Scored some Valencias! (Noob here.)

[zonker92]

Just bought some minty Altec Valencia Bs from the original owner; eBay; $850. Everything on them is original and only the foam from the grilles and one badge are missing. The veneer is almost perfect. I have a post over on Audiokarma (not allowed to link yet) about trying to figure out why the bass seems really minimal. Eventually I plan to upgrade the crossovers and HF drivers to M19 spec.

Anyway, I'm excited to start this new project, and it's great to find a forum of like-minded (and better informed) enthusiasts. Hope this is the right place for this thread. I'll try to post some photos soon. Thanks!

Eric

[GM]

All 'real' Altec (most) all the time, so with 846Bs you're in the right asylum.

Didn't see a thread over there............

Anyway, define 'minimal bass'. According to my notes, it's ~5.75 ft^3 net tuned to around 32 Hz, so with a 416Z it should have a fairly flat response down to around 40 Hz with some peaking at Fb. Having built a number of clones way back when, I can attest to it having plenty of bass even at outdoor parties with the caveat being that back then, few recordings had any useful deep bass, so definitely need a sub system for some of today's pipe organ symphonies, rap or similar and of course, HT.

The horns are way more efficient than the bass bins though, so need to be shelved down to tonally balance them or the bass will indeed sound 'thin'.

GM

[zonker92]

Thanks, GM. Now having played with the levels and the HF knob, I'm coming around to the view the speakers are working properly, but have less bass than I recalled from the set my uncle used to have. Right now we're playing them and my whole family is enjoying them, so I guess it's all good.

By the way, I pulled one of the baffles (it was a virgin) and it looks like the sides and top and bottom are solid walnut! Is that true?

All 'real' Altec (most) all the time, so with 846Bs you're in the right asylum.

Didn't see a thread over there............

Anyway, define 'minimal bass'. According to my notes, it's ~5.75 ft^3 net tuned to around 32 Hz, so with a 416Z it should have a fairly flat response down to around 40 Hz with some peaking at Fb. Having built a number of clones way back when, I can attest to it having plenty of bass even at outdoor parties with the caveat being that back then, few recordings had any useful deep bass, so definitely need a sub system for some of today's pipe organ symphonies, rap or similar and of course, HT.

The horns are way more efficient than the bass bins though, so need to be shelved down to tonally balance them or the bass will indeed sound 'thin'.

GM

[cradeldorf]

I'm a noob myself, your came to the right place. :welcome:

[bowtie427ss]

Linkage: Noob Here - Altec Valencia 846B Question - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums

[Nipper]

What amp are you using?

[GM]

Thanks, GM. Now having played with the levels and the HF knob, I'm coming around to the view the speakers are working properly, but have less bass than I recalled from the set my uncle used to have. Right now we're playing them and my whole family is enjoying them, so I guess it's all good.

By the way, I pulled one of the baffles (it was a virgin) and it looks like the sides and top and bottom are solid walnut! Is that true?

You're welcome!

Room modes dominate bass reproduction, ditto amp topography and signal chain in general, so unless they're hooked up to his electronics in his room.........

No, it's engineered wood, i.e. real wood veneer bonded to one of several different density/stiffness/quality fiberboards. I use to assume that at least within a model line, they were all the same, but we've learned here that as Altec was 'bled out' by Ling and subsequent owners, the build quality went the way of the 'bean counters' as much as practical in an effort to stay solvent in an increasingly competitive market.

Speaking of which, what are the date codes (391xxx) of the woofer, horn driver and does the horn cavity have any damping, and if so, is it fiberglass insulation or a sculpted foam insert similar to the M19's?

GM

[zonker92]

as Altec was 'bled out' by Ling and subsequent owners, the build quality went the way of the 'bean counters' as much as practical in an effort to stay solvent in an increasingly competitive market.

Speaking of which, what are the date codes (391xxx) of the woofer, horn driver and does the horn cavity have any damping, and if so, is it fiberglass insulation or a sculpted foam insert similar to the M19's?

Interesting; thanks! I only opened up one cabinet and did not see the back of the horn driver, but I can tell you that they had nice damping coverage with fiberglass insulation stapled to the interior. The woofer shows "30 03 030767" and "AL 52." I didn't see a date code.

-e-

[GM]

It's an ink stamping, usually on the back of the magnet or a frame leg or on the back of the mounting rim, though they have on occasion put it where it can't be seen without a small mirror.

WRT the insulation or foam, I meant in the horn mouth mounting cavity: http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...iago/page2.jpg or http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...l-19/page1.jpg

GM