Urei 809a

[hjames]

I was between projects and had to let the UREI 811 speakers go, but I have collected 2 pairs of the smaller UREI 809A coaxial speakers
and have been VERY happy with the sound of them in our multimedia system. Basically, all they needed was to redo the surrounds,
and the quality of the single point source is amazing! I generally leave the grills on, tho they are off for most of these pictures.

They are VERY efficient and don't need a lot of power. We don't play stupid loud anyway at such a close distance.

70632

I got the lower cabinets from a local AK seller - he had snatched a pair of Stevens coaxials from them, and sold me the empty wood cabinets
I put some JBL style dark blue monitor cloth on them just for fun - and really liked the look with the blond wood.
I found the cabinets were a perfect fit for some 2214 woofers I had, and subwoof gave me some tips on setting them up as helper woofers
[and stands] under the 809As I am using as front main.


70633

I do have an 18 inch JBL 4641 sub in the front right corner for movies and TV sub use.
Its not really needed for music.

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I had some spare teak dining room chairs I found on the curb - they needed reupholstering, but the danish design and wood is superb.
I found if I took the seat and back cushion off, they became great stands for the 2 side surround speaker

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I do have a spare pair of coaxial drivers - I may take one and make a center channel from it -
Overkill, I know, but so far it hasn't been needed.

[Mr. Widget]

I do have a spare pair of coaxial drivers - I may take one and make a center channel from it -
Overkill, I know, but so far it hasn't been needed.I think if it was my room, I'd take one of the rears and put that into Center service and use a pair of small "whatevers" for the surrounds. I just think the Center is far more important than the surrounds. We hear in front of us much better than we do to the side or rear... also, having a separate dialog speaker is usually a real step up.

You could certainly give it a try to see what you think. A pair of anything decent... even LSR305s will do fine as surrounds, especially for a quick test.


Widget

[hjames]

I think if it was my room, I'd take one of the rears and put that into Center service and use a pair of small "whatevers" for the surrounds.
I just think the Center is far more important than the surrounds. We hear in front of us much better than we do to the side or rear...
also, having a separate dialog speaker is usually a real step up.

You could certainly give it a try to see what you think. A pair of anything decent... even LSR305s will do fine as surrounds, especially for a quick test.

Widget
Thanks for the feedback - We actually DO have a center speaker - its a Vandersteen VCC-1 from the days when I ran the room on Vandys.
The VCC-1 is "a small 2 way, with a 6 1/2" die-cast basket polycone woofer and a 1" critically-damped, alloy dome tweeter".
Its the short black cube near the center, and it sounds very good for dialog - close, tho not a complete match for the UREIs.
(It has a wood base and top cap, but I made a black cloth "cap" to cover the top wood so it doesn't reflect light from the screen).

It just "barely" fits below the set without blocking the screen (just under an inch).
The 809As are much taller, even when I lay them sideways and block at least 6 inches of screen. I tried one there once.
The real problem is the TV is hoisted as high as it can be on the wall mount - I'll have to do something to the windowsill to get the TV any higher.
I can drop the wheels from the Salamander console to gain maybe 2-3 inches, but that's about it ... and that's not really enough. I tried that once.

I do have DCM TF600s as rear surrounds so the system is set up to do full 7.1 - the DCMs are a transmission line speaker that are quite thin
and can fit up against the rear wall for the few 7.1 films we do find and play.


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[Don C]

I just re-foamed a pair of these myself. I loved it, the twin spiders hold the cone straight, making for the easiest re-foam I've ever done.

[Mr. Widget]

Thanks for the feedback - We actually DO have a center speaker - its a Vandersteen VCC-1 from the days when I ran the room on Vandys. Obviously I didn't look or read closely enough. :o:

Sounds like you you have it "wired" to fit your space and needs.


Widget

[fotodan]

I love the idea if using the chair as speaker stand.... OUTSTANDING Idea.....

[hjames]

I love the idea if using the chair as speaker stand.... OUTSTANDING Idea.....


Thanks. We have an expanding scandinavian table and another batch of those chairs in the kitchen,
but when I saw 4 of them on the curb, in good shape except for bad upholstery !!
it killed me to see them on the curb just waiting for the crusher trash truck!
Such a gorgeous design ... and real wood!

[hjames]

My friend Wilfredo picked these up for me at the last MidAtlantic AK Listening party near Frederick, MD.
They came from a collector (a Karlson Kab Kollector??) who brought them down from NJ for me -
the pictures intrigued me and I never played with Karlson cabinets before
Anyway, the story is they were made in SE Asia at different times (slightly different wood and inlay designs on top) -
and had that hideous 60s era brown grill cloth with gold threads ...

