Altec horn drivers

[Skratch]

Was playing around with my Altec 288-8G drivers, Swapped out the aluminum diaphrams for the symbiotic ones. The aluminum go a lot higher but I cross over them at 5000 hz so who cares. What I found is the symbiotic's are alot better in the 500 to 5000 hz range. They were used in PA systems where voice was predominate and high frequency was not an issue. They are also able to take twice the power

 

[laatsch55]

Can't find the smiley so...................

THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skratch]

Freddy Mercury on the left channel with the aluminum diaphram and freddy on the right with the symbiotic in the mono mode was IMHO was a lot more natural sounding. The man's voice could sing in 4 octaves which is unheard of. He is one of my tests when I change anything. I cross the mid-tweet at 5000 hz which go back to the aluminum diaphrams and that is mostly cymbals and stuff that is on the high end of normal hearing. At my age my semi-circular canals don't respond to my brain like they used too

 

[Skratch]

Lee I can send a picture of a diaphram if you like.

 

[laatsch55]

I thought maybe you would have taken some pics of the buggers when you had them apart and what you were doing to them. And I don't think that was vegetable beef soup, that was beef vegetable soup.

 

[orange]

I don't have enough room in the DIY former EV coax cabs for stuff like 811?s What do 288s mate with that is not long or has to be tilted?

Just asking, I'm not that rich. I recall the owner of Great Plains Audio suggesting 5 somethings...

as you recall I have a pair of high power rated Pioneer PA 12" that Parts Express sold a few of in them and was going to experiment with mid and HF Sansui horns, although not rated very high in power...I have a pair of Magnavox Alnico horns and what looks like two Heppners.

It took Kurt Cobain NINE Heppners to be happy. They don't sound like much to me so I don't wonder why. Why a Marshall or a Carvin wouldn't do I don't know, it's like loving Rambler Americans, just an acquired taste.

 

[ksrigg]

Scratch.....are you talking vintage or new production? Altec Lansing branded or Great Plains? Have you tested any of the GOOD chinese ones made with aluminum? I finally found some good ones from the different sellers. I'm not totally convinced that they are not the same diaphragms offered by Great Plains. I wonder if the current production GP ones aren't made in China, or Hong Kong anyway..Are you using the screw on connection type diaphrams or the ones which use the female to male compression connection? I found some "butterfly" type covers for the diaphrams which allow me to use the screw on type diaphrams. That now gives me the flexibility to use either type by changing out the cover.....but there are some people who don't even use these....They are made of black bakelite..I hope you know what I am talking about...

 

[Skratch]

I have aluminum and symbiotic vintage diaphrams from Altec. Screw terminals. Bill at Great Plains forms his own diaphrams in house on machines he purchased from Altec

 

[ksrigg]

Well that is good to know. I thought they might be coming from China. So, in light of the fact that they are the screw on terminals, do you use the butterfly diaphragm covers, or go without the covers? What exactly is the symbiotic material? I know I've got one or two of them, but I think they are blown...I'm using the real Altec brand aluminum ones now, but the Chinese ones I have are in case I ever blow any diaphragms, I'll be back in business in just a few minutes.....and they didn't cost a fortune. I'd have time to order some from Great Plains, or I might be happy with the sound from the cheapies....I need to put a pair in and listen sometime...

Symbiotics can take twice the power of the aluminum ones? I would have guessed the other way around..

 

[Skratch]

Sutton, The new diaphrams from Bill have push on terminals, he will make you screw termination if you like at an upcharge. The symbiotic diaphrams have a reddish kapton surround, you can't miss it. Altec only made these. The pascalite diaphrams are an alloy of aluminum that is the latest family of diaphrams and can handle a lot of power

 

[ksrigg]

Push on like this?

Screw on...like this....

There are some that are aluminum which are good.....other ones have the diamond type "surround" like this, and they usually are made from titanium or something like that, and are not nearly as good...

 

[Skratch]

Yes