Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
Heads up, this deal has expired. Want to create a deal alert for this item?
expired Posted by Cooney01 • Mar 22, 2021
expired Posted by Cooney01 • Mar 22, 2021

Infinity Reference R253 Tower Loudspeaker

& More + Free S/H

$150

$400

62% off
Harman Audio
109 Comments 36,481 Views
Visit Harman Audio
Good Deal
Save
Share
Deal Details
Harman Audio has select Infinity Reference Speakers listed below on sale from $149.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member Cooney01 for finding this deal.

Available speakers:

Editor's Notes

Written by oceanlake | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • The price of this Infinity Reference R253 Tower Loudspeaker is $10 lower than the last time it was a Frontpage Deal.
  • About this store:

Original Post

Written by Cooney01
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Harman Audio has select Infinity Reference Speakers listed below on sale from $149.99. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member Cooney01 for finding this deal.

Available speakers:

Editor's Notes

Written by oceanlake | Staff
  • About this deal:
    • The price of this Infinity Reference R253 Tower Loudspeaker is $10 lower than the last time it was a Frontpage Deal.
  • About this store:

Original Post

Written by Cooney01

Community Voting

Deal Score
+52
Good Deal
Visit Harman Audio
Leave a Comment
To participate in the comments, please log in.

Top Comments

Pasting from the last deal:

Here are a few things to consider about these speakers and brand, based on tons of reading and online research I've done over the past few months. Admittedly, I moved from not knowing about this brand to having a 3.x setup with them, then 5.x and now 7.x. Obviously, that's based on my impressions so YMMV.

The RC263 is a behemoth of a speaker. It's powerful, has nice bass to it (although it could benefit from a dedicated sub) and delivers clear sounds. It's really of insane value given its price. As mentioned, it's HUGE. make sure you account for its size on all dimensions before making the purchase. Take the measurements and verify it fits your media console or can comfortably sit on top of it. Some people suggested hanging it on a wall, but that sounds too obtrusive too given its size. Here's a review from the fantastic site "Audio Science Review" (link [audiosciencereview.com]): "The Infinity RC263 has excellent objective measurements for a budget center speaker. They have tried hard to hit key aspects of good sound in a horizontal center speaker within a very tough budget. So unless you can afford to spend a ton more, the RC263 makes for a very good center speaker in a home theater, augmented by a subwoofer"
The R162 (I have 4 of those) are amazing for their price. It's really a great speaker. Review [audiosciencereview.com](quote: "The Infinity R162 definitely seems to have benefited from good design. Whether on purpose (to sell better in showroom) or not, the elevated highs are a bit of an issue but fortunately that cam be tamed with equalization. The rest of the performance both objectively and subjective is very good and not at all that of a cheap junk speaker"). Once I got the R253 I actually felt that the R162 are of less value, but given their size they are still great. I use them for surround channels (L/R and back L/R. I put them on "PERLESMITH Universal Floor Speaker Stands 26 Inch for Surround Sound" for $70/pair).
The R152 are supposed to be little brother of the 162. They are smaller, but I don't know if its worth buying those when you can get the R162 for a few $ more.
The R253 tower (I own 2 of those) are fantastic. Review [audiosciencereview.com]: "The Infinity Reference 253 is one hell of a package. You couldn't build one quarter of it for what they are selling it for right now. The new measurements show excellent performance, sans two bits: a dip around 2 kHz and too much treble energy. Both were easily fixable with EQ". That review also reports an issue with the tweeter range, but it's unclear whether that was a one-off or not. I couldn't hear issues with my unit, but I'm far from being an audiophile, and I don't own the relevant equipment to measure the sounds, as was done in the review. I'm happy with my units, to be clear.
The R263 are supposed to be even better than the 253. They are slightly bulkier, so I didn't get/hear them.


