Model 19 and 17

**westend9** · July 28th, 2009, 06:49 PM

Good progress, Kjartan! The 802's are very nice drivers I cross mine around 1000Hz, using the 811 horns. With the 511's you can of course, go lower but the 416 will play pretty high. GM will take care of you in the enclosure design.
BTW, GM, I was at the pylwood stacks, this week, hoping to purchase some veneer plywood for the MLTL build you had offered up to me in this thread:New enclosures. Unfortunately, the plywood was of such bad quality, I had to pass. I will have to visit my local hardwood supplier to get the good stuff, I guess. I am still on-track for this build, though.
Kjarten, I know you will be happy with the Altec set and building your own enclosures allows you to get the most out of them for your particular use. Good luck!

**KBergsson** · July 29th, 2009, 02:29 AM

Thanks Westend9, yes doors are opening and opportunities unveiling.
I have been in contact with Mr. Hasling, which you pointed out to me, and he has been very helpful. I will make a trip sooner than later to hear his modified A7 VOTT's and to get the Altec units.

True, using high quality components and DIY ensures flexibility. If you move to a different location or your requirements or tastes change, you can modify/build new to suit that particular situation and the Altec components can be maintained and rebuilt for years to come.

I have a friend in Iceland who builds everything he practically can him self. He even winds his own trafo's to be able to tailor his valve amps to his own particular requirements.
Regards
Kjartan

**Nor** · July 29th, 2009, 01:32 PM

Hi,

As a new member of this forum and as a new owner of Altec mod 19's, I would like to add some notes,

I wholeheartedly agree with the definition that describes the sound as "west coast sound"
The west coast is a gooood place to be and the life is dynamic.

Just as the speakers are.

I first heard these speakers in a double setup(2 pair of 19's stacked upon each-other)
This setup took me straight into the sound of being in front of a small concert- hall, or more likely inside a bar.
When I come upon an available pair of these speakers I knew that my search for speakers was over. For good!!!

Do not mind if the speakers is not totally original as long as they sounds well..
If it sounds good, they are good, but by no means, if they are original, you will have the best

These speakers engaged me just as much the second time I heard them , as they did the first time.

**KBergsson** · July 30th, 2009, 05:10 AM

Hi, as my room layout needs speakers that are relatively shallow and placed up to a wall, I took a look at the A8 cabinets.
If one rounds of the baffle \______/ (seen from top) and increases the debt to keep the same volume as the A8 the speakers would be less visually imposing (thinking of WAF).
The 511 horns will however dictate the dept of the speakers. What alternatives are there to a 511 or 811 (500 or 800Hz crossover) for the 802-8G. Have any of you heard the 802 in the 400Hz Stereolab tractrix horns and compared with the same driver in 811 or 511, or Smith horns for that matter, which seem to be relatively easy to DIY.

Regards
Kjartan

**Tom Brennan** · July 30th, 2009, 10:04 AM

I used 802s on Edgar tractrix "saladbowls", on DIY Smiths, on PAudio CDs, on McCauleys with lenses and other horns too and in the end went back to plain old 511s and 811s. The damned things work.

**KBergsson** · July 31st, 2009, 02:55 AM

Thanks Tom. Me and my wife had a WAF clarification session

yesterday and went through some pictures of DIY Altec speakers from the web. You all, at least those that are married, must have been through similar sessions. I uncovered some constraints and luckily some possibilities

Regarding the horns: The Jaco horn was deemed slightly better looking than that other black ugly thing (511 horns ) ... but then on a positive note... if we get those they must be painted in a more neutral colour or boxed ... no then they get far to big if boxed.
Conclusion on horns: 511's are in (with 802-8G's) but need to be painted.

LF section (using 416-8A's):
Vot LF cabinets where deemed never in my living room ugly

I even showed her pictures of some well conceived, reduced size versions, sprayed in dark grey with Jako horns on top, which I found to be quite nice looking and unobtrusive, but NO!.
On second thought Onkens where deemed to wide and deep and those slits in the sides are dustmagnets

Then we saw some nice cabinets in light veneer, relatively tall as the naked 511's where slightly tilted down towards the listening position. They where classified as tolerable and a better alternative than smaller speakers and a pair of huge poweramps, as our nice P-P 2A3 (even if its a dust magnet par excellence) can be used for the Altecs

Conlclusion on LF: Height is ok, dept should be kept to a minimum (511 and 802 set the dimensions there) and with within reason.

So on total this was a productive session (My dear wife has tolerated me for the last 27 years).

Possible configuration: naked (but painted) 511/802's on top of cabinets that are 60-65cm wide, approx. 45cm deep (under 50cm at least) and height should be appropriate for persons sitting approx 3.5meters in front of the speakers.

So my question to the forum, and especially GM (you have produced and provided so many designs on many forums over the years), are there existing Altec plans (old or new) that would fit these criteria and which would perform well in my living room (see sketch sent earlier) and I can fine tune by ear in my setting. Either BR or MLTL should be able to fit the bill.

Best regards
Kjartan

**KBergsson** · July 31st, 2009, 04:03 AM

Found the picture of the general look my wife liked.
Dont know anything about them, they seem to be closed (or vented on the back) and use a 811 not a 511 horn.

Kjartan

**KBergsson** · July 31st, 2009, 09:50 AM

GM you said in an earlier tread on this forum regarding 416-8A enclosures and A7 v.s. Onken enclosures:
"FWIW, if they were mine though and I didn't want to bother with the fancy woodworking, I'd build a ~10.5 ft^3 MLTL version of the 846B if using one of Altec's CD horns".

10.5 cuft is approx 300L.

Would it be possible to get reasonable performance from the 416-8A's in 8.5 cubic feet (~240L = .6m W x .4m D x 1m H) MLTL or BR enclosures. This would be within my wife's cabinet size criteria.

Mvh
kjartan

**oface1** · July 31st, 2009, 10:11 AM

Hey Kjartan,

So did you all ready purchase the 802's/511's/416's yet? Or are you still on the fence on getting those and the 604's?

Giving you committee's ruling on the allowed cabinet size, and her disdain for the sight of the exposed 511 horn... the cabinets she approved are within the 620 cab range, installed with the 604....plus you would not have a exposed horns detracting you/her on the visual side....

just my opinion though ,, ,

good luck....

-chris

**Cobra2** · July 31st, 2009, 10:44 AM

Hi, Kjartan!
Interesting discussion, I have similar plans, -but not the max size issue ;-)
At the moment, I use 4 x 816/515GHP and 2x MRII594A/299-8A, (and some small drivers & mantarays as backup).

Arne K