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Altec Coaxial vs Jensen Triaxial?

G

ghostmusic

New Member
Slowly getting around to have a pair of vintage Altecs or Jensens. For a few weeks, I was obsessed with Altec 604Es and GPA 604 8H IIIs, then I just got bitten by the Jensen G 610 bug...

Can anyone who's experienced both the Altec duplexes and Jensen triaxials advise me on basic pros and cons of each? Impressions and subjective preferences are always appreciated, thanks! :tresbon:
 
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I own a pair of 604Cs which I have never used,or heard.I've never heard any Jensens.

My observation would be that the Altec 604 was widely used as a monitor speaker.That would possibly lend more weight to it's claim to be the one to be held in higher regard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_monitor

This is not meant as a put-down against the Jensen.Just a relevant fact.
 
I have not heard a G610, and they certainly look impressive and well made but...
it is hard to believe that they better an Altec AlNiCo 604 Duplex. Maybe in HF extension.
 
mhardy6647 said:
it is hard to believe that they better an Altec AlNiCo 604 Duplex. Maybe in HF extension.
Click to expand...
That wouldn't be difficult. I had a pair of Altec 604B's and while the MF range was pretty sweet they had rolled off highs and barely played below 100 Hz. The later 604's I'm sure play better down low. But what bass they had was very good. I know nothing about the Jensens specifically although I do have a 15" coaxial in my Fisher Custom Electra. It's mono and I only play the radio through it after it warms up for about 15 minutes. :D
 
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Hi all,

Not too long ago, I found a (Klipsch designed) Short (Corner) Horn on CL.
Much to my surprise, the single driver turned out to be a rare vintage 15"
JENSEN Type "H" Consentric driver in PRISTINE condition. I am listening to this Speaker (MONO system) as I type this post. The Jensen is very efficient
being driven with a lil' AMPEX 620 (6L6) Tube Amp. I find the sound of the Jensen very enjoyable, smooth, just easy to listen to on Classic Jazz and Light Classical. I wouldn't say it's the last word in "detail" being kinda on the
"warm" side (at least with the Ampex amp). Nevertheless, I often enjoy listening to the Jensen for "mellow" type listening. It's an entirely different listening experience than my (three way) Stephens Tru-Sonic Horn Speaker.

Regards,
SixCats!
 
IIRC, the late 60's Allied catalogue had the Altec 604D at $240, and the Jensen G610 at $175. The Jensen did not sell as well, and then the voracious Asian rim stereo market developed. Since demand is insatiable for quality vintage American gear, the relatively few Jensen triaxes have soared in value, and the Altec coaxes have risen nicely, but not exponentially. In my book, this is a classic illustration of the supply/demand price curve from college economics classes.

The Altecs deliver a better value, and a smoother sound for me. Better bass, great midrange, with a slow rolloff that is significant by 17 to 18kHz. The Jensen RP302 is a screamer, so the highs are almost etched. Bass is a little lighter on the Jensen, but to me it seems slightly punchier.

It is one of life's rich twists of fate that many people have the Jensen triax as a holy grail piece and the great Altec dups are put in the back seat these days.
 
Thanks for all the info, everyone! One thing that sketches me out about the Altec 604s is that crossover right in the stinkin' mid-range...

Sixcats, I'm heeding your advice closely as I'm leaning toward a mono speaker configuration, as the use is going to be primarily 78s and mono records... I wouldn't mind a little 'warmth' acticing as a noise-cutting filter; I'd rather have that than 'revealing,' as I'll do a LOT of 78s listening... =)
 
mhardy6647 said:
... thus the Mastering Labs crossover.
Click to expand...

Exactly my thinking, too. I've heard the old Jensen's in a friends setup he used starting in the late 70s. They were, indeed, quite nice for a refined and pleasant system. The problem for me is, that was over 30 years ago now and we weren't exactly in the perfect state of cognition (although we thought so at the time) to best imprint the sonic details.

The things I tend to think about these days, assuming I'm going to use a vintage speaker are:

- Reconing available? That is, are there any reconers who _really_ know Jensen or Altecs and have access to the materials needed to bring them back up to their original operating condition?

- Crossovers? Are alternatives available where folks have done analysis on the old speakers and applied that knowledge to design better crossovers?

Clearly, in both cases, the answer is Altec 604. We have the older Mastering Lab and UREI crossovers and then the neo-designs of Jeff Marquart and others floating around on the internet.

So, discussions about what we _might_ remember when the drivers were newer really don't mean a lot. The discussions about what we hear from these drivers today in their original form aren't really that valid as we're listening to older, tired drivers. The only real way to know what you've got is to have it rebuilt and then evaluate again. I did this with a set of Altec 604s that came out of my 70s vintage UREI 813s - they went to GPA and got the full-on recone/magnet recharge. I like 'em and like the fact that I can still get parts and service for them from the original tooling and expertise. I just wonder how long that will be around.

Cheers,

David
 
Thanks, David & mrh. Yes, that's my concern with the Jensens, as one needs to worry about two crossover points, and I don't know if anyone out there is a certifiable Jensen expert who can recone/modify crossovers, who is reliable... seems like in Asia, there are a few experts, but strangely, can't come up with names here... maybe GPA can do something?
 
ghostmusic asked: Thanks, Eurasian, for the link, I'll try him... but why not the price discussion with him?

I had a chance to think about this for a minute or two and concluded that, as an active collector/trader, Kerry doesn't want to talk price with anyone who could potentially either buy from him (at full-tilt retail) or sell to him (at wholesale). This is complete speculation on my part.
 
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