Brand/Service/Delivery:

When in stock, they ship super fast - you get it in 3-4 days. Don't think twice - order as IT WILL GO OOS soon.
When things go OOS and backordered, some have us waited ~6 weeks with very poor and conflicting communication from Harman Audio reps regarding the status of orders.
Many report packages arriving banged up. Mine missed a few inches of cardboard. However, I haven't read on someone who got a banged up product. Definitely take photos of the boxes once you get them, instead you need to report an issue.
HA have a 30 days return policy. I haven't tried it, but it sounds good on paper.
Some people report getting coupons codes for a small discount after contacting HA support and complaining about issues with past orders. YMMV.

Good luck!
I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them...
FWIW - I have two Sub R12's and have compared them side-by-side with the Klipsch R-12SW (Costco), and the SVS PB-2000. I am by no means an audiophile, but thought my experience may help others who have the same questions I did before I compared them next to each other. I compared all three subwoofers with just one sub running at a time and then with the second Sub R12 running as a dual sub for all three. I understand this isn't ideal.

Sub R12 - When I first received it I was having to turn up the gain a lot to get a decent amount of sound out of it and was very underwhelmed. Over the course of a month I have found myself dialing back the gain and it seems to be getting louder over time. I find that the Sub R12 now hits pretty hard and precise (mid-bass). It is not boomy at all and works well for both home theater and music for my taste. I dislike boomy sounding subs.

Klipsch R-12SW - It was loud straight out of the box and it didn't need much gain. I found it to be boomy and imprecise in comparison to the Sub R12 and SVS PB-2000. Even after the bass notes in the music or movie were over, the subwoofer seemed to reverberate for much longer than the others causing it to sound a little bloated and imprecise. It does give a lot of sound, but it wasn't the right kind of sound for my taste.

SVS PB-2000 - I got a good deal on what some people call a "big boy" sub and really wanted to try it out. I was expecting this sub to be a significant step up based on reviews I have read. It performs great, goes very deep and the precision is middle of the road in my opinion (compared to Sub R12 and Klipsch R-12SW). The excursion on this sub was great, but I found that I prefer the more punchy mid-bass of the Sub R-12 for most things I watched and listened to. For most of the movies I watched (13 Hours, Ford vs. Ferrari, Lone Survivor etc.), they seemed to have more of the mid-bass from explosions and car engines. The SVS PB-2000 and the Sub R12 sounded somewhat similar to me, although the Sub R12 was a little more punchy and tight and I could feel the explosions more. The PB-2000 was a little smoother and fuller, but didn't have quite the same punch. I then watched a couple of movies with some very deep bass and could tell that the PB-2000 could go lower without distortion, but I found that I didn't really miss it much when running the Sub R12. Also the PB-2000 is huge. The Sub R12 is much more compact and easy to hide.

I could be very happy with both the Sub R12 or the SVS PB-2000. The performance of the SVS PB-2000 would have had to have been significantly better or I would have to be watching movies with a lot of really low bass to make the price and size difference worth it to me. In the end, I will be keeping the Sub R12's and sending back the PB-2000. If price and overall size were not factors in my decision I would probably go with dual PB-2000s, just to have the ability to dig deep when needed. I got 2 R-12's for a total of $280 (no taxes) and the SVS PB-2000 was $590 after tax (new from SVS).

109 Comments

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Mar 22, 2021
10 Posts
Joined May 2012
Mar 22, 2021
jpn8801
Mar 22, 2021
10 Posts
Waiting on the 263 Towers & the RS152'S to go on sale... already have the bookshelves and the 263 center. They are a great speaker.
1
Pro
Mar 22, 2021
2,767 Posts
Joined Sep 2013
Mar 22, 2021
nismos14
Pro
Mar 22, 2021
2,767 Posts
Seems like both are great deals
Mar 22, 2021
10 Posts
Joined May 2012
Mar 22, 2021
jpn8801
Mar 22, 2021
10 Posts
Quote from nismos14 :
Seems like both are great deals
They are. Never heard either but the center and bookshelves are top notch.
2
Mar 22, 2021
295 Posts
Joined Mar 2005
Mar 22, 2021
parrotthead
Mar 22, 2021
295 Posts
Harman Audio has the Infinity Reference R12 12" Powered Subwoofer on sale for $169.99. Shipping is free.

