Altec drivers for 511B horns?

[RobWells]

Hi,

Is there a generally accepted pecking order for the Altec drivers for the 511B horns ?

Searches suggest the 802 series are better than the 808, but there are loads of different versions and its getting confusing.

My application would be running 500Hz up over 15" midbass horns. I also have some beyma 380 cd's on a 90 x 40 horn that could do tweeter duties if need be. XO is behringer digital, slopes from 6dB to 48dB available, as is PEQ.

Thanks,
Rob.

[chops]

I use the 902-8B and 8T.

[GM]

http://www.wmeckle.com/INTRO/SMALL/Altec.htm

[RobWells]

Thank you both.

Rob

[Evenharmonics]

I use 802D.
I'd love to hear from someone who's done side by side comparison with 902-8B.

[chops]

Originally posted by Evenharmonics
I use 802D.
I'd love to hear from someone who's done side by side comparison with 902-8B.

I think my brother might have one in the trunk of his car! It's the hammertone green as well as the 511B that it's attached to.

I'll have to measure the VC with a multimeter and see if it's any good still, then try it out on my system.


BTW, he has this horn/driver in his trunk because one of his friends wants him to sell it on eBay for him, but still hasn't brought my brother the second horn/driver yet. It's a shame really, because he also has the two A7 cabinets as well, but they were sitting in 2 feet of water and are beyond repair. Hmm... I'll have to check and see if the woofers and xover s are still in them.

[GM]

Greets!

More good info I forgot to post: http://web.archive.org/web/200411110...com/altec.html

GM

[GM]

Originally posted by Evenharmonics
I use 802D.
I'd love to hear from someone who's done side by side comparison with 902-8B.

Greets!

I've A/B'd them on much modded 511s way back when, but the 802D has more bottom end and rolled off top end compared to the 902, which among other things was redesigned for a flatter response and more top end 'air' when driven with a vanishingly low output impedance (SS) amp. The trade-off is a higher XO point is required with the 511 for best performance.

Tom Danley measured 802D/stock 511:

GM

[GM]

902/511 (sorry, forgot to record who measured it):

[GM]

Originally posted by RobWells
Hi,

Is there a generally accepted pecking order for the Altec drivers for the 511B horns ?

Searches suggest the 802 series are better than the 808, but there are loads of different versions and its getting confusing.

My application would be running 500Hz up over 15" midbass horns. I also have some beyma 380 cd's on a 90 x 40 horn that could do tweeter duties if need be. XO is behringer digital, slopes from 6dB to 48dB available, as is PEQ.

Thanks,
Rob.

Greets!

Got a little more time today to respond........ 807, 808 (~2.2 dB more eff.) prosound drivers are 806/802 HIFI units with high power Symbiotik diaphragms, so should only be used when XOing to a super tweeter in a HIFI/HT app due to its harsh, excessively rolled off top end. Indeed, some Altec 'faithful' contend that this one is preferred since it sounds a bit more the 1.4" large format driver down low, but I never tried it, so can't offer an opinion. Makes sense though and its usually available for much less than the various HIFI units.

FWIW, mine are '808' with Altec's original ultra-light diaphragms and the only way I'd consider upgrading is with these in Tangerine phase plugged 802-8Gs, though even when I still had good HF hearing the difference was subtle at best, so would be a complete waste of time/$$ for most adult males and I learned the hard way that a typical female's superior HF hearing prefers a rolled off response if not ultra clean with a sharp HF cut-off above ~18 kHz.

GM