Looking to upgrade to horns
- Thread starter roccus
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Not sure where I am going with this Lee I have not even put a bid on those altec horns yet...... thing is I don't even know what the frequency is of the speakers I have now 1995 was a long time ago and just don't remember the specs it was all bought at parts express abck them and what I have is discontinued... will have to pull them apart to get model numbers and see if data is out there on them... pretty sure I wil stay at 8ohm, do these wopls do well at 4ohm?
Been looking over and playing around with this free software.... Loudspeaker Simulator
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LoL you all look the same from here.... Yea Joe not sure what frequency yet... I spent near a month reading here before I jumped on the WOPL train so just researching now looking at options and input from this community.... but I got to do this on a poor mans budget hoping to get upgraded from the bullet tweeter I am running now my ears are getting old and the highs are starting to get missed so need a bit more umph on the high freqs... But this 811 would look cool in my cabs and they will just fit nicely
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- 74,876
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- Tagline
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Selenium D220Ti and JBL Waveguides. Parts Express waveguide part number -338800-001. Could this help ? I have heard folk rant and rave so much about econowaves I almost built some myself. Instead I just bought these JBL screen drivers and let them sit there doing nothing. They sound pretty damn good with my 35 WPC Dynaco though I can tell you that.
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Hey Roccus ,
Lee is spot on. Horn systems are expensive and if the wrong components are not selected to work together, it can drive ya nuts.
I running a pair of Altec Votts as we speak. They sound awesome, but it has taken me many different Altec pieces to get them to sound
right in my room. Altec manufactured thousands of different components for theater use to home systems to baseball parks, etc. ect.
As an example, you could find a pair of A7-500 Votts like the ones in the second photo you posted. But if they don't have the correct
drivers in them for home use ( most will me PA or theater units) they will sound tinny and that 400 PL amp will smoke them.
Just like Lee has had to do to his K-horns, I have done big changes to my Altecs.
The Altec 811 horn you are considering was designed to play at 800hz and above. That is your minimum crossover point.
So now you need a driver for that horn. The one that is highly recommended is the 802-8G driver. These will set you back around
$400.00 each ! Woofers to match these horns run around $450.00 each. And you still need crossovers and cabinets.
If this is the way you want to go, it will be worth it. The sound is just amazing with Altec's . That second picture is the Model 19,
considered by many as the best home speaker every made. Unless your a K-Horn fan. That debate will never end.
If ya got questions shoot, I'll help if I can.
In the meantime, check out GREAT PLAINS AUDIO.
Cheers
jM
Lee is spot on. Horn systems are expensive and if the wrong components are not selected to work together, it can drive ya nuts.
I running a pair of Altec Votts as we speak. They sound awesome, but it has taken me many different Altec pieces to get them to sound
right in my room. Altec manufactured thousands of different components for theater use to home systems to baseball parks, etc. ect.
As an example, you could find a pair of A7-500 Votts like the ones in the second photo you posted. But if they don't have the correct
drivers in them for home use ( most will me PA or theater units) they will sound tinny and that 400 PL amp will smoke them.
Just like Lee has had to do to his K-horns, I have done big changes to my Altecs.
The Altec 811 horn you are considering was designed to play at 800hz and above. That is your minimum crossover point.
So now you need a driver for that horn. The one that is highly recommended is the 802-8G driver. These will set you back around
$400.00 each ! Woofers to match these horns run around $450.00 each. And you still need crossovers and cabinets.
If this is the way you want to go, it will be worth it. The sound is just amazing with Altec's . That second picture is the Model 19,
considered by many as the best home speaker every made. Unless your a K-Horn fan. That debate will never end.
If ya got questions shoot, I'll help if I can.
In the meantime, check out GREAT PLAINS AUDIO.
Cheers
jM
Thanks for this info I am very open minded llok like good prices and people seem pleased with them but I will need to consider the power output of the 400.... I love your speakers open horns out of the cabs is just plain cool... may not mount mine in the cabs but mount them on top of the caps like that
Thanks for info, I have seen Great Plains they got everything for the Altecs.... I have never actually heard Votts but I can imagine if set up right they are incredible I have heard the 19's, a friend of mine down in NH bought a pair from a neighbor of his who was moving and had no place to put the 19's so they sold them to my friend for $500 and they are mint... I had just bought a Caver TFM 55 when he got the speakers he asked me to bring my amp over to try on them and loved them, he ended up buying a TFM 55 as well to power them.....I tried to buy them from him for years be he wont let them go
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Well I got outbid on those horns.... I will keep looking around, maybe post wanted on some of the other audio forums. Seems like there are a lot of these around maybe someone has a pair they are not going to use and will let go for a decent price...
JustMike Looks like the 802-8Ds are close to the G's, no?
JustMike Looks like the 802-8Ds are close to the G's, no?
Hi Ray,
This is what is so confusing about Altec drivers. So many different numbers. the 802-8d is a Pa driver .
The 802-8G is the driver that is used in the Model 19. Has the special phase plug and diaphragm for higher power and Alnico magnet structure.
Ray keep your eyes peeled for 902-8b drivers. These were the later models but other than ceramic mags have the same phase plug and
diaphragm as the 802-8g. but go for a lot less money and sound real close.
Ray what did the horns sell for ?
This is what is so confusing about Altec drivers. So many different numbers. the 802-8d is a Pa driver .
The 802-8G is the driver that is used in the Model 19. Has the special phase plug and diaphragm for higher power and Alnico magnet structure.
Ray keep your eyes peeled for 902-8b drivers. These were the later models but other than ceramic mags have the same phase plug and
diaphragm as the 802-8g. but go for a lot less money and sound real close.
Ray what did the horns sell for ?
You can come close on a few. But on the 800 series only the 8g and 16g have the tangerine phase plug. the rest are aluminum. There is a
bunch of info about these on many of the Altec sites.
There are two sizes of rare earth (Alnico mags) mags used in the 800 series drivers. 802's and the 808's are the larger ones. So if you put a
Diaphragm that is used in 802-8g's into an 808 it would sound close but would have the aluminum phase plug. My old ears really can't tell
any difference in phase plugs but the diaphragm make a huge difference. Great Plains has brand new Altec Diaphragms. I have tried copies
and they sound like crap.
bunch of info about these on many of the Altec sites.
There are two sizes of rare earth (Alnico mags) mags used in the 800 series drivers. 802's and the 808's are the larger ones. So if you put a
Diaphragm that is used in 802-8g's into an 808 it would sound close but would have the aluminum phase plug. My old ears really can't tell
any difference in phase plugs but the diaphragm make a huge difference. Great Plains has brand new Altec Diaphragms. I have tried copies
and they sound like crap.