Altec 816s any good?

[kwingylee]

As the title stated. Is this cabinet any good? What does it take for it to be made useful as a full range system?

[GM]

Add a horn [preferably 500 Hz or lower due to the parallel horn panel's ~423 Hz eigenmodes] and 80 Hz 'sub' system as well as the usual horn/cab bracing.

GM

[Altec Best]

Not if you are using them singly..The best you will get is 200 Hz if you use multiples and stack them you can maybe get them down to 50 HZ if lucky.. Not one of my favorite Altec cabinets.

[kwingylee]

Not if you are using them singly..The best you will get is 200 Hz if you use multiples and stack them you can maybe get them down to 50 HZ if lucky.. Not one of my favorite Altec cabinets.

Thanks guys. Someone offered them to me at a decent price. Based on your comments, I am going to pass. I already have too many sets of the 825/828 cabinets.

[GM]

Not if you are using them singly..The best you will get is 200 Hz if you use multiples and stack them you can maybe get them down to 50 HZ if lucky.. Not one of my favorite Altec cabinets.

Huh?! If you're referring to the horn's response, yes, it's got a little less bottom end compared to the 825/828 horn, but a horn's acoustic flare frequency sets its low end cutoff, so no matter how many you stack it won't go much below ~110 Hz:
http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...515g/page3.jpg

GM

- - - Updated - - -

I already have too many sets of the 825/828 cabinets.

FWIW, me and many others have cut down these cabs to make a superior performing 816 or relatively compact sealed compression horn and a few of us have done 210/211 horns, which located horizontally in a corner loads to a full 70 Hz.

GM

[kwingylee]

GM
what do you mean by cutting down the 825/828s??

[GM]

Section out a lot of its backbox, leaving the horn and just enough space below it to add slot vents, i.e. make a superior performing 816.

GM

[kwingylee]

Section out a lot of its backbox, leaving the horn and just enough space below it to add slot vents, i.e. make a superior performing 816.

GM

Hey GM, I know this is an old thread but surprised it was not closed by the admin.... I recently picked up a set of the 9864-8As and was thinking about putting the 515-8GHP and associated horn into a cabinet like the one you just described.... as I understand it, I would remove the bottoms of my 825s? How much space to leave for the vent slots? Will I be better off just putting into my spare 825s?

Kwing