Infinity Systems

This article is about the U.S. loudspeaker manufacturer. For systems of infinity, see infinity (disambiguation) and infinite (disambiguation).

Infinity Systems

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Audio
Founded	1968 (1968) in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Founders	Arnie Nudell, John Ulrick and Cary Christie
Headquarters	Stamford, Connecticut , U.S.
Products	Amplifiers, loudspeakers
Owner	Samsung Electronics
Parent	Harman International Industries
Website	www.infintyspeakers.com

Infinity Systems was an American manufacturer of loudspeakers founded in Los Angeles in 1968 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Starting in 1983, Infinity became part of Harman International Industries. In 2017 Infinity, became a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. The speakers are no longer made or manufactured in U.S.A.

Infinity produced packages for a range of audio applications, including multichannel surround sound home theatre packages, in-wall home speakers, and marine applications. Other products include powered subwoofers and car audio amplifiers.

Infinity products are installed as an option on Hyundai and Kia vehicles, some Mitsubishi vehicles from the 1990s to 2006, and many Chrysler vehicles.

History

Founded in 1968 by Arnie Nudell, John Ulrick and Cary Christie, Infinity has produced home and mobile audio products by employing innovative materials such as neodymium magnets, mylar diaphragms, and polypropylene cones. The company's first product was the Servo-Statik speaker system. Infinity had an ownership relationship with Eastern Air Devices, later known as EAD. This involved the consumer brand of KLH speakers, and Avid< Peerless drivers, and Kyocera/Cybernet (which produces electronics) In the late 1970s Infinity introduced the EMIT (electromagnetic induction tweeter) and EMIM (electromagnetic induction midrange) drivers. These were flat quasi-ribbons that worked to move air based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. The system used samarium–cobalt magnets, allowing for a very low ribbon driver mass-per-unit area. Variants were made, such as the EMIT-R (radial emit), the S-EMIT (super emit) and the L-EMIM (large emim). The IRS (Infinity Reference System) was an ultra-high-end system, selling at US$65,000 in the 1980s. It consisted of 72 EMIT tweeters, 24 EMIM midrange drivers, and twelve 12-inch polypropylene woofers in four towers. In the mid to late 1970's Infinity made the Monitor II 4-way speaker using the unique Walsh Transmission Tweeter. The Walsh tweeter looks much like a conical Ice Cream Cone (a traditional shape for an American confection (food)). The principal for the cone shape is to cause the typically directional High Frequencies to be emitted from the cone surface in a 360 degree horizontal dispersion pattern. Said to enhance the listening. Each Walsh Transmission tweeter was hand made, and never was mass produced.

Nudell left to form Genesis Technologies, a high-end loudspeaker company, founded in Seattle in 1991. Genesis' original flagship system, the 1.2, retailed for US$235,000, and is basically an updated Infinity IRS system.

After the departure of Nudell, Infinity speaker designs took a more mass market-oriented approach. The efficient SM (Studio Monitor) series incorporated a polycell tweeter and graphite-impregnated midrange/woofers. While not as elaborate or high end as previous Infinity efforts, they filled a popular consumer niche.

External links

• Official website