Probably SOL - 604D

[zbarbera]

I had been casting about for an upgrade for my Empire 208/MX110/MC240 system. Right now that system is driving a pair of Klipsch Heresy IIs. Which admittedly do like the tubes.

I began to home in on a pair of 604Ds as a likely perfect match. However! There?s always a however. I just don?t think I have the space for them. This system is in my home office which is about 12x12 and the area where my system is would only support about 7.5 cu feet for each speaker. Short of the recommended 9.

So, as an alternative I started looking the 12? vintage Altecs. But they don?t seem to get much love. I?m not sure they would be all that much of an upgrade on the Heresy IIs.

Any advice, thoughts, good news, bad news?

[GM]

Hmm, a little larger than the ~10x12 I'm typing in and back when it had a Radio Shack DIY two way horn/'prosound' 15" woofer speaker system it was too much vented, but plugged up and against a wall was pretty good in ~5 ft^3, but the woofer had a low 20s Fs, higher Vas, Qts, than the 604, so wound up packing the vent with drinking straws [some just 'stick a sock' in it] and fine tune it using the 'click' test: Click test: Click Test | GM210 | Flickr

So; make it as big as you can, then tune to actual Fs [when it's pretty much stationary and all output is from the vent] and if it's 'boomy', fine tune with the 'click' test or impulse response if you're set up for measurements/testing.

GM

[zbarbera]

Hmm, a little larger than the ~10x12 I'm typing in and back when it had a Radio Shack DIY two way horn/'prosound' 15" woofer speaker system it was too much vented, but plugged up and against a wall was pretty good in ~5 ft^3, but the woofer had a low 20s Fs, higher Vas, Qts, than the 604, so wound up packing the vent with drinking straws [some just 'stick a sock' in it] and fine tune it using the 'click' test: Click test: Click Test | GM210 | Flickr

So; make it as big as you can, then tune to actual Fs [when it's pretty much stationary and all output is from the vent] and if it's 'boomy', fine tune with the 'click' test or impulse response if you're set up for measurements/testing.

GM

So, that's a no on the 412 or 601A? Because a 609 cabinet would be a good fit for the room. I considered 12" Tannoy Golds which would fit that cabinet nicely too. Also considered the AR3a, but if I got those they would probably be better suited the Marantz 2235/Marantz 250 setup.

If I do go 604D, the cabinet I build would probably be somewhere between a 612 and 614 utility cabinet. And then, like you say, try to get it tuned in to fit the room. I have a Mcintosh MQ101 but not sure the 604D could handle it.

[GM]

Well, IME the bicones are so-so with a small baffle mounted tweeter and fine if there's an 811 horn combo to go with it and the 601A has a horn with a very delicate microphone diaphragm that's long time now irreplaceable, so your call.

Curious, is there room to go taller?

GM

[zbarbera]

Curious, is there room to go taller?

GM

Oh, plenty of room to go taller. 48" would be in reach

[GM]

OK, great! What's your WxD max outside [o.d.] dims and seated ear height or at whatever height from the floor you will listen most? Is there anything limiting this size/shape WRT building/moving into place, i.e. doorways, stairs, relatively heavy weight?

GM