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Thread: Array 880 Listening Impressions

  1. #1
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Array 880 Listening Impressions

    I received it this morning and the packing was bomb proof. I will post a few pictures of the packing. The box was double wall as well.

    Rob
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    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

  2. #2
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Here are a couple of pictures out of the box. The flash makes it look more brown toned than it is under normal room lighting. The fit and finish on it is great! Really nice looking speaker. It's perfect fit for where I had my original Urei 811C center. Looks a whole lot nicer as well.

    Rob
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    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

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    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    I spent a good part of the day looking for music with a varied center fill to check things out. I ended up using mostly SACD and DVD-A with a couple of Blue-Ray disks to finish off. I have used a Urei 811C clone for my center channel for several years. I was always impressed by how natural vocals sounded through it. In my mind it would be a hard act to follow.

    I took down the old center, set the Urei 839 EQ to flat and reset the gain to help match the efficiency of the mains. I went to plug in my speaker leads and found the 5 way binding post holes blocked. There are little black and red caps that are easily removed so you can use banana plugs with the terminals. There are 4 terminals and shorting straps so you can bi-wire if you want. Ran some pink noise and checked the levels with my SPL meter to match them up across the 3 front channels.

    Dropped in a disk and started listening and was struck by how smooth it sounded. No emphasis or chestiness on male vocals. Female vocals were smooth and not strident. Percussion was fast and clean with plenty of power and snap. The clarity and definition on everything I tried was exceptional. Even really busy movie sound tracks had everything all clearly laid out and easy to hear. All in all a very nice center channel and definitely a step-up.

    If you have heard one please add your thoughts.

    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

  4. #4
    Senior Member martin_wu99's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robh3606 View Post
    I spent a good part of the day looking for music with a varied center fill to check things out. I ended up using mostly SACD and DVD-A with a couple of Blue-Ray disks to finish off. I have used a Urei 811C clone for my center channel for several years. I was always impressed by how natural vocals sounded through it. In my mind it would be a hard act to follow.

    I took down the old center, set the Urei 839 EQ to flat and reset the gain to help match the efficiency of the mains. I went to plug in my speaker leads and found the 5 way binding post holes blocked. There are little black and red caps that are easily removed so you can use banana plugs with the terminals. There are 4 terminals and shorting straps so you can bi-wire if you want. Ran some pink noise and checked the levels with my SPL meter to match them up across the 3 front channels.

    Dropped in a disk and started listening and was struck by how smooth it sounded. No emphasis or chestiness on male vocals. Female vocals were smooth and not strident. Percussion was fast and clean with plenty of power and snap. The clarity and definition on everything I tried was exceptional. Even really busy movie sound tracks had everything all clearly laid out and easy to hear. All in all a very nice center channel and definitely a step-up.

    If you have heard one please add your thoughts.

    Rob
    Don't upset me
    46 lover

  5. #5
    Senior Member jbljfan's Avatar
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    Array 8's

    Name:  home.JPG
Views: 2937
Size:  204.8 KBHi Rob,

    I was playing around with my HT configuration comparing the 880’s to the 800’s for L/R mains. The 880’s won hands down and the 800’s have been moved upstairs. I don’t have much to compare the center channel to but I’m very happy with the setup.

  6. #6
    Senior Member audiomagnate's Avatar
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    My thoughts are that if your 1400 clones come close to the real thing you don't need a center channel unless you're spreading your room with off center guests during movies. The 1400s image rock solid into the center if you're in the sweet spot, and if you have guest(s) you can either plant them in your perfect spot, or let them enjoy less than perfect sound, they really don't care, you do. I'm a 4.0 advocate.

