What do I have here? Altec 7 in custom boxes?

[Greg Nal]

Thinking these are the same components as the Altec 7's but in a compact box. Any thoughts? I have yet to get them in my hot little hands, but they were in an online estate sale with some high end audio equipment including Klipschorns, VOT Altec's which went for big $ and these were under the radar. Can't wait to get 'em and open them up to see what lies beneath.

26.5" W, 29.5" H, 19x25" D.

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

Valencia, I think...... not custom.

 

[damacman]

Initially, I thought early Valencias. However the single port says differently ... Hmmm ...

 

[Greg Nal]

Dimensions are a match for Valencia, possibly Santiago, but only one port...vs two or none for those two models. Hybrid?

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

Initially, I thought early Valencias. However the single port says differently ... Hmmm ...

Oh, didn't notice that. I checked both 846a and 846b after you said something. The A looks like the ports are the gaps around the horn, and the B has two ports as you say...... although they're higher too.

 

[Greg Nal]

May be worth the $480 I paid for them then...

 

[SoundsAlike]

May be worth the $480 I paid for them then...

Likely, but it took me forever to sell a pair of Santiagos as low as $600

 

[Greg Nal]

Is the top slate? Those look amazing. Mine? Meh. Plywood boxes painted bright red, red fabric grill, black bakelite volume knob on the back, no distiguishing marks. These will definitely not pass WAF until they are seriously redone with veneer and appropriate grill cloth

 

[Zonker92]

Following up on these speakers, @Greg Nal has now cracked them open. @bowtie427ss, what do you think of these components? I see them as the 803-16B woofer (is that the same as the 416-16A woofer?); and 804-16B horn driver (which apparently has a smaller magnet and is less sensitive than the 802)?

Do you know anything about this crossover? Are the cabinets worth repurposing; maybe veneering? I'm asking because we might have a use for them at a friend's large ranch home; maybe flown from the ceilings. (Unfortunately, there's a lot of glass and concrete in play.)

Thanks,

Eric

 

[bowtie427ss]

Nice matching set of greenies. Yes 803B is essentially a 416A, probably not necessary to specify the impedance as there were no options at the point in time they were born.

The network appears to be a beautifully executed DIY using PIO's and air core inductors from about 2 decades later than the drivers. Without seeing it much closer, perhaps with test probes in hand my WAG is that the network will be a copy in basis of a typical Altec 800hz LC dividing network with the addition of some fixed attenuation for the HF(OP says there's a knob on the back?). Lots of interesting details, even the wiring is done in correct Altec color coding. Also interesting is that the network is laid out much like a vintage Klipsch network.

The square nylon bobbins of the inductors, and the basic physical appearance that flatters an 846B suggest these were built in the early/mid 1970's. Which begs the question "what were the drivers doing for the 20 years leading up to that?"

It's also interesting that the cabinets are painted in a color very close to Big Reds.

Sadly, i can come up with a LOT more questions about them than answers.

 

[Zonker92]

Interesting observations as always, BT; thanks. My overall takeaway is that these could be rough, utility-cabinet equivalents to the 846B, albeit with some uncertainty as to the port and network tuning.

 

[bowtie427ss]

My gut tells me that these were built by somebody who knew what they were doing, as well as they knew the components they were doing it with. Tuning was specific to high output impedance amplification, and i'd wager that their sonic presentation will vary greatly depending on the amp they're fed with. Something akin to an 8B or MC225/MC240 would probably render them quite sublime.

 

[EarlK]

Since the pic appears to show another 21090 cone ( with the later black surround ).

Thought I'd throw this other thread into the info mix; Altec 803B Question

 

[Zonker92]

I did see that thread, Earl; thanks. Very cool.