Infinity Kappa 8 Value/Cost Question

[compwaco 1,129]

There is an auction listing for a pair of Kappa 8 cabinets and grills about an hour from me ending tomorrow. These are currently at 99 cents/local pick-up only. They ended last week (first listing) with no bidders so I suspect if I want them they can be had very cheap. The same seller has the crossovers available. If I purchase the cabinets and crossovers, how much will the drivers likely cost? Will they cost more than the speakers are worth when reassembled? I have never had a pair of the better Infinity speakers but they are spoken well of here so I have been thinking I should get a pair and try them. Does this make sense or should I wait for a complete pair? Input is appreciated.

[Gene C 1,748]

 

 

Two scenarios....

 

1. Even if you bought his cabinets for $50.00 his crossovers have the wires trimmed all the way back (would need to add wire.) I have a set of 8a crossovers with the wires intact. 12" drivers go for an average of $300 a pair, Polygraph K's $300 a pair (sometimes more), Polydome K's $300 a pair, EMIT K's maybe $200 for all 4 if your lucky (sometimes more). That's $1,100 in parts excluding the cabinets or crossovers, see where I'm going with this?

 

2. Wait for a pair to come up locally for somewhere between $600 and $900 (depending on condition), save yourself the extra time, aggravation, hassle and expense.

 

We could vote on this for fun.

[Daddyjt 9,617]

I'm with Gene on this one. I looked for the 12" drivers for months, and found none listed. Polydomes are get able, but never less that $350 a pair. Polygraphs rarely come up, and the last pair I saw were $400. The EMITs are doable, but as Gene said, you'll need four.

 

I say wait on a nice pair of 9s - they seem to go for $1,000 - $1,500 pretty consistently. You just need to wait for a pair you are willing/able to drive to:-)

 

Good luck!

[compwaco 1,129]

Thanks guys. This is what I was afraid of. I'll keep looking.

[srinath 34]

You can get lucky buying 1/2 assed crap ... And you can get damn lucky selling 1/2 assed crap.

 

So, last year I saw a guy put a set of bose 901 series 5 without equalizer for $60 on CL about 20 miles away. I was face down in vomit sick that night. And it was a whopping 10 F out. So I told a friend of mine to try to get it and he can have the pristine series 5 eq I have for trade of something ... I think a HK 930 he had. Anyway, that $60 had so many nuts calling him that the price climbed to 160 in short order. My friend long dropped out and it got sold to someone else @ 10 pm on a 10 degree night.

So I have this mint condition eq for a 5 901 - I put a CL ad @ 10 pm and gave the seller my number - and the buyer of that 901 called me 11 pm. I blubbered something to the guy about tomorow. He called me the next day and bingo I had $90 if I recall for my eq. Nice, Paid $5 for it a year earlier.

 

Fast forward to last month.

I find a nice 901 series 6 without eq for $150 and buy it.

Next day there hits on CL 2 series 6 eq's for $95 and $80. Boom, I pick one up. He he, what goes round come round eh ...

 

Get this, story gets weirder ...

I find beautiful 901 series 2 cabs. Pay $20 for em. Turns out he's the dad of the guy I bought the 6 eq from.

I was just gonna block off the holes in the back and stuff it with infi kappa 5 drivers ... Then I find these are fake 901 cabs, and they are 3/4" plywood, not MDF and I find someone selling a series 2 901 with damaged cabs. I'm getting em tomorow and making up the 901 back to original. Better yet, I found stands for these @ value village, someone had bolted em together into a weird combination, $3.50 and the stands strong enough to support a 250# man. Non bose stands, but I like these over the bose one.

 

You can get incomplete sheite and make out like a bandit ...

 

I also got a tannoy 15" gold lancaster single, and traded it for a dynaco tube amp etc etc ...

 

However you need patience, room and time and a patient wife/SO or be single.

