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Altec Santana Please Advise

lakegville

lakegville

Active Member
I really really want a pair of "real" Altecs for my very own. I will hug em and squeeze em and call them George. I missed on some Valencias recently and Model 14's close to home...so disappointing. I have even gone as far as to put a WTB post on CL all over the SE and with no luck. Each time a pair gets away i default back to this one lonely pair of Santana 1's that i have been watching now for about eight months for $400...(lowest he will take). I would be tempted to get them if a few folks around here would just stand give the Santana's some praise. Most of what i see around here are neutral feelings for them at best case.

Are they really no good? Is the bad talk you read just perception or reality? They look really cool and well built and they came from minds of the same men who produced a lot of great designs? I am sure that they were expensive when new.....but on the other hand if the are just bad they are bad. After i get some feedback i am either going to buy these or write them off forever. As always....thanks in advance.
 
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lakegville said:
I really really want a pair of "real" Altecs for my very own
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Santanas are not it. The fact that you have seen them for sale for 8 months should indicate something to you about both the price and desirability. At 400 they should remain for sale for a very long time.
 
I have a pair of Santana 879A's(1's). I loaded a set of small Coral horns because both Becker phenolic tweets were toast. I tried the PR tweets from my Marantz Imperial 5's and no joy. For me, the tweet is a weak point. Others will point to the 15" full range 420A driver as not being the equal of their more famous siblings.

At my age, I don't have golden ears but do enjoy them, At 400 they are listed for what a set of 420A drivers have sold for on that auction site. I have not heard any of the Altecs listed to be able to compare but perhaps someday I will.

Listen to them and let your ears be the judge but if you're really set on Valencia's, 14's or others I would hold out for them.
 
macgolf said:
At 400 they are listed for what a set of 420A drivers.............
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The raw drivers in the hands of a seller who is willing to properly pack and ship are a completely different story in terms of value compared to a pair of moderately large speakers weighing in at over 50 lbs each.

The 420 is plenty capable in the proper application. I know some fellas in Eastern Europe who really enjoy them in large BLH cabinets. Those are the fellas paying the big bucks for those drivers.

I think the OP is looking for an example of the Iconic 2-way Altec design, or a close facsimile there of. The Santana just ain't that creature despite it's redeeming characteristics.
 
I am North Eastern AL....... may have overstated my wtb CL posts. I posted them in AL, GA, and TN. Those are the markets i must pull from because i have a audio partner who picks up gear for me with his work travels.
 
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i had a pair of low buck 879a and removed the baffle board, trashed the tweeters, pulled the 420a woofs and sold them on ebay for good money, really good money, but its been too long to remember how much, but enough to pay for the ewave project which the cabs eventually became. but, four hundred is way too much to pay a set. they just are not the best effort
 
You are obviously looking for the real Altec experience, and the Santiago simply will not deliver. You will need to buy a system utilizing the "heritage" Altec components (803,416,515 woofers/802,288 etc drivers/811,511,1003 etc horns, for example) to get the Altec sound you are seeking. Unfortunately, Altec components (especially the 604 series coaxials) and complete speaker systems have gone wildly expensive over the last couple of years, making it almost impossible for low-budget buyers like me to enter the fold. Had it not been for the good graces of an old friend, I would never have found mine. Good luck in the hunt.

GeeDeeEmm
 
I have good many medium sized speakers to test out and a few larger...JBL L200, Cornwall, LaScala, EV....i just wanted to have a "representative" from the Altec family. I have passed on a couple pair of A7's that were a decent price local. That cabinet is just not for me. Had two nice pair get away for reasons out of my control recently. After the advise i am going to pass on these little beauties. I have no doubt that i will pull in a couple of pair in the future.....the questions that remain are when and at what cost? Probably going to be hard to top the 846b for $600 that slipped thru ten miles from home!
 
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