Altec 604 vs Klispschhorn

[streetwise]

anybody have experience with both, any form of altec 604 or klipschhorn, would be awesome to hear peoples opinion listening impressions recommendations on the two.

Ive heard Khorns and Altec's Valencia but never altec 604s

 

[twiiii]

Well its the difference between a point source speaker and a big horn loaded speaker. In the correct enclosure the 604 will match the low frequency extension of the Korner Horn. It 4 or 5 db less efficient and depending on which 604 will handle bout 1/3 power. If its one of Great Plains latest units with the sectorial horn will HF response is even better than the Kornerhorn and the power handling is as good with less compression. But the main difference is the arrival times are much better with the 604 making for better staging and definition. Of course the corner horn is better for larger rooms where definition is maintained because of the big midrange horn. Where the 604 might be swamped by room reflections. I always preferred the 604 E and newer because the sound was more coherent, especially when used by Urei with a sectorial horn, a time aligning crossover, and supplementary woofer. But the new 604 by Great Plains Audio in a 9.5 cuft enclosure is another step forward, with a better horn, more advanced HF diaphragm and better cone materials. Of course Kornerhorns have been improved over the years, too. And they come ready to work. Building an attractive enclosure of the right proportions for a 604 might be a real challenge.

 

[rider33]

a 604 being a duplex is a point source with all the imaging and coherence benefits that implies. A large speaker in a large room can get there, eventually, but not having sound spread across different locations to begin with helps. Beyond that, you have the house Altec vs Klip sound. It varies by model but generally I find vintage Altec to have a you-are-there midrange while Klip's tend to have a more articulate top end. Which appeals to you is a matter of taste, both have their fans.