them to date. They have needed a speaker surround repair for the woofer, the crossover board is next to be repaired as the old capacitors have gone to sh**. These are also the 2 things you should ask when you purchase these speakers: "have the woofer surrounds and the frequency crossover boards been replaced". PS I'm using a super powerful Krell KAV 440xi amplifier to power the beasts...
Mike, I've got a pair of 45 year old Infinity Quantum 4 loudspeakers that were great back in 1978 and still stand tall today. I've replaced the 12 inch Infinity-Watkins dual drive woofers, but not the crossover components. I may eventually pull out and upgrade the crossovers, but the speakers still sound good and compare quite well with expensive, contemporary products. Your Kappa 8s are another great and advanced speaker, and Arnie Nudell is remembered as one of the all-time great designers.
Love my Kappa 8's. I bi-amp with identical 500 wpc amps. Totally agree that these don't need a subwoofer. In fact, the lows can be a bit too much at times, depending on room placement. So, you have to dial them in. Picked up my pair used for only $600 a year ago. But, they needed to have the yellowish polypropylene drivers redone, which cost $240. This is a commonly needed fix as the speakers age. My first "real" speakers ever were Infinity RS6000's. I've been an Infinity fan ever since.
Hi where did you redo your polydomes? I have mines ready to crack actually one cracked and I glued it 😮 I also have another pair destroyed both voice coils and domes, waiting for replacement from Polland but not sure how they will sound. Tried scanspeak replacement but they were 8Ohms and 92db efficient so a lot bright and lost balance. Moreover II did not want to mess around with the crossover.. so I returned them. Thinking for the simple speakers replacement or redoing the working ones... I would glad to learn about your solution. Thank you.
Send your polydomes to millersound, they can restore them with their new better domes. I replaced mine with aftermarket ones (choose 4Ohm upon checkout) as you can do that ... @@petrospols2384
I'm pretty sure Arnie Nudell designed all the Infinity speakers. I used to own a pair of RS 1.5's. I loved those speakers until my teenage son blew them up and I sold them for parts. I kick myself every day for doing that. Any older infinity's never stay in the market long. I only wish I was able to own some now
I have 2 pairs of Kappa 9's one pair on an Adcom 585 (bedroom) and the Main pair Bi-Amped on a Pair of DBX-BX1's. In my lifetime I have never heard a better sound from any speaker/amp combination. (Im the original owner of this all except the the Adcom)
This is a nice surprise to find a video on the old Kappa. I have had almost the whole range (6,7,8 & 9). Only the Kappa 5 (InfiniTesimal) are the ones that I did not own. In the end, the Kappa 8A are the ones that stayed at home. I have been lucky to find a pair of Santos Wood version. I am running currently a pair of IRS Delta. No matter how big and impressive the sound of the Delta is, I still prefer my Kappas. Now, these speakers require a strong and good quality amplification. My favourite combo with the 8 are the electrocompaniet AW180 Monoblocs. I like the warmth of the sound, the deep bass and the non fatiguing details. I also like very much the height of the mids and the twitter. It is just right for me. The Delta put the voice up there too near the ceiling for me. After having had Thiel CS5i and a few more, the Kappa 8A are my definitive ones.
The downside to Vintage Infinity is the amp pairing.. I've had my Kappas for 7 years, and 3x I thought... This is as good as they get. Nope lol. They have levels and as you mentioned are amp dependent. I went from amp to amp and finally met a guy from work who had the Kappa 9's, we got to discussing the Kappas and he asked what I was doing tonight after work? He brought over his old Dynakit 40w tube and it was like a whole new world was opened up. Arnie Nudell designed Infinity to be powered by tube amps, some people use them on the mids and high's, and use Solid State on the woofers. Do yourself a favor and try it.
Yes Arnie Nudell was a very driven force, a true pioneer for this type of speaker. I am a huge fan of these older Infinity"s, I have a set of 8's, but my daily system uses a pair of Kappa 9's and a set of IRS Beta's, it takes 6 amps to power them, and no you don't need or want a sub with these The sound is just so open and at no matter what power level, you don't ever feel it is getting harsh or fatiguing. I have a number of Emit tweeters mostly K series, but some of the first generations as well. I'm currently looking for some polydome replacements if anyone could help with that. These older speakers I feel do stand up very well even today, and the look is unique. I recommend these speaker to anyone who is thinking about something like this, you won't regret having them in your life. Thanks for the review, and sharing your thoughts on a great era in Infinity's past.
I am also looking for a solution to the polydomes dome disintegration... for my Kappa 8.1i pair. If you find one, preferably in Europe, just let me know herein. Thank you.
Growing up the HIFI mags that described those speakers came back to my current reference is a complete Polk SRT SDA I had to load a mini van and SUV to get the home not to many things sound like it( Mike I now understand how you captured the spirit of the history of HIFI) through experience of some of the best
@@audioarkitekts Thanks for being true to a hobby I love and live and also not like all those uploaded reviews by guys that only really listen headphones... One must really experience Music through multiple senses of our body... Probably brought and sold 80 different varieties of speaker bipolar , dipole, conventional etc...
