Heads Up--Model 19's For Sale

[voice of the theater]

I have seen this "pet peeve" mentioned here and on other forums before and I dont understand. Is it just an issue with certain models or anything that was not an A7?

Quoted directly from Altec:

Altec 846B
The most sought after full size Altec system in history - The Valencia.
The identical components as our A7 8 "Voice of the theater" Housed in an elegant contemporary enclosure."


I purchased more than a few of them new and I distinctly remember the boxes being clearly marked "Voice of the Theater". I may have some pics of them somewhere.
If they had the same components and Altec labeled them VOTT, I have to ask who here or in the other forums knows more about them than Altec did or why they feel like they shouldn't have labeled them as such.
Just curious....

Of course I can't speak for everyone here on this forum, but I know that for me personally (and for at least some other members here) it is because some people call any vintage Altec speaker system--that has a 15" woofer and a horn--a Voice of the Theater regardless of what 15" driver, h.f. driver, horn, crossover, etc. it has (a mistake I've made myself before I knew better). In the case of the Altec Valencia, yes Altec did market Valencias as a "home version" of the Voice of the Theater and in the case of the Valencia, I don't think most people would have a problem with that classification. The Valencias (I used to own a pair--great speakers!) were manufactured with 416 woofers, 806 h.f. drivers, 811B horns with an 800 hz crossover--the same combination of components as certain A 7 VOTT systems from the 60's for example (like these from 1966). http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...vott/page6.jpg I bought my Valencias used so I never saw the box they came in originally, but I'm not surprised by your observation that it actually said VOTT on the box since I know Altec marketed them that way. In the case of Model 19's (and many other vintage Altecs that have a 15" woofer and horn), calling them VOTT is not accurate because they don't have the same combination of components as any of the Voice of the Theater configurations that were manufactured AFAIK and that is where some people may have a problem with the inaccuracy of that catagorization.....

OOPS--looks like BFISH just beat me to the "punch" with another good explanation....

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

.....because some people call any vintage Altec speaker system.......

That would be it for me........ I see JBL stuff called VOTT, too.

It also bugs me when I see University stuff billed as Altec. Sure Altec bought them, but that doesn't make it an Altec product. That's like advertising a Chevy as a Cadillac simply because they're both GM.

[gearfreak]

Sure Altec bought them, but that doesn't make it an Altec product. That's like advertising a Chevy as a Cadillac simply because they're both GM.

Yup. And I concur with the earlier 'anything that's a 15" and a horn' is often advertised as VOTT. In many cases it seems just to pad the ad with keywords. (occurs most blatantly, despite prohibition, on CL).

Not muckraking ...but I have it in my mind that Ling bought both, then combined whatever was eventually combined (or, they just coexisted under Ling). Was it actually that Altec bought University?

[magnarc]

I see the ones here down under have had a price shave of 5k. Still overpriced as you need to recone one of the LF.

I wonder if the seller reads the board "price drop due to expert feedback"

[Old Guy]

Yup. And I concur with the earlier 'anything that's a 15" and a horn' is often advertised as VOTT. In many cases it seems just to pad the ad with keywords. (occurs most blatantly, despite prohibition, on CL).

Not muckraking ...but I have it in my mind that Ling bought both, then combined whatever was eventually combined (or, they just coexisted under Ling). Was it actually that Altec bought University?

AFAIK University and Altec were never combined, but a few University items were used in low end Altecs.

Ling bought Altec and later bought University. The closest they got to combined was coexisting in the same facility when Altec downsized.

[Old Guy]

I have seen this "pet peeve" mentioned here and on other forums before and I dont understand. Is it just an issue with certain models or anything that was not an A7?

Quoted directly from Altec:

Altec 846B
The most sought after full size Altec system in history - The Valencia.
The identical components as our A7 8 "Voice of the theater" Housed in an elegant contemporary enclosure."


I purchased more than a few of them new and I distinctly remember the boxes being clearly marked "Voice of the Theater". I may have some pics of them somewhere.
If they had the same components and Altec labeled them VOTT, I have to ask who here or in the other forums knows more about them than Altec did or why they feel like they shouldn't have labeled them as such.
Just curious....

I guarantee all boxes you saw were late Ling to early Altec Corp.

VERY FEW products were labeled VOTT. It's a mark of a low life seller in my opinion to lie to get more money from a product.

Sorry, ignorance is no excuse. If you aren't competent at your job, find another line of work. Not you of course...the seller.

[[email protected]]

Old guy hit the nail on the head. M19s, VOTTS? I don't think so. I've got a rough pair of A7s that will blow the glass out of the window frames. Fun at outdoor parties but that's what VOTTS are. My pristine M19s with the original Xovers are the cream of the crop. I don't know what you guys use for electronics, and I'm sure I'm not alone on this one. I use a Sumo Athena two preamp with a hi-end Rane EQ and a 225wpc power amp. You think M19s can't go low? Boost the bass on your EQ 70% or so and here comes that lower octave we love. Loud and clean. crystal clear. Getting a bit off subject and I apologize. The heck with my mono tube amps. It's night and day on this one...
Mark