There was a guy on there the other day saying things about the 511 horns, similar to what I've read you saying here....... or maybe he's read your thoughts online before.
Not me, but I am glad my wild-eyed propaganda messages are getting around!!

I went through a massive battle on DiyA on this topic a few months ago. I guess it was my turn to be the entertainment for the week, so I rose to the task.

I consider it a pro-Altec thing to do because, love em or hate em, the 811/511 is but a small grimy suburb in the wonderful world of ALTEC! Not the be all and end all at all. For many, these cast horns are all there is to ALTEC.

If you like those sectorals, keep on going because there is a lot of, I think, better sounds to be had and the best of ALTEC is up there with the best of almost anything.

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MR994As, huh? I will keep that in mind and definitely snatch a pair when they float by. Thanks for the tip!

In general, I've found exponentials to sound more natural than CD horns but this might be just what I am used to. I expect some moderate HF directivity and since I don't move around much while listening, it doesn't cause any problems. As always, a case by case basis is the best approach and I wouldn't rule anything out because it is CD.

Mantarays are definitely a gap in my ALTEC education.

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Bug screens...yeah they sure sound better without, but I bought a 32 horn with an OEM 808 from a guy last summer and, you guessed it, it had a large crunchy dead bug stuck right on the screen! I took this as a warning...consequently, I have not pulled the screens on my 802 collection yet.

I'm more afraid of metal shavings than bugs.

One guy told me he replaced the metal screen with a piece of stretched nylon stocking glued in place under the cardboard gasket and that sounded as open as no screen. If so, that might be the sensible setup.