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First Time Caller!
This looks like an excellent place to get some sympathy. Short Story: In the late 80's I acquired a pair of home built VOTs from my buddy whose dad passed away. These were the 8th iteration of cabinet styles he had attempted and he really knew his stuff! Now, my wife of 25 years has been watching to many Trading Spaces episodes and has the bug to regain the living room space dominated by my babies. The "bait" is to tempt me with the OK for a Plasma Monitor.
What to do? I really love these VOTs but the ARE huge and, with the entertainment center, consume easily 1/3 of the room.
Short of moving to a bigger house, I can sell them, put them in storage for one of the three boys, or cram them in the den downstairs (poor acoustics and smaller room). So just as an option, I'm hoping this forum can direct me to someone / somewhere I can get an appraisal on the worth of these VOTs.
I could not match the cabinet style to anything I could find in the ALtec Literature sites but they most resemble the new A7s I'm seeing advertised. At least the bass enclosure is about the same size (W32 L24 H50); add a couple inches for the caster feet; front panel is 36 wide and 61 tall with the horn and two tweeters mounted on the 11 inch extension above.
Guts (all Altec except tweeters): Crossover = N501-8A; Horn = 511B w/802D driver; Hi = (2) Electro Voice Mod T35; Lo = (2) 803B (15"). They weigh a ton! Construction is one and an eighth particle board glued and screwed, painted matte black (designed for a behind-a-fabric-wall install). I designed and built 36X72 oak and black cloth grill covers to match the entertainment center and use six foot tall cloth cubicle partitions to cover the exposed sides. I have pictures but am not sure how to post them here. Any advice, aside from a divorce, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Get a new wife....OH Wait..you said you want options BESIDES a divorce.....
I had a similar problem, but on a smaller scale. My speakers were the Model-15's. Too big and NOT our current Furniture Style (Mission) we had in the Living room. I did NOT want to banish my speakers and stereo to the Den.
What I ended up doing was building a skinnier/taller speaker using the same components from my 15's which matched our Mission entertainment center pretty closely. Even got a standard Minwax Stain that matched EXACTLY what our furniture was. The Skinnier speakers made for a smaller footprint. And they weren't that much taller (about 10") the the stock Model-15's.
Funny how WIFES think they can run our lives....We have to put our foot down and say NO.....I'd rant more, but I was just told to take out the garbage.
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Never give an inch!!
In a few years you can have wall to wall plasmamonitors at dicount prices. But you will never get you VOTs back.
Small speakers ***** ....
Rgds Jan
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Assuming you have one exterior wall, why not enjoy the total Trading Spaces experience and cut a couple big holes in the wall and recess your VOT cabinets so they are flush. (they will actually sound better)
She gets her living room space and you keep the speakers. Win-Win ! On the outside of the house you weather proof the cabinets and make red brick enclosures to go around them. The neighbors will think you added two fireplaces to your living room.
Hang in there,
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moving will be cheaper than the devorce
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This is what garages are for! Seriously though, since my dual woofer horn enclosures wouldn't fit through the door anyway the system had no choice but be erected in the garage. Now, the garage is gradually being finished around the speaker system! In fact, my wife currently uses it as her dance studio. Win-win...so far.
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My wife had a fit when I came home with a pair of klipsch La scalas .Too big! Too big !for 6 months .Bought of smaller pair speakers and she didn't like the way they sounded and had put the the La scalas back into the living room .
Mark
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Back in the 70's, when I needed money for food & rent I sold my A7-500s. You will never have anything that sounds as nice and you may never find another good pair. Perhaps the wife will re-consider!?