Sometimes an old speaker just hits the spot.I bought a pair of DCM Time Window 1As in 1984. They cost 900 bucks and we weren't very well off but my wife insisted. She also surprised me earlier that year with my Harman Kardon amp and tuner. A year later she surprised me with my first CD player so I guess she's a keeper. I ran those Time Windows until 2018 and gave them to my nephew. 34 years with the same speakers!
I've owned my Kapa 8s many years now driven them with many amplifiers. Currently using two Rotel RB 1080 the sound is rich life like live albums give a real presence of being stage side. I will never let my Kapa 8s leave my side these speakers are honestly much more than hype 😊
I've had a pair of 8.2i for 10 years, paired with a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, and I've never felt the need to replace them, theyre not "pure" or "analytical", but the color the bring to the music sounds fantastic.
Good choice, congrats on your purchase. Come to think of it I need to hook up my old Infinities,do some A-B comparison 's for the fun of it. I ran into a pair of old Dahlquist dq10's but I couldn't get the owner to put a price on them.
Habe meine Kappa 8a seit 34 Jahren und bin immer noch super zufrieden. Anfangs mit HK 870 , 2 Nad 214 Bridge Mode und jetzt 2 Nad 275 Endstufen in Stereo Mode angeschlossen .
I use Kappa 8 in my all vintage infinity Atmos surround system. I have IRS Beta towers in front. Kappa 7 as center channel, with a small Kappa center above them for vertical assist. Kappa 8 are surround, Kappa 9.1 for rear surround. Kappa 6 for rear height, Infinity Reference 4 as center height. I have an Infinity SSW212 from the same era as sub woofer. Cary Christie is the other engineer that worked on Kappa 8, along with the mate Arnie Nudell. If you haven’t heard the IRS Beta, you are in for a real treat.
Yes Arnie Nudell, he started building speakers and the drivers in his garage. He was exposed to higher end materials through his day job. harman International purchased Infinity and eventually the quality went down I feel that this era Infinity speaker from the late 80's was the last good speakers produced by infinity. Arnie Nudell left Infinity in the early 90's so I would not be surprised if these were the last speakers Arnie was fully involved in. I have a pair of Kappa 8s that my dad got back in 88 I think and I still have them up in running. The woofer around was replaced in the mid 2000's and now the pollydome's need to be fixed now have the parts but it's going to be a delicate job.
I own Kappa 8's 5 & 6, they are simply beautiful speakers... Arnie Nudell was the lead designer on these and he was a genius. Original Kappa Series actually had 5 Different speakers, Kappa 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. The following information is very important about the 8 & 9. As long as the, "Extended Bass Switch" is in the down position, any good amplifier rated stable down to 4 ohms and 100 Watts+ can drive the 8's and 200+ Watts for the 9's. For the best sound though, the more wattage the better for these hungry beasts. If you flip that Extended Bass Switch, for the 8, the Amp should be 200+ Watts (I recommend two 200+ watt amps Bridged or Bi-amped) and stable below 1 ohm. For the Kappa 9, two to four Amplifiers, 200+ watts each stable below 1 ohm Bridged or Bi-amped, not a recommendation, but a potentially costly fact. Kappa 9's and 8's had a reputation for destroying Amplifiers, with the Bass Extension engaged, that were not up to the task. With proper amplification and room size, no speaker today, for sound to cost ratio, can touch them, ENJOY :)
Hi ! Thanks for your explanation! With Kappa 8, can you give some advice for brand of amp? Vintage and… new? Actuality: luxman A 371 are good for me but it is my second and I tried many other brands without success
Hello, I have a couple of Kappa8, my sharp optonica SM7100 amplifier died, I am looking for a replacement and I have several options, maybe you can help me, the first is a NEW 4ohms CXA81 cambrige, the second is a used EMOTIVA XPA-3, the third option is a Harman kardon HK870. I currently have a TOPPRO TRX3500 amp that can handle a 2ohm drop, but it's a very crude amp. thank you
I don't think any of those could handle the abuse. I really like the Audiophonics HPA-S400ET it measures beautifully and those Purifi modules can take the punch from the Kappa's
@@audioarkitekts Paul McGowan who runs PS Audio as well as the PS Audio youtube channel, used to work together with Arnie and speaks very highly of him.
Check Andrew Jones, he worked for Infinity a long time ago. I've always thought Infinity where some of the best speakers ever. I did not know some were affordable. I knew Advent were good and affordable at the time. Hold on to those speakers. My new speakers were designed by Andrew Jones. The guy is pretty much a genius. Or maybe I just like the sound of his speaker designs. Natural, realistic. Thanks for the video.
Amazing that all the time new new better better. Its old tech, but tech that hasn't changed that much because of physical properties of the science. Refreshing to know that there is some honesty.
I'll bet that they will sound even better if you upgraded the caps in the crossover? And maybe possibly swapping out the resistors with low/non inductive units. And depending on the values of any metal core inductors, the bass and or midrange quality could get a serious bump. Dome midranges are pretty sweet! Oh and some constrained layer damping, and/or bracing and/or layered foam damping might also not go amiss?
