420-8B

[magnarc]

Hi

I have recently acquired a pair of these, with 16 inch frames, similar to my 421-8H. Anyone have any more info on them? They are the biflex model and appear in good nick.

Thanks

[zelgall]

Until last week I was using 420's in an 11cu ft sealed box with a 12" goodmans coax. The 420 by itself isn't quite full range but it also worked very well with a pair of arum cantis ribbons. With the goodmans I was running both speakers in series full range and they integrated nicely with no volume level compensation. I didn't just get lucky, I tried a variety of crossovers and padding but kept going back to running both drivers wide open. I was using 604-8g's in altec cabinets previous to that and the 420/goodmans combo replaced the 604's. I'm going to have a yard sale soon to free up some floor space!

[RonSSS]

If you look at the T/S parameters of the 420, it is meant to be used in a sealed box. Altec used them in the Santana speakers. Do a Google search.
They also sold the woofer over the counter.
I like the bi-flexes, and think they would mate well with a smaller horn and HF driver.
They are one of the Altec models that aren't all that popular on ebay....and watch, I'm probably ruining that now.....
I'd like to get a pair. My first Altecs were the 12" version 419-8B and I bought them in 1972 brand new........
Wish I still had them.
Ron

[magnarc]

I did a google on the 420-8B and got very little. There is heaps on the 15inch 420A, and I gather the units are similar except for the frame size, and perhaps the magnet.

I dont have sealed boxes, just the 612 cabs my 604e's are in. The 421s are not in any cabs atm.

There is not much Altec stuff around down here in Oz, tho there is a bit of it in private hands. If you are interested in em, look me up next time you are down in Sydney!!!! Shipping to the US is expensive, I want to have my 604e's remagged but I'm not sure they will survive the journey back intact!