Price Paid:  $250.00 from Harman Ebay Store

Summary:
I got these speakers refurbished from the Harman ebay store. The price I paid was great for my tastes. I see lots of these hardcore audio- stereo- home theater- video- "I know it all and think I am the dang stuff and want you to feel like crap"-philes and they think its a bad speaker. I am not one of these guys and done have all the 'experience' they do. But I do know that the setup I currently have (below) sounds better than any one of my friends or thier parents systems. Granted I am only 20. But I have been around some apartment parties and know I have seen setups that cost a lot and more than what I paid and didnt sound as good as my setup. H/K 7000 $550 H/K DVD 50 $220 IL 36 $230 IL 40 x2 $250 IL 10 x2 $130 IL 120 $300 Also, I really suggest looking around online for some tips and tweaks to make your system sound better. The room and what is in the room really have a TON to do with how your setup sounds. www.dolby.com has good respected advice. Fooling around with the way things are setup is quite fun (for me at least) and really can make this system or a similar one sound noticeably better. Many people complain about the bass (sounds like base, but is written bass) These speakers were designed for a sub, wait a minute, is that why infinity makes an IL 120 and 100??? The sub I have really makes listening more enjoyable, however for neighbors I doubt it does and not everyone likes powerful bass you can feel / shakes your house. I currently run these speakers as small (80Hz) and feel they provide an ample transition to the subwoofer. I think some of the best music to test speakers with is symphonic. The variety of instruments (frequencies tones and positions) gives the listener good material to listen to. Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase and would recommend this setup or a similar one to anyone that enjoys music and home theater but feels much of the equipment is overpriced. I definitely will stress to trust your own ears and not someone that says he knows a lot. I am not saying dont listen to her or him, but make your own opinions.

Strengths:
My opinions after 6 months of online research and 2 months of listening Very impressive Sound (opinion of family and friends using their own test CD's) Great Price and Value 5 year warranty (even refurbished ones) Trading with Harman was smooth quick and inexpensive Respectable company www.harman.com (I feel its very hard to beat speakers at a quarter of their MSRP and a pretty complete system at the cost of about the reciever's MSRP

Weaknesses:
All the ones the hardcore -philes mentioned if you want to believe them. Could be large for your application expecially the sub. They are not a small company which basically means they have a much larger research budget, marketing department, manufacturing department, and overall goodness department. Lots of the -philes will tell you this is bad but can't logically explain themselves. I mean think about it, any small company that does well gets bigger right? Walmart/Coke/McDonalds/GE didnt suddenly have some of the biggest and most profitable companies around. The did well and expanded, Harman International now has audio equipment for anyone's tastes and pricerange. When purchasing speakers I would definitely recommend comparing their products with the ones you are evaluating.

Similar Products Used:
In order of respect: JBL (also a Harman company) Polk, Harman Kardon speakers, Bose 901 701 cubes, Altec Lansing sp?, Sony, Peavey and various others fooling around at audio stores

Price Paid:  $500.00 from circuit city

Summary:
As a college student investing in my first true stereo, these speakers fit the bill perfectly. I've had my fair share of Aiwa/Sony/Panasonic bookshelf systems. I got tired of them. I knew they sounded awful and I needed a real stereo. Enter the IL40. I was on a budget, but I would rather drop $1000 on quality than $500 on crap. These speakers present a great value. I paid only 500 for the pair. I believe the Interlude line is out of production, but they are still widely available. This means good things for the consumer. You can get them for a good price - I paid $500 for the pair, and I could have got them for less if I wasn't picky about color. The speakers are sturdily built and very attractive. The gold plated binding posts are well constructed. High end sounds very clear. Mid range is the real winner in my book. These speakers reflect the studio experience for just about everything I listen to, from Gershwin to Radiohead. Their main weakness is bass. I would invest in a powered sub, but my dorm neighbors would hate me even more. Be sure to let the speakers break in. The woofer especially needed weeks to sound good. I have the IL40s biwired with a HK 3470 stereo amp, and monster Z2 biwire cables. For the record, the cables are overrated, and the HK amp delivers on a daily basis. The speakers are extremely efficient. Combined with the powerful amp, I've been unable to turn it up past half way without being blasted out of the room.

Strengths:
Realistic sound. Great quality/price ratio. Gold biwire inputs. Look Great!

Weaknesses:
Require sub, especially for home theater or bass heavy music.

Similar Products Used:
tested: JBL studio series, Infinity IL series, Polk, Energy, Mission

Price Paid:  $500.00 from NE Furniture Mart

Summary:
I consider these a superb value for the price I paid, though I'm not sure I could justify the $1,000 list price. Excellent high and midrange detail, bass is good but limited by the capabilities of my Pioneer receiver, but my Entra Sub does an adequate job of picking up that slack. Planned upgrades include bi-wiring them with a Denon AVR-3802 and POA-5200.

Strengths:
Detail, clarity, imaging. Excellent bass for 8" woofers pushed by my weak-ass Pioneer.

Weaknesses:
Slightly bright, but that may be partially due to the receiver. Could use an additional, 12" driver, IMHO.

Similar Products Used:
Entra Two towers RS-2 bookshelf speakers

Price Paid:  $398.00 from circuit city

Summary:
I beleive I now understand the design model intention for Infinity's il40 speaker system. Paired with the IL 100 or 120 subwoofer, once adequately broken in, it acheives a 3 dimensional sound stage very impressively. The cost is justified. Take your time, set it up properly. Use a level meter. Sit back and enjoy. Yes, bi-wiring produces an expansive dynamic sound stage. Case closed.

Strengths:
Sonic design. Attention to cabinetry construction. Bi-amp/bi-wire capable. Gold binding posts. Speaker design. Flat response, etc...

Weaknesses:
accessories are expensive

Similar Products Used:
JBL LX55 Optimus Pro-LX5

Price Paid:  $310.00 from Ebay

Summary:
Worth every penny of their retail price of $1000.00 (pair. The magazines say that these speakers push an ample amount of bass. I agree that the highs and mids sound great but the 8"sub at least for me doesnt seem to push much bass at all so I bought the IL-100s sub. Will biwiring these speakers help with the bass? Any suggestions?

Strengths:
Great hi's and mids and with a sub they sound great!! I need to experiment more with the amp. (Denon 3802)

Weaknesses:
Lacks a little bass

Similar Products Used:
All the interlude matching series , 10,25,36,100s