Altec Symbiotic vs GPA Pascalite 'phrams

[Ronald Lee]

I am just curious. Is the Pascalite similar or the same as the Altec Symbiotic.

[Old Guy]

Very different

The Symbiotik has a mylar surround

Pascalite is aluminum

You seem to think Pascalite is a GPA thing? Are you aware Altec made the Pascalites originally?

[Cal Weldon]

The symbiotik surround seems to be listed listed as Kapton (polymide) not Mylar (polyester). Both patents of DuPont mind you.

I've always wondered why Altec called it Pascalite. Was the aluminum really extracted from the Pascalite clay or is this just a marketing thing? Where did the aluminum for the Symbiotik's come from, Boxite or Pascalite?

[bowtie427ss]

Bauxite. Wiki defines it as "the most important aluminum ore"

Cal, your post inspired me to do some reading, i learned things i never knew i wanted to know. Seems Pascalite is used as some sort of miracle healing powder, much akin to ground yak horn, or rhinocerous spleens.

There's even a Pascalite website: Index

It seems in the past where Altec diaphragms are concerned i've seen it said that pascalite is simply "hardened" aluminum, honestly don't remember if it was ever determined if it's an altogether different alloy, or just aluminum that's undergone some sort of hardening process.

[Cal Weldon]

Whoops, did I really spell it Boxite? Hehe.

[Ronald Lee]

So is there any advantage of using a pascalite over an standard aluminum 'phram?

I remember years ago like in the mid-1970s, the standard aluminum 'phram had like a 10 watt rating, but Altec rated alum 'phram freq response out to 20kH. The symbiotic 'phram was rated at 30 watts but the freq response was only out to 15kH. I believe the symbiotic was intended mostly for PA applications, whereas the aluminum was used for music applications.

Does GPA make symbiotik diaphragms for the small Altec drivers.