Santiago Mods

[Art J.]

I was starting to wonder if the 411 had any redeeming value which begs the question, what was Altec thinking when they designed it? Nowadays, I am not motivated enough to build custom cabinets. I think I will remove the 811 horn and reseal the Santiago, then biamp with the 511.

I have seen some posts recommend at least a second order slope (12db). Why not flatter (or steeper)? I will play with various slopes and xover frequencies until I get the sound I like but would appreciate any thoughts on this aspect.

What was Altec thinking?
That's what I said when I restored my 9846s. Getting the 411 to match with the 511 seems
to be a challenge. Bi-amping with a 12db active slope and using the 30904 attenuator was the best for me.
I used 24db for a while but I could identify a dividing line between the horn and woofer. Once that idea
got in my head, it wouldn't go away until I changed it. Spacing your horn farther away will make it worse.

Do your units have the 30904 attenuator and the 21597 diaphrams?
The 21597s are delicate and crossing them at 800 helps protect them along with the attenuator..........................