Thanks! Don't recall this one, but FWIW here's the '70s simplified 'official' various cab drawings for local shops (828/#11) to make after building/shipping costs became too great to continue.
All the 'official' available I'm aware of including the one I used in '64 for the 825.
All the 'official' available I'm aware of including the one I used in '64 for the 825.
I presume the top and bottom plates will be joined too. 😉Nice. Thinking something like this..
BTW/FWIW, we used 1/2" thick top plates and a separate full size 3/4" top plate to screw tie them together for 'eye' bolts and stiffen up the rather weak horn cab top plate, which then allowed a thinner/lighter horn 'sled' assembly that's otherwise required to get the desired stiffness.
The Altec 415E cabinet… Never seen this cabinet before, but I REALLY like the looks of this one. Again, I do not find any drawings…, does anyone know where to find?
https://audio-database.com/ALTEC/unit/enclosures.html
https://audio-database.com/ALTEC/unit/enclosures.html
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Not seen the 415E but I'm not sure I like it. The reflex ports being both above and below the woofer means that the top horn is now further from the woofer and generally I thought it's best to keep the two close together.
This one looks like the JBL 4560, a short bass horn reflex PA cabinet, which was often used for life rock music in medium sized venues in pairs and multiples. It has a chest compressing, dry thump, when used for drums. There is not much below 70 Hz and it was used up to 800 Hz. For lower frequency it was often used with 18"or 2x18" W- bass bins. I have heard it in life PA use so often, I still remember it's sound very well.
Not the best for home use, it needs some distance to the listener, maybe 5m, to be enjoyable and, as mentioned, no deep bass at all.
Not the best for home use, it needs some distance to the listener, maybe 5m, to be enjoyable and, as mentioned, no deep bass at all.
Maybe I'm way off.... what is the needed listening distance of the the A5 ( both H110 and the 828 )?
I have been advised to go down in scale on cabinet because of my living room...
A tailored 360L Onken cabinet, for the 416-8A made by Jean Hiraga; an alternative for my 20 ohms 515RWB...?
When I finish re-coning my 515, I will measure the driver with a Dayton DATS to get parameters...
I have been advised to go down in scale on cabinet because of my living room...
A tailored 360L Onken cabinet, for the 416-8A made by Jean Hiraga; an alternative for my 20 ohms 515RWB...?
When I finish re-coning my 515, I will measure the driver with a Dayton DATS to get parameters...
Yeah, one of the original Lansing prosound cabs relegated to JBL and definitely not suitable for any typical HIFI/HT app, ditto the H110 or any horn with parallel walls as I learned the hard way with 210 cabs.This one looks like the JBL 4560.......Not the best for home use, it needs some distance to the listener, maybe 5m, to be enjoyable and, as mentioned, no deep bass at all.
Re minimum distance, it's more about polar response at 'x' distance before the 1st room reflections. If going by WLs, then at least 1 WL (full length horn) of lowest desired speaker loading, so if 5 m away, then lowest wide BW summation is ~344/5 = 68.8 Hz, so falls right in line with your ~70 Hz usable response. 😉
Again, all about in room polar response, i.e. keeping 1st reflections behind the listener's ears and then a diffuse soundfield behind to damp it down (LEDE in studio design 'speak') and contrary to popular belief, the smaller the room the bigger the speaker to narrow it up enough unless flat against a sound wall and/or toe'd in as proven with horn polar response design:Maybe I'm way off.... what is the needed listening distance of the the A5 ( both H110 and the 828 )?
I have been advised to go down in scale on cabinet because of my living room...
Horn mouth polar frequency: c = 10^6/(a*b)
a = wall angle in deg
b = mouth width (or height) in inches
c = -6 dB frequency
metric = (2.54*10^6)/(a*b) in cm
Am I the only one who doesn't like this large horn being driven by just one 15" woofer ? Doesn't that lead to an extreme discontinuity at the horn throat ? I'd prefer this horn with two drivers (like in GM's avatar) although there will still be some discontinuity. And parallel walls in horns aren't that good either. The A7 would be better regarding both this issues but still not perfect IMO.
I guess the RCA designs were a little better in this respecct than the Altec ones.
Regards
Charles
I guess the RCA designs were a little better in this respecct than the Altec ones.
Regards
Charles
In a small to medium room a pair of 4560 loaded with 2220 woofers will go down to 45hz with a near rear wall listening position. Room reinforcement probably helping the bottom. I have a pair and have measured them myself in two different rooms with professionally calibrated microphone.This one looks like the JBL 4560, a short bass horn reflex PA cabinet, which was often used for life rock music in medium sized venues in pairs and multiples. It has a chest compressing, dry thump, when used for drums. There is not much below 70 Hz and it was used up to 800 Hz. For lower frequency it was often used with 18"or 2x18" W- bass bins. I have heard it in life PA use so often, I still remember it's sound very well.
Not the best for home use, it needs some distance to the listener, maybe 5m, to be enjoyable and, as mentioned, no deep bass at all.
If you start stuffing ports you can bump that even lower with a small loss of spl at the bottom.
These go flat to about 25hz with all ports closed off and about a 6db shelf applied at 150hz.
Keep in mind this is for home use probably a watt or less normally, not pa use, not party levels typically.
The integration at about 4m isn't perfect but it's no worse than what an 825 or 828 would be IMHO. Still very liveable.
