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Altec Bolero

cuthien

cuthien

Active Member
I have a pair of Altec Bolero and also picked up a pair of Altec 406 woofers as spare for these marvelous Boleros. Thinking about putting these spare woofers in place of the passive 10" to have maybe a fuller sound, more bass??? Just don't know what is the best way to do it. Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. Perhaps someone here have schematics for these who can help. Thanks.
 
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Probably not a good idea to add another active woofer here! The cabinets were built to support only one active woofer and a passive radiator. Also the xover would have to be rebuilt to support the other active unit.

I would leave well enough alone and keep this classic, an un-modified classic. If you want a fuller sound, add more speakers perhaps........
DC
 
Agreeing with DC. That passive radiator is there to extend the bass response of the cabinet, acting much the same as a port. To remove it and replace with an active woofer may actually reduce bass output.
 
I will leave speakers and enjoy them for what they are. Thanks everyone.
 
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With the extra Altec 406s, what's the guy suppose to do with them, i mated its with B&C DE12 and Dayton HOE7 waveguide http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=270-316 using the econo-wave crossovers with some minor modification. All I can say is wow!!! :music::music::music:

I am glad I took the advise - it turned out really really great. Now, I have to find some horns that will fit in the slot of the original Boleros and make them to Bole-EWAVE. :banana: Thanks
 

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This one will likely fit:

http://www.jblproservice.com/pdf/AE Series Compact Models/AC15-WH.pdf

That's a pretty high crossover frequency, even in the originals, tho. The better approach is to replace the passive with a suitable waveguide and port the cabinets.

Another option is to install the second woofer and run it in "0.5" mode with a series inductor to augment the bass. That'll likely require porting the cabs also.... :yes:
 
Which Boleros are you messing with? If it's the A or B model, I doubt you're going to do better than the Altec 3000-series tweeter.
 
Zilch said:
This one will likely fit:

http://www.jblproservice.com/pdf/AE Series Compact Models/AC15-WH.pdf

That's a pretty high crossover frequency, even in the originals, tho. The better approach is to replace the passive with a suitable waveguide and port the cabinets.

Another option is to install the second woofer and run it in "0.5" mode with a series inductor to augment the bass. That'll likely require porting the cabs also.... :yes:
Click to expand...
Thanks Zilch. I will check that out.
 
You mean these :D. Yes the Altec 3000 horn tweeters are quite nice indeed.
 

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cuthien said:
I have a pair of Altec Bolero and also picked up a pair of Altec 406 woofers as spare for these marvelous Boleros.
Click to expand...


Since you think they're marvelous (I agree) you might want to just relax and enjoy them as they are.

You could take the extra 406s and build another system around them; Altec used the driver in a sealed box that was smaller than the Bolero; Madera or something.
 
Bolero 890B vs 890C

Good audience to ask opinions regarding the "b" vs the "c" versions of the bolero. I get the drift that the 3000G tweeter is the better of the two. I am wondering about your thoughts on the low fi drivers. And if they are interchangeble? I have just come into a pair of both, and the C's have one woofer with a VC rub. On the hunt. I have been listening to the b's and they are awesome.
thanks
G
 
glenwcar said:
Good audience to ask opinions regarding the "b" vs the "c" versions of the bolero.
G
Click to expand...

I asked this very question a few months back, but got no response. I've been a long-time owner of a pair of the 890C, and I've always been curious about the earlier "B" variation with the 3000G tweeter. I did recently have the chance to hear the 890B, but it was a single speaker (not a pair) through a solid state amp; the highs sounded nice but everything else was so-so.

For years I'd assumed that the earlier incarnations (A + B) of the 890 were the holy grail in terms of technicolor Altec sound in a bookshelf, but it came to my attention recently that the voice coil in the 406Z is only 2" in diameter, while the 406-8Y that comes equipped in the 890C has a 3" diameter VC. That, along with the lower crossover point in the 890C (which asks the woofers to cover less ground) would theoretically give the 406-8Y a better listening experience.

My only issue with the 890C is that the highs sound kind of shrill. Anyone have first-hand experience with both the 890B and the 890C? I'd love to know the findings of someone who has had the opportunity to compare/contrast the two variations using the same hi-fi system.

Ivan
 
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