ADS L-880's vs L-810's

[zunde]

That pic is from the L980 brochure. I was fortunate that my 980's came with these stands.

From your sig line it appears you have the same dilemma I do- only one step up the line! (910's vs 980s) Apparently you decided to keep both

 

[GD70]

From your sig line it appears you have the same dilemma I do- only one step up the line! (910's vs 980s) Apparently you decided to keep both

I got the 980's as payment for restoring a set of 1590's with rosewood veneer. The 980's are pretty rare. They sound incredible, as do the 910's. I have no plans to sell either, the 980's being smaller are easier to rotate in and out of my systems. A tough dilemma right?

 

[Tiver]

I have not found the L810

I've been A/B'ing these today against the 880s and they really do sound very similar. I have to say I think I agree with soundmotor- I think the 880s are a bit more balanced, they seem to reach a tad bit lower and are a bit tighter with the 9.5" woofer. The 810's give the impression of good low end, but i think it's more a tiny bit of overemphasis (bloat?) from the 2 8" drivers in each cabinet. But they both sound very very good.
Unfortunately the one 810 grille I mentioned previously is pretty much irreparable- it is warped to the point I'm cracking it more if I try to bend it back to shape. Maybe another reason to go with the 880s.

A few pics:


View attachment 1105450 View attachment 1105451 View attachment 1105455 View attachment 1105456

Nice speakers. And a nice price. Making a critical assessment is difficult under less than ideal conditions.

I don't know if the speakers were on the floor or if the hardwood is pretty much uncovered on the floor, but both of those conditions won't give the best results.

I still move mine around......larger spread, toe in, tilted, off the floor, horizontally positioned, and various combinations of these positions. I haven't found them at all boomy or muddy once they were off the floor a bit.

Sound reflection off a hardwood floor won't make any speaker sound better IMO.

Last thing, lots of different music should reveal other differences,

Have fun.

 

[zunde]

Tiver, I moved the 810 speakers to the floor stands I have been using with my 880s to do listening. They are in my living room on carpet. I just had them in my dining room (wood floor room above) to take photos, I didn't listen to them in that location for the reasons you mentioned.
I swapped out the 810s and 880s a few times but with both pairs on those floor stands pictured earlier in this thread. The 810s certainly sound very good and there are aspects of them (such as clear forward midrange) that I really like, but the 880s seem to be a little more overall balanced where no part of the spectrum overpowers another part-- and IMO they go just a tad lower and are a bit cleaner in the low end. I'm not hating on the 810s by any stretch, I just prefer the 880s, but it is a very close call. Of course this could come down to synergy with the elctronics I'm using- the 810s may end up sounding better than the 880s hooked up to a different source, such as the Yamaha receiver I am planning on going back and getting from this guy.

 

[Tiver]

Tiver, I moved the 810 speakers to the floor stands I have been using with my 880s to do listening. They are in my living room on carpet. I just had them in my dining room (wood floor room above) to take photos, I didn't listen to them in that location for the reasons you mentioned.
I swapped out the 810s and 880s a few times but with both pairs on those floor stands pictured earlier in this thread. The 810s certainly sound very good and there are aspects of them (such as clear forward midrange) that I really like, but the 880s seem to be a little more overall balanced where no part of the spectrum overpowers another part-- and IMO they go just a tad lower and are a bit cleaner in the low end. I'm not hating on the 810s by any stretch, I just prefer the 880s, but it is a very close call. Of course this could come down to synergy with the elctronics I'm using- the 810s may end up sounding better than the 880s hooked up to a different source, such as the Yamaha receiver I am planning on going back and getting from this guy.

Gotcha. I guess I was thinking you might have the Yamaha by now, lol.

Everyone likes what they like, and it's for sure different from ear to ear.

I was recently at a friends place and we were crankin' (literally) some tunes. I had not listened like that in a long time. McIntosh 2105, Cary Pre, Cary DAC, AR TT with some Dyna Vector cart and Vandersteen 3A speaks. Big variety of tunes From The Talking Heads to Keb Mo, to Dianna Krall, toThe Cranberries (that was a memorial spin for Delores) and so much in between and more..... all over the map. What an amazingly low noise floor and a whole lot of punch in that system.

Now, since my recent listening session I am dying to squeeze whatever goodness I can from these L810s. Right now they are on a Yamaha CA 1010 and they will sing nicely, but not every recording will get up and deliver. Makes me wonder what kind of difference it would make if I had another 100wpc for some added headroom. Or a really good DAC. Or killer preamp. or..... Damn, I have to get grip.

If the L880s get you going and deliver what you want, listen and enjoy!! Forget about the L810s for a bit and let the L880s work their charm on you. Pick 6 or 8 favorite tracks and become intimate with them. Try and do a speaker swap after that. Same tracks and same listening environment. If you want to make one pair your daily drivers, they should give you the most enjoyment on the stuff you listen to most.