2007 off to a good start! Altec score!

GordonW said:
Unless you're trying to use the speaker to play a live AC/DC cover band, you probably won't have problems with excursion, even without the loading caps...

Regards,
Gordon.
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Hmmm.....well, there are those occasions when the wife and kids are gone! haha. I play loud sometimes but I don't think enough to get to that point. What about changing out those inductors? Mine look a little crappy. Would newer technology help those out if I'm going to be recapping anyway?

Thanks for the input, Gordon!
 
Well done,mate.:thmbsp:
So.. a few questions..
Are these the first Altecs you've owned or heard?
Who do you rep for?
How about taking these to the CES and getting them into a system there?:yes:
 
avguytx said:
Hmmm.....well, there are those occasions when the wife and kids are gone! haha. I play loud sometimes but I don't think enough to get to that point. What about changing out those inductors? Mine look a little crappy. Would newer technology help those out if I'm going to be recapping anyway?

Thanks for the input, Gordon!
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Regarding the loading cap, home use, crossed over at 800hz, I think you'll be fine with felt!! I'd love to try my Eminence hybrid crossovers in those units!! I'm suprised at the wiring on the horn driver, based on voice coil mounting planes, you'd expect the polarity to be reversed, did you mess with it?? Those drivers look excellent!! Dave. :music:

Altec_Santana_Xovers_03.jpg
 
Dang!!! I missed that sale. :sigh:

Great find and I have yet to come across any of the Altec speakers nor have I gotten to listen to a pair. Maybe one day I could drive over and listen to them? :scratch2:
 
I did not know Altec made those with that late series of drivers. Those have to be late 70's. It is a spectacular score.
 
Those Valencia cabinets(859A)on the brochure posted by dgwojo were 846As.I'm sure that a fellow I know in Brisbane bought his 846Bs in 1976.
 
avguytx said:
I know these woofers need to be rotated 180 degrees because of the "drooling" the surrounds do after many years, but...a)
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In looking at your pics I can't make out any accumulation of surround dope at the bottom of the woofers which you speak of, but if there is I'd think you should rotate them only 90 degrees for awhile so the stuff does not run down the center of the cone. A minor point but something to consider. A simple reverse will only allow gravity to ruin your pristine looking cones!

Great score BTW!!!:thmbsp:

Russ
 
RussinOhio said:
In looking at your pics I can't make out any accumulation of surround dope at the bottom of the woofers which you speak of, but if there is I'd think you should rotate them only 90 degrees for awhile so the stuff does not run down the center of the cone. A minor point but something to consider. A simple reverse will only allow gravity to ruin your pristine looking cones!

Great score BTW!!!:thmbsp:

Russ
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It's not a major amount of drool, but it's there. When I get home from Vegas later in the week, I'll get a pic of them. So I should rotate the drool from the 12 o'clock position to 3 or 9 o'clock?

I've had 2 friends of mine who have owned Altecs for years (and one who rebuilds drivers) say I should not change the crossovers or the solid copper wire they use internally. To keep them as close to "original" as possible. I guess I could always build a separate crossover board and put in there for tinkering with that uses "new" components.

I'm just ready to get home and listen to them!!! lol :music:
 
avguytx said:
I've had 2 friends of mine who have owned Altecs for years (and one who rebuilds drivers) say I should not change the crossovers or the solid copper wire they use internally. To keep them as close to "original" as possible. I guess I could always build a separate crossover board and put in there for tinkering with that uses "new" components.
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I'd just check the caps with a good capacitance meter to verify they're in spec and leave them be if they're OK, and you're correct, a separate board is the best way to experiment and keep originality. I had to change my caps as they were so out of tolerence that both horns were blown when I bought them from a lowering of the crossover point and being over-driven, Dave. :music:
 
avguytx said:
It's not a major amount of drool, but it's there. When I get home from Vegas later in the week, I'll get a pic of them. So I should rotate the drool from the 12 o'clock position to 3 or 9 o'clock?
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I would, sure if you're gonna rotate them at all I'd rather have the "goo" accumulation on the sides or bottom rather than directly at the top where it could run down the cones center. If your speakers are in a climate controlled enviroment (air conditioned) it's probably a non-issue. I doubt the stuff would run. If not....extreme heat & humidity in the summer WILL more likely make it run.

Russ
 
So today I got the chance to finally listen to these speakers. Keep in mind, I haven't done anything more than hook them up and go. I like them, but...

