Infinity RS-2000 (1986)

They sound good even with the foam rot - a backroom bargain that still plays

Overview

The badge can fool you. The Infinity RS-2000 isn't a forgotten flagship. It's a modest bookshelf speaker from the late '80s, and it slipped through the cracks of audiophile history. Reportedly introduced in 1986 as part of the New RS series within the broader Infinity Reference Standard lineup, this little two-way was never meant to wow high-end showrooms. It was built for volume and aimed at the super stores, where impulse buyers grabbed a pair to go with their receiver. Decades later, a surprising number of owners report that these boxes still deliver a satisfying, musical punch, especially if you don't mind rolling up your sleeves.

At a time when speaker design was caught between the fading echo of the '70s hi-fi boom and the rise of compact, plastic-clad '90s models, the RS-2000 landed in the middle: a no-frills, sealed-box bookshelf design with a modest frequency range and a sensitivity that won’t punish low-powered amps. It’s not flashy, but it’s honest — and in a world of overhyped relics, that counts for something.

Specifications

Manufacturer	Infinity
Model	RS-2000
Type	2-Way Bookshelf Speaker System
Woofer	16.5 cm cone type (polypropylene diaphragm)
Tweeter	3 cm Composite Type (Polycell)
Frequency Response	57 Hz – 22 kHz
Power Handling	15W – 75W RMS
Sensitivity	89 dB
Impedance	6 Ω
Crossover Frequency	4.5 kHz
Enclosure Type	Airtight (sealed)
Dimensions (W×H×D)	222.5 × 360 × 197.5 mm
Weight	5.4 kg
Finish	Oak (vinyl wrap)

Key Features

The Drivers: Nothing Fancy, But Thoughtful

The RS-2000 uses a 16.5 cm (6.5") polypropylene cone woofer. By the mid-'80s that was a common choice for its balance of stiffness and damping. What sets it apart slightly is the attention given to impedance matching. Infinity updated the magnet structure, cone shape, and surround edge to help the driver play more efficiently within the crossover's demands. It's not a high-excursion monster. It's tuned for coherence over raw output.

Up top, a 3 cm (1.2") compound Polycell tweeter handles the highs. The diaphragm is lightweight, which owners say contributes to decent transient response, with no smearing on snare hits or plucked strings. It's not a silk dome or metal tweeter, but Polycell was a budget-conscious material that avoided the harshness some cheaper domes were known for. The 4.5 kHz crossover point keeps the woofer from straining on upper-midrange duties. The phase characteristics were reportedly fine-tuned during production to keep the drivers aligned.

Enclosure & Build: Functional, Not Fancy

The cabinet is high-density particle board. It's not the sexiest material, but it's effective for damping unwanted resonance in a low-cost design. The front baffle has an R-shaped edge, meant to reduce diffraction effects that can cloud imaging. The grille uses a floating mount to minimize reflections that might muddy the sound, though most owners report better clarity with the grilles off.

Despite the modest size, these speakers were originally covered in a vinyl wrap, not real wood veneer. Some owners have since upgraded to real oak veneer for a more premium look, but stock units wear their humble origins plainly. The cabinets are sealed (airtight), which means tighter bass than a ported box of similar size, but don't expect deep extension. The 57 Hz lower limit means they'll miss the lowest octave of most music. They'll hold their own on vocals, rock, and jazz at moderate volumes.

Historical Context

The RS-2000 was a bookshelf model in the New RS series, part of the broader Infinity Reference Standard family. That name sounds far more prestigious than the product's actual market role. These weren't hand-built flagships. They were cost-effective designs meant to move units in mass retail. One owner put it bluntly: "These were made as a money maker for the super stores." That explains the particle board, the vinyl wrap, and the modest specs. It also means they were built in volume, so finding a pair today isn't impossible, even if they weren't preserved like museum pieces.

Collectibility & Value

Nobody's paying top dollar for a pair of RS-2000s. Some current market listings show prices between $69 and $130 for a pair, depending on condition. Some sellers highlight recent refoaming jobs. That's a common and often necessary repair, since the original foam surrounds are said to degrade over time, leading to flapping or distorted bass. Replacing them isn't hard.

One owner's advice is "Brace the hell out of them and fill them with stuffing." That DIY tweak suggests the cabinets aren't perfectly inert, and adding internal damping can help control resonance and tighten the sound. Original pricing is a bit murky. One unverified source claims $200 new, and another says they sold for $170. Either way, these were mid-tier at best. Today they're not collectible as artifacts, but they're valued as functional, affordable vintage monitors, especially for those setting up a secondary system or wanting a taste of '80s sound without breaking the bank.

They won’t impress purists, and one forum user admitted, “I had a pair, not one of Infinity's better efforts.” But others counter that: “Very nice sounding small bookshelf speaker.” The truth is probably in the middle — they’re competent, not exceptional. But for $70 and a refoam, they might just surprise you.