Better than Altec 416 15" driver ~35/40hz-600hz for passive hi-fi 2-way

I just wonna say ty for not replying to my post lol

HA. ok, sidebar, but....I keep meaning to tell you I love the username. Uptown Saturday Night didn't leave the cd changer for AGES. The common wisdom at the time among kids in my scene was that Uptown was proof of our long held belief that predecessor albums like Blowout Comb, Bizarre Ride, '93 til, et al pointed to a new, like...hyper genius, post-bop in the 60s, paradigm in hip hop that we took for granted would become dominant like, any minute now. Anyway, touchstone record for sure.

EDIT: can't you still get them from Autotech?
 
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So happy to see you chime in here Anders.
Happy to add my 2c.
I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on the corner cabinets you're contemplating.

A picture says more than 1000 words. It will be built in three sections, Bottom BR box connected to the GPA 416 front horn section and on top, well the top. This way a can in the future seal off the mid section and add a pair of 12" sub drivers below the 416.

arai_oswg_assy.jpg

Perhaps I was a bit reactionary in my previous posts re: the 416b I'm currently running.
Another reason for me to jump in and share my impressions of the 416/515 haha

I'll plan to PM you if that's ok to pick your brain on that and other aspects of your build.

You are more than welcome!

//Anders
 
A picture says more than 1000 words. It will be built in three sections, Bottom BR box connected to the GPA 416 front horn section and on top, well the top. This way a can in the future seal off the mid section and add a pair of 12" sub drivers below the 416.

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Really love this design and concept... something like a BR + FLH TAD 2402?

Did you by chance come across the 'Blue Thunder' 2-way published in Sound Practices magazine as you were contemplating designs? One of several interesting choices the designers made was to allow the width of the TAD 4001 horn to dictate the width of the enclosure. Lots of questions - I'll be PMing you when I can get time.

I happen to have a pair of Altec 828 cabinets in my garage which I'm storing for a friend temporarily. I finally got around to giving them a good listen today, using the same Altec 416 drivers we've been discussing here.

The shortcomings of the Altec 825/828 are well understood, and they're pronounced enough that I couldn't live with them in a primary system. But I was sufficiently stunned at what they do well to begin exploring whether there are BR + FLH designs (specifically using Altec/GPA 416/515) out there that capture some of the 828's visceral impact while improving on its weakness. An enclosure issue for a different thread I suppose, but your design seems to be aiming in that direction.

To bring this back on topic, provided I go with an 'old school' spec'd driver, it's clear for my purposes that the 6.3ft^3 volume of my current enclosures is woefully insufficient for achieving the kind of scale or extension I'm looking for.

Maybe a 2216nd-1 in these smaller cabs could get close to "as good"/'better" at <600hz than the 515 (or 416) in 9 ft^3 with no LF eq (the 2216nd-1 can be made to model nicely to ~40hz) but I doubt it. Not to mention, there's (much) more I'm subjectively after here than correct FR.
 
A picture says more than 1000 words. It will be built in three sections, Bottom BR box connected to the GPA 416 front horn section and on top, well the top. This way a can in the future seal off the mid section and add a pair of 12" sub drivers below the 416.

:up: 😀 RCA's LC-9A concept was definitely an upgrade to the A7 and some ways in performance, especially down low and had I known about them before I DIYed A7-500s I doubt I would have ever messed with Altec's small cinema horn systems.

With modern day woofers, PRs, not sure 'sub' woofers would be required except for low B pipe organ symphonies: RCA LC9 - Google Search
 
thank you for the reply. I had an impression from our old p.m.'s that you were using modified 210 horns, hence my question.

One more question, how high in frequency you feel is the 515B good for?

Unfortunately, IME it varies 'all over the map' depending on date code, re-coning, magnet strength, etc., so while mine can [past tense? due to age, high power use] be used with a 5 kHz capped off [super] tweeter plus some CD horn EQ to flatten its horn 'shout' [ignoring polar response], can only recommend Altec, GPA specs if new or OEM in excellent condition, otherwise let one's ears decide.

Long story somewhat short, I once had both with the current cabs the 'subs', which are cut down 30 ft^3 cabs originally loaded with 416A, 805 tar filled/288B used for 'block parties'. Our house was on the corner of a cul-de-sac, so these were rolled out to the patio 'firing' such to cover the few homes that was backed by woods thick enough to damp them enough not to aggravate the small businesses lining the main highway.

When we got the three A2 systems, took two out and the mids cut through the woods pretty much like it wasn't there, so began the big multi-way horn system and not long after, the woods were plowed under for a new subdivision and the block parties faded away as all our babies and ever increasing work demands began dominating our lives.
 
All the great mags from yesteryear. A really valuable initiative.

It's much more convenient to store media digitally than to store large quantities of magazines, books, records, CDs, etc.
Once you move regularly, you really 'experience' the benefits of digital 😉

At the same time I also appreciate the charm/quality of oldskool analog.
My best hi-fi experiences where with analog/tube setups.
I also abhor modern cars, which are becoming more and more like mobile mainframes > disposable products, because they are usually so complex that repairs are no longer economically viable after 5-10 years.
 
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Did not read the thread but 416 is not suitable for 2 way unless you can cross at 250 Hz Even 414 is dead over 500 hz nice tonally as it is . 403A is a cats meow but you won't get much of bass. Apart from that I have not heard better in the class . Even Tads are meh
 
Did not read the thread but 416 is not suitable for 2 way unless you can cross at 250 Hz Even 414 is dead over 500 hz nice tonally as it is . 403A is a cats meow but you won't get much of bass. Apart from that I have not heard better in the class . Even Tads are meh
I don't know how many hundreds (thousands?) of pairs of 416 loaded designs from consumer to studio monitors to prosound horn combo cabs for cinema, live concerts were used with 500, 800 Hz XO two way speakers from '64 - '84 to dispute this, especially since they're still in high demand enough to being manufactured/sold by Great Plains Audio to this day for replacement and new builds, not to mention many vintage ones commanding pricing based on at least inflation adjustment based on its date codes, so we'll have to agree to disagree. 😉