VOT matching center channel? Anyone selling?

[LICORNE]

1st anyone had a recommendation on a matching center speaker for my Voice Of The Theater speakers for my theater.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well; the best thing would be an Identical A-7.
Even though the A-7 the A-8 A-5 and the others
sound overall the same there are slight nuances between them. You could RTA them to sound the same.
But with out that equipment even an increase in padding can make a significant difference in the sound projected.

I don't recommend 12" go for similar components
in a same volume cabinet perhaps.

But again a third A-7 is your best bet . It's straight technology with no messing around stuff.

I'm quite strict when it comes to sound.

..................

[Old Guy]

Hi CC-

That should be an 802 driver- prolly "C" would be my guess.

Most likely an 803B speaker. The 803B and the 416A are for all intents and purposes the same speaker.

A really old gentleman, now deceased, told me that was done to avoid confusion with the multicells ending in 03 ie 1003.

That is correct porting for early A7's. IMHO modifying it would be sacrilege.

GM is better to ask regarding the HF horns, I am just not used to thinking of living room size systems. The driver should fit on a 511, but I would retain the original parts so the set could be put back.

HTH.

[gamalot]

From a purely Vintage point of view there is only two ways to get what you want.

Buy a real Altec cabinets and fill it with the correct Altec components!

Buy the real Altec components and put them into a real Altec cabinet!

Many of us here can build cabinets and possibly even better then the originals. We can all find the correct components to load our cabinets with but what we can't do is replicate true vintage Altec speakers no matter how hard we try or how good we build.

If you have a pair of real originals and need a match then you simply have to find the right one, or pair, to make it correct.

From a sound perspective you can certainly rig your gear to suit your needs and system and if done right it will be fine.

I believe the only real way to match an Altec or a pair is to find the exact original and there sure are plenty of them out here.

Do as you are doing and keep your eyes and ears open but unless you are willing to settle for something less, be patient.

We can build Altec speakers all day and every day and never end up with an Altec no matter how hard we try.

Gary

[bfish]

Originally posted by gamalot:
From a purely Vintage point of view...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well and good, but CC hasn't expressed an interest in "purely vintage".

Q; What's the difference between a 'vintage' painted, plywood box and a new one?

A; About a half gram of lead.

[ClassicComics]

Ok, the local guy finally sent me some pics of the "A7's" he has for sale. He is willing to sell me just the cabs or the cabs and the 421a woofers (I am not interested in the non-altec horns). These look beat to sh*t - they would take a lot of work.... what do you think? Are they worth picking up as a project? What would you pay for them, just for the boxes, and maybe add in the woofers - assuming they are in decent shape? Remember these are supposedly "custom built" to Altec specs, so not only are they beat up - badly - but they are not original. Though I don't know how he knows this - if he built them or who he got them from told him this??? Plus side is they are local and I could just pick the up.... any and all thoughts welcome....







<font color="#FFFFFF" size="1">[ July 24, 2008 08:11 PM: Message edited by: ClassicComics ]</font>

[bfish]

Well, aside from being (clearing throat)...rough, the boxes look short in the reflex section to me. If those are 421s, they're modified, 421s have aluminum domes.

As someone who's (still working on) trying to make a set of beat (not that bad) boxes look pretty, I can say it would be less work to start from scratch. The curved part looks intimidating, but it's not really that hard.

Value? <$100, if that.

[ClassicComics]

Any chance an Altec Valencia would make a good center for my A7's? Only reason I ask is a local shop has a pair for $600. I think they have 811 horns, but I could buy a single 511 and swap. Other than that I have no idea how they compare sound wise...

Thanks!

[GM]

Not really since the Valencia is a much lower efficiency speaker and uses a direct radiator woofer Vs the A7's mildly horn loaded one. Once you swap horns you could digitally EQ it all to a fare-thee-well to make it all come together for the most part, but as I probably implied in one of these threads you could have built either a clone of an 825 or 828 or the even the easier to build 810 cab by the time you research/find/buy one.......

GM

[scharron]

Whoa baby! about forty years ago I would have tried to make those into something for our band!!! they almost look like they were underwater! run CC, run!
almost spit out my coffee with the throat clearing reference! thanks for the laugh! they look like something the carnivals of the sixtys and seventys would use to play loud rock while you were spinning and twirling with your best girlfriend! great memories. they usually had at least one blown horn and were being overdriven to the point of ragged distortion but we thought they sounded great!! I wonder what they are covered with? is that just paint, or some kind of resin or something? all seriousness aside, I would stick to your original A7 plan like GM has suggested and leave the guess work out of it. three A7s across the front will sound great!
just my .02.
scott in nc

[RonSSS]

Originally posted by ClassicComics:
Any chance an Altec Valencia would make a good center for my A7's? Only reason I ask is a local shop has a pair for $600. I think they have 811 horns, but I could buy a single 511 and swap. Other than that I have no idea how they compare sound wise...

Thanks!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'd buy those just because the price is good if they are in good shape.
Would make good rear channels.
I don't agree with the efficiency thing....you can control the center channel level, right?
I don't know if a 511 horn will fit in the box. And you would need a new crossover.
Ron