Mystery Altec 1 inch diaphragm. 24701?

[magnarc]

Vintage Altec 24701 Diaphragm | eBay

I've not heard of the part number 24701. Any ideas anyone? Or 37910 could be the part number.

It appears like a genuine one, down to the 87 03 date code.

[bowtie427ss]

24701 is the part number. You can find a few discussions about it's mystery with no helpful answers or explanation.

This isn't even a guess, but i wonder if maybe the numbers were changed(at least for a short time) after the Telex/EV years to more easily differentiate(and maybe recapture some old but now displeased customers) from the diaphragms made under their tenure and the ones made by Altec. It's my understanding that some "altec" diaphragms were actually made by Radian during the telex/ev tenure observing the same part numbers altec had always used. I've never been able to find anything to refute or support this notion, yet the diaphragms with odd part numbers still exist.

[GM]

The number looks reminiscent of the Epitome series of Altec replacements being hawked in the mid '90s as affordable replacements. If it is, then its diaphragm is thicker with less 'snap'/HF capability.

GM

[magnarc]

I came across a few discussions after a lot more searching and as you say Bowtie, nothing conclusive.
I suppose without actually handling it, its hard to tell if its thicker.