Altec 902 and 416-8C - X-Over freq?

[RonSSS]

What is your intended application?

Do your 902's have 7/8 or 1 inch throats?

Which "factory plans" were your cabinets built to?

More specific information should get you more responses.

Personally, with that driver combination my suggestion is to forget about a passive network and actively bi-amp. To my ears the 902 sounds "strained" when pushed much below a 1khz XO point, your mileage may vary.

What?
The small format drivers all had the same throat size. They all mate to the same horns. Confused by this comment.
1200 hz works well. Find some N1201-8A or M19 crossovers and be happy. These are much better than the older 800hz units. You can tweak mid vs high, and they are quite good.
You will tweak active x-overs forever.
Domestic use, this works well. You don't need loading caps.....felt in the rear cover is best. Loading caps were meant to limit over excursion......if you get it that loud in your home, your ears will bleed.

BTW, Dickenson says the 902-8a is the best sounding HF driver, and I agree.

Ron

[Winders]

What?
The small format drivers all had the same throat size. They all mate to the same horns. Confused by this comment.
1200 hz works well. Find some N1201-8A or M19 crossovers and be happy. These are much better than the older 800hz units. You can tweak mid vs high, and they are quite good.
You will tweak active x-overs forever.
Domestic use, this works well. You don't need loading caps.....felt in the rear cover is best. Loading caps were meant to limit over excursion......if you get it that loud in your home, your ears will bleed.

BTW, Dickenson says the 902-8a is the best sounding HF driver, and I agree.

Ron

Thanks guys.

Ron yes I have now a copy of the Model 19 X-over and will build that as I see it has addressed quite a few issues and can be tuned to taste as opposed to changing crossovers infinitum!
I guess a Model 19 cab would have been better then but one can change the porting/Fb of the 825/A7 cab quite easily by way of the front "boards" - so I think I will give it a go like that first.

Best

Winders

[bowtie427ss]

What?
The small format drivers all had the same throat size.

I once believed this too.

There are 7/8 inch throat horns that mate with these drivers as well.

Here's a 7/8 inch throat 902.

[Old Guy]

What?
You don't need loading caps.....felt in the rear cover is best. Loading caps were meant to limit over excursion......if you get it that loud in your home, your ears will bleed.

BTW, Dickenson says the 902-8a is the best sounding HF driver, and I agree.

Ron

100% agreed the loading caps are not needed at 1200.

At 800 maybe. I would be cautious

If you wanna take the driver down to 500, you better

1 Add loading caps
2 Derate the power

I know you are aware of all this, just some readers might not be.

As you said, the caps were used to limit excursion, which is not caused just by power.

The 902 may be the best from 1200 up.

Having heard it crossed lower, I disagree it is better than an 802 tangerine from 800 up, and at 500 no contest the 802 wins.

they are different, the 900 series bandwidth is shifted upward. Different is not always the best, it depends on other factors.