I hate my Altecs

[voice of the theater]

I'm gonna stick with the theory that a 15" LF and a 1 3/4" HF cannot be made to cover the full spectrum efficiently. Now Maybe if you were running the large format drivers with the larger phragm and drove it down to 300-500Hz It might be capable of pulling it off. But I have my reservations about the small format drivers. Sure they'll make sound, but so will a pair of Sparkomatic 6 x 9's. Sorry if I'm coming off as Buzz Killington.....

You don't come off as "Buzz Killington"--everybody should feel free to express their opinions here no matter what they are (within reason). Just my opinion, mind you, but I think the reason that you believe what you stated above is because of the small horn on your 604's. I agree, asking your 15" woofer to play up to 1600 hz is far from ideal, and asking the tiny horn on your 604's to play down to 800 or even 1200 hz is also not ideal. So, in your case, you are correct that your woofer and horn aren't an ideal combination to cover say 800 hz to 1600 hz IMHO. Which is not to say that with the right crossover that they won't sound good. However, if you use a small format Altec driver with an 811b horn, you won't have that problem--it will play down low enough so that your woofer won't have to play up too high. I've been a firm believer in this "fact" since I owned my first pair of A7's and also Valencias back in the 80's. Those Altec two way systems (with 15" woofer, small format h.f. driver and "large" horn) ROCK! (and comprise some really great sounding two way systems) The large format h.f. drivers will play even lower and sound amazing, but they'll need an added tweeter IMHO/three way system to cover the highs....

[mah]

Try these: Honor Roll of Dynamic Recordings

And these: http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/cd.html

[cradeldorf]

You don't come off as "Buzz Killington"--everybody should feel free to express their opinions here no matter what they are (within reason). Just my opinion, mind you, but I think the reason that you believe what you stated above is because of the small horn on your 604's. I agree, asking your 15" woofer to play up to 1600 hz is far from ideal, and asking the tiny horn on your 604's to play down to 800 or even 1200 hz is also not ideal. So, in your case, you are correct that your woofer and horn aren't an ideal combination to cover say 800 hz to 1600 hz IMHO. Which is not to say that with the right crossover that they won't sound good. However, if you use a small format Altec driver with an 811b horn, you won't have that problem--it will play down low enough so that your woofer won't have to play up too high. I've been a firm believer in this "fact" since I owned my first pair of A7's and also Valencias back in the 80's. Those Altec two way systems (with 15" woofer, small format h.f. driver and "large" horn) ROCK! (and comprise some really great sounding two way systems) The large format h.f. drivers will play even lower and sound amazing, but they'll need an added tweeter IMHO/three way system to cover the highs....

Thanks Vott, I think part of my opinion is because I've been hanging around the other audio forums lately. But I still feel that your asking even more from that tiny aluminum diaphragm than it can produce efficiently...well not efficiently but...what's the word I'm looking for.. It makes noise very efficiently but when you ask it to do say 500 hz I'd think your pushing it's limits. Much like any other tweeter. Your horns have a throat about a 1/2 long and then it begins to expand, where a 604's is a straight tube for about 6 inches before it starts to expand. I'm picturing a bunch of standing waves in a situation like that.

[voice of the theater]

Thanks Vott, I think part of my opinion is because I've been hanging around the other audio forums lately. But I still feel that your asking even more from that tiny aluminum diaphragm than it can produce efficiently...well not efficiently but...what's the word I'm looking for.. It makes noise very efficiently but when you ask it to do say 500 hz I'd think your pushing it's limits. Much like any other tweeter. Your horns have a throat about a 1/2 long and then it begins to expand, where a 604's is a straight tube for about 6 inches before it starts to expand. I'm picturing a bunch of standing waves in a situation like that.

Yes, 500 hz is pushing it for many small format h.f. drivers. But if you have the right woofer, there's no need for the crossover to be that low. Altec 416-8B's, for example, sound great at 800 hz and beyond. There are many Altec small format h.f. drivers that sound great/effortless at 800 hz so you're not pushing them to the limit....

[sanhanul]

Try these: Honor Roll of Dynamic Recordings

And these: CommonSense Audio Recommended CD Page

Is it common thing that everybody knows or am I the slow one?
The Loudness War Analyzed | Music Machinery

Thanks Mah.

[alancohen]

Is it common thing that everybody knows or am I the slow one?
The Loudness War Analyzed | Music Machinery

I think this is the reason that I was so easily seduced over to the MP3 dark side. The difference between MP3 and full WAV files are far less dramatic with modern recordings. Most sound like crap anyway. It's not till you put on some e.g. '70s Steely Dan that the differences become stark.

Lyle Lovett's, Joshua Judges Ruth is a modern example of music recorded the way it should be. A little compression for punch, but far from over done.

[voice of the theater]

Yeah, loudness wars is old news but thankfully there are still some good modern recordings where the compression is done tastefully/sparingly.....

[Todd W. White]

Recordings that were made live, especially of symphonic bands, big bands, jazz bands, orchestra's, pipe organs, etc. - if made properly - sound INCREDIBLE on a properly setup ALTEC system.

Case in point: The soundtrack from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" - this sound UNBELIEVABLE on a good ALTEC system, especially the MODEL 19, but it's just as drop-dead fabulous on an A7-800 system, a Valencia, or even a Model 17.

[gortnipper]

I wonder how these would sound?

"I Want To Have The Best-Sounding Records In The World"

What does a ?2,500 record sound like? | Music | The Observer

[sanhanul]

I wonder how these would sound?

"I Want To Have The Best-Sounding Records In The World"

What does a ?2,500 record sound like? | Music | The Observer

Well, I also am very curious. Anyway I think it is meaningful and I want to the same if I could.