altec model 19's

[BRAD OURSO]

I HAVE ONE QUESTION TO WHOMEVER CAN ANSWER IT. DID ANYONE EVER COME TO A SOLID CONCLUSION ON WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE IN MAGNET STRUCTURE ON THE 416-8A AND B OR WAS IT JUST A STEPPED MAGNET COVER------THE REASON IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME IS BECAUSE MY PAIR OF MODEL 19'S HAS A SORT OF HYBIRD VERSION OF THE 416-8A AND B IN IT. IT IS A 16" FRAME WITH THE 416-8A MAGNET ON IT-----I DON'T HAVE THE "STEPPED MAGNET" COVER OF THE 416 B'S ON MY SPEAKERS-------I HAVE HEARD OTHERS SAY THAT ALTEC DID THIS IN SOME OF THE EARLY MODEL 19'S BECAUSE PERHAPS THEY HAD A LOT OF THE OLD MAGNETS LEFT FROM THE 416-8A'S--NOW I KNOW THE DIFFERENCE, IF THERE WAS ANY HAD TO DO WITH A CAST POT VERSES A WELDED POT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT-------I AM JUST CURIOUS----MY DAD'S SET OF 19'S HAS THE 416-8B'S WITH THE STEPPED MAGNET COVER, AND IT SEEMS THAT I CAN HERE A DIFFERENCE IN HIS WOOFERS VS MINE---BUT IT'S HARD TO TELL BECAUSE HE HAS A MUCH BETTER AMP PUSHING THEM THAN I DO----SO IT ISN'T A FAIR COMPARISON.
I JUST FIND IT HARD TO BELEIVE THAT ALTEC WOULD PUT AN INFERIOR SPEAKER IN SOME OF THE MODELS, AND NOT IN OTHERS? THAT'S WHY I AM HOPING THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN MAGNET DESIGN BETWEEN THE TWO.

ANY INFO IS GREATLY APPRECIATED

[Jim D]

When the first 19 came out, ALTEC was still producing the first of the 416s with the 16" frame. They did not change the model number, it was still called the 416-8A. Later they started making the 416-8B. The 8b, has the cast pot magnetic return structure which magnetically is somewhat superior. It was also no more costly to make as it eliminated all the machining that went into the welded pot of the earlier unit. In performance, there is not a lot of difference. I think you need to A/B the units side by side in the same acoustical environment, on the same amp channel to get a real comparison. As for inferior, I do not think they thought so, companies do not just throw out good products when something changes, they use them. Jim

[Don McR]

I was the one that had doubts about the 416-8B having a cast pot - thinking it was a different magnet cover. Jim D was able to demonstrate to my satisfaction that the 8B was indeed a cast pot driver.

What I am still confused about is why Altec continued to make welded pot 416's for years after the cast pot 8B was introduced. I would have thought that the costs of maintaining two production methods would be unnecessarily expensive. Further, since the welded pot 416's were in production as late as 1978 and Altec referred to them as 416-8B's, it makes me wonder if the "B" suffix related to improvements beyond the magnet pot.