Altec Lansing model 14

mikeg58

mikeg58

Active Member
I am thinking about buying a pair of altecs and when I was overseas in Japan I remember these speakers being so big and good looking but never herd them. I have a pioneer sx 1250 and wanted to get some feedback on these speakers. I know they are supposed to sound great with tube amps but what about the pioneer ?
 
I just have to say that model 14's are my biggest case of sellers remorse. It was over 30 years ago and it still hurts.
 
They're pretty efficient. The 1250 is a lot of juice to be pumping through them- I'd go easy on the volume control...
 
Very efficiant @ 95dB/1 Watt at 4ft sensitivity, power rating 10 to 350 w

I used to own the bigger brother model 19 some years ago those are still
highly sought after for good reasons . I'm sure the model 14 is likewise.
The 19's have decent bass ,Highs are smooth and good detailed mid range also.
Some of the best speakers I have owned in my lifetime.

I have some EV Sentry III's now but I wouldn't mind having the 19's back either.

The 14's would probably be good paired up with a powered sub or maybe just fine alone depending on the room.
They should sound fine with the SX1250 or almost anything else for that matter .

Like Ths364 says be careful if you drive them with the 1250. I was driving my 19's with a Haffler DH 220
at the time maybe 115wpc IIRC it was more than enough never broke a sweat and could get stupid
loud but clean.

Model 14 Specifications
http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/altec/specs/home-systems/model-14/page4.jpg
 
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Picked up some 14's last summer. $600 for the pair. I doubt I will ever let them go. Best match for my Citation II I have yet to come across. Tight clean base. Clean highs etc. They added little to no color to the signal and for my current setup a real pleasure to listen to. I have not hooked them up to my SS gear yet but someday I suppose I'll check that combination out. Can't recommend them enough.
 
Has anybody ever had these speakers hooked up to a regular receiver and if so how did they sound ? I have an opportunity to get a nice pair for a good price but I won't invest in them just for looks. If anyone has had them hooked up to a receiver and has some input it would be very helpful ...
 
mikeg58 said:
Has anybody ever had these speakers hooked up to a regular receiver and if so how did they sound ? I have an opportunity to get a nice pair for a good price but I won't invest in them just for looks. If anyone has had them hooked up to a receiver and has some input it would be very helpful ...
Click to expand...

What kind of regular receiver are you talking about?Vintage?AV?
 
mikeg58 said:
Has anybody ever had these speakers hooked up to a regular receiver and if so how did they sound ? I have an opportunity to get a nice pair for a good price but I won't invest in them just for looks. If anyone has had them hooked up to a receiver and has some input it would be very helpful ...
Click to expand...

if your not convinced... I had a pair hooked to a Yamaha RX-V2090 which was rated for 100 per channel @ 8 ohm. They sounded pretty good but I really didn't flog them very hard for the woofs were freshly reconed and they were for sale.

I thought I would never sell them but I just flat ran out of room and something had to go.
 
My dad bought an SX1250 in 1976 and the speakers he was looking at were the Altec 19s and the JBL L65's. He chose the JBL's (I don't know why) and eventually I got them and the 1250. I always loved the way the Pioneer sounded through them and would imagine the Altecs (19's or 14's) would sound better (Just my opinion...). I lament the fact that he chose the L65's otherwise I bet those 19's would be in my signature line right now. I eventually sold the SX1250 and put that money into other gear. That was hard to do but hopefully someone is using it and cherishing it instead of it sitting in a closet.
 
Funny you say that when I was over in Japan I bought the jbl l65's and have a pair in my garage that need to be restored but they were hooked up to my Sansui qrx 9001 with Bose 601's series 1 and I had my neighbors always knocking on my door to turn the music down. Plus I had a pioneer pl 560 turntable and a Sony tc- k 9 cassette deck that at the time was the first item with a remote. In the last few years I have been buying all the same gear I used to own back in the day. I own the turntable , 601's , jbl l65's , I have the pioneer sx 1250 instead of the sansui plus I have a pioneer rt 909 now and a Marantz 5220 with wood case cassette player and 2 pioneer cassette players. A ctf 900 and a ctf 9191 and a pair of infinity kappa 7's , hpm 100 the 200 watt version...just can't get enough of the old stuff
 
Vintage high end. For their time they were above average for audio gear. They are interesting, I understand, in that they are one of the earliest constant-directivity horns, designed to distribute the higher frequencies in a more even pattern across a broad area. And I really like the way they mimic the Model 19's design in a smaller cabinet; I just think that's cool.

The worst this I've heard about them is that the woofers are rather hard to replace when they fail, and I'm not even sure they were made by Altec. :dunno:

Personally, I would love to have a pair. I just think they're bitchin, and I bet they sound excellent.
 
Don't believe that old tale about the woofers not being made by Altec. It's just not true.
Go over to Lansing heritage site and rummage around a little.

Not sure how to make a driver "fail" either.
Don't poke them with your finger :D

Treat them nice and they will last longer than you or I.

I found too much power will make them shrill, harsh and edgy.
Not very pleasant.
15 to 30 watts will make them sing.
Tube or solid state.

Even better than solid state are t-amps.
In some ways better than tubes.
And won't break the bank.

I found out about these on a German audiophile forum.
SMSL SA-S3.
Astounding with the Model 14's.
Really.

That's my preference anyway.
Others may have different thoughts.

Art
 
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Yeah, I couldn't recall if that rumor was true or not; I did research it once. The "failure," I imagine, would be a reconing situation or lost magnet I suppose. All I know is, I've seen threads where people were searching for replacements, but maybe that just happened if a prior owner had thrown the woofers out when the foams failed. GPA sells a new woofer that looks similar, as I recall. :dunno:
 
Zonker92 said:
Yeah, I couldn't recall if that rumor was true or not; I did research it once. The "failure," I imagine, would be a reconing situation or lost magnet I suppose. All I know is, I've seen threads where people were searching for replacements, but maybe that just happened if a prior owner had thrown the woofers out when the foams failed. GPA sells a new woofer that looks similar, as I recall. :dunno:
Click to expand...

Ya gotta listen to Abe.

Art
 
Wish I could find some woofers. There's a pair of 14s at the church begging for me to save them. Stupid Peavey woofers jammed in there don't sound very good. : (
 
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