@@audioarkitekts As you probably know, caps age and their value changes, and their ESR goes up. Modern caps are typically better, anyway. They are physically much larger, though. You don't need to go crazy - the tweeter caps can be $20+ and very good bypass caps are less than $10. I built 2-ways, so air core woofer coils are $35-50, but 4-ways have much higher value coils that would be more money. There are sintered metal core coils that claim low eddy currents and cost considerably less.
Indeed.. some vintage speakers are classics and priced so much more reasonably back then. I am the original owner of a Klipsch Cornwall circa 1984 ! Still loving it 39 years later ! Driven by SET Class A all tube amp ! I think I paid a whopping $1200 back then !
A pleasant and very enthusiastic presentation...refreshing. Also, congratulations on your engagement. Peace, love, joy, happiness, good will, good cheer, good health to the both of you...today, tomorrow, everyday.
Mike, loved the video and loved these Infinity speakers. However, if they were $1600/pr. in the 80’s, they’d be about $3500 in today’s scratch. That’s not small change. Indeed I remember Infinity back in the 70’s and 80’s in part, because I couldn’t afford them at the time. Never was a budget brand in my experience. But, they had an involving sound that I never thought was overpriced.
You can acquire these now for around 1,500 for the pair which is an amazing deal! Yeah 3500 is a bit more than most would probably want to spend, but for a 36 year investment I think that's a good buy!
My favorite speakers are the little known AVID 102 speakers from 1980 (!). Despite them being up there in age, they still sound perfect - even on modern and vintage equipment.
@@audioarkitekts Although, by the looks of it, it may have been different Infinity speakers. My dad's large floorstanders were a bit more triangular in shape... 🤔
Arnie Nudell was the brain behind the Emit Tweeter. As far as your question about why can't we make something like this today. The Emit tweeter is spectacular to listen to but not very robust and complex to manufacture.
@@audioarkitekts BTW, if you want to listen to your Kappas or any vintage Infinity the way they were designed and voiced, use Audio Research SP3, SP11 or Marantz Model 7 preamps. In that first twenty years at Infinity everything was designed & voiced with tubes and Bi-amp or tri-amped.
Not a. Issue you can replace the diaphragms with better ones. I've replaced mine with American vintage audio ones . They have 0 issues also never ever blew one up and I had MANY emit and emim infinities
My Eltax speakers must be 27 Years old now. They'll out live me. On the fourth amp now I keep reusing the speakers. Can only see myself changing if I ever buy into Atmos but no plans to.
I love my vintage Boston Acoustic speakers made in the early 90's. I have 4 pairs of different models and I wouldn't ever part with them, until death do we part. 😎
Hello Mike! I confirm : my INFINITY Kappa 8, since 1992, are… irreplaceable! With my ampli Luxman A.371, for me, it’s perfect. But it’s really difficult to find an other amp. I tried, … no success! Have you an advise ?
I had a pair of Kappa 8s connected to an Adcom 565. Went away with a divorce many years ago. I would kill and waste money to find a pair in decent condition. Amazing speaker.
Thanks for the review! Yeah, I love all the reviews of what's out there. But a lot of times I'd like to know what reviewers think of some that have been around. This is one of those models... Thanks! Sub'd.
I have a pair of 1988 Interaudio Bose 4000s with 10inch woofers & 3inch tweeters the tweeters have excellent highs & the woofers have a very heavy bass for there size & they get really loud i Djayed with those speakers plenty of times & someone always try to buy them because they so good & i have 14 gauge speaker wire hooked up to them for better sound from 16 gauge wire once beforehand & a Yamaha Receiver pushing them 155 watts per channel.
No receiver bud, you need a high powered power amplifier that can drive low impedance loads as these dip down to 2ohms at times. These will absolutely cook any cheap receiver. You need a high current amp capable of driving loads down to 2 ohms.
I love my Kappa 8 also, who takes a rest in my storage room now, which I modified much like removing the crossovers from them to an external box. Infinity Kappa 8 never dies, the Ohm just goes lower........
I'm also amazed that the speakers didn't cost more than they did when they were new.............at least compared to the prices on loudspekars today and what you get for all that money.
I just picked up a pair of these for free. They need a little bit of reconditioning, the polydome on both speakers are shot, and I've not heard them run. The overall condition seems to be pretty good aside from a heavy coat of dust and cobwebs. Anyone have resources for finding oem parts? The other problem is trying to find a place for these things in my tiny apartment. They're massive😂
I miss so much the 80-90s infinity speakers and even the Chysler sound sistems, also AKG headphones, nowadays everything I hear hurts my ears, i got tinnitus from hearing ESS dacs and most of the gear of today sounds so artificial, they only fool the newbies in the audio scene, nowadays i am more impresed of the cheapo edifier products and philips dacs thay i founded on aliexpress than anything "high end" Arnie Nudell was infinity times way ahead in time.
