Infinity Classia Home Theater Speaker System

By Daniel Kumin

The bar for Infinity’s speaker designs stands pretty high, for a couple of reasons. First, there’s tradition. Infinity’s history encompasses the imposing Servo-Static and Reference Standard Beta and Gamma models from Back When Giants Roamed the Earth (the 1970s and ’80s – high-end audio’s glory days). Second, there’s affiliation. Rounding out the suite under test was Infinity’s new PSW310W subwoofer, a 10-inch design with the nifty feature of a wireless connection (although you still have to plug it into the wall to make it go “boom”). The Classias (Classiae?) bear an obvious family resemblance to Infinity’s still-current Gumby-browed, flat-panel-drivered Cascade Series (reviewed in September 2006). But the newer models are larger, being an inch or two wider and deeper, and several inches taller. Infinity supplied the full system in gloss piano-black lacquer (real cherry veneer is also available). But the C336s’ sharply raked tops precluded my habitual piling up of CD and DVD cases, remote controls, and coffee cups into teetering towers of terror.

SETUP

Run five speaker wires, and you’re done with setting up the main channels. The

PSW310W wireless subwoofer sports a little Wi-Fi-style stubby on its rear panel, and its deck-of-cards-sized transmitter has a stub of its own.

MUSIC & MOVIE PERFORMANCE

The C336s have a neutral sound, with outstanding transparency in the mid to high frequencies. Most speakers, even high-end ones, “romance” the vocal range with a subtle extra helping of warmth in the 100- to 200-Hz octave, but not the Classias. This occasionally made them sound a little “cool,” but it also encouraged close, high-resolution listening – the kind of sound you hear in a good recording-studio control room.

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