Differences between the 806, 807, & 808

[Ronald Lee]

After reading the "Difference Between 806 and 802 Drivers," and now I am thoroughly confused.

I know that the 802 is the extended freq response driver, but why are there so many different versions of the 806, 807, 808?

[bowtie427ss]

806 = .8lb magnet, aluminum tangential surround diaphragm, standard compression driver load in most 800hz Altec speaker systems from the early 60's thru the early 70's. 806A is usually found as 16ohm with 806-8A being the 8 ohm version, those are the two most commonly found examples.

807 = .8lb magnet, symbiotic diaphragm/loading cap, some OEM examples may have had solder tabs instead of binding posts.

808 = 1.2lb magnet, symbiotic diaphragm/loading cap, usually found in sound reinforcement/high output applications where small format compression drivers were used

FWIW, in reference to the other thread, i don't consider the 23746 driver to specifically be an 806-8A(Brad enlightened me to this idea a while back), it's simply a "23746" specifically designed for the few speaker systems in which it was used. Since in many cases the difference between models of compression drivers has to do specifically with the diaphragm load, we probably should not call a 23746 an 806-8A since it does not contain an 806-8A diaphragm load.

Just my .02........................ don't quote me as the last word but i think this is a reasonable summary

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

808 = 1.2lb magnet, symbiotic diaphragm/loading cap, usually found in sound reinforcement/high output applications where small format compression drivers were used

I didn't realize the 808 had a larger magnet......... I thought it was the same as the others but non-tangerine, and symbiotic. I knew there was a driver or two with a smaller magnet, but thought it was an exception........ but it looks like the larger magnet of the 808 is the exception...... or am I confused? Is there a driver with a still smaller magnet (less than .8lbs)

I've got a pair of 808-8a out of 1221a monitors.

[bowtie427ss]

I didn't realize the 808 had a larger magnet......... I thought it was the same as the others but non-tangerine, and symbiotic. I knew there was a driver or two with a smaller magnet, but thought it was an exception........ but it looks like the larger magnet of the 808 is the exception...... or am I confused? Is there a driver with a still smaller magnet (less than .8lbs)

I've got a pair of 808-8a out of 1221a monitors.

Change the diaphragm load in an 808 to a 34647 and no loading cap add felt damping, and you now have an 802.

[Ronald Lee]

Wow, I am surprised and "kind of/sort of" glad that I am not the only one confused.

So in what applications were the 806, 807, & 808s used in. Since these drivers had a somewhat restricted freq range, ie Altec rated them to 15kHZ, but I bet it was only really usable to 10kHz(AM radio quality at best), I supposed they were used mostly in custom voice PA systems in small areas.

BTW: did the 808s have Altec's plastic Tangerine phase plug(cheaper) rather than the machined circumferential(more expensive) phase plug?

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

BTW: did the 808s have Altec's plastic Tangerine phase plug(cheaper) rather than the machined circumferential(more expensive) phase plug?

I beleive the B's were Tangerine. My A's are the cast/machined/metal type.

[GM]

Change the diaphragm load in an 808 to a 34647 and no loading cap add felt damping, and you now have an 802.

Yep, my pair of '802-8D' have 808-8A labels on them since I could buy them at a MI store and have them trade me diaphragms for considerably less than the distributor price for properly labeled units. Later, I re-installed the 'free' loading caps after bouncing the 23744s off the phase plugs.

Hmm, just noticed the 802-8D labels listing Symbiotiks, so if mine are 802D except 8 ohms, then what is it if not an -8D?

GM

[bowtie427ss]

Later, I re-installed the 'free' loading caps after bouncing the 23744s off the phase plugs.

You needed some of those paper shims they used at the factory when final assembling/inspecting the 807's and 808's.

Hmm, just noticed the 802-8D labels listing Symbiotiks, so if mine are 802D except 8 ohms, then what is it if not an -8D?

I'm pretty sure those never had symbiotik diaphragms in them, the date codes on the diaphragms themselves are within a few weeks of the other components in that pair of 9846's.

Possible the diaphragms could have been swapped out at the time of purchase.

I wonder if it's also possible that no 802-8D's ever had symbiotiks?

[Altec Best]

FWIW, in reference to the other thread, i don't consider the 23746 driver to specifically be an 806-8A(Brad enlightened me to this idea a while back), it's simply a "23746" specifically designed for the few speaker systems in which it was used. Since in many cases the difference between models of compression drivers has to do specifically with the diaphragm load, we probably should not call a 23746 an 806-8A since it does not contain an 806-8A diaphragm load.

Just my .02........................ don't quote me as the last word but i think this is a reasonable summary

I think Altec just made slight changes(Ex.Diaphragms) they got a new model #.You can go nuts trying to keep up with them all.

Now WRT the 23746 was just a part # given before model # designation IME.I have a picture I saved I have to find it now.That had a 806-8A label and the ink stamps on the back covers too, 23746.

Another instance of this is the 033952 stamp that later got the model # 802-8G for the most part I think Altec used part #'s inside sealed cabinets were they wouldn't be seen.You can see how confusing it can get when they use just #'s and when the ink stamp wasn't stamped clearly you could imagine trying to order parts for a driver that looks like # ah I can only read 3 numbers on the cover but looks like so and so.

I thought that Symbiotik was just a reference to the phenolic diaphragm installed and that's all.Same driver just different diaphragms, they have lower top end response, but will handle more power than a standard aluminium.