Large Horns and driver ID Help

[gamalot]

I know the fellow who has these but I have no idea what they are or if they are worth messing with.
They sure look Altec to me but more in the range of Stadium gear then anything I ever see.
Any Ideas?

Thanks
Gary

[Old Guy]

203 Multicells. Long throw I think 20 by 40 pattern.

Most likely 290 series drivers. That back cover is normally covered by a big transformer can.

I cant tell if they are first or second generation drivers. They look like possibly the newer drivers that are heavier. I don't have a unit handy to measure.

If they weigh around 25 pounds they are probably 290E.

If they (drivers) weigh 31-32 pounds they are 290 G series or (rarely) 291 16 B. Some 291 16B's were made with the big 290 tranny can.

[Steve Schell]

I know it seems unlikely, but these components can work very well in a living room hi fi setup. The 203B horns are my favorite Altec multicellulars due to their small pattern and 300Hz. loading. The 290E drivers sound excellent from 300Hz. to 5kHz.

[gamalot]

I could add a couple of more pics if this would help with narrowing the ID.

This fellow will probably be putting these at the auction site unless someone here wants to make him a decent offer. They are close to Amarillo, TX.
I have no interest in them, want nothing to do with them and havn't a clue as to their value or condition other then what you and I can see.

Gary

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by GM:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Steve Schell:
.......these components can work very well in a living room hi fi setup. The 203B horns are my favorite Altec multicellulars......

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Greets!

Agreed, mine too!

GM</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I have a pair that I've never used.... maybe I should reconsider. I'll have to get my large format drivers working, Though.

[Steve Schell]

Gamalot, we have pretty much nailed the horns as Altec 203B. Yours have been repainted over the original gray.

Your drivers appear to be some version of Altec 290, which were all high level devices fitted with phenolic diaphragms. The only version I'm familiar with is the 290E, which has the same rear cap with exposed terminals as yours. Yours apear to be the same alnico pot type, but determining their exact model may be difficult as the decals have likely been painted over with the black repaint. They are all very good drivers IMO.

[gamalot]

Thanks Steve and ALL.

I would love to have the right place to use these and do some playing around but thats not going to happen.
These belong to a fellow in TX who asked if I could help him ID them.
I had suspected them to be Altec but really had no idea what they were.

The horns look very impressive and I do think they would sound great in the right setting.

What would have been the normal application for these giants? I am thinking Stadiums or very large auditoriums and basic PA use.

Gary

[Old Guy]

Originally the 290 was for high level high quality Voice range. They had clusters of some 20 of these that hung from helicopters in Vietnam.. You could understand them 20 miles away.

I bought some 100 or so 290's at the end of the Vietnam war that were overstock for Altec. These go a litle higher than JBL phenolics which die above 4k. These are pretty good to about 6k.

The only inexpensive mid 70's HF was the piezos- we used banks on top of the 290's crossed at about 7k. With the 6db/octave rolloff the combo was pretty decent.

This is a tight pattern "long throw" horn.

I always carried a couple extra pairs of this combo. In a house like the Newport in Columbus, an old theater with a balcony, you could aim them up into the balcony to punch the vocals up to there. Basically spot fills.

[GM]

Originally posted by Steve Schell:
.......these components can work very well in a living room hi fi setup. The 203B horns are my favorite Altec multicellulars......

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Greets!

Agreed, mine too!

GM