Advice on Matching a 604c

[Bob Furmanek]

I hope the experts on this excellent forum can give me some advice. I've got a vintage 604c which I'm using as a center channel speaker behind the screen in a 35mm screening room. The sound is awesome, and I'm planning to add a left and right channel to play back some original 3-track Perspecta optical prints. I'd like to match my existing speaker with 2 that will sound as close as possible.

I've looked on eBay, but haven't had much luck. Are there any speaker systems out there that might come close to the quality of the 604c? (For the Perspecta to sound its best, the 3 speakers should match as close as possible.)

Funds are somewhat limited, so any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thank you very much!

Bob Furmanek

[Bob Furmanek]

As an update, I've just located a pair of 604e speakers in excellent condition. Do you feel these would be a good audio match to the 604c?

Also, my speaker is in a custom built cabinet, and the two speakers offered are also in a professionally designed cabinet. The design is slightly different than mine. Would this make a big difference sonically?

The seller is asking $1200 for the pair. Is that a fair price?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm fairly new to this and want our screening room to sound its best. Thanks for all your help!

Bob

[Steve Burger]

I think it would work fine. If the 604e's are in very nice cabinets that would be a decent deal, assuming they are original or re-coned/re-diaphragmed with original or GPA parts. Generally a pair of good 604e's go for about $900 to $100 a pair for just the drivers and xovers. So an extra $100 for cabinets would be reasonable. The top end is going to be identical. For your application in a home theatre you are not going to notice a difference, especially since the center channel primarily is utilized for voices and not so much for the music or sound effects.

[Steve Burger]

I re-read your first post. The sound may be slightly different in the bottom end but probably not appreciable between the c and e basket. Again the high frequency would be the same. I am not familiar with the sound processing you are describing and it did not register with me so, discount what I said about the center being primarily aboout the voices and not sound track or effects.

[Bob Furmanek]

Thanks very much for your comments Steve, I really appreciate your input.

Perspecta was an alternative to magnetic stereo, and was developed by MGM and Fine Recording in 1954. It took a standard mono optical track and, with the use of 3 control tones, directed the audio to either left, center or right speakers. It could also control the gain level of each channel, and (when the tracks are mixed properly) the result can be quite effective. Most of the studios used the process, notably MGM, Warner Brothers and Universal.

Somebody wrote me and said there was a rumor that the 604's were to be re-issued for their anniversary. Is this true?

Thanks again for your help.

Bob

[Steve Burger]

What/whose anniversary? The real Altec Lansing is out of business. Altec Lansing Technologies (formerly known as Sparkomatic) may be attempting to knock them off in China where their plant is. They have not sold any of the 604k's that we can determine. None have been built stateside.

[scott fitlin]

This is true! There is no more REAL Altec. Altec lansing Technologies makes computer speakers!

The only Genuine Altec type speakers made now are the ones you would get from Great Plains Audio, period!

And IF there are chinese made 604 knockoffs out there in the marketplace, leave them alone, they will never perform like a genuine Altec, or GPA equivalent!