 

Infinity kappa 8's are pretty rare ... but I would be able to build em in a year or 2 maybe. Play the numbers man, you hit enough yard sale, estate sale, flea sale, goodwill, thrift and craigslist sale you'd find the pieces you need. You may end up with 1 piece in the end you'd have to either substitute or ebay.

 

My Kappa 5.1's I pulled the emits out of em for my Reference four's. The kappa5.1's were missing 1 cover. Enough reason to delegate them to parts status and build the Ref 4. same drivers as the 5.1 but bigger cab.

 

Cool.

Srinath.

[fill35U 1,846]

Get this, story gets weirder ...I find beautiful 901 series 2 cabs. Pay $20 for em. Turns out he's the dad of the guy I bought the 6 eq from. 

I was just gonna block off the holes in the back and stuff it with infi kappa 5 drivers ... Then I find these are fake 901 cabs, and they are 3/4" plywood, not MDF and I find someone selling a series 2 901 with damaged cabs. I'm getting em tomorow and making up the 901 back to original.

 

Original Series I & II had plywood cabinets. Of course, the "SpeakerLabs" sticker on yours gives them away... The real Series II (if not Ser I) were *packed tight* with stuffing, so be prepared to make a mess! 

 

My Kappa 5.1's I pulled the emits out of em for my Reference four's. The kappa5.1's were missing 1 cover. Enough reason to delegate them to parts status and build the Ref 4. same drivers as the 5.1 but bigger cab.

 

Those "lesser Infinities" are interesting, I may have to find a pair for myself. Thanks!  

[CT-Seven 764]

If you have the room for them and the cabs are in good shape put George Washington to work

[Gene C 1,748]

So I guess spending $1,200.00 to $1,400.00 is still an option?

[compwaco 1,129]

 

 

So I guess spending $1,200.00 to $1,400.00 is still an option?

 

I think I will pass on that...

 

So little comes available here I was hoping that it would be cost effective to have drivers shipped if I could at least pick up the cabinets locally. 

 

[Gene C 1,748]

So I guess spending $1,200.00 to $1,400.00 is still an option?

 

I think I will pass on that...

 

So little comes available here I was hoping that it would be cost effective to have drivers shipped if I could at least pick up the cabinets locally. 

 

 

 

I hear what your saying and you just might get lucky on parts (patience would be a virtue either way), realistically though you are stuck once you buy the cabinets and will grow a beard once it's finished, if you ever finish it.

 

 

Think of how the scrap yards make all their money off car parts. Once the car is chopped those parts go up 2 to 3 times their value, especially if they are not being manufactured any more. Last I checked they were not making the Kappa 8's anymore.  

[srinath 34]

 

 

 

Original Series I & II had plywood cabinets. Of course, the "SpeakerLabs" sticker on yours gives them away... The real Series II (if not Ser I) were *packed tight* with stuffing, so be prepared to make a mess! 

 

This is the pic of what I am picking up.

 

 

 

 That is what I am getting - looks like a nicely peeled MDF cab to me.

If its a fake as well, atleast I hope its got those square magnet ones that the guy sold out of mine. He has the series 1 correct 901 eq, I suspect the real ones have those, and the fakes dont. Mine did not. The guy was not smart enough to google up and find out there were fakes and maybe they had a driver in them that can work OK without the eq.

The magnets on these were huge.

 

Cool.

Srinath. 

 

[srinath 34]

Since I've threadjacked this one beyond recognition - let me finish the job - 

These are my speaker lab cabs - they have stickers that say speakerlab 458 - and a address in seattle, but I cant find a 458 in their catalogs -

 

Enjoy - these are 3/4" plywood.

 

 

 The drivers - the guy sold em before I got a chance to see them even. Apparently for $80 for all 18 of em. I hate it when people are fools like that, and I am not the beneficiary ...

 

 

 

 

[Gene C 1,748]

 

 

[CT-Seven 764]

Gene welcome to the site!