Home brew valencias

**theebadone** · January 22nd, 2010, 06:43 AM

Hello again everybody. I need to pick your guys brains a little. I am wanting to build a second pair of A-7s, butt the deal for the cabinets fell through, and i am picking up my rebuilt components next week. Which consist of 2 416As, 2 802-8As, 511B horns, and a set of homebrew crossovers that are a copy of the model 19 crossover but crossed at 500 hz. I dont want to leave these components layin around while waiting for a set of A-7 cabinets, so a friend has offered up a pair of empty 846A cabinets to use, while im in wait. I will be switching out the horns on the votts i already have which are 811s. and installing new components in the 846As, does anyone see any problems i may run into, using these in the 846 cabinets, i hate surprises. any info would be appreciated. thanks

**bowtie427ss** · January 22nd, 2010, 09:32 AM

Just my .02, since the 811 barely plays well at 800hz with a 2nd order filter, at 500 there's certainly going to be some "funk" in the midrange, it can probably be band aided a bit with eq. Beyond that i don't see a problem outside of personal preference. My personal taste is that i don't care for the Altec small format sound with a crossover point below 1khz, but system designs don't always allow for a happy marriage when crossed that high. For my space and my ears, 1khz is a bit too high to run the 828 cabinet. But, that's my personal compromise as i don't care for the 802-8G/511 sound below 1khz at all. In the end game we all season to our own personal taste. I use the loudness button and tone controls too.

EDIT: If you do load these components in the 846A cabinets, please report back in reference to fitment of the 802 on the 811 in that cabinet as was questioned in this thread: http://www.hostboard.com/forums/alte...a-cabinet.html

Were your 416's rebuilt with 8 ohm voice coils, more importantly are your drivers' impedance correct for the crossover?

GM · January 22nd, 2010, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by bowtie427ss

Just my .02, since the 811 barely plays well at 800hz with a 2nd order filter, at 500 there's certainly going to be some "funk" in the midrange..........

But, that's my personal compromise as i don't care for the 802-8G/511 sound below 1khz at all.

More like 'clack' as the VC bottoms out and/or bounces off the loading caps (if installed) if the signal demands > a fraction of a watt.

Yeah, as I've periodically noted, small format drivers beginning with the 8G have a BW shifted higher than the earlier 802s to be more 'HIFI' mated to very low output impedance amps, so ideally shouldn't be used with lower XO points except in multiples since by the time you EQ it ~flat there's no high SQ dynamic headroom left.

GM

**theebadone** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:32 PM

Originally Posted by bowtie427ss

Just my .02, since the 811 barely plays well at 800hz with a 2nd order filter, at 500 there's certainly going to be some "funk" in the midrange, it can probably be band aided a bit with eq. Beyond that i don't see a problem outside of personal preference. My personal taste is that i don't care for the Altec small format sound with a crossover point below 1khz, but system designs don't always allow for a happy marriage when crossed that high. For my space and my ears, 1khz is a bit too high to run the 828 cabinet. But, that's my personal compromise as i don't care for the 802-8G/511 sound below 1khz at all. In the end game we all season to our own personal taste. I use the loudness button and tone controls too.

EDIT: If you do load these components in the 846A cabinets, please report back in reference to fitment of the 802 on the 811 in that cabinet as was questioned in this thread: http://www.hostboard.com/forums/alte...a-cabinet.html

Were your 416's rebuilt with 8 ohm voice coils, more importantly are your drivers' impedance correct for the crossover?

I have them crossed at 500 for a lil warmer sound as compared to the brighter sound at 800. i know im sacrificing how much power i can feed them, but i don't intend to leave these components in the valencias. They will be in a set of A-7 cabs. as soon as i find a decent pair. It sounds like i might have to modify the back of the cabinet as the 802s are a little longer than the 806s. I just dont wanna leave these components layin around waitin for cabs. you guys know how things can get screwed up from sittin too long. lol and yes i will let you guys know how much modification i have to do and what they sound like. I have the 802s and 515b, and 811b crossed at 800 and like the sound in the A-7. Isnt 500 what Altec crossed these components at in the A-7 but without the added adjustments?

**theebadone** · January 22nd, 2010, 01:51 PM

And all components have been rebuilt and modified for 8 ohm use. new voice coils, new recones, new diaghphragms, new XOs. All parts are from GPA except the xo

GM · January 22nd, 2010, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by theebadone

Isnt 500 what Altec crossed these components at in the A-7 but without the added adjustments?

Yes, the early A7-500 had a 500 Hz XO, though of course at some point they began using the later drivers which required loading caps to protect them. This created a good size dip in the response with a peak following it in the XO's BW, so later went to progressively higher XO points until they finally standardized on a variant of the M19's ~1200 Hz XO. AFAIK, I've never auditioned any of the latter, but on paper it doesn't look like I'm missing anything other than much of the 511's inherent CD horn 'honk' is attenuated without the need for EQ.

GM

**theebadone** · January 22nd, 2010, 04:14 PM

The 416A is from the latter part of the run that they made with 16" baskets, dont know what year that might have been, maybe late 60s. the H.F. driver is the 802-8A also cant find much info on the year this specific driver was made. and the 811B horn. If it doesn't work out, which i hope it does, i'll just change it or go active. If i can find a good used active at the right price. :thankU: