Different M500 Maestro Series

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Here's a couple of pictures.





Unfortunately, the outside has been painted with a heavy layer of wall paint. The inside is very nice with the exception of some cracking and lifting of the black Zolotone type coating on the baffle board.

[cclark65]

Wow, what a sweet find!

[bfish]

Also the M500 XO is centered at 630Hz. Engines are recommended to cross at 1kHz for 15"s, or 1.2kHz for 12"s.

I don't know how well an Engine's HF loading would hold up crossed that low, probably OK, but HF directivity control that low will be shot to heck.

[StuWelwood]

Looks like a super buy. And 130dB - I can't even imagine what that's like! Please forgive my ignorance, but what is meant by the term "Engine?"

[bfish]

The EV models used Bill's Engine too. Don't know the exact timeline, but all were from the late-80's-90s EV period.

9864 has a 60 deg horn, 9894 has a 90. Measure to determine which. The AlPro Vintage library probably has the most info on various models, and a general product matrix.

Your ebay link is to one of the Microaudio equalizers I had in mind, but from the lit, it appears the 4024 is the one I should have referred to as having presets for these particular models. Looks like EQ and XO in a single package. Further investigation would be wise, I'm pretty lost as to much of the latest Altec black boxes myself.

According to the lit, the nameplate could be removed, leaving an appropriate opening for a "standard" XO. Since an M500 matches a med-low efficiency woofer to to a high-eff horn, I don't expect it to be the best for a high-eff/high-eff Engine, and as such, wouldn't be the best choice. The switchable EQ on an M500 merely adds CD shelving, but doesn't change the mismatched pad.

[bfish]

I'm headed out the door to spend a few days on/near the water. Maybe someone can fill in the blanks while I'm

"Gone fishin', instead of just a-wishin'".

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by Charles Clark:
Wow, what a sweet find!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yes it is, and to think I didn't even know my newest favorite speaker existed before this :-) ....I just wish I could have found two, so I could have a stereo pair. I guess I'm going to have to start searching for a second, but I don't think they are common.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by bfish:
The EV models used Bill's Engine too. Don't know the exact timeline, but all were from the late-80's-90s EV period.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've read previous posts referring to the design as Bill's, and I see the copyright info at the bottom of each page here on the board. I assume this means he designed it, or does he just own the copyrights, as part of his purchases from the Altec closure?

9864 has a 60 deg horn, 9894 has a 90. Measure to determine which.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The pictures in the literature that I've seen online, all seem to use the same horn. I didn't notice the 60 and 90 difference in the literature until I went back and looked for it, after reading your post. I can't seem to print scanned literature out very well, and reading it on the monitor doesn't work very well, for me, either.

I think I have the 60 degree version. How do I measure a horn? I see multiple angles, and am not sure which ones I should check. Further more, I'm not sure how to physically measure them.... none of the lines form a vertex

The AlPro Vintage library probably has the most info on various models, and a general product matrix.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oh, that's handy, thanks!

Your ebay link is to one of the Microaudio equalizers I had in mind, but from the lit, it appears the 4024 is the one I should have referred to as having presets for these particular models. Looks like EQ and XO in a single package. Further investigation would be wise, I'm pretty lost as to much of the latest Altec black boxes myself.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'll keep an eye on Ebay for one..... I don't know were else I'd find one.

According to the lit, the nameplate could be removed, leaving an appropriate opening for a "standard" XO. Since an M500 matches a med-low efficiency woofer to to a high-eff horn, I don't expect it to be the best for a high-eff/high-eff Engine, and as such, wouldn't be the best choice. The switchable EQ on an M500 merely adds CD shelving, but doesn't change the mismatched pad.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I've heard of an L-pad, but never just "pad", can you explain further?

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by Stuart Welwood:
Looks like a super buy. And 130dB - I can't even imagine what that's like! Please forgive my ignorance, but what is meant by the term "Engine?"

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think it's the name given to the combination LF/HF driver that I have. It's different than previous Duplex drivers, that really were two drivers bolted together. Mine only has one magnet structure.

I don't think it refers to the whole box, but I could be wrong.

[Todd W. White]

The "Engine" speaker is, essentially, a giant version of the 604. The difference is that it uses a large (299) diaphragm, uses the same magnet (instead of 2 like the 604), and a bigger horn. The 60-degree horn mouth is pretty much square. The 90-degree horn is more rectangular.

Bill designed these - they were his idea, and belong to him. He still makes them, but the horns are hard to find.

Although, he IS working on a 12-inch version for home use, replete with a newly designed cabinet....

<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ September 26, 2007 02:32 PM: Message edited by: Todd W. White ]</font>