The highs seem a little flat and the midrange nasally. Bass is good, though. I know it's a different beast than other speakers I own but I don't know. I'm thinking I need to clean the "L-Pad" with contact cleaner to make sure signal is passing thru like it's supposed to. Moving it around, of course, does make for some in and out sound on the highs. I'll do that tomorrow and see what happens.

What things did you guys do to yours? What amp do you run on them? I'm using a Carver M1.0t which sounds amazing on the EV's, the Polk's, the Advents, etc. My buddy in Phoenix with a pair of Model 19's recommends a McIntosh amp of some sort. I wonder if the MC2100 would help them out? :scratch2: I get conflicting opinions in regards to redoing the internal wiring and changing the crossovers. One person recommends to leave the stock crossovers but I see them as being kind of worn out (if you will) given their age and all.

I listened to them with some different music but now I am back to the Polk 10B's. I just like that sound better for what I listen to. Oh well...a crappy weekend of weather here so it gives me something to do.
 
avguytx said:
What things did you guys do to yours?
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I sold them.

They were one of the worst sounding speaker sets I've ever had.

(Mine were Flamencos, different cabinet, same internals.)
 
My buddy in Phoenix with a pair of Model 19's recommends a McIntosh amp of some sort. I wonder if the MC2100 would help them out?

i recommend a tube amp myself:)
 
I'm still undecided on these speakers. I don't want to have to buy an amp just to make these sound better. I know they sound pretty decent with vocal type music...pretty darn good, actually. But if I listen to other stuff (90% of what I listen to falls into this category), they just don't cut it. I don't think they are in a room big enough to do them justice either...being that they are just in my office. I'm not going to put them in the living room because, well, I just don't want them in there. I want to be able to enjoy them, but you know how it is. I just wish they had the high end of the Polk Monitor 10B's...or my EV Interface C's. I didn't have to do anything to them to get them singing.

Oh, I did try to clean the contacts on the L-Pads since I know the highs travel thru them. Should I replace them with some new ones from PE? Do these drivers even have the ability to get to 20kHz?

For now, I'm listening to the Polk's. They still sound better. Help!
 
avguytx said:
I'm still undecided on these speakers. I don't want to have to buy an amp just to make these sound better. I know they sound pretty decent with vocal type music...pretty darn good, actually. But if I listen to other stuff (90% of what I listen to falls into this category), they just don't cut it. I don't think they are in a room big enough to do them justice either...being that they are just in my office. I'm not going to put them in the living room because, well, I just don't want them in there. I want to be able to enjoy them, but you know how it is. I just wish they had the high end of the Polk Monitor 10B's...or my EV Interface C's. I didn't have to do anything to them to get them singing.

Oh, I did try to clean the contacts on the L-Pads since I know the highs travel thru them. Should I replace them with some new ones from PE? Do these drivers even have the ability to get to 20kHz?

For now, I'm listening to the Polk's. They still sound better. Help!
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Sorry to say, but I think you need to rebuild the x-overs and replace the wiring... Your X-over have old dried out caps in it. :yes:
 
I was thinking that myself. They even look kind of like Poly caps in them...maybe mylar. What about the inductors and L-Pads? I know that wiring in there looks pretty weenish for what they are. I wouldn't mind spending a little bit on them but it kills me that a pair of Polk Monitor 10B's sound better!
 
avguytx said:
I was thinking that myself. They even look kind of like Poly caps in them...maybe mylar. What about the inductors and L-Pads? I know that wiring in there looks pretty weenish for what they are. I wouldn't mind spending a little bit on them but it kills me that a pair of Polk Monitor 10B's sound better!
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Polks are good speakers and it does not surprise me that they would compete at this point. I would leave the inductors alone and for now I would just clean the L-pads. However I would change out all the caps and wiring. That should be easy to do and at that point you could see if you are starting to like them more. If you do hear a big improvement I would do some reading and find out some other easy mods that would make them sound even better... :thmbsp: I have never heard a non updated vintage speaker that sounded good. Now onces you update with new components they can sound really good.
 
AVguy-----Maybe they simply aren't for you, you don't have to like them you know.

Listen, those things ARE soft on the top end, you're not going to get the kind of top end on them some other speakers have. I've been an Altec fan for a donkey's age but I never claimed they were the ultimate in extended highs but I thought their strengths outweighed their faults. Others disagree.

That's why people are so keen on Nineteens, because the EQed crossover improves the highs.
 
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