Any idea who made it? I've never seen, heard of or read anything to imply such a 'beast' was ever even considered, much less available. That said, it doesn't look like any horn I'd want for a stereo system, mono maybe if the room was large enough allow a very wide 'sweet spot'.........
GM
GM
Looks like different construction than an Altec. The "cells" don't look to be individual horns. It looks like they are all divided by a single piece of metal.
Yeah. that's a strange beast! A 24 cell tar filled? Does it take a crane to lift it?
Would be interested to know what it is, who made it.
GM, maybe we should post it over on the Altec forum.
Would be interested to know what it is, who made it.
GM, maybe we should post it over on the Altec forum.
Sure. That's a rain gauge. In a closed environment like a hockey arena where 20,000 or more hot sweaty fans breathing out moist air are concentrated such a space can create its own weather! This was actually a problem recently at the Olympics in Vancouver that negatively affected the quality of the ice that speed skaters had to work with.
My story is believable if you are fooled by the almost perfect optical illusion in this photo.
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Just input something in the PW field and it give you an error message with an embedded link to click on to deal with forgotten PWs.
GM
GM
Last weekend I had a chance to hear Altec Magnificat -"home version" of A7. The owner didn't know what components were there but supposedly "the best"
Well-in big, big room those huge speakers sounded like jukebox with blanket over the drivers. Muffled ,midbassy sound without any of traditional Hi-fi atributes.
No definition, no detail, no sundstage, no tone-nothing. I heard Altec 19 and it was an another Universe. I think anybody who is considering purchasing a vintage Altec system has to be prepared for some serious work on them.
Having said that I wonder if anybody compared Multicellular 805 to sectoral 511 horns. 288c on 805 and 802-D on 511, crossover would be 800-1k first order crossed to15" in a box
Regards
Well-in big, big room those huge speakers sounded like jukebox with blanket over the drivers. Muffled ,midbassy sound without any of traditional Hi-fi atributes.
No definition, no detail, no sundstage, no tone-nothing. I heard Altec 19 and it was an another Universe. I think anybody who is considering purchasing a vintage Altec system has to be prepared for some serious work on them.
Having said that I wonder if anybody compared Multicellular 805 to sectoral 511 horns. 288c on 805 and 802-D on 511, crossover would be 800-1k first order crossed to15" in a box
Regards
The magnificents were a pretty version of the A7-500. If they sounded bad, they needed work as you mentioned.
I have
Altec 1803 Multicell
511B, 811B sectoral
assorted drivers.
What is it you are asking?
I have
Altec 1803 Multicell
511B, 811B sectoral
assorted drivers.
What is it you are asking?
I'd like to put a "non audiophole" horn system in my girlfriend's living space (~400 sq.ft) a 15" + horn. The problem is that in the middle of this nice open space there is a staircase leading to upstairs bedrooms. I have to forgo stereo and need something to have horn attributes (yeah -I'm hooked) but also a wide spread and sound distribution. It would be my main system before I finish the den (sight😉 I found nice 4.3"cuft. vintage cabs for bass (which will be 420a biflex ) which perfectly fit her decor and are still acceptable in size (although biflex would like to be in 10Cuft sealed -I have to accept a little boom a 1.3Q)
I have 511 with 802d and with altec EQ circuit they are more or less acceptable
in my space but I wonder if 805 horn (288c driver)would work better in this particular sytuation where pin-point imaging is not a goal but wide distribution of sound is desirable. I do have 288c on hand but multicelluar command quite a bit money nowadays (up to $1K for 805). I may use T-350 tweeter on top if necessary. Regards, W
I have 511 with 802d and with altec EQ circuit they are more or less acceptable
in my space but I wonder if 805 horn (288c driver)would work better in this particular sytuation where pin-point imaging is not a goal but wide distribution of sound is desirable. I do have 288c on hand but multicelluar command quite a bit money nowadays (up to $1K for 805). I may use T-350 tweeter on top if necessary. Regards, W
Attachments
There is a reason its called Pro Audio
Maybe a little discovery is in order for the DIYer...The question should have been "Show me what is actually inside the cabinets"
How many used &/ or abused speakers have been cobbled together either with aftermarket or tired out of spec OEM parts. Add to that the quality & potential for damage by users caused by overpowering or underpowering (clipping) the actual hardware installed, interaction with the room, crossovers, amplifiers, sources, even the wiring, earwax/personal hygene....
