JBL Speakers What are these?
- Thread starter alwayslooking
- Start date
gonzomeep
Super Member
Well, mostly vented and horn loaded ala' VOTT. I cannot recall if the 846 had port tubes, but I'm pretty sure they did.
spartanmanor
Lunatic Member
Well I guess these would be a good learning project. I have not opened up the crossover cover I will do that when I get home. Hopefully they are not to messed up.
I am currently running Klipsch Forte's so if I were to get these in shape I think it would be a step up.
I am currently running Klipsch Forte's so if I were to get these in shape I think it would be a step up.
gonzomeep
Super Member
I'm very careful about "what's better" comments like that. It really depends on what you like with your own ears. You must have these Altecs set up properly to compare. Like I said, if you're up to the task, I think it would be time well spent.
spartanmanor
Lunatic Member
Well it's not like I don't have a hundred other projects going on. Thanks for the encouragement. :thmbsp:
VOT
Active Member
You need grills? I have grills. I had a pair and parted them out. They were just to big for my room. They are for the exact cabinet in your picture. They are dark burlap weave with Altec badges on them. They are 25 wide x 27 high. They are original to the Altec 846U cabinet, which is what you pictured. Wanna talk? Oh yeah, I live in Columbia, MD.
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Um, all the references I can find state that the 811 was the original Valencia horn...
http://www.geocities.com/frleand/ClassicAudio/Pages/AltecPictures.html
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-620.html
Regards,
Gordon.
bowtie427ss
Lunatic Member
What they did was cob up the original reflex openings at the sides of the horn and employ tube type ports like the later "B" and "U" model valencia. Also if the stock phragm is still in place in the 806's they're 16 ohm, so if the stock N-800-F (tar potted POS) is still being used, the knee point for the 8 ohm woofer won't be correct.
If you're going to do anything serious using the 416-8C's i'd strongly recommened having them analyzed for their full T/S parameters and tune the box accordingly. Early 416-8C's tend to not even be close to their published specs, and there are model 19 owners with 416-8C's that have observed their systems to be bass shy compared to other "8B" and "8A" equipped pairs.
Myself, i couldn't flip the 8C's and replace with 8B's fast enough, but that's just my personal .02.
If you're going to do anything serious using the 416-8C's i'd strongly recommened having them analyzed for their full T/S parameters and tune the box accordingly. Early 416-8C's tend to not even be close to their published specs, and there are model 19 owners with 416-8C's that have observed their systems to be bass shy compared to other "8B" and "8A" equipped pairs.
Myself, i couldn't flip the 8C's and replace with 8B's fast enough, but that's just my personal .02.
bowtie427ss
Lunatic Member
Look a little closer, those are early 846A cabinets bastardized into 846B/U clones, i doubt 846U grills will fit correctly.
spartanmanor
Lunatic Member
spartanmanor
Lunatic Member
It looks as if I bought a bunch of random parts. I am begining to think It might be better to just part everything out and look for a better unmolested example.
Not necessarily. I would be molesting any unmolested pair to update them, actually, anyway. That's what your previous owner attempted to do, apparently, but we now know better how to successfully work with Valencias.
You're telling us the cabinets are near mint on the exterior. It may well be that the dimensions and grille mounting are the same for 846A and 846B/U, so you should probably follow up on VOT's grille offering. Member Jackgiff can tell you if that'll work. It seems like you could borrow those to verify, first.
All you potentially need to make those into excellent speakers are a pair of BMS compression drivers and some DIY crossovers, plus the baffle work you're already aware of. I'd be keeping the woofers and tuning the cabs optimally. 416-8C is in most box modeling databases.... :yes:
Edit: I forget Valencia's internal volume, but it's documented, or you can measure and compute it yourself. BB6P's suggested high-fidelity alignment for that woofer is 5 cuft tuned to ~34 Hz, below, which seems close and looks quite good on paper. I have no experience with how that might sound, tho. It's two 4" ports, 7.75" long for 5 cuft, though a pair of shorter (3.5" long) 3" diameter ones will work as well. That's just for perspective; you need to know the actual volume to be more precise.
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gonzomeep
Super Member
Very good then Gordon, I wasn't real sure about the original config., I was looking at the pictures, and it looks as though there was the larger 511B horn in there at one point. I can see what looks to be the T-Nut insert holes at both ends of the larger cut-out that correspond to a 511B, along with the shape and size of it too ( the cut out). Thanks for the info update, regards, Steve G.
Good score -- they'll only be ugly temporarily, I am sure. They actually look to be in pretty good shape, and I don't think it will take to much to bring them back. The 811s are original, as someone else has already said. I'd call these keepers, and a worthy project. :thmbsp:
VOT
Active Member
"They are original to the Altec 846U cabinet,". I meant THEY ARE ORIGINAL TO THE ALTEC 846U CABINET. Yes, they are ORIGINAL grills with the really cool ALTEC metal logo badgeez. Or don't you need no steenkeeng badgeez? :scratch2:
spartanmanor
Lunatic Member
After seeing Avguytx score on Altec Milano's http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=131979 I am inspired to work with these. I need to do a lot more research as I am a total Altec noob. I think the first order of business is restoring the cabinets. I feel the ports need to go back to where they began next to the horns.
gonzomeep
Super Member
Those Altec comp drivers will help finance the BMS drivers too. I'd give them a listen first though, just to be sure. Although the data might suggest a less than optimum HF extention, they still sound very nice. Before I was able to acquire my 802-8G Altec compression drivers to complete my M19's, I carefully drilled the 811b's to accept JBL 2420 (LE85) drivers. That is a good combo there too, in fact better to my ears than the stock drivers. I will point out that it is akin to extra gravy, if you know what I mean? I already had gravy :yes:
spartanmanor
Lunatic Member
I started new thread as I was able to tare one of them apart this weekend to see what I had: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=132186
I am kind of a stock guy so I would like to put these back as close to original and still have them sound good.