Anyway, I pulled the grill cloth yesterday and wiped the outer sides down with Orange oil - not sure what I'll do to the unfinished curved panels -
the wood veneer has a very nice grain (Cherry stain? Pecan? Danish Oil?). Something light to accent against the dark stain on the cabinet.

I have JBL 2214 woofers and inductors in the "blonde wood helper cabs" under the UREI 809As as front mains -
I plan to move those woofers and inductors into these Karlsons and see how they sound there under the UREIs.
I heard Karlsons are supposed to do bass well - and I do like the look of the karlson panels ... hope the sound is as good.

(They are just temporarily "staged" in the upstairs room - next to a pair of JBL L212s, and Von Schweikert VR-4s)

Size is 23" wide by 18" deep by 35" tall (including a 2" or 3" plinth/riser).
Cutout hole is 12" but the cab dimensions could work with a 15"


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[hsosdrum]

Looks like it'll be fun! Interested to hear your opinion of how they sound once you get them done.

[rusty jefferson]

Those are Groovy!

[Chas]

Yes, I heard some tales of Karlson's doing an amazing job with bass. Unfortunately the only pair I ever heard had some crappy EV's that didn't work well in the box. I am very interested to hear your thoughts, once they are up and running.

[hsosdrum]

The opinions I've read over the years about the Karlson speakers range all over the map, from "best I've ever heard" to "worst I've ever heard", but I believe those referred to them doing full-range duty. Very interested to hear how they do when limited just to bass.

[hjames]

The opinions I've read over the years about the Karlson speakers range all over the map, from "best I've ever heard" to "worst I've ever heard", but I believe those referred to them doing full-range duty. Very interested to hear how they do when limited just to bass.

Sounds like you read the same reviews on the Karlson designs that I did!

When I first got the UREIs, I could tell they needed to be higher in the room, not used as floorstanders, and I had some "blonde wood" cabinets I got earlier that might do the job. I also had some JBL 2214s, so I asked SubWoof for some tips on how to use them. He said to low pass their input:

"12mh chokes are on that page (Madisound) - scroll down. $30ea for sidewinders. I prefer the steel laminate core over the powdered ferrite because you can screw them down to the cabinet walls without worry. My stuff gets "ahem" moved around with attitude at times. It goes in series with the helper woofer, fini. It will raise the system 3db since power output is much greater in the lower octaves ( basic physics ) and you now have TWO cones, not one. Look at the published specs for the (JBL) 4430 / 4435."

"12mh chokes are the page (Madisound) - scroll down. $30ea for sidewinders. I prefer the steel laminate core over the powdered ferrite because you can screw them down to the cabinet walls without worry. My stuff gets "ahem" moved around with attitude at times. It goes in series with the helper woofer, fini. It will raise the system 3db since power output is much greater in the lower octaves ( basic physics ) and you now have TWO cones, not one. Look at the published specs for the (JBL) 4430 / 4435."

So - I plan to move the 2214 and the chokes into the Karlson cabinets, and see how they play underneath the front main UREIs. Of course, I also have a 3rd pair of the UREI 809A coaxial drivers (based on the JBL 2214 woofer) - and they came with some crossovers allegedly for the drivers (tho they look nothing like the crossover cards that came in the 2 pair of complete UREI 809As I got elsewhere). Anyway, the spares need refoaming, but afterwards I could always pull the chokes and pop them in the Karlson kabs with the crossovers and see how they play full range ...
(Pix of a pair of refoamed 2214s, and a UREI pair that did NOT need refoaming)

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[hjames]

Okay, I did some staining of the Karlson curved panels. and the lower speaker mounting panel in the cabinet with
Minwax Pecan to protect the previously unstained wood. Seems a good match.
I cut a hole in the bottom for a pair of JBL speaker connector cups, then moved the 2214 woofers and chokes from the old
"blonde wood" cabinets into the Karlson cabinets. By this point the cabinets had gotten HEAVY! But we moved them down
into the multimedia room ... and got them into place.

Now I just need to find time to LISTEN!!


77016

[hjames]

Final analysis - the Integra Preamp/Processor cuts off the low-end of the signal going to the front mains (and feeds it to the sub channel instead) - so between that, and the low-pass choke I put in the "Helper Woofer" cabinets which limits them to just low end, there is effectively no significant signal going to the Karlsons. No point in them being there (!). Just FYI - I did the original test with the older "blonde wood" helper cabs and the 809As on my 2 ch system upstairs in the plant room, as fed by the Jolida integrated amp, so I know the design works there on a full-range system.

