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New or vintage crossover for A5 VOTT

elitopus said:
Did you figure out if you’ll have to mod your drivers to get those phragms to fit?
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MissionX said:
I asked Alex(the Russian guy) if they would fit a 288B and he said "and of course they are suitable for a 288B.
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I don't think the machining is about diaphragm fitment. IIRC, it has to do with a change in the original engineering/construction. A phone call to Bill would probably solve that mystery conclusively.
 
bowtie427ss said:
The more revealing your system becomes, the more critical it will be about what you feed it. Everything will gravitate toward an extreme.

Good sounding, well engineered recordings will be even better than you've heard them before.

Some lesser quality recordings that have generally always left a bit to be desired will become nearly unlistenable.

There's always a compromise in audio...
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I like this comment as I have been mulling over your points before you posted. I have noticed that the good recordings sound really good and the crappy ones sound really bad. Which is not as noticeable on relatively high powered solid state gear. (what I have anyway) I tried listening to some Jimi Hendrix, and boy, it's hard to find good recordings.AC/DC is another one. I am getting the impression that if I have to do a few adjustments on various artists, that's the way it's going to be and that's why there's knobs. lol. I'm relatively happy with the way things are going, it's just a few areas when I'm listening, I think.."that's not right". As an example the hard driving guitar in "Ridin' the Storm Out" and Journey's "Seperate Ways". At times I think I should have a 515 instead of a 515B. I'd be interested in thoughts on that. I could recone a B as a 515 or source another one. Over the years it seems that 515B is the go to for a VOTT. I sold a pair of 515's years ago.
 
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MissionX said:
Not one of my better ideas. :rolleyes:
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I've spent time with a number of different woofers in 828 cabinets, at least a dozen, probably closer to 20 including 3 variants of 515. None of them do it all.

Consider a pair of boxes for your 515B's, cardboard boxes. Set them aside and try some different woofers.

While they're still somewhat affordable, and before the reality gets out, try some 421's. You might just be surprised. And you can modify them, and not a soul will so much as wrinkle their nose about it.

Those who know me, know i'm not the world's biggest JBL fan. But, those who know me really well, know that my 828's have been loaded with JBL's(2035's) for almost 2 decades.

This isn't a suggestion per se', and they're not the driver i use, but you should hear the D-130 in an 825 or 828

MissionX said:
As an example the hard driving guitar...
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This is what the JBL 2225/2226 eats and breathes.
 
I had some 421H that were reconed as something in between a 416 and 515. They sounded great in my 828 cabs. Also JBL 2225 sounded pretty good I thought. Different than Altec for sure, but they still sounded good.

I tried some 421A that I didn’t like in those cabs. And EV15b that were decent.

My favs were the custom coned 421’s. I got them from GordonW, and they were very inexpensive.
 
It's ironic you talk about the 421's. Just yesterday, there is a guy within a reasonable distance that has (2) 421's needing recones and a 906 needing recone. What would be a killer deal on these? He wants me to make an offer.

Edit: It's a 906 coaxial speaker.
 
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I’d pay around 100 bucks for a pair of 421 frames. Make sure they’re the same. I’ve had a few 421 frames of the same letter that were slightly different. I know bowtie can tell you the differences.

I’d send the 421s to GordonW over in Georgia. He’ll recone them the right way. And for a very good price.
 
A few years ago someone tried to sell me a pair of 904. I might have bought them but he wanted too much money. It was the same guy I got my 828 cabs from.

In trying to remember about them now. They’re the high powered version of the 604? With a symbiotik phragm I think

And when I say a few years ago I think it was 8 years ago. Haha. I was just getting into Altec, and getting back into HiFi
 
Ok cool. So you could replace the diaphragm with a Radian or GPA phragm. And if they need to be reconed anyways, send them to Gordon with the 421s to be reconed all at once! :)

Are the motors different than the 604? Like could you put a 604 cone kit in and basically make them a ferrite 604?

Btw I hate it when someone won’t tell me a price. The whole “make me an offer” thing is BS. Like just tell me what you want for the damn speakers and I can either pursue them or not based on that price
:whip:
 
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elitopus said:
Are the motors different than the 604?
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The ferrites are all essentially the 515G motor.

elitopus said:
Like could you put a 604 cone kit in and basically make them a ferrite 604?
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'zactly! ;)

It used to be an economical path to 604's when 904's sold for the couple hundred bucks they were worth.

Now, the secret sauce recipe is widespread across the interwebs, and the prices subject to it's ether.
 
Yeah the pair I came across the guy wanted a grand for them. And they still had the original 904 cones.
At the time you could get a pair of 604 for that money.
 
Haven't got pics yet.

You bring up the 515G. I have a 515-8G and a 515-8G HP. If I remember correctly(been some years) the guy I got the HP from said he reconed it as 8G. The original I have measures 5.8 DCR and the reconed HP has 5.9 DCR. I always thought these were for SS use and they've been marinating down in my basement waiting for something good. What are your thoughts on these?
 

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