  7. #7
    Senior Member martin_wu99's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jbljfan View Post
    Name:  home.JPG
Views: 2937
Size:  204.8 KBHi Rob,

    I was playing around with my HT configuration comparing the 880’s to the 800’s for L/R mains. The 880’s won hands down and the 800’s have been moved upstairs. I don’t have much to compare the center channel to but I’m very happy with the setup.
    How will it sound when 880 stand up?I'm curious,perhaps it can be used as L-C-R channels
    46 lover

  8. #8
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    My thoughts are that if your 1400 clones come close to the real thing you don't need a center channel unless you're spreading your room with off center guests during movies. The 1400s image rock solid into the center if you're in the sweet spot, and if you have guest(s) you can either plant them in your perfect spot, or let them enjoy less than perfect sound, they really don't care, you do. I'm a 4.0 advocate.
    My
    Hello Audiomagnate


    My 1400 clones are not in my HT set-up. They are in a stand alone 2 channel set-up. My mains in the HT system also image very well but that is independent for the need of a center channel in the set-up. I remember 4.0/Quad from way back when and it never worked for me. Could have been the limitations of the media and decoders available at that time. Any material mastered today is formated specifically for the use of a center channel and not using one imposes another set of avoidable compromises. If you want to start a thread about the merits of using or not using a center channel in a surround set-up please do.

    Rob
    "I could be arguing in my spare time"

  9. #9
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by audiomagnate View Post
    I'm a 4.0 advocate.
    Maybe if we had a clever name for it... how about quadrophonic sound? I bet that might just take off.


    Widget

  10. #10
    Super Moderator yggdrasil's Avatar
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    Very nice Rob. I guess it's time to enjoy!
    Johnny Haugen Sørgård

  11. #11
    Senior Member audiomagnate's Avatar
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    That looks like zebrawood. Absolutely gorgeous. It's amazing that they would hide that behind a grille cloth.

  12. #12
    Super Moderator jblnut's Avatar
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    Wow, those look really, really nice! Wish I had room for something like that in my HT setup...



    jblnut

  13. #13
    Senior Member Hoerninger's Avatar
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    4.0 advocate
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    ... how about quadrophonic sound?
    Widget
    There is a difference in speaker placement. Nowadays for music this placement is often recommended, not equally distributed in four corners.
    Name:  300px-ITUKreis.jpg
Views: 3007
Size:  11.8 KB

    For music all speakers (L, C, R, SL, SR) are recommended as the same fullrange type.
    According to my experience the center may be omitted if L and R have good imaging. (Don't forget to adjust the DVD player )
    Use a sub for music if adequate.
    Quote Originally Posted by audiomagnate View Post
    ... if you're in the sweet spot, and if you have guest(s) you can either plant them in your perfect spot, or let them enjoy less than perfect sound, they really don't care, you do.
    Fully ack.
    ______________________
    Peter (sorry for chiming in)

  14. #14
    Senior Member audiomagnate's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hoerninger View Post
    4.0 advocate

    There is a difference in speaker placement. Nowadays for music this placement is often recommended, not equally distributed in four corners.
    Name:  300px-ITUKreis.jpg
Views: 3007
Size:  11.8 KB

    For music all speakers (L, C, R, SL, SR) are recommended as the same fullrange type.
    According to my experience the center may be omitted if L and R have good imaging. (Don't forget to adjust the DVD player )
    Use a sub for music if adequate.

    Fully ack.
    ______________________
    Peter (sorry for chiming in)

    So the guy in the center is a horer. That means my ex was right! That's what I was saying. Dolby phantom works for me, and the centers I've tired out fail miserably in comparison to my mains. Centers help keep the dialog in the center of the screen if you're off center, but if you're in the sweet spot, they are superfluous. At least for me. For a "real" HT you need one, and that 880 is freakin' amazing, but the people that watch movies here don't really care that much, and if I want to impress them, I plop them down in the sweet spot. If I get a bigger place and some friends I'll go 5.0 or maybe even 7.0.

  15. #15
    Senior Member gferrell's Avatar
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    Red face

    Quote Originally Posted by audiomagnate View Post
    So the guy in the center is a horer. That means my ex was right! That's what I was saying. Dolby phantom works for me, and the centers I've tired out fail miserably in comparison to my mains. Centers help keep the dialog in the center of the screen if you're off center, but if you're in the sweet spot, they are superfluous. At least for me. For a "real" HT you need one, and that 880 is freakin' amazing, but the people that watch movies here don't really care that much, and if I want to impress them, I plop them down in the sweet spot. If I get a bigger place and some friends I'll go 5.0 or maybe even 7.0.
    Sounds like you need to go out and make some friends!! lol I bet Horer has plenty maybe he will share!
    XPL 200's w DX1, XPL 160's, XPL 140's, L7's, L5's, L3's, L1's Homemade L Center, 4412's, 4406, L60T's, L20T's

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