If Infinity sold these now, they would be 10-15k. Speaker tech is no more expensive to make now, it's just they have found a way to sell them for more. Remember, people would have baulked at paying more than 100k for an average Ferrari 30 years ago too
I have the kappa 90 and i love them. After my Vacation i trade my elac for a set kappa 7. and i get the 8 series 2 from and old friend of my. Who build this master piece. I came from holland sorry for my english.
Doubtful they were being powered by a "run of the mill" receiver. Additionally, the old Kappa series polydomes and foam surrounds are always in need of repair, they just don't hold up. Vintage Sansui speakers from the same era for instance can be found in very good condition. With that said, among my 15 pairs of speakers I do have some more modern Kappa 400s from about 20 years ago. They look like they'll last for decades without much degradation.
The crossover is a mess on these Kappa 8. Designed with a 1.3 ohm minimum impedance in the bass region is not a good design choice. Fact is that nearly any amplifier will not be able control that bass with such a low dip in the bass region.
i started with Celestion ,than JBL, later wharfedale and mission also tannoy, mission is my go to brand after they killed celestion and wharfedale, jbl is just expensive
Hey Mike! The video was pretty good but I have a suggestion to make;please do a little longer videos,with emphasis to sound quality explanation and perhaps comparison to other similar devices. Also I have 2 requests...could you make a vudeo tour of your listening room and try the new Hypex Nilai?the word is that they are much better than the Ncores you own! Thank you dear friend!
I used to get Harmen speakers at a discount. Started with infinity reference and Kappa. Arnie Nudell was a genius. He made his own drivers like EMIT and EMIM. He knew the early pure poly woofers were too soft, and he used graphite injected woofers in the Kappa. The Kappa speakers were pure music. Transparent, detailed, open (non boxy) sound with great bass. Elegant looking too.
I'm a 1st gen Kappa 8 owner - I purchased them around 1989 when I was 19 and have purchased lots of other speakers since then. But none of them has come close to the tonality and bass of my Kappa 8 - so I'm still using them to date. They have needed a speaker surround repair for the woofer, the crossover board is next to be repaired as the old capacitors have gone to sh**. These are also the 2 things you should ask when you purchase these speakers: "have the woofer surrounds and the frequency crossover boards been replaced". PS I'm using a super powerful Krell KAV 440xi amplifier to power the beasts...
Mike, I've got a pair of 45 year old Infinity Quantum 4 loudspeakers that were great back in 1978 and still stand tall today. I've replaced the 12 inch Infinity-Watkins dual drive woofers, but not the crossover components. I may eventually pull out and upgrade the crossovers, but the speakers still sound good and compare quite well with expensive, contemporary products. Your Kappa 8s are another great and advanced speaker, and Arnie Nudell is remembered as one of the all-time great designers.
He created some masterpieces for sure!
Never should have replaced the Watkins it's what makes them legit special 😮
Love my Kappa 8's. I bi-amp with identical 500 wpc amps. Totally agree that these don't need a subwoofer. In fact, the lows can be a bit too much at times, depending on room placement. So, you have to dial them in. Picked up my pair used for only $600 a year ago. But, they needed to have the yellowish polypropylene drivers redone, which cost $240. This is a commonly needed fix as the speakers age. My first "real" speakers ever were Infinity RS6000's. I've been an Infinity fan ever since.
Yes I run 2x Rotel RB 1080 Bi_wired on my Kapa8s just perfect 🥰
Hi where did you redo your polydomes? I have mines ready to crack actually one cracked and I glued it 😮 I also have another pair destroyed both voice coils and domes, waiting for replacement from Polland but not sure how they will sound.
Tried scanspeak replacement but they were 8Ohms and 92db efficient so a lot bright and lost balance. Moreover II did not want to mess around with the crossover.. so I returned them.
Thinking for the simple speakers replacement or redoing the working ones...
I would glad to learn about your solution.
Thank you.
Send your polydomes to millersound, they can restore them with their new better domes.
I replaced mine with aftermarket ones (choose 4Ohm upon checkout) as you can do that ...
@@petrospols2384
I still like my Infinity RS3b speakers. I bought them in mid 80's.
Mike, I am a huge fan of older Infinity speakers. I've had numerous pairs in and out of my systems. RS II s are the end game speaker for me.
I have heard great things about those as well. I am looking forward to hearing them someday!
The rsII I even found a better speaker than my rs1b at the time . Excellent speakers
I'm pretty sure Arnie Nudell designed all the Infinity speakers. I used to own a pair of RS 1.5's. I loved those speakers until my teenage son blew them up and I sold them for parts. I kick myself every day for doing that. Any older infinity's never stay in the market long. I only wish I was able to own some now
I still have my infinity kappa vq sub from 2006 in my car. I don’t know how good infinity is today but I still love that sub.
I have 2 pairs of Kappa 9's one pair on an Adcom 585 (bedroom) and the Main pair Bi-Amped on a Pair of DBX-BX1's. In my lifetime I have never heard a better sound from any speaker/amp combination. (Im the original owner of this all except the the Adcom)
Adcom amps are a perfect match for any of the Infinity speaker line. Built like a tank and can drive the low impedance load with ease.
