First post - Interested in 878B Santiagos

[xinu]

My first post here. Fantastic to have a forum with a focus on Altec Lansing.

When I was much younger back in the ?70s I was very envious of my friends Altec speakers. I can?t remember if they were 846s or 878s. But I do remember enjoying the lively dynamic music that filled the room which added to the level of enthusiasm at his parties.

That sense of nostalgia has motivated me to research these two and the information provided by the members on this board has helped tremendously in the hunt to find a suitable pair. I?ve been looking for several months now and unfortunately, where I?m located, they are very few and far between and it?s rare to find cabs in decent condition for the living/listening room.

My current playback consist of a Systemdek IIX, GF TubeDAC11->Linn Kairn->Ideal Innovations Custom 30 tube amp->Tannoy Ardens. I also have a Bryston 3B to incorporate if and when needed.

Recently I have come across a pair of 878B Santiagos that appear to be in pretty good condition. The 411s have been reconed. The cones look proper but the seller isn?t the original owner and doesn?t know what cone kit was used or who did the work. The 801N crossover and equalizing network are original and haven?t be recapped or recoiled. The 806-8As sound OK AFAIK but may need to be refurbished eventually.

The Santiagos don?t seem to be too popular with the Altec fans out there. Apparently the similarly sized 846B Valencias are the more favoured of the two. Perhaps due to their efficiency and upper bass smoothness which integrates better with the horn. I haven?t found any 846s to listen to and form an opinion. I know the Santiagos didn?t sell well back in the day. They were more expensive than the Valencias and required more playback power.

It?s winter, it?s cold up here and I need an indoor project. Can adopting these potentially under appreciated members of the Altec family be a rewarding experience or should I set my sights on something other than Santiagos - maybe the even harder to find M19s?

Cheers,

Greg

[Altec Best]

Welcome to the AUB ! There is nothing wrong with Santiago's they sound good.. They should also have the 30904 attenuation network along with the 800 Hz crossover.. The HF drivers the 806-8A's should have the 23744 light diaphragm in them if they are still all original. Welcome to the board Greg !

The 30904 like in this image here..

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[xinu]

Thanks for the welcome AB.

Picked up the pair of Santiagos yesterday and will be moving them into the living room today.

Looks like the horns have spiders of a different kind in them. I can see some of their remains up against the phase plug. I'll need to gently clean them out to begin with. As a next step, should I remove the horns from the cabs and detach the horn from the CD to thoroughly clean the plug and inspect the diaphragm? I'm thinking the phase plug would get some debris buildup over the years.

[bowtie427ss]

The HF drivers the 806-8A's should have the 23744 light diaphragm in them if they are still all original.

Correct diaphragm should be a 21597

23744's came in 23746 and 802-8G compression drivers, and 604-8G duplexes.

[xinu]

GPA shows the Original Part # as 34852. Is that a revised compatible part to replace original 21597?

[Earl K]

GPA shows the Original Part # as 34852. Is that a revised compatible part to replace original 21597?

GPA charts are typically not historical / they reflect part numbers that GPA would like to sell you from their current inventory .

[xinu]

Setup the Santiagos in our 25'x20' irregularly shaped living area. They replaced my Tannoy Ardens and before that B&W 802s2s.

So far I'm quite impressed with these speakers when listening to blues and rock, driven from a 30 WPC tube amp.

The bass is not bloated or boomy compared to the Ardens which is a major improvement. I remember the bass from the B&Ws being more articulate but at the time the B&Ws were powered by my Bryston 3BST. So the 878s may do better with the 3B in the bass department.

The mids and HF have a slight nasal raspy quality to my ears. I don't necessarily find it too objectionable but somewhat coloured compared to the Tannoys smoothish response in that area. Maybe what I'm hearing is the nature of the horn and/or some of the components are injecting their age into the music. Maybe worthwhile investigating further.

Overall I would say the Santiago sound sits in the middle between the Tannoys and B&Ws. At higher levels they're much more dramatic and engaging than the B&Ws.

The bass performance alone makes the back pain involved worthwhile.

Greg.