The sound is always the result of the complete system it is conected to...it is always wise to get the facts. There are no magic speakers, just well engineered systems, and as you discovered very poorly matched as well.
"Jumpin to conclusions & swattin flies & tellin lies"....
Maybe a little discovery is in order for the DIYer...The question should have been "Show me what is actually inside the cabinets"
How many used &/ or abused speakers have been cobbled together either with aftermarket or tired out of spec OEM parts. Add to that the quality & potential for damage by users caused by overpowering or underpowering (clipping) the actual hardware installed, interaction with the room, crossovers, amplifiers, sources, even the wiring, earwax/personal hygene....
The sound is always the result of the complete system it is conected to...it is always wise to get the facts. There are no magic speakers, just well engineered systems, and as you discovered very poorly matched as well.
"Jumpin to conclusions & swattin flies & tellin lies"....
W,
The 805 might work better but if you have the 511 already then I would work with it. I have had luck by adding the supertweeter as you plan but turn it 180, fire it off the wall and remove a few dB of padding from it.
The 805 might work better but if you have the 511 already then I would work with it. I have had luck by adding the supertweeter as you plan but turn it 180, fire it off the wall and remove a few dB of padding from it.
JoMoCo,
All your points are well taken but I have a feeling limono was aware of those issues when he posted. As least I hope he was. 🙂
I know how bad some of my speakers, voiced in a padded room, sounded when placed in an open hall type arrangement. Or maybe I should say, I know how bad the room sounded. The speakers hadn't changed.
All your points are well taken but I have a feeling limono was aware of those issues when he posted. As least I hope he was. 🙂
I know how bad some of my speakers, voiced in a padded room, sounded when placed in an open hall type arrangement. Or maybe I should say, I know how bad the room sounded. The speakers hadn't changed.
Had Altecs in the 60s and 70s
My system in the 60s and 70s consisted of a 6 cu. ft. slot ported cabinet (by Rockford) with an Altec 415C (15 inch) Biflex woofer and a 3000H horn tweeter with the correct (3000C?) Altec crossover. Can't remember the number but the crossover was at 3000Hz. I listened to that system for at least 20 years being driven by a Heathkit AA-15 amplifier. It had more than enough bass for it's time and very efficient as well. So much so that acoustic feedback from the woofer to the turntable (before CDs!) was a real problem at low frequencies if the turntable was located too close to the speakers. The horn tweeter was bright and very directional but quite listenable overall. I sold everything, except the cabinets, on Ebay when I got tired of it for decent bucks. I went to a pretty plain jane JBL bookshelf system although I really liked the Dahlquist DQ-10. Wish I would have bought them. Had the original Bose 901s and hated them so much that I sold them in less than a month....
Currently my favorite speakers are a pair of DIY ported 2 ways that use an Audax HM210G0 and Seas TAC/D crossed over at 1800 Hz - 2nd order. Both driver are now obsolete but the good news is that they are well broken in and sound far better than the JBL bookshelf.....
Still interested in good sound and like the idea of Linkwitz Orion or Pluto.
Altecs....A trip down memory lane for me.
My system in the 60s and 70s consisted of a 6 cu. ft. slot ported cabinet (by Rockford) with an Altec 415C (15 inch) Biflex woofer and a 3000H horn tweeter with the correct (3000C?) Altec crossover. Can't remember the number but the crossover was at 3000Hz. I listened to that system for at least 20 years being driven by a Heathkit AA-15 amplifier. It had more than enough bass for it's time and very efficient as well. So much so that acoustic feedback from the woofer to the turntable (before CDs!) was a real problem at low frequencies if the turntable was located too close to the speakers. The horn tweeter was bright and very directional but quite listenable overall. I sold everything, except the cabinets, on Ebay when I got tired of it for decent bucks. I went to a pretty plain jane JBL bookshelf system although I really liked the Dahlquist DQ-10. Wish I would have bought them. Had the original Bose 901s and hated them so much that I sold them in less than a month....
Currently my favorite speakers are a pair of DIY ported 2 ways that use an Audax HM210G0 and Seas TAC/D crossed over at 1800 Hz - 2nd order. Both driver are now obsolete but the good news is that they are well broken in and sound far better than the JBL bookshelf.....
Still interested in good sound and like the idea of Linkwitz Orion or Pluto.
Altecs....A trip down memory lane for me.