UREI 809 Time Aligned Coaxial Studio Monitor Speakers - SkyFi Customized

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General:

The UREI 809's are considered to be one of the best studio monitor speakers ever made. They're compared to JBL monitors from the same era and even through today. They're that good.

We're pleased offer these for sale after we completed the custom work to each in our shop, plus lots of listening tests :-)

United Recording Electronics Industries (UREI) was around in one form or another going back to the 1950's through the 1980's, eventually becoming a division of JBL professional. UREI was known for their professional studio recording equipment including studio monitors.

With the 809's, the blue high frequency horn and compression driver is coaxially mounted (placed in front) of the 12" low/mid frequency driver, creating a phase difference. However the UREI "time aligned crossover network" utilizes a slope filter and creates a delay balancing out the phase difference.

As a result the 809's create a unique one-point sound source configuration, leading to some of the best performance results possible when mixing/mastering/auditioning even the most difficult musical genres.

And you might have noticed these are mirror imaged pairs for "superior stereo reproduction and centering at the listening position" according to the original UREI marketing materials.

I'm listening to these right now as I type with Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were here" and Nirvana's "MTV Unplugged in New York". They remind me of some of the best JBL studio monitors I've listened to, but different in some very good way that's hard to describe and must be experienced.

These UREI's will ship in SkyFi custom-made reusable packaging for a flat $375 anywhere within the lower 48 US states. Please contact us for a quote if you're outside of this area as we ship worldwide. Local courier also available. 

SkyFi Custom Notes:
• Stage / Touring cabinet corner protection. Not only functional for protection, it matches their professional design.
• Custom CNC laser cut grilles in each speaker take the place of the old port foam inserts that are long gone and that deteriorate into chunks over time.

More from UREI:

STANDOUT FEATURES
• Flat power response maintains frequency balance at low distortion over wide range of output levels
• Time Align® design achieves accurate time domain response, minimizing fatigue while listening at high sound pressure levels
• One-point sound source
• Highly controlled sound field over entire frequency range
• Accurate stereophonic imaging
• Consistent ratio of direct to reverberant sound

Since their introduction the UREl Time Align® studio monitors have continually been installed in more and more recording studios and broadcast production facilities worldwide to replace older (and some newer) monitor designs.

Now a Time Align® monitor is available for the smallest control room or near-field monitoring in any room. The Model 809 features an all-new 300 mm (12 in) coaxial loudspeaker developed by UREl engineers. Utilization of the latest advances in materials and fabrication technology has provided another coaxial loudspeaker system for the URI 800-Series "family" with the following characteristics:
• High sensitivity. 
• High power handling capability.
• Extended high frequency response.
• Reduced transient distortion (ringing).

The coaxial loudspeaker incorporates a compression driver in the high-frequency section which extends the high frequency response envelope to beyond 17.5 kHz.

The 809 monitor has the patented high frequency horn with its diffraction buffer for correct acoustic impedance matching and smooth out-of-band-response. The ceramic magnet structures used on the drivers assure that the sensitivity of the system will not tend to degrade with time, even under continuous use at high monitoring levels.

The UREI 809 monitor uses a 300mm (12 in) coaxial driver to provide a true one-point sound source, tight bass, superior stereo imaging, and all of the other characteristics expected from studio monitors by UREI.

TIME OFFSET CORRECTION
Even though a coaxial loudspeaker delivers the entire frequency spectrum from one source, the voice coils of the two transducers are displaced from each other, and the low and high frequency portions of a sound do not arrive at the listener's ear at the same time. This phenomenon, called "time smear," can be extremely fatiguing, particularly after several hours of critical listening.

UREI, in a joint engineering project with E.M. Long Associates, perfected the first professional utilization of the Time Align® technique, which considers driver placement and adjusts crossover group delay parameters to achieve simultaneous arrival of the sounds from both sections of the coaxial loudspeaker at the listener's ear. The result is a uniform sound which is not fatiguing, even at the high levels required in recording studio control rooms.

MIRROR IMAGE
For stereo applications, all UREI monitors are available in mirror imaged pairs for superior stereo reproduction and centering at the listening position.

Brand Background:
United Recording Electronics Industries (UREI) was a manufacturer of recording, mixing and audio signal processing hardware for the professional recording studio, live sound and broadcasting fields.

Ownership:
Second Owner

General Sound:
Accurate to the recording

Cosmetic Condition:
6/10 = Fair. Three to four minor scratches, or one major scratch. See our detailed rating description here.

Working Condition:
Working perfectly and tested in our lab and listening room.

Included:
Speakers, grills, and boxes.

Packing:
Will be packed using our highly developed in-house process and custom packing materials.Reviews:
Click Here (and see our photos for the original 1986 magazine scans)

Specs:
Drive unit compliment
Single 30cm lo/mid cone with co-axially mounted constant directivity HF horn and compression drive unit

Crossover
Internal passive 2-way incorporating group delay time alignment elements

User Controls
HF Drive, HF Trim

Cabinet loading
Direct radiating 65Ltr tuned reflex

Impedance
8Ω nominal

Termination
Screw terminals/4mm sockets.

Power Rating
28.5 volts for 1 hour with band limited pink noise 50Hz-20kHz (100W)

Sensitivity
93dB for 1W at 1 meter

Recommended Amplifier Power
150W RMS/8Ω minimum

Finish
Utility black fleck paint

Dimensions:
Each - 16.54" W x 13.59" D x 23.03" H

Weight:
Each - 60 lbs.

Approximate Age:
Late 1980's / Early 1990's

Recommended Cables:

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

Kimber Summit Series Monocle XL Speaker Cables (PAIR) - Best

Kimber Summit Series BiFocal XL Bi-Wire Speaker Cables (PAIR) - Best If

Testing Process:
Our speaker evaluation process starts with a visual inspection of all drivers. We are looking for damaged or deteriorating woofer surrounds, dented tweeter domes, and cone damage. We also inspect the speaker connection points for loose or broken connectors.

After the initial visual inspection we connect the speakers to a reference amplifier with our preferred test tracks. With the speakers placed with proper distance we listen to each driver to make sure that they are producing the intended frequencies with no signs of distortion or rattle. During listening tests with test tracks we check for proper stereo imaging and bass response at various listening levels. If there are any audible signs of issues, the speakers are taken to the bench where we perform a frequency sweep to isolate the issue so that it can be resolved by component repair or replacement.