Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[Analog Addict]

Originally Posted by CoGT3

So,
If you had to pick one Altec system to hunt down for a moderate sized room, 19x15x10.5, what be your choice. Have always been intrigued by the idea of trying an older horn system but wouldn't know where to start looking.

Well, it would come down to more of an availability issue IMO. I find that the Model 19 and the 604-8G's are very close in their sound. I had them set up head to head in a small room in my old house, on the order of 12' x 12', and the 604s came out ahead in this size room because they had slightly more coherent sound due to their "point source" configuration. For your size room, the Model 19 might be a little better, due to improved cohesiveness of the two way design at listening distance. However, I'd take whichever I could find first after a hard listen. There's nothing wrong with Vals either, but they have less of a high end than the 19's, due to the 806A compression driver as compared to the 19's 802/902 driver. The 19s were considered Altec's pinnacle for home speakers, while the 604s were the studio reference monitor for decades.



Note that the use of an 828 cabinet for 604s isn't typical, but actually works pretty well in practice.

Funny story, I had the 19s in the dining room first, then added the 604s/828s when the wife wasn't home. It took her 5 days to realize that the 19s had grown a new head. Needless to say, we didn't actually eat in the dining room much.....

[BearCityUSA]

Originally Posted by Analog Addict

My wife is pretty accepting but I do think that would push it a bit far. Thanks for sharing. I am celebrating my 10 year anniversary today and this makes me wonder if after 10 years I could push the WAF a bit further.

[Analog Addict]

You never know until you try. Tis better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission...

[Rosco65]

Originally Posted by CoGT3

So,
If you had to pick one Altec system to hunt down for a moderate sized room, 19x15x10.5, what be your choice. Have always been intrigued by the idea of trying an older horn system but wouldn't know where to start looking.

The Altec Valencia is often recommended, but the 511/811 horn is generally considered to be one step better than dog poop. The 416 woofer also needs to be crossed over less than 1200 hz to avoid HF nasties.

A lot of people - including Joe Roberts and Joseph Esmilla - believe the Altec 414/802 combination is best suited for domestic use. The 414 works with vented cabinets of 3-4 cubic feet, and in most rooms the Altec 614 cabinet will work. The 802 can be used on a number of horns, but a lot of people like the Altec 32A or 32B horn. Joe Esmilla has a well developed crossover design for this combination in two forms: a two way and a high-pass only that allows the 414 to run full range. Alternatively, Joe Roberts advocates letting the 414 run without crossover and using a single cap to cross over the 802 at 6-8khz. You'll need an lpad, autoformer or other means to pad down the 802 by 3-6 dB.

Full disclosure: I just finished gathering parts for such a set up. Even buying used and scavenging it is not an inexpensive project. If I recall correctly, I have about $1,400 in parts, not counting wire, binding posts and cabinetry. However, the closest commercially available (if you want to call a speaker made from vintage parts "commercially available") is the Shindo Petite LaTour, which retails for over $20k. I figure by the time I'm done I will be into the speakers for about $2,500.

[Bombadil]

There's a pair of Altec Valencia speakers for sale on CL in my area. They look near mint. Using a 602d 15".

I listened to some big Altecs some years ago and they weren't my cup of tea. More recently I had a chance to listen to the 879A Santanas and they didn't stir my drink either, although I understand that they tend to not be very highly regarded. They did have the original 420A drivers and bi-flex cone. Guy sold them off for just $225.

On the whole, I've never been a big fan of horns. Even the K-horn. But I did hear a setup a few years back at CEDIA using horns which sounded very good. I've since forgotten which brand they were. I still remember what they looked like, a big horn and a tweeter horn, all painted in primer gray.

[Rosco65]

Unless horns are specifically designed for the domestic environment it takes some dedicated modification to make them work. Bear in mind that most big horn (Altec, JBL, et al) were designed as theater speakers or for sound reinforcement. In other words, they were designed for fill big spaces with high sound pressure levels. They don't usually work out of the box for a 200 square foot room. There are a lot of sources on the 'net on how to make them work, but it takes an investment of time and money, mostly in selecting the appropriate crossover implementation.

If you're not looking for that level of commitment, Klipsch products were typically designed principally as domestic speakers. While the quality of the drivers (and horns) is not up to that of Altec, they work very well when tweaked. A successful design is Bob Crites' Cornscala design, which combines the 15" vented bass of the Cornwall with the LaScala mid and top end. There are four different configurations and they reputed to work very well.

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by Bombadil

There's a pair of Altec Valencia speakers for sale on CL in my area. They look near mint. Using a 602d 15".

I listened to some big Altecs some years ago and they weren't my cup of tea. More recently I had a chance to listen to the 879A Santanas and they didn't stir my drink either, although I understand that they tend to not be very highly regarded. They did have the original 420A drivers and bi-flex cone. Guy sold them off for just $225.

On the whole, I've never been a big fan of horns. Even the K-horn. But I did hear a setup a few years back at CEDIA using horns which sounded very good. I've since forgotten which brand they were. I still remember what they looked like, a big horn and a tweeter horn, all painted in primer gray.

Edgar horns? Horns have to be done right or.....

[FloridaBoy]

Originally Posted by Bombadil

There's a pair of Altec Valencia speakers for sale on CL in my area. They look near mint. Using a 602d 15".

I listened to some big Altecs some years ago and they weren't my cup of tea. More recently I had a chance to listen to the 879A Santanas and they didn't stir my drink either, although I understand that they tend to not be very highly regarded. They did have the original 420A drivers and bi-flex cone. Guy sold them off for just $225.

On the whole, I've never been a big fan of horns. Even the K-horn. But I did hear a setup a few years back at CEDIA using horns which sounded very good. I've since forgotten which brand they were. I still remember what they looked like, a big horn and a tweeter horn, all painted in primer gray.

How much are they listed for?

[FloridaBoy]

I putzed around with Bozak 302A's in the past. My anti-high end phase. Not for me.




PWK and Rudy Bozak. They were at a trade show and this was a publicity shot.

[Musica Amantem]

So, in general terms, horn-based loudspeakers for smallish listening rooms are either too expensive or vintage needing a lot of work to adapt them to specific needs and requirements.

I guess 45 SET dreams are out of the question ...