Specs:

• 12" (300mm) 300 Watt RMS / 600W peak powered subwoofer
• Proprietary Slipstream™ tuned-port technology
• 12" (300mm) fiber-composite high-output woofer
• 300 Watt RMS (600 Watt dynamic) digital power amplifier
• Frequency response: 29Hz–150Hz
• Variable crossover, level and phase controls
• 3-position LF trim level boost
• RCA phono jack line-level inputs
• Dimensions H x W x D:18-3/4" x 15-5/32" x 16-3/4"(476mm x 385mm x 426mm)
• Weight: 40.2lb (18.2Kg)

What's In The Box:

• SUB R12 powered subwoofer x 1
• Carpet spikes x 4
• Owner's Manual

Store Link: https://www.harmanaudio.com/SUBR12BK.html
Last edited by parrotthead March 22, 2021 at 06:43 AM.
1
Mar 22, 2021
347 Posts
Joined Jun 2017
Mar 22, 2021
rafoyon
Mar 22, 2021
347 Posts
Quote from jpn8801 :
Waiting on the 263 Towers & the RS152'S to go on sale... already have the bookshelves and the 263 center. They are a great speaker.
You think the rs152 are better than the r152?
Mar 22, 2021
183 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
Mar 22, 2021
nagarajukc
Mar 22, 2021
183 Posts
Quote from jpn8801 :
Waiting on the 263 Towers & the RS152'S to go on sale... already have the bookshelves and the 263 center. They are a great speaker.
Not that R253s are bad. R263s are awesome, but be warned they are huge. if you have space you will not regret.
1
Mar 22, 2021
183 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
Mar 22, 2021
nagarajukc
Mar 22, 2021
183 Posts
Quote from jpn8801 :
They are. Never heard either but the center and bookshelves are top notch.
I have the full setup - R263s RC263, R162. They are awesome, very clear. quite happy.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Mar 22, 2021
555 Posts
Joined Apr 2011
Mar 22, 2021
murdocke
Mar 22, 2021
555 Posts
I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them...
3
Mar 22, 2021
89 Posts
Joined Nov 2015
Mar 22, 2021
zdoar
Mar 22, 2021
89 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank zdoar

Pasting from the last deal:

Here are a few things to consider about these speakers and brand, based on tons of reading and online research I've done over the past few months. Admittedly, I moved from not knowing about this brand to having a 3.x setup with them, then 5.x and now 7.x. Obviously, that's based on my impressions so YMMV.
  • The RC263 is a behemoth of a speaker. It's powerful, has nice bass to it (although it could benefit from a dedicated sub) and delivers clear sounds. It's really of insane value given its price. As mentioned, it's HUGE. make sure you account for its size on all dimensions before making the purchase. Take the measurements and verify it fits your media console or can comfortably sit on top of it. Some people suggested hanging it on a wall, but that sounds too obtrusive too given its size. Here's a review from the fantastic site "Audio Science Review" (link [audiosciencereview.com]): "The Infinity RC263 has excellent objective measurements for a budget center speaker. They have tried hard to hit key aspects of good sound in a horizontal center speaker within a very tough budget. So unless you can afford to spend a ton more, the RC263 makes for a very good center speaker in a home theater, augmented by a subwoofer"
  • The R162 (I have 4 of those) are amazing for their price. It's really a great speaker. Review [audiosciencereview.com](quote: "The Infinity R162 definitely seems to have benefited from good design. Whether on purpose (to sell better in showroom) or not, the elevated highs are a bit of an issue but fortunately that cam be tamed with equalization. The rest of the performance both objectively and subjective is very good and not at all that of a cheap junk speaker"). Once I got the R253 I actually felt that the R162 are of less value, but given their size they are still great. I use them for surround channels (L/R and back L/R. I put them on "PERLESMITH Universal Floor Speaker Stands 26 Inch for Surround Sound" for $70/pair).
  • The R152 are supposed to be little brother of the 162. They are smaller, but I don't know if its worth buying those when you can get the R162 for a few $ more.
  • The R253 tower (I own 2 of those) are fantastic. Review [audiosciencereview.com]: "The Infinity Reference 253 is one hell of a package. You couldn't build one quarter of it for what they are selling it for right now. The new measurements show excellent performance, sans two bits: a dip around 2 kHz and too much treble energy. Both were easily fixable with EQ". That review also reports an issue with the tweeter range, but it's unclear whether that was a one-off or not. I couldn't hear issues with my unit, but I'm far from being an audiophile, and I don't own the relevant equipment to measure the sounds, as was done in the review. I'm happy with my units, to be clear.
  • The R263 are supposed to be even better than the 253. They are slightly bulkier, so I didn't get/hear them.

