Infinity 452i 2-way 4" coaxial speaker
Written: Jan 03 '04
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Pros: Crystal-clear sound reproduction within the effective range of the speaker.
Cons: Oversized builds limits applications/Hungry for power to perform at their best
The Bottom Line: I'd suggest these to anyone looking for a quality 4" coaxial that won't break the bank. Check mounting location for compatibility first.
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| prowler573's Full Review: Infinity Reference 452i Coaxial Car Speaker |
As most that would possibly meander towards consideration of these gems from Infinity, my decision to purchase them was due to a necessity to upgrade from a factory speaker.
After I did my research into the available possibilities that would suit my purposes I decided upon a set of these 452i's. Infinity redesigned the basket for their 4" coaxial giving them the ability to construct the 452i with a high-roll rubber surround and a Plus One poly woofer. The Plus One woofer cone is specified to be approximately 30% larger than competing speakers of the same woofer cone size allowing for deeper bass response and higher efficiency. Certainly in comparison these Infinities appeared to be much more speaker than the factory paper-coned 4" drivers they were replacing! Rounding out the 'goodie' list is a 3/4" silk dome tweeter for outstanding clarity.
Infinity rates these speakers at 35 watts RMS power handling with a peak input capability of 105 watts. Frequency response checks in at a range of 90Hz to 20kHz. With a sensitivity rating of 92dB the 452i's will make the most out of whatever power you feed them but I will caution that you won't make the most out of your speakers if you only feed them with 10 watts or less. They are a mite hungry, so to speak. Give them a solid 20 to 35 watts, however, and they'll be your new best friends - giving realism and life to your sound stage that you didn't know until then that you'd been missing. No, these are no bass monsters by any means. That's ok, though, as they weren't designed for it. In my application they are given precisely 32.5 watts running through a high-pass crossover centered at 125Hz. From the lowest setting on the volume to the highest the 452i's absolutely sing out from mid-bass up to a higher register than my ears can distinguish without a hint of distortion or fatigue. As with any new quality speaker the 452i's require a moderate break-in period. Give them approximately 20 hours of medium to low volume use before you drive them hard and they'll give you years of dependable service in return.
The construction of these speakers, with a wider than normal basket and an oversized magnet structure, are a boon in the areas in which these Infinities excel: power handling and sound reproduction. The same is also the source of their only real drawback. The basket design and magnet structure require a larger mounting area than other brands of 4" speaker. Some users might unfortunately find that these larger-than-life 4" speakers are unsuitable for the desired mounting location.
Affordability puts the finishing touch on an excellent speaker option. Normally they can be found for around $60.00 retail which puts these speakers in the category of being well worth more than the price of admission. I lucked up and located a wholesaler that had them offered for $30 shipped. Bargain hunters? If you're not in a great hurry to get some new speakers in your car and are willing to do a little surfing on the 'Net then in shouldn't be terribly hard for you to find them cheaper than suggested retail as well.
I have found none of the reliability issues mentioned by previous reviewers. After six months of everyday, hard-driven use mine are as crystal clear as the day that wire was first attached to the input leads.
All in all I call the Infinity 452i a great performer at a good price (even retail) and would recommend them to everyone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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Epinions.com ID:
prowler573
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Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 1 member
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