Altec Lansing model 14

[perchdog]

Keep in mind that the 14's can still sound somewhat aggressive with some recordings if you are using SS amplification.
See my post earlier in this thread about a t-amp recommendation.

Although smaller than the 19's the 14's are by no means a small speaker.
They are like having a couple of mini-fridges in your living room.


Art

umm, judging by your signature, your biased. I am just saying, not the grail this thread makes them out to be. but hey if your content, have at it. in my space they are smallish

btw I find the 14's plain ugly, in a puke green brady bunch sort of way... not that I find the 19 particularly attractive, at least they can carry it with a minimal amount of extra floor space and a much stauncher build in many ways

 

[Tom in RI]

I've heard both 14's and 19's but not in the same room. I have 14's in my house and am pretty happy with them. At the last periodic getogether of local AKer's in MA (Frankenfest) Frank had a pair of 19's. In a much larger space. Definitely a special set of speakers. To me the 19's are clearly better but, as noted above, you do need a large enough room for them. As to characterizing the size difference as minimal, uh uh. I'd say the 19's are considerably larger.

 

[bowtie427ss]

Above XO, 14 walks all over 19 all day long. The HF is smoother, more evenly dispersed, and better extended. I have grown to like the 811 horn the least of the small format Altec horns. Sure it can be damped into submission to tame it's resonant characteristics, but it still creates some funky lobing and other caveats in the upper octaves. Above 1500, the 902 on the Mantaray is just better right out of the box.

Below XO, in the right room, 14's will enjoy a bit better performance in the lowest octave, and will handle substantially more power than the 19.

The 19 trumps in sensitivity and midrange performance, if these characteristics are priorities for you, you're going to find the 19 the better speaker for your preferences into diminishing room size. The bass realism of the 416 woofer is also quite astonishing so long as you don't try to drive them too hard.

If you like to pound classic rock, disco, hip hop, techno/industrial, the 14 will make you a happy camper. If you've never heard 19's, the 14's will do everything else quite nicely too.

If you're into jazz, acoustic, and vocals, and if you have the room for them, 19's are very hard to beat without at least doubling your entry fee.

In a perfect world, a fella would own pairs of both.:yes:

 

[mikeg58]

You guys have gotten off track on the question. The question was either model 14's or jbl l65's ?

 

[bowtie427ss]

You guys have gotten off track on the question. The question was either model 14's or jbl l65's ?

Your previous post compared the 19's and 14's.

Complete, with proper working components, the L65's are more valuable by a margin, especially parted.

I have an Altec bias so the choice is a no brainer for me, but in all fairness i think the margin between which is a "better" speaker is very small.

As much as i hate to admit it, the JBL's probably get the midrange award in that contest, and i can't picture the JBL low end to be "lacking" in any way.

 

[Karmices]

You guys have gotten off track on the question. The question was either model 14's or jbl l65's ?

I don't think we got off track, we're just discussing and comparing the 14's to the 19's and the L65's. You asked if the 14's were high end and maybe it was my fault by posting that the 19's were higher end than the 14's and started a side comparison, so I apologize if that happened.

All ears, rooms and systems are different, so you're going to have a lot of different opinions on which is better. To me, if the L65's were complete and original, I'd get those. If they are hacked and missing parts and the 14's are complete and nice, I'd go for the 14's.

 

[mikeg58]

I own the l65's right now all I would have to do is rebuild them with the missing pieces, but the glass tweeters are the expensive ones and with the money I could buy the tweets with I can buy a mint pair of model 14's. I can take my time with the l65's for the time being and just buy he 14's since they are so nice. Just saying...

 

[Zonker92]

L65s would also make nice eWaves. Heresy, I know ...

 

[mikeg58]

Picking up the 14's on Friday will post picks when I get them home...I put up a few items on eBay to compensate for the expenses of the buy. I hate to sell my HPM 100's but it's either them or kappa 7's, or Bose 601's and I like the others more Han the pioneers. 350.00

 

[Zonker92]

Nice!!