I couldn't agree with you more. And it's true, great speakers reveal major sonic deficiencies in power amps and preamplifiers.
Thank you for the support!
Infinity KAPPA 2 6x9s from 1999/2000 are some of the best damn speakers I’ve ever heard in my life, so I understand what you’re saying
This is a nice surprise to find a video on the old Kappa. I have had almost the whole range (6,7,8 & 9). Only the Kappa 5 (InfiniTesimal) are the ones that I did not own. In the end, the Kappa 8A are the ones that stayed at home. I have been lucky to find a pair of Santos Wood version. I am running currently a pair of IRS Delta. No matter how big and impressive the sound of the Delta is, I still prefer my Kappas. Now, these speakers require a strong and good quality amplification. My favourite combo with the 8 are the electrocompaniet AW180 Monoblocs. I like the warmth of the sound, the deep bass and the non fatiguing details. I also like very much the height of the mids and the twitter. It is just right for me. The Delta put the voice up there too near the ceiling for me. After having had Thiel CS5i and a few more, the Kappa 8A are my definitive ones.
I will have to try out that amplifier!
The downside to Vintage Infinity is the amp pairing.. I've had my Kappas for 7 years, and 3x I thought... This is as good as they get. Nope lol. They have levels and as you mentioned are amp dependent. I went from amp to amp and finally met a guy from work who had the Kappa 9's, we got to discussing the Kappas and he asked what I was doing tonight after work? He brought over his old Dynakit 40w tube and it was like a whole new world was opened up. Arnie Nudell designed Infinity to be powered by tube amps, some people use them on the mids and high's, and use Solid State on the woofers. Do yourself a favor and try it.
Yes Arnie Nudell was a very driven force, a true pioneer for this type of speaker. I am a huge fan of these older Infinity"s, I have a set of 8's, but my daily system uses a pair of Kappa 9's and a set of IRS Beta's, it takes 6 amps to power them, and no you don't need or want a sub with these The sound is just so open and at no matter what power level, you don't ever feel it is getting harsh or fatiguing. I have a number of Emit tweeters mostly K series, but some of the first generations as well. I'm currently looking for some polydome replacements if anyone could help with that. These older speakers I feel do stand up very well even today, and the look is unique. I recommend these speaker to anyone who is thinking about something like this, you won't regret having them in your life. Thanks for the review, and sharing your thoughts on a great era in Infinity's past.
I am also looking for a solution to the polydomes dome disintegration... for my Kappa 8.1i pair. If you find one, preferably in Europe, just let me know herein. Thank you.
I have owned Kappa 9s since 1990. I still have them. I wonder what they are worth?
Love vintage infinity, congrats on your speakers and your partner is the true gem 😊
Thank you so much!
Growing up the HIFI mags that described those speakers came back to my current reference is a complete Polk SRT SDA I had to load a mini van and SUV to get the home not to many things sound like it( Mike I now understand how you captured the spirit of the history of HIFI) through experience of some of the best
I can't talk about it unless I embrace it right? 😉
@@audioarkitekts Thanks for being true to a hobby I love and live and also not like all those uploaded reviews by guys that only really listen headphones... One must really experience Music through multiple senses of our body... Probably brought and sold 80 different varieties of speaker bipolar , dipole, conventional etc...
Mine? Shahinian Diapason from around that same vintage. Had a listening session this afternoon and was in awe...goosebumps and tears of joy.
That is the reaction I enjoy from these speakers as well. I am happy more people are realizing the experience with vintage speakers.
are they suitable for home theater and what center channel would be suitable for them?
Probably won't need a center channel...
Sometimes an old speaker just hits the spot.I bought a pair of DCM Time Window 1As in 1984. They cost 900 bucks and we weren't very well off but my wife insisted. She also surprised me earlier that year with my Harman Kardon amp and tuner. A year later she surprised me with my first CD player so I guess she's a keeper. I ran those Time Windows until 2018 and gave them to my nephew. 34 years with the same speakers!
She is definitely a keeper!
I've owned my Kapa 8s many years now driven them with many amplifiers.
Currently using two Rotel RB 1080 the sound is rich life like live albums give a real presence of being stage side.
I will never let my Kapa 8s leave my side these speakers are honestly much more than hype 😊
I've had a pair of 8.2i for 10 years, paired with a Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, and I've never felt the need to replace them, theyre not "pure" or "analytical", but the color the bring to the music sounds fantastic.
That’s awesome! I love my Kappa 8
@@audioarkitektsI have the 8.1 and the 8 also had the 9
Try the 8.1 , it totally bests my older 8 on many things .
Good choice, congrats on your purchase. Come to think of it I need to hook up my old Infinities,do some A-B comparison 's for the fun of it. I ran into a pair of old Dahlquist dq10's but I couldn't get the owner to put a price on them.