So I pulled the Karlson Kabs out of the stack, pulled the chokes and JBL 2214s out of them, rotated the front UREIs to a horizontal configuration, and grabbed another set of teak chair frames from the shed for them. I thought they looked kind of cool.
(You can just see the edge of the empty Karlson Kabs in the far left of the picture, ready to move them out of the room).

I found a buyer for the now empty Karlsons, but Emma commented that she preferred the "architectural" look of the Karlsons to the UREIs on the chair frames in front of the room, so even tho they are doing nothing, I cancelled the sale and slipped the empty Karlson Kabs back into place.

SAP is SAP, you know?

78797

[hjames]

Got a great deal on a B460 from Ft Meyer FL. One of the AK members offer to haul it north gratis (but I tipped him well!) !!
I picked it up locally Saturday and super friend Steve Vollmer helped me carry it down in the Multimedia TV room.
Feeding it with the HK Citation 22 bridged to mono (like I had with the B380 and then the 4641 before).
I do have a BX-63A J got from JBLJr a year or so back - but don't seem to need it with the sub out of the Integra HT Preamp/Processor.
The sound is good with the 2 pairs of UREI 809As for the front main and sides surrounds - Its in pretty good condition, all told!


Drove a ways down in VA to meet the guy delivering it to me from FL - fit in the back of my Honda Fit surprisingly well!
818038180481805

[Chas]

That ought to be a bad-ass combo, Heather! Probably would work well with your Altecs too.

[hjames]

Someone suggested it would be a super addition to the L212s (!) but they are also upstairs with the Altecs.
I popped the grill off this morning and wiped it down wih Orange oil - seller told me it had been a while.
Plus, its hard to move when freshly greased like that ;)
They do have some little chips around the bottom edge - but sounded great on Master and Commander and the Chris Bottie Live in Boston Bluerays!


81813

[BMWCCA]

Good addition for you. Tilts your scale toward the JBL side once more. Forgive me if I missed it, but has the dust cap been discussed previously?

[hjames]

Good addition for you. Tilts your scale toward the JBL side once more. Forgive me if I missed it, but has the dust cap been discussed previously?
Seller said "The 2245 was reconed with a JBL kit by Speaker Exchange somewhere between 2000 & 2005. The foam is intact and I use the sub every day."
Another folk said the cone looks right, it just had an oversize cap

[opimax]

Listening party!


did you get a response in email from me? I can’t tell if it went through

[hjames]

Listening party!


did you get a response in email from me? I can’t tell if it went through
yesterday or today? Yesterday you said something about I might have a chance for a stereo pair, and setting the grandkid up with the Yamaha Dahlquest system -
and Vollmer told me a bit more of your plans - seem we are both thinking of a motor home and crusing the USA ...!
'course we'd have to sell all this dinosaur media and hardware ...
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[BMWCCA]

Seller said "The 2245 was reconed with a JBL kit by Speaker Exchange somewhere between 2000 & 2005. The foam is intact and I use the sub every day."
Another folk said the cone looks right, it just had an oversize capThat's what it looks like to me, too.

[opimax]

Looking at your picture can’t tell if your ports have room to breathe properly....looking to go for at least a couple years starting in early 2020 and then re-evaluate. May “live” in GA with one of the other kids and have a base,originality it was sell it all, that doesn’t appeal to both of us but if we do I will keep the basement :)

[hjames]

Looking at your picture can’t tell if your ports have room to breathe properly....looking to go for at least a couple years starting in early 2020 and then re-evaluate. May “live” in GA with one of the other kids and have a base,originality it was sell it all, that doesn’t appeal to both of us but if we do I will keep the basement :)

Well, the bookshelf has open dowels for the upright sides, so there is some breathing room, but I do plan to open things up more once we get more used to how that sub plays in the room - that picture shows the 3rd place its sitting along that wall since it arrived 1PM on Saturday! The B460 intruded a bit more into our walking area when it was further right and directly to the left of the open chair with the UREI sitting on it.

You know, sometimes the Physics of Sound have to take a back seat when Art (and room arrangements) take precedent! ;)

JK - but Emma is remarkably understanding about our speaker hobby - when she saw a picture of the B460, she encouraged me to go for it since its much nicer looking than the Black Box Pro styling of the 4641! Pretty furniture was her term (!)