 

[Vincentz]

I think that you will be really pleased. I've had the 14's for over a year now, and I am surprised almost on a daily basis. I started off powering them with a Marantz 2325 and then a Kenwood 600. They would rock the house with plenty of punch, but I felt like I was missing detail in the upper end.
The detail was already way better than the Boston Acoustic A200's, that I was using previously. Way larger sounding, and much more accurate. However the source material that you use with the Altecs, matters quite a bit and I know some of material that I have was capable of much more.

I have always wanted a tube amp and found this would be the right opportunity to see what these things were all about. I found a used 60w Aronov tube amp and eventually an Audio Research pre. Well, now I know what all the hype is about with tubes and Altecs. The sound is just, much more three dimensional. I guess that would be the best way that I could describe it. It's just sounds more like real music.

I am now on the constant search for 19's. I just missed a pair a few months back that went for 250, by about half an hour. Talk about a bad day. So the search is still on. I just want to do a side by side one day and find out for myself what the 19s are all about. I would also like to check out the JBLs. I've heard a lot of great things about them and they also retain their price nicely.
Good luck with the Altecs. Can't wait to read what you think about them.

 

[mikeg58]

So are you saying that with a regular receiver it doesn't sound three dementional? What's so different about a tube compared to a receiver ?

 

[Vincentz]

So are you saying that with a regular receiver it doesn't sound three dementional? What's so different about a tube compared to a receiver ?

No, just more three dimensional. I just hear a better soundstage. The sound is smoother and doesn't sound as hard. Sorry, that's the best way to describe it. It may be different with different tube equipment. I wasn't unhappy with the other equipment that I was using. I wanted to hear for myself if the tube equipment was worth it. And for me it has been. I'm just relaying my own experiences and opinions. I'm sure you will be happy with whatever you hook up to them.

 

[bowtie427ss]

I would not lump the sonic characteristics of all receivers into one group.

 

[Karmices]

So are you saying that with a regular receiver it doesn't sound three dementional? What's so different about a tube compared to a receiver ?

The 14's will sound really good with using a solid state setup. You should enjoy them. Post pics when you get them home and congrats!

 

[twiiii]

The little Mantaray horn is a great performer and does NOT have the typical horn sound of the sectorial horn in the model 19. The horn is designed with a 10 or 15 degree down angle and you might want to flip the horn so it projects up rather down. That being said the 12 inch woofer has to extend up a little higher than the 15 in the model 19. I liked the 14, the 19 not as much. I don't remember the 9000 series number but there was a version that was essentially a model 19 with a Mantaray 594MK II horn that was great in larger rooms. Because of the 411 woofer it could reach down and shake some walls. We built our own cabinets and made a version with the 120 degree MR horn as monitor speakers for our community college FM radio station. We had to change from a 902 diaphragm to a 908 as they like to really push the speakers hard.

 

[sempai]

So are you saying that with a regular receiver it doesn't sound three dementional? What's so different about a tube compared to a receiver ?

Pick up a t-amp for yourself.
You will get as close to the "tube sound" as you're going to get without buying a tube amp.

with the 14's :

Big, big 3d sound stage.
Precise placement of instruments.
Better separation of instruments.
More micro-detail.
On and on ...

And they are very inexpensive.

Congratulations on the buy.
looking forward to the pics.

Art

 

[Vincentz]

I should also confess that the tube equipment cost about three times the amount the Marantz or Kenwood equipment did and are about 20 years newer. So it is hardly a fair comparison. I can really hear differences through the 14s, compared to other speakers that I have owned. That much I do love about them.

Soooo tell us. What do you think??:thumbsdn::thmbsp:

 

[jt4me1]

My pair sound real nice driven by my HK Citation 16s. I personally love the looks of these, also. Mine do not lack bass driven as they are.

 

[jboldway]

Nobody talks about something extremely important - dynamics. Dynamics drives real music as much as tone. I've got a few pair of B&W speakers - awesome, flat, every detail perfectly laid out. I've also got an old EV Empire speaker with the 15" bass driver, horn midrange and tweeter driven by a Stromberg Carlson 6V6 pair tube amp with no feedback. Mono.
Come in to my room and close your eyes. Only with the old stupid efficient EV does the musicians appear to be in front if you. Why? Dynamics. Not frequently response,etc. The altec 14s are very dynamic.
Do you want to listen to music or specs?