Altec 602D Duplex Speaker Score

mikemurph6

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Picked these up today from a moving sale for next to nothing! Altec Lansing 602D Duplex speakers and cabinets! Don’t know too much about them. They do sound like they need a recap though.
 

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Just out of curiosity... :idea:

If one doesn't know much about a pair of speakers, especially really old speakers that they had never heard new and that may have a more limited high frequency bandwidth (like these), and listens to them, how would they know the sound of a speaker that needs a recap??? :dunno:
 
Just out of curiosity... :idea:

If one doesn't know much about a pair of speakers, especially really old speakers that they had never heard new and that may have a more limited high frequency bandwidth (like these), and listens to them, how would they know the sound of a speaker that needs a recap??? :dunno:
Well they are really old speakers, sat around for a while, are in perfect cosmetic condition (they were not abused) and they both sound distorted. Just guessing beyond that I suppose. If I’m wrong feel free to correct me, I posted on here because I am not an expert.
 
Now, to find out why they sound distorted.?
I would take Ohm readings on the horns and the woofers,
I'm not sure if you can take the Pots out to detox them, they might be potted and sealed.
most fo those tweets are blown, and AFAIK no one has replacement diaframs for them
 
Nice score. I like the cabinets too. I’ve heard the diaphragms are pretty fragile in those. I’d be careful and figure out what your distortion source is like was mentioned above.
 
....... Altec Lansing 602D Duplex speakers and cabinets! Don’t know too much about them....

AK has a dedicated sub forum for all things Altec, it's a great resource for info and plenty of Altec enthusiasts to help you on how to learn more about them.

https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?forums/the-lansing-legacy.212/

Nice find by the way, seems you have a knack for finding nice gear and kudo's to your rehab of that S-C console

https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/i...tannoy-and-thorens-find-of-a-lifetime.904027/
 
AK has a dedicated sub forum for all things Altec, it's a great resource for info and plenty of Altec enthusiasts to help you on how to learn more about them.

https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?forums/the-lansing-legacy.212/

Nice find by the way, seems you have a knack for finding nice gear and kudo's to your rehab of that S-C console

https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/i...tannoy-and-thorens-find-of-a-lifetime.904027/
Great thanks! Yeah I got pretty lucky with this too, it was listed online in a moving sale with a bunch of furniture and was labeled as an end table...I saw the 15” round discoloration and Altec badge and messaged the seller immediately!
 
Now, to find out why they sound distorted.?
I would take Ohm readings on the horns and the woofers,
I'm not sure if you can take the Pots out to detox them, they might be potted and sealed.
most fo those tweets are blown, and AFAIK no one has replacement diaframs for them
So I took another listen today and I believe I misrepresented what they sounded like, instead of distorted it sounded distant. However I moved the H.F. ATT. dial on the back of the speaker down which improved the sound drastically. At 0 it sounded perfect. I’m not sure what that dial was for, any thoughts?
 
Congrats on the Tweets being still good! Don"t run them with a lower powered SS amps or Receivers into Clipping. by the time you hear it its too Late.
 
Altec used both types of attenuators. If that network uses a potentiometer there is a possibility of it being pitted or worn.

Cleaning is surely the first step.
 
Just to add-this applies to the 601-D-but I bet the 602-d's are similar-they have the ability to convey a musical and realistic presentation very low-to medium listening levels-so the certainly don't need to be played loud to get the full effect, so to speak.
The 601-D's also benefits from dialing in the damping-2" foam directly behind the driver-curving in a "U" shaped on both sides works well in the Heath kit cabs-they had zero damping when I picked them up.
Nothing else was needed.
This technique-putting the damping behind the drivers-seems a much more effective way of properly damping the driver/enclosure with out the negative/resistive effects of volume damping.
Or just relying on lining the walls/etc.
 
Just to add-this applies to the 601-D-but I bet the 602-d's are similar-they have the ability to convey a musical and realistic presentation very low-to medium listening levels-so the certainly don't need to be played loud to get the full effect, so to speak.
The 601-D's also benefits from dialing in the damping-2" foam directly behind the driver-curving in a "U" shaped on both sides works well in the Heath kit cabs-they had zero damping when I picked them up.
Nothing else was needed.
This technique-putting the damping behind the drivers-seems a much more effective way of properly damping the driver/enclosure with out the negative/resistive effects of volume damping.
Or just relying on lining the walls/etc.
Interesting! Can you post a picture of how you mounted the foam? These cabinets have insulation on the walls. Thanks for the insight!
 
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