Cut Altec

[mah]

Factory option or DIY?

Altec Lansing 421-8H II 16" LF Woofer Speaker 8ohm 150W | eBay

[voice of the theater]

I think the seller is saying he cut them......
"The sides were cut to enable these 16" frames to fit side by side in vintage Altec cabs that were designed for 15" frames. This is a very cost effective way to replace 515B LFs in older 210 Cabinets."

Personally, I wouldn't replace 515's with 421's--I'd get the 515's re-coned by GPA before I'd do that. He says it's cost effective, but I would call re-coning the 515's the cost effective solution--not replacing them with 421's....

[magnarc]

He has a number of cut 16" frames/drivers. IMHO way over priced for an effectively weakened (read destroyed) unit.

[bowtie427ss]

Personally, I wouldn't replace 515's with 421's--I'd get the 515's re-coned by GPA before I'd do that. He says it's cost effective, but I would call re-coning the 515's the cost effective solution--not replacing them with 421's....

I have no 515's. The originals just sold for a few grand a pair. I'll do a lot of cutting before i drop 6 grand on 4 woofers. I will actually in fact be loading my 210's with JBL product while i continue to research what will be the best long term woofer solution for me. Truncating(cutting) 421's is one possibility for me as their performance in a big horn isn't that far off from 515's. The only certainty is that it won't be original 515's.

[Altec Best]

You can get brand new 515's from GPA depending on model for $300-$500 a piece.They are pretty much manufactured to Altec specs.

[bowtie427ss]

You can get brand new 515's from GPA depending on model for $300-$500 a piece.They are pretty much manufactured to Altec specs.

It's a size issue AB.

The old style 210's have less than 1/4" driver clearance from the outside walls and each other with early split rim style frames.

One option that i have not abandoned yet is to collect 4 new old style(non split rims) 15 inch Altec frames and have GPA build me a quad of alnico 515B's on those frames.

Another option is to just cut the frames on a set of new ones, but i'm not sure the idea is all that appealing to me beyond the idea stage. Cutting a 30-40 year old speaker that i'm into for under a C note is one thing, hacking on a brand new GPA/Altec is quite another.

I think probably collecting some dead 418's, 421's and 423's to scavenge their frames and have GPA build 515B's on them will be the best of all worlds.

[Altec Best]

Your right. Forgot about the cabs.Was just thinking about those poor frames.

[Audio_by_Goodwill]

Your right. Forgot about the cabs.Was just thinking about those poor frames.

I don't think they look too bad. It looks like they were cut straight with a saw that's meant to cut aluminum. I don't think the structural integrity would be compromised enough to worry about either, given the way they're mounted to the cabinet. I've seen them cut worse before in auctions.

I admit, it makes me a little upset when I take a look at one of my McCauley's that have had the mounting holes hogged out........ I still don't know why that was done.

[Altec Best]

I don't think they look too bad.

I think they look terrible.

I don't think the structural integrity would be compromised enough to worry about either, given the way they're mounted to the cabinet.

Whenever you cut into a frame on anything you are compromising it's integrity. Uncut frames could easily be bent from shipping,in proper torquing of the bolts to the baffle,etc.... Let alone cut ones.

I personally would rather look for 15" frames and recone. YMMV One mans garbage is another mans treasure so it goes

[voice of the theater]

I think probably collecting some dead 418's, 421's and 423's to scavenge their frames and have GPA build 515B's on them will be the best of all worlds.

If you don't have blown 515's to re-cone then this is a great "cost effective" solution that doesn't involve any cutting and you get the sound quality of 515's which beat out 421's (for many applications) IMHO......