Nice A8 set of 3

**magnarc** · October 3rd, 2011, 08:54 AM

Vintage Altec A8 Voice of The Theater Speakers Set of 3 | eBay

Late model set too.

**Panomaniac** · October 3rd, 2011, 08:36 PM

Ah... The A8. The "I don't have any room behind the screens of my multiplex" speaker. JBL does a similar box, right?
Nice set, but not at that price.

**Audio_by_Goodwill** · October 3rd, 2011, 08:54 PM

I don't know what they sound like, but I've always liked the way the A8 looks....... simple and clean looking.

**LOUDER** · October 3rd, 2011, 09:50 PM

I'd like to build some using gpa 416's, 902's and mr 931-12. If you mounted the horn in front and 416 from behind you'd have perfect phase alignment and could get away with a 24 db octave x-over. Tone down the mids and i'm willing to bet you'd get a really flat responce.

**voice of the theater** · October 3rd, 2011, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by louder

I'd like to build some using gpa 416's, 902's and mr 931-12......

Sounds like a stellar combination. The Mantaray horn would be a significant upgrade over the "curved" horns shown in the photos/description IMHO..... Not sure what h.f. drivers are in those 3 cabs from the photos but the 902's are one of my favorite (smaller format) h.f. drivers.....

**magnarc** · October 4th, 2011, 01:21 AM

Yeah the price is a tad? high. I think they will be 902-16x, based on the fact that the Lf are 416-16B.
Funny how these are now classed as 'big speakers'. The cab is roughly the size of the traditional double 15 box common to many cinemas.

GM · October 5th, 2011, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Audio_by_Goodwill

I don't know what they sound like, but I've always liked the way the A8 looks....... simple and clean looking.

Very nice, laid back when driven with a period correct amp once you get far enough away from them. For HIFI though, best use an 802/902 and drop the horn down till it's right up against the woofer.

Price wise, those are by far the best built A8s I've ever seen other than DIY. Makes me wonder if those were made by a distributor rather than the factory, so worth a bit more IMO.

GM

**Audio_by_Goodwill** · October 5th, 2011, 01:15 AM

Originally Posted by GM

Price wise, those are by far the best built A8s I've ever seen other than DIY. Makes me wonder if those were made by a distributor rather than the factory, so worth a bit more IMO.

GM

Aren't they particle board? I didn't think you were a fan of particleboard/MDF?

**magnarc** · October 5th, 2011, 01:36 AM

These were Altecs model for small theatres, ie up to say 200 seats!. Large auditoria by todays standards!

GM · October 5th, 2011, 01:53 AM

Well, MDF grade, the same as M19, etc. are made from.

No, I'm not except for when the speaker needs its superior damping such as a high Q driver does or for a mids/HF horn or similar and the A8 isn't one of them IMO. The clones I've done were braced 3/4" marine grade no void plywood, but the consensus around here is that MDF is great for Altec bass [horn] cabs, so it seems reasonable to me that it would also apply to these A8s.

GM