• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Non working Valencias, are they worth it?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Saint Johnny

Saint Johnny

Bon Ton Roule
Let me preface with, I am an Altec noob!
I owe my desire to hear these legendary beauties based solely on what I've read here.

I have an opportunity at a pair of Valencias, within a 2 blocks of my home, that are claimed to be, cosmetically very nice, above average. The catch is, the owner describes them as... 'Non-working, although they did work when last used, 4-5 years ago'.

My questions are thus.

What could potentially be wrong with them, that they should not work after merely being in storage for a few years? Best case, worse scenarios?

How difficult, extensive, and potentially expensive would a worse case scenario be to refurb these?
And considering those refurb costs into the selling price, what is a fair offer?
And finally are the sounds they reproduce when sorted out, worth taking on this type of project?

I have an appointment set up tomorrow to see and test/hear them myself. What should I look out for? Any tips/pointers
For instance, how do I get the drivers out?
 
Register to hide this ad
Try to find out what the drivers are in these. If they were working before in storage it could possibly be the crossovers which can be rebuilt. If the price is right I would jump on these.
 
Worst case it could cost about 500$ to fix them, that's IF you had to fix the compression drivers, the woofers and the crossovers---everything. Such a case is very unlikely.

I'd offer the guy 3-4 hundred.

Nobody can tell you if you'll like the sound. IMO though the reproduction from 50-10,000hz iz as about as good as anything.
 
I'm with Tom -- oddly enough :-)

I have a pair of cosmetically so-so Valencias that I just recently got, and I am enjoying them immensely.

50 to 10k is almost enough for me. They don't go as low as my ol' Cornies, but they're far superior in every other respect IMO. The midrange of the Altec horns is fantastic -- the best impression I can give you of the sound of these is like a Quad ESL-57, but with cojones (plus better vertical dispersion). A subwoofer and supertweeter could always be added, discreetly.

Great Plains Audio ought to be able to fix anything that's wrong with any component of them.
 
Yes, the fact that you can go down the street to get these is a major bonus. As I said earlier if the price is right you should get them. Under $400 and you are doing well. There is a lot of info on Valencia's here and many experts as well who should be able to help you get these up and running.

*edit: I just picked up a pair for around $300 that need some cabinet work and I will be building new crossovers. This should run me around $200 total to get them where I want.
 
How do the drivers come out?

From searching here and on the Lansing site, I've seen pics that appear to show that the woofer is mounted from behind a baffle board that comes out from the front and that the horn comes out from the front, as well.
Is this correct? Are they just plain wood screws that hold the baffles to the cabinets.

What is the first thing to check once I have the drivers out? x-over connections, terminal connections?
 
Drivers come out from the back.

P1020753.jpg
 
Those pictured above, look different than many of the ones pictured in many other threads. Here and on the Lansing site. The ones I've seen have two ports on either side of the woofer, below the horn.

What gives?
 
mhardy6647 said:
Drivers come out from the back.

Unless they are the Valencia 846B's then they come out from the front. :D At least the pair I had were that way.

Oh, have I mentioned that I love my Milano's lately? (same drivers as the Val's basically...fancy cabinets)

Picture010.jpg
Click to expand...
 
I believe they must be 846b's, then.
He had told me, they had oiled walnut cabinets, and that they were ported.

Are there any other differences between the 846A and the 846B beside the ports? And how the drivers are mounted to the baffle?
 
846B has all 8 ohm components, and a crossover network of open topology making recapping a breeze, 846A crossover is in a tin cup full of tar.

846A has a removeable back panel and everything comes out the back. 846B use ducted ports like those in avguy's pic above. It appears the woofer mounting baffle on his Milano's is removable, but if memory serves 846B still has a removable back and the components come out from the rear........... i think.

Altec drivers are usually mounted with 1/4-20 machine screws and T-nuts.
 
Oh, that picture I put up there is of the Valencia's I had. The Milano's I have now look nothing like those above. To access the drivers, you have to go in from the back of the cabinet like some of the others.
 
avguytx said:
Oh, that picture I put up there is of the Valencia's I had. The Milano's I have now look nothing like those above. To access the drivers, you have to go in from the back of the cabinet like some of the others.
Click to expand...

avguytx:

I would say they were B's, then correct?
 
Here is a spec sheet on the "B" version. Notice that the 878B Santiago is the same cab and driver line up sans porting. From the 1975 catalog I believe.

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/altec/catalogs/1975-home/page03.jpg

Just to confuse the issue further, I have the 846U which was their unfinished birch version. Cosmetically different from the Valencia but with the same drivers. Also ported but with a fixed rear baffle. Drivers are removable from the front.

RC
 
doucanoe said:
Here is a spec sheet on the "B" version. Notice that the 878B Santiago is the same cab and driver line up sans porting. From the 1975 catalog I believe.
Click to expand...

The Santiago used a different woofer than the Valencia. The Santiago used the model 411 woofer meant for use in a sealed box. As would be expected less efficient but deeper bass. The Barcelona also used the 411.
 
Tom Brennan said:
The Santiago used a different woofer than the Valencia. The Santiago used the model 411 woofer meant for use in a sealed box. As would be expected less efficient but deeper bass. The Barcelona also used the 411.
Click to expand...


I stand corrected oh lord of the Altec. :D


Hey Tom, have you ever had a chance to listen to the Santiago? If so, any significant difference in bass reproduction?

RC
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom