altec 755and 756 model speakers

[Davidg]

So these things carry an incredible price tag
are they really that good sounding?

[bfish]

The more you pay, the better they play.

[Davidg]

I'd have to sell the 604's and A-7's to afford them but hey if they sound that good! and they'd take up alot less space!

[bfish]

In all fairness, they're probably some of the best $20-30 ceiling speakers ever made. I remember the principal's classroom announcements were always very clear and intelligable.

[Davidg]

I don't understand why people are willing to pay these prices, I just saw a pair of 755 and a pair of 756's sell on E-bay and each pair sold for over $2000!! I can't fathom it no matter how good they sound! they better do something other than sit and vibrate for that kinda money!

[Steve Schell]

I haven't listened to any 756As, but have heard the 755A several times. It is an impressively smooth and lively little speaker that does very little wrong and an awful lot right. Part of the lure is the Western Electric decal of course, and their scarcity and value as status symbol in some circles help to run the price up.

The 755 series is discussed in depth here:

http://members.myactv.net/~je245/755survey.htm

[bfish]

Originally posted by Davidg:
I don't understand why people are willing to pay these prices...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You don't understand because you're not driven by vanity. Be thankful, that's a good thing!

Given the available alternatives for $2K, they're obviously not buying them to listen to.

[Steve Schell]

Bfish, I once spoke with an older fellow who told me that had installed a bunch of W.E. and Altec 755As in the ceiling of his home which he built in the early 1950s. When I mentioned that people were paying around a grand a pair for them these days he said "Well they can have mine!"

[Davidg]

$2K is about what I have invested in my GPA604-8H-II's and the plywood to build the cabs and I wouldn't trade them for anything at any price especially some funky little 8" ceiling speakers! LOL! Hey thanks for the article about them Steve it was very interesting, I will definitely be looking inside of every little wood speaker box I find in yard sales, flea markets and such, I will probably look at all those little ceiling grills in old buildings a little differently also! Ya never know there might be a small fortune hiding inside there! Actually I would love to hear some but at these prices it might be a day or two!

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Originally posted by bfish:
In all fairness, they're probably some of the best $20-30 ceiling speakers ever made.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ceiling speakers? Maybe the later versions were used in ceiling speaker applications, but the 755A was a theatre speaker. They were mounted on the wall to the right and left sides of the theater.