Price Paid:  $300.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
I use the Infinity Alpha 20's as rear channel in a fifteen thousand dollar home theater, and I must say they hold there own. They’re a very robust little speaker. Great clarity for there size, and price range. Bass is less than most people would like, but what can you expect from a front-ported bookshelf. Matching a good subwoofer will solve that problem nicely. All in all a great speaker for the one hundred and fifty dollar price range.

Strengths:
Clarity, size, build quality, bi-wire able.

Weaknesses:
Bass response.

Similar Products Used:
Infinity Ref 2000.3

Price Paid:  $199.00 from Future Shop

Summary:
I used these to replace my smaller Infinity RS-1 that I then moved to my rears. I must say that the difference is astounding. I would compare these speakers to many others that I have heard at three times the price. I was so impressed that I bought another set and am now using a third Alpha 20 as my center. It is performing very well and is obviously magnetically sheilded because it is causing no problems with my television. I find that these speakers have more than enough bass, considering they are bookshelf speakers, but then I would never use a bookshelf speaker unless combining it with a sub.

Strengths:
Unbeleivable sound for the price.

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm, Infinity

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Future Shop

Summary:
I have to admit that the Alpha 20's are both a little cheesy looking and stylish at the same time, but this is because of the grill. I'd rather the grill just go up and down straight instead of slooping slightly inwards on the top and bottom.

No big deal.

I knew that these had a great rep for giving good sound, but I was not prepared for what I was about to hear:

I first tried one of my fav Dwight Yoakam albums, "A Long Way Home". At the first track, Dwight and Pete Anderson give a cool low key picking on two acoustic guitars, and I gotta say that I couldn't determine with my eyes closed whether it was them right in front of me, or an amazing pair of speakers. The output of sound, fantastic. Even the steel guitar didn't get too bright, neither Yoakam's high notes while singing. I didn't wince. Just get the equalizer or bass / treble right, and there's no eye squinting!

I decided to try something that's more funky, and bass that if not tweaked properly, will result in muddy and sloppy bass: this album is Sky's "Travelling Infinity.

On a pair of Sound Dynamics' tower speakers at home, I can never get it to sound "just right": Anastasia's vocals seem to be a little too shiny since she's up there in the highs a lot and I have to turn the treble up quite a bit so the great bass from the tracks don't drown out any vocals: too high, and there goes my eyes squinting: too low, and Anastasia and any vocals, guitar or trumpets sound like there playing under a duvet. You'd think I could for sure find a medium for the speakers with this album: good luck if you wanna try. It's always the bass over lapping the treble or vice versa with this album.

The Alpha's brought a shine to her vocals without any hard brightness out. The bass wasn't pushing too hard at all, mind you it wasn't very dynamic either. If you are someone who needs a
"wham!" of bass ALWAYS, then these have to be put with a good subwoofer. I don't need so much bass ALL the time, just when I feel like it, and the Alpha 20's do give at least a decent bass. This album is so funky though, that there were moments that I craved for more bass, depending on the song, and the time of day. So I bought a Polk 404 sub for them in case my cravings get the best of me.

The best thing about these speakers is that they don't just give out the sound: it breathes without stress, and the sound really pours out with realism. And, when the sound pours out, it's not sitting in a tunnel or cone effect like a lot of SWEET SPOT speakers. They spread it out more. And for a pair of bookshelf speakers, I couldn't believe the output and power coming from them. I have a VERY large livingroom, and I may not blast my music, but I like it loud too. I almost went for a pair of towers, but these were even more accurate with sound than their bigger brothers Alpha 40's and 50's, mind you they were really good as well. After purchasing the great Polk 404 sub, there was no need for towers: besides, try a pair of bookshelf speakers and a SEPERATE sub: MUCH MUCH better bass and sound than with a monster tower speaker with two or three drivers giving bass. The relationship that my sub and my Alpha's have is terrific-the bass is so clean, while a lot of other tower speakers I tested with bass drivers weren't very clean-the bass boomed too long and didn't give the accurate punches I was looking for, thus defeating the tweeters sound somemtimes. And movies, well, let's just say that the sounds I get, make me drool (slobber, slobber).

Strengths:
Fantastic delivered sound: no cone effect sound field, and it doesn't just sound good: vocals BREATHE, and movies are so accurate!

Weaknesses:
Slightly cheesy looking grills, but not bad, and the bass IS NOT BAD, just not very strong either, like the other reviewer said. Depending on what you're listening to, get a sub.

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm (number one overall!), Energy, Bose, JBL, Polk Audio

Price Paid:  $0.00 from hifi club

Summary:
I have just buy my pair of Alpha 20. I've used for a long time Pioneer's speakers of my HTB. Today I'm still using the VSX-510 receiver but the sound look very better, more clear, with details I've never see. I think that Alpha 20 is a very good entry level bookshelf speaker. In the future I'll buy the Alpha Center speaker and the Primus 140 (for surround). I'm very happy with my choice.

Strengths:
Good mids and highs. The speaker is so decorative too.

Weaknesses:
The bass, therefore it's not important in my case because I've a PDR-10 subwoofer.

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm, Pioneer

Price Paid:  $199.00 from Ebay

Summary:
The Alpha 20's are a rock-solid entry level speaker, especially if space is an issue. I currently use them for my fronts, with an interlude series (IL25c) center, wired up to my Pioneer Elite Receiver. I originally would've preferred a little larger speaker, but space was an issue in my little apartment. I ain't complaining.

I was debating between Polk's RTi38s, and the Infinity Alpha 20s. The Polk's a very nice unit as well, and it offers a base that sounds noticeably more robust, whereas the Infinity concentrates it's selling point on augmenting crisp middle and highs- which it does rather well. If you have a decent sub, of course, the marginal base of a little shelf speaker doesn't really matter anyway. It's just a preference thing. I went with the Alpha 20's because the cone construction matched my center channel and blended better (the IL25c is also a fine product by the way).

I also like that these speakers are ported in the front rather than the back; you don't have to worry about placement of the speaker as much. Construction of the speaker is pretty damned good. They aren't Monitor Audio, but for a mass-produced speaker, I couldn't be happier with these suckers. They will sound better as they break in more.

They sell for $399 in most places, but you can find them way cheaper if you wait for a good deal to come around. If you get'em at $200 like I did, it's pretty much a steal for what you get.

Strengths:
They look great, well designed/constructed mass-produced speaker, excel in the mid/highs, ported in front for easier placement, for the price it would be difficult to find a better speaker. Very good HT speaker.

Weaknesses:
Bass doesn't overwhelm you. Not necessarily a bad thing though.

Similar Products Used:
Infinity, Pioneer Elite, Wharfedale, Fosgate, JBL