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Super cool Altec JBL speaker find

musiqlovr

musiqlovr

Well-Known Member
Saw an ad for some 511B but realized the sale was actually for complete speakers. A few emails and a phone conversation later (as well as some manual labor to load and unload)....these are now home.

The story goes that the owner was an engineer from Princeton who wanted a pair of speakers in the 80’s. He worked on the space shuttle and decided to buy and read the loudspeaker cookbook (or how to design loudspeakers book). The cabinets are made from teak wood plywood with mahogany corners. The pictures do not do them any justice....simply gorgeous!

The components are 807-8a symbiotic mated to 511 horns, JBL 2235H woofers and Altec N500E crossovers. The woofers have deteriorated foam.

Getting together a game plan but I’m in love with these cabinets.
 
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Yes, with far more bass than the original Altec. But it is an 8 ohm driver and the crossovers were probably designed for a 16 ohm load.

Also, they are not as efficient as the original Altecs, so you may need to pad the horn down some if this stuff wasn't accounted for in the design.
 
toddalin said:
Yes, with far more bass than the original Altec. But it is an 8 ohm driver and the crossovers were probably designed for a 16 ohm load.

Also, they are not as efficient as the original Altecs, so you may need to pad the horn down some if this stuff wasn't accounted for in the design.
Click to expand...

Is there an Altec that can go in its place?
 
****in' A! The 19s should have come with the 511 horn to begin with. The 811 just drives me out of the room. Those cabinets are gorgeous!

Get those woofers repaired and listen to them exactly as they are. Given the owners engineering background, it'd be a good guess that he put some thought into their design. I wouldn't be swapping nothing until I heard them AS IS.
 
damacman said:
****in' A! The 19s should have come with the 511 horn to begin with. The 811 just drives me out of the room. Those cabinets are gorgeous!

Get those woofers repaired and listen to them exactly as they are. Given the owners engineering background, it'd be a good guess that he put some thought into their design. I wouldn't be swapping nothing until I heard them AS IS.
Click to expand...


Ok. This is what I am going to do...the guy did work on the Space Shuttle.
 
I have to agree with damacman, fix the woofers and try them out. Besides if you swap woofers later than the JBL woofers can be sold off a lot easier.
Can't wait to see them.

BillWojo
 
musiqlovr said:
Is there an Altec that can go in its place?
Click to expand...

Before you plan to switch things around, check with Rick Cobb and get a foam surround kit and fix the existing 2235 woofers.
Your speaker designer probably compensated for the difference in efficiency when he planned the system.
Get new surrounds on them and break them in for a few weeks before you plan to change them around.
Yes, they are gorgeous!

To contact rick Cobb, use his mail, send to rcobb@tampabay.rr.com
Tell him you want surrounds for the JBL 2235 woofers - he'll have them in stock!
 
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