Good Q, haven't been exposed to any of these latest n' greatest, but the only ones I'd even consider trying would be neodymium since it's the closest to AlNiCo in performance as best I can tell just researching, though imagine I'd still prefer the golden oldies for its 'silkiness' when loaded on a proper WG. Note that not all Altecs are good, ditto most other vintage horn drivers IMNSHO.
My big gripe with many of the current ones talked about is their high XO points. I mean the Altec M19 is considered by many to be the best Altec performing overall, but a 15" up to 1.2 kHz?! Way too laid back for me, even the technically correct ~900 Hz upper limit doesn't cut it either.
GM
My big gripe with many of the current ones talked about is their high XO points. I mean the Altec M19 is considered by many to be the best Altec performing overall, but a 15" up to 1.2 kHz?! Way too laid back for me, even the technically correct ~900 Hz upper limit doesn't cut it either.
GM
I can imagine. There is a pair of Altec 808-8A offered in my country. I don't know about the condition or age (I could find out of source). It about the same price as a pair of HF146. From what I've read is that usually the 808's don't have the original Symbiotik diaphragm, and that they are not made anymore. The alternatives sound differently (worse?).
@GM, are you talking about midrange resolution? I visited a local sale store and leasing dj/concert equipment. I listened to RCF ART 745-A mk lV. I could make immediate comparison with the mk l. Sure, Mk lV has FIR filtering but also a lower cross around 650Hz. Way better in terms of details. It has the 4' diaphragm driver, 1.4 throat ND950, treble is good enough for me at 57 year
Peter
Peter
I've drawn you this display of the efficacy of driver spacing. This is 0.5 wavelength vs 1 wavelength where it becomes visibly noticeable IMO.
When a pair of drivers are spaced at a wavelength, your main lobe will be around 45 degrees with its apex nearby the middle of the two.
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If wide vertical dispersion is the order of the mtm, then the narrow lobe of the woofer only contribution will be inconsistent with this.
Personally, I'd prefer to avoid the ceiling-bound sound but, this isn't the point. Your concern would (probably) be the variation in power vs response per frequency (to hopefully be addressed in the crossover), and the inconsistent balance of the ceiling reflection.
Personally, I'd prefer to avoid the ceiling-bound sound but, this isn't the point. Your concern would (probably) be the variation in power vs response per frequency (to hopefully be addressed in the crossover), and the inconsistent balance of the ceiling reflection.
True and GPA's 'HIFI' replacements are ~ on a par with the rare alum. ultralites, so 2-3x superior peak power handling depending on the horn at nearly the same SQ, which according to the late, great JMMLC in a PM WRT his then 511B horns, only TAD beryllium 'outshines' an 802-8G with original ultralite and then just barely, so I feel comfortable saying they're better overall and have a pair of 26420 to replace my 802/808-8A's melted ultralites since the 34647 is permanently MIA, just haven't gotten around to resurrecting what little is left of my once huge horn system, so no personal experience; not that it matters now, what with a really bad case of tinnitus nowadays.
GM
Yes! and in general the bigger the mid horn/driver size, the closer the mids 'get real' with the trade-off of course of the HF naturally rolling off quicker with increasing driver size unless tweaked to use its breakup modes BW.
Yeah, my hearing is MIA above ~12 kHz, though can 'feel'/perceive higher as SPL increases, like clear the room of youngsters loud.
Regardless, the pioneers determined that the 250-2500 Hz telephone BW + an octave on either side should be on a single driver, so:
~[125*790.565 Hz]^0.5 = ~790.57 Hz mean
~13543"sec/pi/~790.57 Hz = ~5.453" dia..
Not surprising then that their 1st two way studio monitor had an 800 Hz XO and 1st single true wide range cone driver was an 8" divided up as a three way [one piece tri-flex] from ~80-12.5 kHz:http://streetcomanches.zohosites.com/files/755aWE at 510 on jul ebay.JPG
Some folks either disagree with and/or ignore my way of determining optimal driver sizes, so I 'rest my case' with RCA choosing to 'scope out the competition' by measuring one centered at 800 Hz: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-55YCtJPw5p8/T-alq54XJ2I/AAAAAAAACJ8/uPXEunrcCKA/s1600/755ASPLgraph.jpg
Now one of the things I found really interesting while being exposed/overloaded with then 'way over my head' technical knowledge was that the woofer for this monitor was a 12" 'full range' driver designed apparently for large consoles, which until the mid '90s was still being sold cheap by MCM in more modern form, hence a super wide overlapping BW was used.
My decades long gone RCA field coil 'clone' out of a '39 console went to ~9.5 kHz and the later MCM ~12.5 kHz, so again, not surprising the W.E./Lancing/Altec/GPA woofers and its ~clones have super wide usable BWs even though with up to 4th order being the norm.
Thank the Fates/who/whatever that the pioneers got so much 'right' and didn't feel the need to 'fix what wasn't broken'.
GM
The ND950 is a superb driver, the 2.0 even better than the 1.4 according to people (PA manufacturers) who have tested both.
Better? Yes, especially in the top octave
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Looks like an Altec 900 series sans its rubber damper 'donut', so can 'sing along' occasionally when properly 'tickled'. Easy to tell if a shallow depth ['pancake'] design. Altec sold to other manufacturers, which the triple hole horn mounting implies. In short, nobody cloned a Tangerine TTBOMK except of course GPA's OEM replacement.
GM
Cool! Not surprised now that W.E. is back selling them. Circa 2k, the OEM that was making them way back when verbally agreed to crank some more out at the DIYer's request, but the no debate 10 k minimum order killed that dream.
GM
Notice the big rubber surround, which was another cost cutting 'upgrade' later on: https://auctions.c.yimg.jp/images.a...a703/i-img1200x900-1538745756ae4bl7757916.jpg
GM
Hi,
Those are Klughörner, really good stuff:
Klughoerner.de >> Markus Klug und seine Horner
KR Hauke