Altec 203B horns

[hal333]

I just purchased a pair of Altec 203B horns but no drivers. I know they are designed for stadium-type use but they looked so cool I wanted to try to use them for indoor music.

Any driver suggestions?

I am assuming that they will not have especially flat response at close range ( 10 -15 feet) - any thoughts on how to make these workable?

They do look really neat!

Thanks for any advice.

Hal

[John Stover]

I'm using 203B's with 288/16G's on my A5's. They replaced 1505B's. They sound better than the 1505's in my room, which is long and narrow. I keep reading about their rolled off HF, but that has not been my experience. They are a little soft in that department, but overall the sound is great, and if you need more HF, good tweeters are plentiful.

If you need some further validation, there are some favorable comments about 203's in a couple of the Sound Practices articles about using VOT's in the home. IMHO, you'd be better off just trying them out and seeing how you like them. I don't think you will be disappointed.

I'm surprised more Altec buffs aren't using 203's -- they are great and usually pretty cheap.

[Roland N R]

WORKABLE:

Your well endowed girlfriend can use it as a support BRA!

With fancy round lightbulbs they make an interesting pool table light fixture!!

Roof mounted you'll be the first in your block to be able to call the kids within the city limits without beepers or cell phone.

If really desperate can use it as a hearing horn.

NONWORKABLE:

Use it for extreme HF

Use it for MR in 10 foot room

Good luck

[hal333]

Thanks for the comments!

My girlfriend was not too keen on them as soon as they came home from Greyound (too big for UPS). They were brand new in the original Altec boxes!

I am going to try them, obviously. I will be crossing over to EV T-350 at about 5K for starters.

I will let you know.

Thanks again.

Hal

[Roland N R]

All kidding aside, these in the right room can sound very good sometimes better than other multicells which project more widely and diminish imaging. Problem is limited HF especially if crossed over at 300Hz. Since you are using a tweeter that will not be a problem. Additionally they really project forward and do better in longer rooms as per John's experience. Try the 290 driver with Phenolic diaphragm crossed over low or the 288 with aluminum crossed over 7-9K. Let us know your size room and how much Greyhound delivery was?..... and yes these are definitely too big for most women!! (no pun intended?)

[hal333]

Wow! Time flies. The 203B's are still sitting in the garage in their original Altec boxes. Now married to girlfriend. Still no drivers.

Oh well .... At least I have a mint pair of Valencia's inside the house now.

Our typical conversation about speakers goes something like this:

"You know .... You can't buy speakers like this anymore ..."

"Well .... There is a good reason for that ...."

[Panomaniac]

Amazing that there are still in the boxes. That's very cool. Just wonder how far away from them you need to sit?
Just saw a pair of old style 291s go cheap on Fleabay. And the 290s usually go for about $250-300 a pair. Not bad to test your babies.

John, what did yo do with the 1505s?

[MERDY]

i love those horns they do a great job the only better altec horn i have heard is the 329 i use a 288g, i do use a 802 coming in at 10k in a smaller horn
yes they are industrial (actung actung looking) and not as prestigious in collectors terms
about 5 years ago i had acess to 12 of them and was really contomplating making a curved horn array for my yard work but the drivers shot up in price faster than i could care for
they dont like 300hz to much

[gearfreak]

...the only better altec horn i have heard is the 329
<snip>
...they dont like 300hz to much

Just curious: Does that include 300hz multicells in the comparison, e.g. 803/1003 ?

thanks!

[MERDY]

Sorry was not clear in that statement ,the 300hz cut off when used with a 24db crossover did not sound as good as the 500hz 12db slope in my experience, altec never made a 300hz crossover
on the 803 i tried it with with a 288c and not he 288g and felt the same way ,i have never set my filthy hands on a 1003 just heard them with a passive 500c crossover.
By all means try it and see what you feel a few milliwats will not hurt it
i use tube active
this weekend i will try a ev dr1a on a few horns and will try it on the 203b if i have time (extra adapter)