Habe meine Kappa 8a seit 34 Jahren und bin immer noch super zufrieden. Anfangs mit HK 870 , 2 Nad 214 Bridge Mode und jetzt 2 Nad 275 Endstufen in Stereo Mode angeschlossen .
These speakers were probably designed by the late Arnie Nudell
I agree, was thinking the same thing. Anyone who watches Paul McGowans / PS Audio videos knows the great heights that some Infinity speakers achieved!
Thanks Neil! 😊
I use Kappa 8 in my all vintage infinity Atmos surround system. I have IRS Beta towers in front. Kappa 7 as center channel, with a small Kappa center above them for vertical assist. Kappa 8 are surround, Kappa 9.1 for rear surround. Kappa 6 for rear height, Infinity Reference 4 as center height. I have an Infinity SSW212 from the same era as sub woofer.
Cary Christie is the other engineer that worked on Kappa 8, along with the mate Arnie Nudell.
If you haven’t heard the IRS Beta, you are in for a real treat.
Yes Arnie Nudell, he started building speakers and the drivers in his garage. He was exposed to higher end materials through his day job. harman International purchased Infinity and eventually the quality went down I feel that this era Infinity speaker from the late 80's was the last good speakers produced by infinity. Arnie Nudell left Infinity in the early 90's so I would not be surprised if these were the last speakers Arnie was fully involved in.
I have a pair of Kappa 8s that my dad got back in 88 I think and I still have them up in running. The woofer around was replaced in the mid 2000's and now the pollydome's need to be fixed now have the parts but it's going to be a delicate job.
I own Kappa 8's 5 & 6, they are simply beautiful speakers... Arnie Nudell was the lead designer on these and he was a genius. Original Kappa Series actually had 5 Different speakers, Kappa 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. The following information is very important about the 8 & 9. As long as the, "Extended Bass Switch" is in the down position, any good amplifier rated stable down to 4 ohms and 100 Watts+ can drive the 8's and 200+ Watts for the 9's. For the best sound though, the more wattage the better for these hungry beasts. If you flip that Extended Bass Switch, for the 8, the Amp should be 200+ Watts (I recommend two 200+ watt amps Bridged or Bi-amped) and stable below 1 ohm. For the Kappa 9, two to four Amplifiers, 200+ watts each stable below 1 ohm Bridged or Bi-amped, not a recommendation, but a potentially costly fact. Kappa 9's and 8's had a reputation for destroying Amplifiers, with the Bass Extension engaged, that were not up to the task.
With proper amplification and room size, no speaker today, for sound to cost ratio, can touch them, ENJOY :)
Hi !
Thanks for your explanation!
With Kappa 8, can you give some advice for brand of amp? Vintage and… new?
Actuality: luxman A 371 are good for me but it is my second and I tried many other brands without success
Hello, I have a couple of Kappa8, my sharp optonica SM7100 amplifier died, I am looking for a replacement and I have several options, maybe you can help me, the first is a NEW 4ohms CXA81 cambrige, the second is a used EMOTIVA XPA-3, the third option is a Harman kardon HK870.
I currently have a TOPPRO TRX3500 amp that can handle a 2ohm drop, but it's a very crude amp.
thank you
I don't think any of those could handle the abuse. I really like the Audiophonics HPA-S400ET it measures beautifully and those Purifi modules can take the punch from the Kappa's
Arnie Nudell!❤
Thank you! 😊
@@audioarkitekts Paul McGowan who runs PS Audio as well as the PS Audio youtube channel, used to work together with Arnie and speaks very highly of him.
Check Andrew Jones, he worked for Infinity a long time ago. I've always thought Infinity where some of the best speakers ever. I did not know some were affordable. I knew Advent were good and affordable at the time. Hold on to those speakers. My new speakers were designed by Andrew Jones. The guy is pretty much a genius. Or maybe I just like the sound of his speaker designs. Natural, realistic. Thanks for the video.
Amazing that all the time new new better better. Its old tech, but tech that hasn't changed that much because of physical properties of the science. Refreshing to know that there is some honesty.
Thank you for the comment!
I'll bet that they will sound even better if you upgraded the caps in the crossover? And maybe possibly swapping out the resistors with low/non inductive units. And depending on the values of any metal core inductors, the bass and or midrange quality could get a serious bump. Dome midranges are pretty sweet!
Oh and some constrained layer damping, and/or bracing and/or layered foam damping might also not go amiss?
Stop making me spend more money lol 😆 I did want to upgrade the crossovers here soon so I will keep you posted!
@@audioarkitekts As you probably know, caps age and their value changes, and their ESR goes up. Modern caps are typically better, anyway. They are physically much larger, though. You don't need to go crazy - the tweeter caps can be $20+ and very good bypass caps are less than $10.
I built 2-ways, so air core woofer coils are $35-50, but 4-ways have much higher value coils that would be more money. There are sintered metal core coils that claim low eddy currents and cost considerably less.
Indeed.. some vintage speakers are classics and priced so much more reasonably back then. I am the original owner of a Klipsch Cornwall circa 1984 ! Still loving it 39 years later ! Driven by SET Class A all tube amp ! I think I paid a whopping $1200 back then !
