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Altec 604-B

J

JC Bourque

New Member
I have come into possession of two Altec 604-Bs and two Mastering Lab 604/5 crossovers. These were used as studio playback monitors for a room large enough for an orchestra. I'd like to use these, but am not particularly versed in the technical side of music appreciation.

The crossover-to-speaker connections are labeled on the crossovers, so I can do that part. The question is: what do I need to send proper signal to these puppies?

Thanks,

JC
 
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Hi
Post up some pics of your speakers and crossovers. What cabinets are the 604s in?

Are you asking about which amp to use, or something else?
 
Lol yes. Some people like tubes with their Altecs. Some like solid state. I prefer mine with Ashly Mosfet amps. It’s all a matter of personal taste.
 
I installed Altec systems and owned a few. Carmel and Coronado. Later on I learned for the best bass accuracy bi-amping with a SS direct coupled amp gave the best choice whether the speaker was from the 604 series, a 515 or 416 series. You don't need a lot of power. 75 to 100 watts for the woofer is more than enough.
 
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Thanks, all. Didn't quite follow the bi-amp part, but the wattage requirement is helpful, so I can see if I have anything that can drive these. Again, I'm not well versed in audio. Unfortunately, these are not in cabinets, so that's something I need to work on.

Meanwhile, here's a shot of one of the crossovers.
IMG_1216

IMG_1216

 
I haven’t heard a pair of the mastering labs xovers, but from what I’ve read, they are very good.
The older 604 don’t need a huge cabinet. I think something around a 612 size (5-6cuft) is supposed to be enough for these. There are plans to build them online (build them yourself), you could have a local cabinet builder make some for you, or you can buy complete cabinets on eBay for $$$.

I built a pair of 612c cabs a few years back and it wasn’t too bad. It’s just a big box. You can finish it as nice as you want. I like the industrial look so I painted mine gray.

What happened to the cabinets they were in previously?
 
FWIW, ideal XO for 604 and 604B with their larger true multi-cell horns is 1khz.

JC Bourque said:
Didn't quite follow the bi-amp part, but the wattage requirement is helpful, so I can see if I have anything that can drive these. Again, I'm not well versed in audio.
Click to expand...
A couple watts will go a long way with any 604.

604B's are very similar to original 604 in that they still used a paper hinge on the cone and the phenolic spider/damper unique to early Altec drivers. The cones are not capable of long excursions, feeding them low bass signals at moderate power can end their lives prematurely. If you;re thinking of playing hip hop and dance music thru them with a big amp for a party, these are the wrong speakers for that. Beyond that they're of high enough sensitivity that they'll likely be playing much louder than desired before you push them into the danger zone.
 
elitopus said:
I haven’t heard a pair of the mastering labs xovers, but from what I’ve read, they are very good.
The older 604 don’t need a huge cabinet. I think something around a 612 size (5-6cuft) is supposed to be enough for these. There are plans to build them online (build them yourself), you could have a local cabinet builder make some for you, or you can buy complete cabinets on eBay for $$$.

I built a pair of 612c cabs a few years back and it wasn’t too bad. It’s just a big box. You can finish it as nice as you want. I like the industrial look so I painted mine gray.

What happened to the cabinets they were in previously?
Click to expand...

I had to leave the cabinets behind when I moved halfway across the country. They were pretty beat anyway.
 
elitopus said:
My problem is I’m always getting my tieftoner and hochtoner mixed up ;)
Click to expand...

Easy!!!

This is a tieftoner:

GUEST_c52ad38c-7703-44a9-a5ec-5d453d8e392e




Easy, this is a hooch toner:

5de9fec1752d2e0348cec558-large.jpg
 
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