Just returned form picking up the Altec Lansing A-7 VOTT

[ksrigg]

Well, after a 750 mile trip, I have returned to my place in Florida with the A-7's. Man did Garland ever do a fantastic job of restoration. They look fantastic. I haven't listened to them yet, as there is NO amp, nor receiver at this house. SHAME. I will be finding a Thrift Store in the morning, looking for a working amp or receiver of some kind. I can't wait to hear these giants. I'll attach a picture of them. They have a 416C 15" woofer and a 808C compression driver mounted to 511B horns. The crossovers are N801-8A's. All drivers are also 8 ohm. I didn't add that in the driver numbers above..

 

[laatsch55]

They look LARGE!!!!!!

 

[Pure_Brew]

Wow. Those are damn impressive looking!

 

[ksrigg]

I am going to try a revised crossover. Great Plains makes one, and I want to try it. I am sure the values of the caps and other parts in the originals have drifter, and who knows how "state of the art" they were in their day. The speakers are large. 30 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 54 inches tall with the arrays. You can tell by looking at the 16 inch woofer. It looks like an 8 incher!!

I'll report after I scavenge an amp.

 

[ksrigg]

Holy schnickies, Batman.

There is something about experiencing, not just listening to, a pair of speakers which use to be the ones you heard at a concert. WOW............

I went downtown St. Augustine, and found the only receiver which worked, and it happened to be a JVC RX-518V which has 70 watts a channel. Also found a working Onkyo cassette deck, but that is another story..

Came back and wired the Altecs to the JVC and put on a Phish CD and sat back. All I can say is WOW. The music is right there.in your chest, in you brain..I'm not trying to pick what the SPEAKER is doing right and wrong....I'm just holding on for dear life. The speakers aren't there at all. I'm sitting there in the recording studio, or in prime seat at the concert.....Listen to "Birds of a Feather" Unbelievable..I don't know what to say. I use to think my Linus Array system was good. I use to think the Matin Logans were good.

The Altecs take things to a whole different level. Maybe it is because I haven't heard my system at home in about a week. Maybe it is this amp (no), maybe the acoustics in this house, but I've not heard anything like this in a long time. Maybe since I saw John Mayer in concert...I am just blown away.....by a JVC amp? NO, THESE SPEAKERS ARE FANTASTIC....

Forget any new crossover...doesn't need anything...

 

[Elite-ist]

There's a reason most theaters used that particular Altec Lansing speaker. There's no substitution for good ol' raw horsepower when it comes to speakers. I'm sure Lee will have something that will bring those speakers to life. And then you can tell us how well they sound. You lucky guy!

Nando.

 

[speakerman1]

Always wanted a pair.Now I would have to build an addition to the house. LOL

Larry

 

[Fast Forward]

How about a matched pair Of Yammie M-50s or A Phase Linear 400,,,I have some gathering dust since I went to the M-80

 

[laatsch55]

Oh, he's got some wattage comin'!!!

 

[ksrigg]

oh yeah, Lee has got some power coming. Two 700B's and a 400 so far. I want to get a second 400 for symmetry...
I don't know how much power these A-7's NEED or can take...

This JVC Thrift Store find hasn't been over -20 db, and it's only 70 watts per channel. It is LOUD, but really great. I'm now only mad at the recording engineers, not the system....
I have heard what these speakers are capable of, and realize any shortcomings are the product of what is on the disc. The Phish CD I listened to last night was really well recorded...some other CD's not so well recorded.

 

[speakerman1]

What CDP are you using?

Larry

 

[stuwee]

Those VOTT's would give wood to any red-blooded man, even me WOOF!! I'm soooo jealous!!

They don't need alot of watts, just clean power to fill a room. Tubes work great with them, you have to try some of that. How are ya getting them home? I have some Somali pirates waiting along I-95 in a big truck Aye

 

[ksrigg]

Well, you have them waiting on the correct Interstate highway. I'll be leaving here in the morning and driving home. The pair of Altecs fit nicely in the 06 Chevy Astro van with the rear seat removed. Darland, the person I bought them from, informed me that GM made their vehicles with 48 inches of cargo space in the rear..I think it's more like 50 inches, in that the two speakers on their side leave about 2 inches between them in the cargo space..

Yes, they are the finest speakers I have ever heard. I have owned a lot of speakers, and have DIYed my own......so, that is saying a lot. They just don't have a sound of their own, at all. They just reproduce what is on the source. Never heard, or felt, anything quite like them. The Altec Model 19's I have are nice, but these just blow them away. I can't describe them. They are just right. I have heard the cliche that "you are there" and "the speakers just get out of the way", but I haven't experienced it before to this extent...Feels like I am at a concert....right i n the best seats..just close your eyes, and feel and hear the music...

I won't tell you what color my van is...and I do travel with a peacemaker....

 

[stuwee]

I was just joshin' ya sir. I'd never hijack those from ya , just like I'd never hijack a thread...

 

[ksrigg]

In answer to the question of source....I'm using a Blu-ray DVD player I hi-jacked from the TV stuff here. iT IS A SONY BDP-BX2. I'm using the analog outs and it sounds pretty darn good, but I really don't have anything to compare it to at present..

Does anyone have any idea how much clean power an A-7 could take without blowing either the daiphram in the compression driver, or melting the voice coils of either driver? I don't want to feed these babies too much power. I am thinking my ears might start bleeding before I reached the point of too much power, but you never know. The woofer and tweeter are rated at 30 watts max power, but I am hoping that is incorrect. I want to use the pl 700b ON THESE GUYS..

 

[stuwee]

I pretty sure your eardrums would break before the VOTT drivers would, but to be on the safe side check over at Lansing Heritage on the particular drivers you have there, you really don't need anywhere near what the PL's can put out. That's why the little JVC receiver was so loud at a low volume setting.

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/

 

[laatsch55]

I also didn't think a guy would need 500 watts a channel on K-Horns either. BUT----they are only rated for 100 watts continuous, but they will take 350-400 for hours. CLEAN powewr is the secret. If the amps not clipping you can get away with a lot more juice.

 

[jbeckva]

ROFL.. We got another one with that "need to earbleed"... Lee - you aint right, and look what ya started?

(damn... it's 8pm.... can't make things rattle off shelves til tomorrow... )

 

[laatsch55]

Terrible influence I know!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stuwee]

Not me, I won't succum to this foolishness