Brand/Service/Delivery:
  • When in stock, they ship super fast - you get it in 3-4 days. Don't think twice - order as IT WILL GO OOS soon.
  • When things go OOS and backordered, some have us waited ~6 weeks with very poor and conflicting communication from Harman Audio reps regarding the status of orders.
  • Many report packages arriving banged up. Mine missed a few inches of cardboard. However, I haven't read on someone who got a banged up product. Definitely take photos of the boxes once you get them, instead you need to report an issue.
  • HA have a 30 days return policy. I haven't tried it, but it sounds good on paper.
  • Some people report getting coupons codes for a small discount after contacting HA support and complaining about issues with past orders. YMMV.
Good luck!
3
2
Mar 22, 2021
449 Posts
Joined Jan 2007
Mar 22, 2021
rainlake
Mar 22, 2021
449 Posts
Waiting for R263 and RC263 as well
Mar 22, 2021
3,575 Posts
Joined May 2013
Mar 22, 2021
MoisesA7010
Mar 22, 2021
3,575 Posts
in before SVS crew comes in saying spend only $300-400 more and get an SVS SBXXXX PBXXXXX
1
4
Mar 22, 2021
651 Posts
Joined Aug 2006
Mar 22, 2021
SD1085
Mar 22, 2021
651 Posts
Was waiting on the 263 towers and center...but maybe the 253 towers will be fine given my Monolith 12" doing the heavy lifting anyway.
1
Mar 22, 2021
1,375 Posts
Joined Jan 2008
Mar 22, 2021
Scrooge
Mar 22, 2021
1,375 Posts
how to do these subs compare with the Klipsch subs on sale at costco?
Mar 22, 2021
125 Posts
Joined Sep 2014
Mar 22, 2021
frunobulax
Mar 22, 2021
125 Posts
After struggling to hear dialog with my 24 year old surround speakers (NHT 1.5 x4 + ac-1). I saw the RC263 on sale, and thought I would give it a try.

The RC 263 sounded much better than the old center channel (which cost 3x as much when new), and I could hear no problem with the mismatch with my existing speakers after running MCACC calibration on my Pioneer receiver. Even the wife noticed it was clearer.

The RC263 is huge and heavy, so I had to install a wall mount for it.

Naturally, I had to get the R162 bookshelf speakers x4. I don't notice much improvement over the existing NHT speakers, 2 of which are now front height speakers.

Now I am trying to resist getting the R263 towers the next time they go on sale because my OCD requires it. I need the complete set!. Damn you SD. They are in stock now at full retail price.

I had no shipping damage issues and shipping was very fast.



Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Mar 22, 2021
1,677 Posts
Joined Aug 2015
Mar 22, 2021
Redflyer
Mar 22, 2021
1,677 Posts
Seems pricier than the $229 Jamo s809 with the 6.5" woofers vs these 253s with 5.5" woofers.

Popular Deals

View All

Trending Deals

View All