I feel the 4560 is more flexible than an altec a7 and doesn't result in the hf pointing way over your head when seated. They are just the right height. I think you'd like the 415e since it appears to be quite similar.
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No, unfortunately not.Hi, thanks for the input, do you got plans for the RCA cabinet?
There is a very nice looking one on e-bay currently:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/166597741054
Regards
Charles
If a person sets flat side walls like a radial horn and does expo horn math, the shapes of the (both curved top & bot) ubangi or (flat-top) LC9 "fall out" of being faithful to the area expansion, FWIW, so you can make your own plan @tralalalala.
Hi,
I quite sure I will either build the Altec 816 or the Altec 415E cabinet for my single 515RWB, 288 Hollywood w. 1005 tarfilled horn.
Originally these parts were attached to a 1940s A5 system, a H110 cabinet, I did not get the N-500C when I purchased the parts.
I guess I will first try this setup with an active crossover using an integrated amp : a ZOTL10 from Linear Tube Audio, running low freq on one channel and high freq on the other. Later on, when passive crossover is in place, I will couple the amp
in mono mode.
I find the looks of the Altec 415E better, maybe it will work better if this cabinet is flipped 90 degrees? Or tilted up in front?
Attaching drawings of the 415E in this post+ photos, found on web, on the 816 cabinet…
Thanks!

I quite sure I will either build the Altec 816 or the Altec 415E cabinet for my single 515RWB, 288 Hollywood w. 1005 tarfilled horn.
Originally these parts were attached to a 1940s A5 system, a H110 cabinet, I did not get the N-500C when I purchased the parts.
I guess I will first try this setup with an active crossover using an integrated amp : a ZOTL10 from Linear Tube Audio, running low freq on one channel and high freq on the other. Later on, when passive crossover is in place, I will couple the amp
in mono mode.
I find the looks of the Altec 415E better, maybe it will work better if this cabinet is flipped 90 degrees? Or tilted up in front?
Attaching drawings of the 415E in this post+ photos, found on web, on the 816 cabinet…
Thanks!



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Hello,
Does anyone have any input on what amplifier(s) to use with this type of vintage equipment?
Dos and don’ts, regarding matching.
Thanks!
Does anyone have any input on what amplifier(s) to use with this type of vintage equipment?
Dos and don’ts, regarding matching.
Thanks!
Greets!
They used 20-75 W field coil, but for HIFI/HT apps I tried everything from a flea power SET to McIntosh MC300 with 210 (dual 15") horns, but matching impedance W.E. 300B SET (Altec/GPA 416 most popular) or AlNico 515B (my preference) was to 'die for'.
The 'Fly in the ointment' though was the parallel top/bottom panels that made them parabolic horns, so recommend modding the cab to be expo like the 825 unless used in a large prosound/cinema app or at least adding significant damping to quell its vertical eigenmodes.
The 415E of course doesn't have this problem.
They used 20-75 W field coil, but for HIFI/HT apps I tried everything from a flea power SET to McIntosh MC300 with 210 (dual 15") horns, but matching impedance W.E. 300B SET (Altec/GPA 416 most popular) or AlNico 515B (my preference) was to 'die for'.
The 'Fly in the ointment' though was the parallel top/bottom panels that made them parabolic horns, so recommend modding the cab to be expo like the 825 unless used in a large prosound/cinema app or at least adding significant damping to quell its vertical eigenmodes.
The 415E of course doesn't have this problem.
Thanks GM,
I do not have any 2a3 or 300B SETs.
I currently do have a pair of Quad IIs, output transforms tapped to 16ohms loading, push-pull construction,
15W into 8 ohms power
Will it do?
Do also have a Quad44 with a mono switch, will try this as a pre-amp.
Class A, transistor amplifiers, suitable?
I do not have any 2a3 or 300B SETs.
I currently do have a pair of Quad IIs, output transforms tapped to 16ohms loading, push-pull construction,
15W into 8 ohms power
Will it do?
Do also have a Quad44 with a mono switch, will try this as a pre-amp.
Class A, transistor amplifiers, suitable?
You're welcome!
For sure! They just won't sound as 'warm', 'lush'. A-323 would be the HIFI/studio monitor amp and yes, I've seen photos of these huge horns in recording and cinema studios + St. Pius '60 - '64 had one with an original Duplex driver for various parties, dances on loan from one of my classmates's family.
For sure! They just won't sound as 'warm', 'lush'. A-323 would be the HIFI/studio monitor amp and yes, I've seen photos of these huge horns in recording and cinema studios + St. Pius '60 - '64 had one with an original Duplex driver for various parties, dances on loan from one of my classmates's family.
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Update:
I have made drawings for a 202liters vented cabinet based not the proportions of the Altec early black 612 cabinet, will make lapjoints, nail and glue it together ( the opening on the attached 3D drawing is probably not correct in size )
Should I make this cabinet out of 3/4 (18mm )inches pine plywood or 5/8 ( 15mm )?
REF: YouTube, early black 612s with field coils..
I have made drawings for a 202liters vented cabinet based not the proportions of the Altec early black 612 cabinet, will make lapjoints, nail and glue it together ( the opening on the attached 3D drawing is probably not correct in size )
Should I make this cabinet out of 3/4 (18mm )inches pine plywood or 5/8 ( 15mm )?
REF: YouTube, early black 612s with field coils..
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