I have a pair of Altec Flamenco speakers. I'm the second owner and have had them for ~7 years. I got them for free from an elderly friend of a friend who had to move and could no longer keep them. I'm very reluctant to hack them up since they are original and are an adventure into the past. They are 16 ohm speakers, both the woofer and compression driver are alinco and still measure good with DATS. The woofer is a 416 mated with a 806 compression driver and 811 horn. There are several published spruce-ups for the 811/806 combo and the crossover network but I've only replaced the capacitors in the crossovers and played with a Radian 475 driver on the 811. As fun as the Flamenco's are they have some sonic limitations.
This weekend I disconnected the internal horns and I'm using a pair DDS CFD 1-90 (fiberglass/balsa construction, 90x40 pattern which matches the 811) with the Radian 475 drivers on top. To me it sounds better (still need to do REW measurements), enough better that I'm thinking I need to build some new speakers based on the DDS/Radian combo and leave the Flamenco's as is. For a woofer I'm thinking the Faital 15PR400 but I don't know if it will sound as pleasing as the 416. I'm open to ideas.
This weekend I disconnected the internal horns and I'm using a pair DDS CFD 1-90 (fiberglass/balsa construction, 90x40 pattern which matches the 811) with the Radian 475 drivers on top. To me it sounds better (still need to do REW measurements), enough better that I'm thinking I need to build some new speakers based on the DDS/Radian combo and leave the Flamenco's as is. For a woofer I'm thinking the Faital 15PR400 but I don't know if it will sound as pleasing as the 416. I'm open to ideas.
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Good plan! The amount of effort to make the 511/811 'all it can be' is extensive plus the cab needs to be much larger/tuned to Fs for the 416 to truly 'sing'.
Matching/improving on the 416 requires a major $$$ investment, but if willing to sacrifice ~1/2 octave of LF, many of the new prosound mid-bass horn [wide range/~5 kHz BW] drivers for plenty of XO overlap/HF 'snap' can please.
No personal experience with any of them, though plenty of 2/3 horn systems have been built around the net in recent years, so plenty of diverse 'hands on' experience to research.
GM
Matching/improving on the 416 requires a major $$$ investment, but if willing to sacrifice ~1/2 octave of LF, many of the new prosound mid-bass horn [wide range/~5 kHz BW] drivers for plenty of XO overlap/HF 'snap' can please.
No personal experience with any of them, though plenty of 2/3 horn systems have been built around the net in recent years, so plenty of diverse 'hands on' experience to research.
GM
Thanks GM, that is very helpful insight.
I will leave the Flamencos original. I did some REW measurements and realized the DDS horns are constant directivity and the 811 isn't so I added some parametric eq correction while I have them hooked up and the 811 disconnected. I like the 15" woofer and horn format and whatever the future Not-a-Frankenlamenco speakers become I think I'll use an active crossover (or DSP) and bi-amp to have more control over the response.
I will leave the Flamencos original. I did some REW measurements and realized the DDS horns are constant directivity and the 811 isn't so I added some parametric eq correction while I have them hooked up and the 811 disconnected. I like the 15" woofer and horn format and whatever the future Not-a-Frankenlamenco speakers become I think I'll use an active crossover (or DSP) and bi-amp to have more control over the response.
You're welcome!
Right, TTBOMK all the early rectangular and some square, ones are reciprocal [pattern 'flip'] flares until Harry Olson/RCA introduced conical WGs in the late? '30s.
GM
Right, TTBOMK all the early rectangular and some square, ones are reciprocal [pattern 'flip'] flares until Harry Olson/RCA introduced conical WGs in the late? '30s.
GM
I agree! I’m sure this will be a great project.
By the way, did you generate FRD and ZMA files for the 416 and 806A? I have been looking for these.
Idler
By the way, did you generate FRD and ZMA files for the 416 and 806A? I have been looking for these.
Idler
Idler, I don't have any recent curves that are just the drivers without the crossover and some early reflections. I'll try and get some this weekend. I need to get the cabinet up off the floor and into the middle of the room, I think I can set it up on the piano bench.