A7 vs Model 19 for home HF use

[VolvoHeretic]

I've never heard a pair of Model 19's, but I love my A7-500's, I was wondering what your impressions in home HF use from people who have listened to both are.

When I was looking for speakers way back when, I listened to some kind of big Klipsch folded horns (no idea which ones), JBL 4320 (I think), and some electrostatic panel speakers which looked like a folding 3 panel room divider, and of course the A7-500s that I eventually bought for a fraction of the other's price and which sounded better (well at least louder). When I dragged the A7s home and hooked them up to my toneless pre and power amp, they sound not so good, but after getting a 12 band EQ, they sounded great, playing any style of music.

So, would I have been impressed if I had heard the Model 19s against all of those other speakers or is there not enough difference between the Altec models?

[Altec Best]

IMO yes you would be impressed especially with a pair that had rebuilt crossovers. The A7 cab is a mid horn cab so doesn't go as low as the 19.For home/HiFi the 19 wins hands down IMHO.What the A7's do they do well though.IMO the A7's need lots of room,they were designed for theater apps.So the farther away you are the better they sound. YMMV

[Panomaniac]

and some electrostatic panel speakers which looked like a folding 3 panel room divider

Almost certainly Magnapan Tympani I or II. Great speakers. Electrodynamic, actually.

[VolvoHeretic]

So, I have never pushed my A7's to distortion, but I was playing them with(inside listening) 50% volume at 2 volts pre amp output, into 100% 150 watts amp output, with the EQ set at +12 db on the bottom, -3db through the middle, and +10 on top, and 75% volume with no EQ outside. How many Db's was I making?

As an example:
"I lived 3 blocks away on a hill right above the high school and once on the last day of school I drug the speakers out onto the balcony and cranked up Alice Cooper's "Schools out" at 3:30. They could hear it inside the school and I just managed to finish the song before the cops came racing up the hill and I luckily got the house locked down before they were pounding on the door."

[VolvoHeretic]

AB, try this song on your 19's, turn it up, I was 18 at the time when I saw them live and three more times, 500 miles each way ;
Weather Report - Mysterious Traveller (1974) - YouTube

and this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5TCx...eature=related

And this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=RU8mZVEqWW8

and their best;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=RU8mZVEqWW8

[VolvoHeretic]

How about turning my A7's into corner loaded Klipsches to force the base waves to meld and give me a few more feet distance away from my couch?

[Panomaniac]

Nice drawing.
That looks like it would be fun for the bass, but the mids coming out of the 15" will suffer badly. IMO.

[VolvoHeretic]

I actually tried this 35 years ago for a week until I had to use the plywood for the project I bought it for. I thought it sounded good, but it's hard to remember that far back. The room was about 22' wide by 25' deep.

[Panomaniac]

It's easy enough to try. Why not?

[VolvoHeretic]

I’m finding it interesting that when the Altec A7-500's where running 15 years ago with 150 wpc into 8 piezos per side, 4 in parallel /4 in series (I know now that they all should have been in series) I ran the Soundcraftsman 12 channel EQ at +12db bottom two channels, -3db middle , and +10db top and that sounded perfect in a 20 foot wide by 40 foot long room.

The 100 wpc into Peavey T300's with 3 piezos pre side sounded perfect on a Radio Shack 15 band EQ at +12db bottom, 0db middle, and +10db top in the same room.

But 100 wpc into my little Jensen satellites / 12” passive sub and one piezo per side with the same Radio Shack EQ is over powering and I have to run it +12db bottom, -3 db middle, and 0 db top and I want an L pad and low pass cut-off added in a 14 foot by 35 foot room.

Enjoy;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bshOYg9mZLY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JjzfxiaXH8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPzqohPx3kg