Matching center/rear speakers for Cain & Cain Abby

Arkprof, what amp are you using with the Abby's, and which ones did you try
so far?

Rene

I don't really care about HT speaker systems, but I do own ... and totally love ... my SuperAbbys and Bailey sub. I've had lots of speakers over the past 40 years, often spending far more than I could afford, but I have NEVER enjoyed music more than I do now with the Cains. I have the regular Fostex drivers, which allow the music to fill the room, thus freeing me from a fixed point for optimum enjoyment. Quite frankly, I just can't get over how free and spacious the music is ... simply unharnessed. Kind of ignored your thread, but the Cains are so great ... and my amp puts out 4.8 watts max ... just a great speaker

Rene - I don't think Terry is really switching to the dark side! j/k I am just very happy he is going to be making smaller Abbys that I can use for my rear speakers. I may indeed hold off on getting the center; Terry also suggested that I might not need it and should use the Abbys "phantom center" abilities instead. I would love to get a tube amp for my 2-channel use - are you going to use a tube amp for your HT application, too? Thank you for the thread link; I will read it after posting this.

Texaspledge - Thank you for the idea, but I really would like to experience a matched Cain & Cain speaker set up. I think they will do fine for my HT use. I don't watch very many "shoot-em-up" movies with lots of explosions, etc., so I think the Cains will be fine. Guess I'll find out!

Holly

Holly

Some real out of the box thinking here.

You may want to have the Abby's for 2 channel and consider the Yamaha YSP-1 speaker array for your HT needs. It costs $1500 and does DD and DTS, PL2 etc. Reviews so far have been favourable.

Consider what someone has already said here, the Abby's may not be the best speakers for HT. You would spend a lot more money getting another speaker, amp and DD5.1 preamp just to add a centre that may not in the end perform as well as the Yamaha does out of the box for HT.

And you get to keep your precious 2 channel system and have some more cash to spend on it! Food for thought.

Wow, Terry moving toward the hometheater camp :-D . Okiris, you might
want to try the Abby's first without the center. In my setup, the center is really
not needed. That way you have lot's more money to invest in an amp. For use
in hometheater you might want to consider an alternative amp. You can find
some of Terry's suggestions in the following most amusing thread:

Long
Power struggles, "maddening"........

Also, feel free to drop me an email on the side. I can keep you up on what
turns up on the amplification side...

Enjoy the Abby's!

Rene

Thanks, Gmood1 - must be why I couldn't find the Axe series!

I emailed Terry yesterday about my dilemma. He said he was going to be making a center speaker soon; I will make do with what I have until he has them available. That speaker will be a perfect match, both in craftsmanship and sonic signature. :-D

Holly

It's probably not made anymore.The ACT series does have the same tweeter though.

Gmood1 - Do you mean their Act series center? I can't find anything about an AXE series. :-(

Holly

I know of a center that matches well with the Fostex single drivers. The speakers are made by BC Acoustiques.

I have their AXE center channel now. I made a mistake while doing some measurements and blew the SEAS midrange driver.LOL

When I used the Omega 8s .I've mistakenly left the center on. It matches them so well I would have to get up and go over to the speaker to make sure it wasn't playing when I listened to music. The BC speakers use a Fostex super tweeter. This maybe the reason why it matches so well.

Good luck

I already have a sub - the Rocket UFW-10. Very muscial and pretty to look at, too. :-) I wish I could have a separate systems, one for music and one for HT, but I can't, so I have to compromise a bit. I am sold on the Abbys; I wish Terry Cain made center/rear speakers, too, as I know it is best to have all of your speakers matched (something I was unable to do with my current set up.) I imagine he intends his speakers to be used for 2-channel systems though.

The Omega Grand 6 speakers don't seem to be listed on the Omega site; perhaps they have already been discontinued and are therefore unavailable except in the used market - which is fine, if I can find some!

Once again I regret that I didn't go to the Rockey Mtn. Audio Fest, where I could have auditioned a great many good speakers (including Omegas) and amps, etc. Sigh.

Holly

Here's a couple of my opinions. If you sit between the left and right speaker then you may not need a center channel. But the more you, or other people watching, sit off center the better reason to have a center channel in line with the TV to anchor the sound from wherever anyone sits. If that's the case, it's real nice to have all 3 be the same. Louis, at Omega, would be happy to sell you 3 Grand 6's you could use for LCR. You could lay the center on its side for aesthetics. I say this because I once considered buying a single Super 3 to match the pair I already have. I think they would be about the same cost as the Abbys. Rear channels are less important, but you could ask him what would be a nice match. If 2 channels up from does it for you, then the Abbys are beautiful, but make sure you figure in a sub. Good luck.

One more thing: Looks like the Omega Grande 6 are going out of production...You might have to act fast.

Rene

I guess I'll need to get the Abbys and see how they do with the set up I currently have. The Omegas certainly look as if they are contenders. Any other options?

Holly

My Cain Abby's are also used for watching movies, tv, etc. There's no reason they should not work. A sub should be heplful though. Voices do sound great and very clear. And the explosions a sub could handle.

As rear and center you could with speakers that use the same Fostex FE166E driver. The Omega Grande 6 might be something to look at. At least the match should be somewhat good....

I am not really a fan of center speakers. Mostly they do destroy imaging in my opinion. They are necessary though is your speakers are far apart, or if people sit far off center. Otherwise the Abby's do have a fairly well defined and stable center image.

Happy listening.

Rene

Holly, the Cain & Cain Abby's are great for a violin solo by Jascha Heifetz, or female vocals like Ella Fitzgerald. I honestly don't think this is the speaker for machine gun/car explosion action movies. I have owned these speakers, and even a live cd like Fleetwood Mac The Dance was too much for them to handle.