Infinity Renaissance (circa 1976)
The Infinity Renaissance has a real but thin record, and an identity puzzle attached. This is what is actually documented.
Stereo Review (1976) described the Renaissance as Infinity's second most costly speaker of that era. A review gives the most complete specification list we have: a 4-way, acoustic suspension, floor-standing design using Infinity's EMIT (Electromagnetic Induction Tweeter), a 1-inch dome midrange, an 8-inch midrange/woofer, and a 12-inch woofer. Rated frequency response was 30 Hz–32 kHz (±3 dB), sensitivity 88 dB/W/m, and nominal impedance 4 ohms. Recommended amplifier power was 25–200 watts. Dimensions were roughly 37 inches high by 12 inches wide by 13 inches deep, with each cabinet weighing about 50 lbs. No original price in dollars has surfaced, no production years are confirmed, and no crossover details or finish options are recorded.
Infinity's own "Classics" history page describes a very different speaker also called Renaissance. It is a roughly 6-foot tower with two EMITs and dual 12-inch Watkins woofers, one active and one passive. That description appears to match a later model, the Renaissance 80. The sources don't say whether it is a variant, a successor, or a separate product that shares the name. The 1976 Stereo Review spec list and the Infinity Classics description are different enough that they shouldn't be merged. Anyone who finds a "Renaissance" should confirm which one it is.
A period Audio (1992, p.15) advertisement for the later Renaissance Series leaned on the name's heritage. It called the line the result of a comprehensive re-evaluation of everything Infinity had learned in a quarter-century of speaker design. The 1991-92 Renaissance line (Models 80 and 90) used a new Infinity/Watkins dual-voice-coil woofer system and injection-molded-graphite polypropylene cones, per HiFI-Stereo (1992, p.14). Those are later, different products.
Listener reports from forums are scarce but positive. Owners praise the midrange clarity, the spatial imaging, and the way the speaker "disappears" acoustically when you sit in the sweet spot. One owner called it the best speaker they'd owned for immersive sound. Beyond that, the record is quiet. There are no known failure modes, no repair history, and no current market values.
Known Specs (per Stereo Review, 1976)
- Type: 4-way, acoustic suspension, floor-standing
- Drivers: 1 × EMIT tweeter, 1 × 1" dome midrange, 1 × 8" midrange/woofer, 1 × 12" woofer
- Frequency response: 30 Hz – 32 kHz (±3 dB)
- Sensitivity: 88 dB/W/m
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Recommended power: 25–200 watts
- Dimensions: 37" H × 12" W × 13" D
- Weight: 50 lbs each
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