sunbyrne

So, anyone following along has noticed that in their price range, a lot of people have been recommending the Infinity Reference line speakers. I'd listened to them and I had to concur.

But I'd been looking around at things on the Web and I looked at the most recent JBL GTO line--note that JBL has the same parent company (Harman) as Infinity. There are some suspicious similarties. They both tout the same patented technologies (Plus One and I Mount), and the product numbers are pretty similar, for example:

Standard 6.5" two ways: Infinity 652i, JBL 625
6.5" components: Infinity 605cs, JBL605c
5x7" two-ways: Infinity 5752, JBL7525

Hmm. They do use different materials (Inifity uses silk tweeters, JBL uses Kaladex), but I thought it might be interesting to compare them.

So, I finally got around to finding a shop that sells both Infinity and JBL. I had a nice guy helping me, so I threw in a CD of music that I like and find discrimates among equipment (my "shopping" CD--it's a mix of stuff) and closed my eyes and let him rotate through the speakers. The particular display I went through had some Pioneer, some Sony, some Clarion, some Polk, Infinity Ref, and the JBLs. I immediately ruled out a few of them (turns out I hated all the Clarions) and pretty quickly narrowed it down to three, then two. I couldn't decide between the last two, which I thought sounded an awful lot alike, and when I opened my eyes it turned out those were indeed the Infinity Reference and the JBL. (Incidentally, the other speaker that I thought was close to those two but not *quite* as good were the Polks.)

I did it eyes closed and the sales guy didn't do it in order, so it couldn't have been that I was expecting it. Pretty striking, I thought, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, I just thought I'd throw that out there.

On another side note, I've been able to find the JBLs on line a little cheaper than the Infinitys and JBL makes a three-way 6.5 that's reasonably priced while to get a three-way with Infinity you have to go to the Kappa line, which is more expensive. I was planning to get a JBL amp, too, so why not just go JBL all the way around, right?

Any comments?

hihoslva

I think you have answered your own questions here - the only rule in car audio is use what sounds good to YOU. If you like it, buy it, as long as you know it is a reputable company with a good quality record. And I think we can all agree that both JBL and Infinity have great track records (whether or not the parent company is the same).

sunbyrne

Good points--I was curious as to whether anyone else thought they sounded so similar, or is it just me?

hihoslva

Dunno if they are similar or not - but I have the Infinity Reference 605CS components and I think they kick ***.

I would like to do a bit of sound deadening in the doors, and I am still trying to design a simple angled adapter plate for the woofers, to angle them toward the center of the cabin for better imaging - sort of a poor-man's kick panel

I'm also considering a set of foam baffles like what Crotchfield sells: XTC Baffles - I figure the protection would be good, and I'd like to hear if they boost the mid-bass at all. Not that the Infinity's are lacking in that regard, but hey - aren't the cheap little tweaks the most fun?

mazda disciple

I don't know about similaritys but it does sound wee bit odd lol. However I have owned a pair of 12" kappa perfects (infinty) and they out right were the best 12's I've ever heard I would go as far to say they are better than my friends rf dvc12's that he just blew. Also the quality on the infintys is far superior to many other brands they were well worth the 300 $ price tag each

sunbyrne

Glad you like those Infinity 605's, hiho--the JBL's I just ordered ought to be pretty much the same. I like the adapters you made for your woofers, too--they'd really kick *** if you could angle 'em...

I've not listened to JBL vs. Infinity subs, but I know a lot of people speak highly of the Infinity subs...

onehawaiian

aah, parent companies don't matter much anymore. car audio has been changing a lot over the years, not only in technology but in ownership/politics. remember when a/d/s was totally bad@ss? (they still are) but now dei owns them along with orion and ppi. similarities will exist amongst spkrs/subs etc, but the durability of the product and the materials might be the separation.

as for jbl vs. infinity, i like infinity's spkrs and subs. i like jbl's amps tho.

sunbyrne

Well, parent companies might matter *some* of the time. I think in this case JBL has been "borrowing" Infinity's engineering, because the new GTO line specs out just like the Inifinty Ref and sounds just like 'em, too. Seriously--go to a car shop, close your eyes, and have someone switch between a set of say, four speakers, the Infinity Ref, the JBL and two other ones. It's amazing how close they sound. Not identical, but much closer than any two other speakers with different brands on 'em...

onehawaiian

true true, but i wish car audio shops would set up their spkrs like a car has 'em. most places are set up at optimal listening positions (facing you). unless you have kick panels, you won't have the same sound reproduced in your car. which brings me to my point: i find it hard at times to hear a real audible difference in pkrs when setup like that. btwn spkr lines i can hear it, but btwn brands it's a little harder sometimes.

sunbyrne

Interesting--I generally find that I can hear the differences without too much trouble with most shop setups, *except* when the speakers are mounted in a funny place. This one shop has all their 5x7/6x8's mounted on a panel up at the ceiling behind where you have to face to dink with the controls. Nothing sounded very good there.