SRS 2.3 vs Infinity RS IIIB

tygr1955
tygr1955 Posts: 45
edited February 2014 in Vintage Speakers
Thinking about trying to find some RS IIIBs to replace my SRS 2.3s. Will I be happy? Do you think I should sell the SRS speaks to fund the purchase?
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  • westmassguy
    westmassguy Posts: 6,850
    edited February 2014
    Depends on what you want. Those are classics for sure, but if you think SDAs are expensive to restore, wait till you see the crossovers in those monsters. The Emits are superb tweeters, until they break, and then you pay through the nose for salvaged replacements.
    Home Theater/2 Channel:
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,603
    edited February 2014
    I have IIIa's and actually the XO's are not that bad in them. I would say no more to upgrade/replace than the Polk's. I would love to compare my IIIa's to some SDA's! I agree the EMIT is superb, to my ears anyways. And that is my fear with them is not being able to find replacements. Even the Polydome mids seem to be getting scarce.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,639
    edited February 2014
    If you can afford to buy the Infinity then let your ears decide. Then decide if you should sell the SRS's
    ..
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  • BKphoto
    BKphoto Posts: 409
    edited February 2014
    there are people that fix the emit and emim...i'm sure its not cheap but this really isn't a cheap hobby...
    Marantz 1152 DC- Denon DP 1200, Soundsmith Carmen MKII- ADS L980 - Blue Jeans IC's
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  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,133
    edited February 2014
    Vintage infinitys have a much different sound than your polks. I never cared for the forward sound of them and preferred the more mellow less fatiguing sound of the 2.3s. Your milage may vary. I also found once you become accustomed to the sda soundstage it's very tough to find another speaker to take it's place no matter how good they sound.
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  • tygr1955
    tygr1955 Posts: 45
    edited February 2014
    Motorstereo, just the guy I was wanting to hear from. It's just that the sweet spot of my 2.3s is so small, I was open to trying something else for awhile. I also enjoy JBLs and Klipsch Heresys, for example. Is the Infinity RS 3B sound similar to those?

    I've read that the RS 3Bs have a pretty decent soundstage too. Is this not true?
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,416
    edited February 2014
    I think you will find the sweet spot to be much smaller with the Infinity RS IIIb's, but that is just my opinion.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,442
    edited February 2014
    tygr1955 wrote: »
    It's just that the sweet spot of my 2.3s is so small.

    Sorry man I can't follow this logic as most all I have heard have had a giant sound stage with a very gracious sweet spot
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  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,133
    edited February 2014
    I had a damn fine pair of speakers here this summer in a side by side comparison with my 1.2s. Even though they (ads 1530's) sounded better (better low end and sweeter mids) they did not have that all important to me wide and deep layered soundstage that the big sda's throw. Those 1530's have left but the 1.2s are still here and probably always will be.

    I'm thinking the same thing would apply to your 2.3s and most any infinity speaker you put up against it. The only vintage infinity that I've had direct experience with in a side by side comparison with my old 2.3s was a pair of quantum 3's a contest which the polks easily won. Once you get that sda soundstage right it's tough to listen to anything else; imo.
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  • tygr1955
    tygr1955 Posts: 45
    edited February 2014
    Well thanks guys for all your input. I'm going to buy the RS IIIBs and compare them with my 2.3s and we shall see what sound I prefer.Heck I might keep them both for a little variety.
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  • motorstereo
    motorstereo Posts: 2,133
    edited February 2014
    tygr1955 wrote: »
    Well thanks guys for all your input. I'm going to buy the RS IIIBs and compare them with my 2.3s and we shall see what sound I prefer.Heck I might keep them both for a little variety.
    Can't beat firsthand knowledge. Who knows; you just may prefer them and you won't know till you bring them home and try em out.
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