Altec Model 19 foam

[DNV47]

I know there's been previous posts about this topic but I thought I'd share my impressions in a new post that might be easier to find in a specific search for "Model 19 foam" plus condense all the previous scattered info into this one post so all the info is here. I was not aware that the 19's came with foam inserts around the 811 baffle until I started reading all posts related to model 19. It seems the original inserts did not hold up well and fell a part years ago so the majority of Model 19's you see for sale don't have them. Replacement foam inserts can be ordered from Dan Darst and his e-mail address is: [email protected]
The current price is $48.50 including postal shipping to the continental US.
Having just acquired a pair of Model 19's I wanted to hear what the foam really does. Pure speculation on my part was that there is a fair amount of diffraction along the 811 baffle and sound waves hitting the protruding cabinet edges that bounce back to the horn and along the baffle. I received the foam inserts this morning. They are nicely made and fit well because Dan has a pair of Model 19's he uses to check the fit.
Visually the black foam looks nice around the 811 as it hides the mounting bolts and flange and the taper on each end in toward the horn is nicer to look at than the flat baffle. Of course the taper is there for reasons other than visual. Without the foam in place I first played an LP band containing lots of cymbals and bells and it sounded good. Then I played an LP band of an old mono Cugat LP with tons of midrange that tends to be somewhat irritating. I then installed the foam inserts and played the same two LP bands again. The cymbals and bells were now more tame sounding and much more focused yet not diminished at all. The Cugat was tammed to some degree but obviously the foam can't correct for a bad recording. Based on what I heard I prefer the sound with the foam in place and I think if your looking for that finishing touch for the Model 19 this is it. I think the difference in sonics is a no brainer but of course that's my opinion.

[Tom Brennan]

I put some absorbent wooly fiber kinda stuff on either side of the horns on my 19s figuring to cut down on waves bouncing off the sides of the horn enclosure, figured it would pretty much do what the origianl foam did.

The stuff was white in color and from Hancock fabrics, looks kind'a like fiberglass but no itching, pillow stuffing or something, comes in a roll and about 2" thick but you can peel it thinner and taper it.

Anyway the stuff did absorb sound from the horn and it changed the tonality, made the sound duller for a given crossover adjustment. I expected to hear a difference in the imaging but didn't. All in all in my room it didn't seem to do anything beneficial for the sound so I discarded the stuff. It may be that the stuff was beneficial but I just didn't like the benefit. ;-)

Anyway it's good stuff for those who want to experiment with absorbant material around the horn.

[DNV47]

Tom,
I can't say that I perceived any drop in acoustic output with the foam in place and I didn't have the urge to adjust the xover settings after the foam was in place. Maybe what you used absorbed way too much? The foam is not the soft spongy type that you can roll up. It's more of a stiffer closed cell foam. Without the foam some things sound somewhat scattered to me compared to using the foam but what I call scattered isn't really bad. I just preferred the more focused and slightly tamer sound using the foam. I'm listening at what you might call near field as my room is not large and I think it's an improvement whereas in a larger room it may not be noticeable because of other reflections at louder listening levels. Try some styrofoam for the heck of it and see what you think.

Dave