A pleasant and very enthusiastic presentation...refreshing. Also, congratulations on your engagement.
Peace, love, joy, happiness, good will, good cheer, good health to the both of you...today, tomorrow, everyday.
Thank you, Maurice, that is very nice of you.
Mike, loved the video and loved these Infinity speakers. However, if they were $1600/pr. in the 80’s, they’d be about $3500 in today’s scratch. That’s not small change. Indeed I remember Infinity back in the 70’s and 80’s in part, because I couldn’t afford them at the time. Never was a budget brand in my experience. But, they had an involving sound that I never thought was overpriced.
You can acquire these now for around 1,500 for the pair which is an amazing deal! Yeah 3500 is a bit more than most would probably want to spend, but for a 36 year investment I think that's a good buy!
@mykandrew are the woofers original ? And are those the original foam surrounds ?
Congrats Mike, great find👍
Thank you Paul!
My favorite speakers are the little known AVID 102 speakers from 1980 (!). Despite them being up there in age, they still sound perfect - even on modern and vintage equipment.
I will have to check those out as well! I am always up for new discoveries!
Hi! Did you had the chance to listen also the Kappa 9.2? If yes, how did they 'sound' in direct compare to your Kappa 8?
These were my dad's speakers. I grew up with them! 😁
They are fantastic!
@@audioarkitekts Although, by the looks of it, it may have been different Infinity speakers. My dad's large floorstanders were a bit more triangular in shape... 🤔
INFINITY KAPPA ROCKS! My first pair of “proper” speakers were the Infinity RS 6000’s. I couldn’t afford Kappa’s back in the day. Check them out!
I will definitely give those a look. I want to start collecting vintage Infinity's! 😫
My brother-in-law has a set of these. The polydomes are shot. And the woofers too. Replacements?
They’re out there if you look around
Ebay is where I found my parts.
Arnie Nudell was the brain behind the Emit Tweeter. As far as your question about why can't we make something like this today. The Emit tweeter is spectacular to listen to but not very robust and complex to manufacture.
It's unfortunate, I find these drivers incredibly satisfying.
@@audioarkitekts BTW, if you want to listen to your Kappas or any vintage Infinity the way they were designed and voiced, use Audio Research SP3, SP11 or Marantz Model 7 preamps. In that first twenty years at Infinity everything was designed & voiced with tubes and Bi-amp or tri-amped.
Not a. Issue you can replace the diaphragms with better ones. I've replaced mine with American vintage audio ones .
They have 0 issues also never ever blew one up and I had MANY emit and emim infinities
I feel 'ya brother. I have a minty pair of restored early 90's KEF 103.3 speakers with the KEF Kube that might be my last pair of speakers.
I want to try the KEF series from American Psycho. I've always wanted a pair!
My Eltax speakers must be 27 Years old now. They'll out live me. On the fourth amp now I keep reusing the speakers. Can only see myself changing if I ever buy into Atmos but no plans to.
If you are happy with the sound that's the most important thing.
I still use my Kef 104 as my main system! Just refurbished them completely. Should be good for another 25 years!
You like what you like. It's all good.
Thanks Bubble Head!
I'd love a set of those, but where I live, I could never play it loud enough to enjoy them. They're very nice speakers.
I love my vintage Boston Acoustic speakers made in the early 90's. I have 4 pairs of different models and I wouldn't ever part with them, until death do we part. 😎
Can't beat the quality of the true golden age of hifi, which, in my opinion, spans from the 80s to 90s
I also have a set and still love them. Do I need to do something to keep the bass-rubbers in good confition?
@ Montréal 🇨🇦...
Still LOVE my RS 3-b’s ❤️
Very nice 👌
Hello Mike!
I confirm : my INFINITY Kappa 8, since 1992, are… irreplaceable!
With my ampli Luxman A.371, for me, it’s perfect.
But it’s really difficult to find an other amp.
I tried, … no success!
Have you an advise ?
I had a pair of Kappa 8s connected to an Adcom 565. Went away with a divorce many years ago. I would kill and waste money to find a pair in decent condition. Amazing speaker.
Ahhh yes Adcom was a match made in heaven for any Infinity speaker. Great amplifiers!
Mike, just would like your opinion on the Kappa 8 versus the Celestion Ditton 66 studio monitors.
What would you consider s good price to pay for a used pair that need repair polydomes
And wolfer refoam
I love mine that we’re gifted from a neighbor. I’m looking to up grade my receiver/amp.
Thanks for the review! Yeah, I love all the reviews of what's out there. But a lot of times I'd like to know what reviewers think of some that have been around. This is one of those models...
Thanks! Sub'd.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! These are amazing speakers! Thank you for the sub!
loved my Quantum 4 with Kenwood model 500. wish i still had the 4's
I have a pair of 1988 Interaudio Bose 4000s with 10inch woofers & 3inch tweeters the tweeters have excellent highs & the woofers have a very heavy bass for there size & they get really loud i Djayed with those speakers plenty of times & someone always try to buy them because they so good & i have 14 gauge speaker wire hooked up to them for better sound from 16 gauge wire once beforehand & a Yamaha Receiver pushing them 155 watts per channel.
