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In the Forum: Horn-Loaded Speakers
In the Thread: Altec Model 19 in Boston.

Post Subject: Altec Model 19 in Boston.Posted by Romy the Cat on: 3/13/2010

Yesterday a local hi-fi guy invited me to listen his new speaker. He picked up Altec Model 19 - I am known not to be a big fun of those speakers but they have own sound in the scale of non-demanding, off-the-shelf monitors.

Upon expecting the speakers (that always adored visually as they are VERY good size/proportion ) I can say that they were absolutely the best condition for 40 year old speakers that I ever seen. They were literally new – I have no idea how they were able to be preserved like this. The speaker has a pair of absolutely mint drivers. It is 416-8B, which that is fine for this port and the famously horrible 8111B sectoral horn with some kind HF driver that I never seen. It looks like a naked vision of the 802 driver with original Altec 802 symbiotic diaphragm. Everything is absolutely mint with no even 40 year-old dust.

The speaker sound not juts horrible but it is just the worst sound I heard for years - and I am the specialist on bad sound! Interesting that this sound was with all new and completely non-tempted Altec drivers. I never was a huge fan of Altec 19 but I know that they shall sound not even remotely close to what they did in this guy's room. The pooe guys is willing to get rid of them and was disappointed with his experience but I know that 416-8B and 802 in the configuration of Altec Model 19 can do so MUCH better than this. Does anybody has the Altec Model 19, or Model 5 or Model 7 in New England in order the guy were able to see/hear that the sound he gets is VERY much NOT where it have to be. I truly do not want him to get rid of THIS Altec 19. The condition of them is truly good for museum and properly setup and driven the shity Model 19 shall be very comparative or even better than most of the contemporary 50-60K loudspeakers.

If I need a second non-expensive setup then I would get them from his hands, to put in there better HF horn and S2 drivers and have a nice super sexy monitors (love them with grils!). The problem is that I do not need a second setup beside the Mini-Me level. I feel it would be shame if he let them go as Altec 19 might be much more tolerable then what he is getting how. He is using 300B set to drive them. I feel that 150W SS class A would be more suitable as the 300B dies as soon sound hits mezzo-piano. So, any Altec devotee near Boston to help to your new Altec user?

The Cat

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