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REVIEW: Infinity Systems 9 Kappa Reference Standard Speakers Review by Stephen Daedalus at Audio Asylum

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When I was a younger and more impressionable lad, the mere sight of these loudspeakers used nearly to cause me to squirt into my pants. Needless to say, I resolved one day to own a pair.

Fast forward a decade. I managed to pick up a pair of used 9 Kappas in near excellent condition some time ago, and I've been toying with them ever since. All things considered, they've still got better lines than does Laetitia Casta (and like Laetitia, they're also ported!).

I use an Aragon 4004 mkII to drive them, and it's adequate for most listening levels. As I purchased my 9 Kappas to anchor a tertiary system the purpose of which is to (quite literally) rock the house down, I'll need more power than a single 4004 mkII can provide. Bi-amping them with two 4004 mkIIs might do the trick, however. These speakers crave power much like I suspect Kitty Dukakis once craved hooch.

The low-end response of these puppies -- which was so darned impressive back in 1988 -- is probably their weakest aspect (performance-wise, at least) today.

I was warned by more than a few former 9 Kappa owners that these things are an [expletive-deleted] beast to tame. Such warnings proved (inevitably) to be true. They'll overwhelm even moderately-sized rooms, and you'll want to keep them as far away from corners (I recommend placing them at least 4 feet away from both back walls and side walls) as is possible. Infinity's instructions recommend placing them facing directly forward, with little if any toe-in, but I prefer to toe them in slightly.

If you do take the time to treat your listening environment, the 9 Kappas can still perform with many of today's better models. In larger, treated rooms, their sound is warm, their imaging well-nigh dead-on, and their spaciousness -- enhanced by virtue of a rear-firing EMIT tweeter -- surprisingly compelling.


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Topic - REVIEW: Infinity Systems 9 Kappa Reference Standard Speakers Review by Stephen Daedalus at Audio Asylum - Stephen Daedalus 01:31:42 07/23/00 ( 7)