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Thread: Altec 816s any good?

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    Hostboard Member kwingylee's Avatar
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    Altec 816s any good?

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

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    Senior Hostboard Member GM's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    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
    Loud is Beautiful if it's Clean! As always though, the usual disclaimers apply to this post's contents.

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    Altec 816s any good?


    Altec Best's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    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.

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    Hostboard Member kwingylee's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Altec Best View Post
    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.

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    Senior Hostboard Member GM's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by Altec Best View Post
    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 - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by kwingylee View Post
    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
    Loud is Beautiful if it's Clean! As always though, the usual disclaimers apply to this post's contents.

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    Hostboard Member kwingylee's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

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

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    Senior Hostboard Member GM's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    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
    Loud is Beautiful if it's Clean! As always though, the usual disclaimers apply to this post's contents.

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    Hostboard Member kwingylee's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by GM View Post
    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

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    Senior Hostboard Member bowtie427ss's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by kwingylee View Post
    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
    Two opinions quickly come to mind:

    Big work for small gains considering you already have 816VI cabinets.

    Don't overlook or underestimate the reality of post #2.

    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.
    Not all vegetables make good leaders.

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    Hostboard Member kwingylee's Avatar
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    Re: Altec 816s any good?

    Quote Originally Posted by bowtie427ss View Post
    Two opinions quickly come to mind:

    Big work for small gains considering you already have 816VI cabinets.

    Don't overlook or underestimate the reality of post #2.
    Bowtie, I am trying to getaway from adding a sub or subs..... Seems to me the system would have better bass in a 825 cabinet due to MLTL action if I shrink the port mouth. The existing 9864-8A cabinets doesnt seem to load the 515GHP peoperly for good hifi bass (although they are still big). The bass is too flabby in the as designed cabinets.

    Not sure what GM meant when he suggested a 500Hz horn...

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