[opimax]

my 460 did not get a choice where it lives either . it under the TV holding the center channel, no other thought to placement. I had the 2nd sub next to it initially with the ports pointed at it, wondered hopw that affected sound. now it is further away , cables length also have a impact on placement for me

[hjames]

Good addition for you. Tilts your scale toward the JBL side once more. Forgive me if I missed it, but has the dust cap been discussed previously?
Yes, it has! I just found Don's original "For Sale" thread here on Lansing Forum and in March he pulled his driver and posted pictures.
You can see the JBL official stamp and writing on the backside of the cone.

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?40674-FS-B460-Tampa-area

[hjames]

Emma really likes the walnut grain on the B460s and asked if I could line it up with the Salamander Console ...
The karlson cabinets aren't really doing anything at this point - mostly used as speaker stands!
So I shuffled everything around - slide the Salamander to the left, pulled the right Karlson out, put the B460 on the right and,
with a piece of foam between them to avoid scratching, I put the right UREI on the B460.
That height is closer to the height of the side- surrounds and it actually all sounds pretty good.
So - now I need a 25 inch cube (or a similar height speaker stand) to get the Left UREI to the same height, and I can get rid of the 2 Karlson Cabinets!

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[hjames]

We go out for Dim Sum on saturday morning, usually once a month.
There is a furniture store thats been "going out of business" for the last 6 months or so -
and they replaced a previous furniture store at the same location with a similar business style ...
Anyway, after a frisky brunch where I finally tried "chicken feet" (tastes like chicken feet, actually)
we popped in the store and found a neat wooden end table to replace the Karlson Kabinet on the left side.
A little darker would have been nice, but a nice wooden look and the right height were the main concerns.
I think its just about perfect to get all the front speakers at the same height!
Emma haggled the shop down to $75 from a "list price" of $395! Go Emma!

82035

[BMWCCA]

A little darker would have been nice, but a nice wooden look and the right height were the main concerns.
I think its just about perfect to get all the front speakers at the same height!Looks like a pretty good match for the Salamander (?) from what I can see. Good job, Emma, on the haggling. Would you like to try it on my wood-floor contractors?
:applaud:

[opimax]

Hi how are things going ? Warning , Warning....Sharon is threatening to call to discuss RV thoughts sometime...any thought of switching the sub to to the left for the ports?

[hjames]

Hi how are things going ? Warning , Warning....Sharon is threatening to call to discuss RV thoughts sometime...any thought of switching the sub to to the left for the ports?

Always possible to move it - there is 8 inches open between the sub and the right wall - so the ports aren't blocked now.
If I put it up against the left wall, I'd probably want a foot of so free between the ports and the Salamander Console ...
The console would not be centered under the window, and visually, I'd want to move & remount the TV further to the right.

RV thoughts are tempting me! Do you want a trailer to pull, or a self-motorized vehicle to drive?
Do you want a fiddle free buy, or something to DIY and fix to your tastes?
Lots of choices out there!

A pair of church friends just retired, sold their home, bought a motor home,
and are on the way to the Black Hills to sight see America!

But - I'm a few years away -
There's no room for a B460 in a mobile home!

[opimax]

I forget the requirements for ports , twice the distance of the diameter?? hopefully someone else can fill that in for us, and how do you treat 3 ports facing the same way?total diameter??

Buying a new Newmar New Aire is the plan in Mar of 2020 as of now, 34 ft Class A Diesel, fairly loaded. Wanted to sell it all and see what happens but thinking we will be out for 1-2 years while a garaged pad with hookups built on land w/small attached house and daughter's family gets reg house on same plot in GA somewhere near Atlanta with few neighbors but good school district. This will take some coordination. we will keep my basement minus the chairs , her great room and I am not sure what else. I dont know if the furniture will go in daughter's house or ours. Stereo will stay :). The RV will be supporting bike riding and touristy stuff while visiting family and friends that can take us. On the road i will be living w/Heos stuff I believe

We dont do all the reg camping stuff, no fishing for example, or Sharon is not sure about lake water ( i bet she does better after a while) we are the RV movies in real life I think lol

it is called Glamping for reason and that reason is us :)

House is going up for sale this March , we will got to an apartment and live easy for the last year or so

[Doctor_Electron]

Hello again HJames

What are these?

[audiomagnate]

Hello again HJames

What are these?
My guess is file drawers filled with CDs.

[hjames]

My guess is file drawers filled with CDs.
Right as rain, good sir!
I do generally stream from lossless files on the macPro in my office, but sometimes its nice to play CDs/SACDs/+HDCDs directly.

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