I've been looking at getting a pair of these kappa 8 towers. What receiver would you recommend?
No receiver bud, you need a high powered power amplifier that can drive low impedance loads as these dip down to 2ohms at times. These will absolutely cook any cheap receiver. You need a high current amp capable of driving loads down to 2 ohms.
Please don't.
I love my Kappa 8 also, who takes a rest in my storage room now, which I modified much like removing the crossovers from them to an external box.
Infinity Kappa 8 never dies, the Ohm just goes lower........
Niceee!
I'm also amazed that the speakers didn't cost more than they did when they were new.............at least compared to the prices on loudspekars today and what you get for all that money.
I'm gonna go listen to my Klipsch KG4's. Bought them 36.5 years ago.
It's satisfying isn't it?
I just picked up a pair of these for free. They need a little bit of reconditioning, the polydome on both speakers are shot, and I've not heard them run. The overall condition seems to be pretty good aside from a heavy coat of dust and cobwebs. Anyone have resources for finding oem parts? The other problem is trying to find a place for these things in my tiny apartment. They're massive😂
I traded in my 1 year old infinity SM150`s and got the 8 kappa`s in 1991 for $1300 difference. Still have them.
I miss so much the 80-90s infinity speakers and even the Chysler sound sistems, also AKG headphones, nowadays everything I hear hurts my ears, i got tinnitus from hearing ESS dacs and most of the gear of today sounds so artificial, they only fool the newbies in the audio scene, nowadays i am more impresed of the cheapo edifier products and philips dacs thay i founded on aliexpress than anything "high end" Arnie Nudell was infinity times way ahead in time.
If Infinity sold these now, they would be 10-15k. Speaker tech is no more expensive to make now, it's just they have found a way to sell them for more. Remember, people would have baulked at paying more than 100k for an average Ferrari 30 years ago too
Agreed. It's a shame that marketing fluff sells speakers instead of actual performance.
I had a chance at getting a pristine set of IRS Betas ……..literally a once in a lifetime find 😳
Yes, those would be phenomenal!
@@audioarkitekts I got the Apogee Scintillas instead….they were AMAZING!!🥲
I just got my 8.1 for free. They are fricken heavy
Badass!
Thanks buddy!
RIP Bobby Shred 😢
Is his website still up somewhere?
I have the kappa 90 and i love them. After my Vacation i trade my elac for a set kappa 7. and i get the 8 series 2 from and old friend of my. Who build this master piece. I came from holland sorry for my english.
Best speakers i have ever listened to is Audiovector R series.
I would love to listen to a pair someday!
I had these when I was away at college. Absolutely loved them. I wish I would have never sold them
I will probably never sell mine as long as there are parts for replacement.
So many companies from the hey days of hi-fi have gone the way of the dodo. AR, Mirage, Infinity, Energy, Advent, etc...😥 Nothing gold can stay.
I agree it's sad when they become mass market garbage. 😢
Arnie was a genius, made some great stuff
Doubtful they were being powered by a "run of the mill" receiver. Additionally, the old Kappa series polydomes and foam surrounds are always in need of repair, they just don't hold up. Vintage Sansui speakers from the same era for instance can be found in very good condition. With that said, among my 15 pairs of speakers I do have some more modern Kappa 400s from about 20 years ago. They look like they'll last for decades without much degradation.
You are a lucky man to have a wife that just wants you to be happy.
You cant cheat on physic law. A really good speaker has to be big.
infinity is without a doubt a good brand but only till 1990 after i don´t know any model
The crossover is a mess on these Kappa 8. Designed with a 1.3 ohm minimum impedance in the bass region is not a good design choice. Fact is that nearly any amplifier will not be able control that bass with such a low dip in the bass region.
if you like the sound...... come and listen to my Infinity RS ll-B..... with 3 EMIM and 3 EMIT .....
Would love to, are you in Colorado?
i started with Celestion ,than JBL, later wharfedale and mission also tannoy, mission is my go to brand after they killed celestion and wharfedale, jbl is just expensive
I have Joppa 9s under rated.
Can someone give 50k subs at least to this man. As NOW? 👏👏👏💎💎💎🔊🔊🔊
Thank you my friend you are the best!
Had a pair of restored Kappa 9. Drove them with a Krell KSA-300 amp. Those speakers are overrated. Sold them.
ua-cam.com/video/H1b5seCzMpw/v-deo.html Engineers from Infinity, talking kappa
This speakers wasn’t just ugly they also sound terrible 🤮
Hey Mike!
The video was pretty good but I have a suggestion to make;please do a little longer videos,with emphasis to sound quality explanation and perhaps comparison to other similar devices.
Also I have 2 requests...could you make a vudeo tour of your listening room and try the new Hypex Nilai?the word is that they are much better than the Ncores you own!
Thank you dear friend!