Driver Crossreference

[mah]

604 page: Altec 604 Duplex Speakers and related

[voice of the theater]

604 page: Altec 604 Duplex Speakers and related

Nice reference! I know you can't judge much by specs alone, but from this chart it looks like I'd want a pair of 604-8H's for my first pair of 604's if I take the 604 plunge (which I'm seriously considering). They've got Alnico magnets, tangerines and Mantarays, and supposedly a response down to 20 hz. Looks like they also came with the "dual band" crossover with h.f. compensation.

Has anyone here ever heard a pair of these? I've heard people here say that while 604's are great sounding speakers, they have a narrow sweet spot as far as h.f. dispersion. Does the Mantaray on the H's help in that regard? Am I losing much as far as dispersion if I go with a later pair of G's (which also have tangerines) which have the muliticell horn and do I lose anything else other than having a narrower "sweet spot"? Do the H's and G's have a "real" response down to 20 hz? Are H's rare or do they pop up for sale every so often?

Also, has anyone ever heard the GPA 604-8H-II or 604-8H-III. Would the dual band Altec 604-8H crossover work well with them or would I need the GPA 604 crossover which appears to have no LPads/Pots? Thanks!

EDIT: I don't have the skills or experience to build good cabinets for these. If I buy a pair from Ebay or GPA, I'd probably drive down to Georgia to pick up a pair of these cabs. Do they look like they'd be a good choice?

Built to Order Altec 620 Model 17 Cabinets 604 605 Coax Speakers Oak Walnut | eBay

BTW, this seller says (down in the questions section of his ad) the cabs pictured are 620's but that he can also build Stonehenge V's. Any preference among duplex owners?

SECOND EDIT: Looks like the later G's also had Mantarays. Is there much difference between these and the H's?

[Old Guy]

I have seen 604-G's with mantas.

[mah]

Thanks OG. That is more convenient.

[Old Guy]

To answer your additional questions, the 604h has a better crossover.

I have seen- 604E with tangerine, 604g with old phase plug/multicell, 604g tangerine/multicell, and 604g with Manta. I suggest checking the speakers you buy.

[Altec Best]

Yup ! Mine came with the metal phase plugs and what looks to be low mileage 23744 diaphragms.

@ VOT The 620 and the Stonehenge have basically the same internal volume of 9 cubic feet.The only differences is that the 620 may have a little better bass extension due to it's wider baffle but the Stonehenge is taller and has a smaller foot print..They both sound great IMHO ! Side by side you would be hard pressed to tell a difference IMO.

[juniper]

A being 604 8' g's with tangerines and m19's with 802 g's and 416b's right now. My 604's can go toe toe with the M19's with some recordings. I hope to put mine in a MLTL cab so in the bass department it is a little fairer fight. With these speakers for me it is all about the recording.

[gortnipper]

I stumbled across this thread looking for something else.

AB - were you going to make this sticky? I think it is a good thread to consider doing so.