Infinity Classia C205 Bookshelf Speakers Review

Infinity, long known for its stylish speakers has introduced the Classia series of loudspeakers including the C205 bookshelf speakers, the smallest in the series. The Classia line also includes stereo towers, a center channel speaker, surround speakers and a wireless subwoofer. The speakers have an avant-garde appearance that befits a contemporary setting or room décor. The cabinets feature a blend of gloss black with silver trim and an angled top that faces forward. Its rounded edges and corners tone down the typical hard, boxy look of many speakers. They are also available in a Cherry finish with real wood veneers.

Features

The C205 bookshelf has a small footprint, measuring 7 ½" wide, 15 1/8" tall and 9 ¼" deep The C205 is a vented enclosure with a 5 ¼" mid-bass driver and a 1" tweeter. Both drivers are constructed using Infinity's Ceramic Metal Matrix Diaphragm (CMMD) cone, which according to Infinity is stiffer than a metal cone with greater damping that results in less cone distortion. The tweeter is housed in a waveguide that improves its dispersion characteristics and has high frequency response that extends to 30kHz.

The enclosures are well built and feel solid with a knuckle-rap on the sides of the cabinets.

Infinity Classia C205 Performance

It would not be an overstatement to say that the performance of the C205 belies their size. A small two-way bookshelf speaker with a 5 ¼" driver certainly has its limits but the C205 had a surprising amount of mid-bass. Ana Caram's "The Summer Knows" from her Hollywood Rio disc (SACD, Chesky Records) had full, warm mid-bass, enough mid-bass that I enjoyed listening to them without a subwoofer. A sub would be a good idea if used in a home theater system, but as a stereo pair bass is more than adequate.

Laverne Butler's dynamic voice in "Isn't it a Pity" (SACD, Chesky Records) sounded remarkably open with quick vocal transients, and good front to back depth. Vocal details were clear with good presence and wide horizontal dispersion. The speakers offered satisfying center imaging as well.

I also used the C205s as surround speakers in my home theater system with excellent timbre matching when combined with the Infinity Classia C336 towers as main speakers (review coming soon). The C205 speakers come with two pre-attached brackets on the back of each enclosure to hang them on the wall making them suitable for rear channel speakers in a multichannel system or to wall-mount them for a stereo system.

Conclusion

Overall the Infinity C205 speakers are very balanced sounding and easy to listen to. The combination of warm bass, clean midrange, detailed highs and an affordable price of $698 per pair make them a winner in my opinion. They have a relatively-low sensitivity specification of 88dB so don't hesitate to pair them with a receiver or amp with 100 watts per channel or more for good dynamic range reproduction. The Infinity Classia C205 is proof positive that a good loudspeaker doesn't have to cost thousands of dollars.

Specifications & Contact Information

• Frequency Response: 60Hz – 30kHz
• Recommended Amplifier Power: 10 watts – 125 watts
• Sensitivity: 88dB
• Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
• Crossover Frequency: 2,000Hz
• Mid-bass driver: 5 ¼" CMMD
• High-Frequency driver: 1" CMMD\
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 15 1/8" x 7 ½" x 9 ¼"
• Weight: 10.8 lbs.
• Price: $698/pair
• Contact: Infinitysystems.com