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I, m from Spain, sorry my English .
After much searching I already got my A7
and now... that I need ?
I need help for set-up my system , (amps, pre, cables... I only have my LP12 turtable with MC 0,2V "ZYX" cartridge )
MY A7:
- 828 cabbinet
- woofers 515-8G
- 511b horn
- 808-8A Drivers
- altec 1631a crossover.
Regards
Welcome to the board ! And Congrats on the A7's ! Altec 1631 crossover ? I'm not familiar with those. So what are you looking for help to do,recommendation on amps,etc, ? Are these speakers already put together or are they components ?
OK I found it.It's an active XO.
http://altecpro.com/pdfs/vintage/Ele...Processing.pdf
Posting some photos would help us to give you advice as far as speaker set up/fine tuning/improvements.....
Xover also sold as EV XEQ-2 I think EV still sells modules, you can make custom modules from the info in PDF.
I need preamp, power amp and phono preamp.
I can get GENERAL ELECTRIC STEREO CLASIC 7700. This ia integrated amp with phono
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/2552/g7700.jpg
or two RCA 70 watts like this, but I need a preamp with phono
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/7007/rca1x.jpg
I do not understand about the crossover.
do I need two stereo amps for A7 ?
Those cabs look very nice.
Are those black? I love black. :)
Yes, your crossover divides the signals into high and low before amplification so you will need two stereo amps.Quote:
Originally Posted by replicante1971
Thanks,
Them, I need
- Line premp
- two stereo amps.
- phono preamp
This is the best option for my Altec ?..... is an integrated amp ruled out for my altec ?
Considering that I live in a loft of 60 m2.
How many watts (power amp) i need for High (808-8A) ?
" " " " " low (woofers 515-8G) ?
why everyone recommend 2A3 valves for high ?
nor do I understand which is the function of the crossover ?
I am sorry to ask so many questions, but I want to be sure before I buy something.
The Crossover is nothing more than protection for your drivers basically.High pass filter (HF) is to remove the Low Frequency's from the audio signal and the funtion of the Low Pass filter (LF) is to remove the High Frequency's from the audio signal.Your drivers are designed to handle certain frequencies (Frequency Response).If your woofers are rated say 20 Hz to 1600 Hz you want your crossover to cutoff all frequency's higher than 1600, most crossovers will cutoff way before their rating though.In this example say 1200 Hz, this is where your HF driver will cut in to handle the rest of the bandwidth. Very Simple explanation but hope this helps you understand a little better.Without some sort of crossover or protection you could blow your HF diaphragms and woofer voice coils quite frequently with higher power levels.Quote:
Originally Posted by replicante1971
It would be so much cheaper and less confusing if you were to just buy some original 500hz/800hz Altec crossovers.
Even better Altec solution would be the N1201-8A or model 19 crossovers.Then you only need one mono amp per side. Plus a stereo preamp. Or one integrated amp total.
Especially since you don't seem to know much about loudspeakers.
Sell the electronic crossovers, you might even come out ahead in the $ department.
Ron
use two stereo amplifiers , for high and low ...is it not recommended ? or it's just for saving money ?
which it the best option for a crossover ?
I have discovered this website:
Hasling Audio Systems Denmark
passive crossover ?
Your question regarding "which is the best option" is not going to have a unanimous answer. It's largely based on personal preference. Some people will tell you that bi-amping (two stereo amps--one for the left channel and one for the right) is always better, and some will tell you that a crossover like the Model 19 crossover (N1201-8A) that Ron is recommending with it's built in h.f. compensation and built in midrange and treble EQ controls, will sound "better" (to them) than many (most?) bi-amped systems. Personally, I am using the N1201-8A crossover in four speaker systems in my house (two pair of Altec Model 19's) and they sound phenomenal! However, I am using that crossover with Altec 802-8G drivers and Altec 416-8B woofers in a completely different cabinet than what you own--I personally have no idea what the N1201-8A will sound like with your specific system/cabinets/drivers. Ron seems to think it would be a good match and I know for a fact that he knows more about this stuff than I do. I would definitely agree with Ron's main point--what he is trying to tell you is that unless you are really knowledgeable regarding electronic crossovers and bi-amping, it will be very challenging for you to get your system to sound as "good" (let alone "better") and to have anything resembling a somewhat flat frequency response with the electronic crossovers/bi-amp setup than with a great/appropriate passive crossover.......Quote:
Originally Posted by replicante1971
In other words, your system should sound great with two appropriate Altec passive crossovers (one for the left channel and one for the right) and one stereo amp. It will be very difficult for you to equal that "classic Altec VOTT sound" with the electronic crossovers and two stereo amps unless you are very knowledgeable in using that type of set-up IMHO.....
Ok. Thanks
Where can i buy N1201-8A crossover, or something like that ?
I can not find anywhere.
would be difficult to make diy ?
Thanks for schematic:
I'm going to try it myself.
where can I get the Accessoires ?
Parts Express & Madisound... You will need to use both places as you can't get all components from one place.Like the 3.9 ohm resistors you have to get from Madisound Audio.
Madisound Speaker Components: distributor of loudspeaker drivers and parts for speaker builders.
http://www.parts-express.com/wizards...itors&x=19&y=6
He's in Spain- maybe
Europe Audio ? Cross-over parts
Indeed, as good as vintage Altec [mid] bass drivers sound, I don't like them XO'd up as high as the M19, especially the A7/511 combo. Altec did it to increase power handling, turning the 511 into little more than a large wave-guide [WG], but isn't necessary for a typical HIFI/HT app.Quote:
Originally Posted by voice of the theater
All the OP needs is a N501-8A [or DIY clone] if the OP wants a 'classic' Altec sound and for a truly vintage sound, add impedance compensation and use a tapped auto-former in lieu of the 501's pot plus drive them with a high output impedance amp, preferably with adjustable bass, treble controls. The HF diaphragms would of course have to be swapped out to convert the 808 to an 802 and if SS driven, then empirically find the right value by-pass resistor to allow the highs to be let through unattenuated by the XO same as the 1201 does.
FYI, bi-amping is using one amp for the woofer and one for the 'tweeter' to electrically isolate them, though of course one or both pairs [if stereo] can be monoblocks.
GM
As much as I like the M19/1201-8A crossovers, I have to agree with GM here.
The 15" woof just isn't happy at 1500 hz. And you can really hear it on female vocals that have a bit lower range. The woof beams and just doesn't sound right.
I think with a 414 woofer, it would be a lot better.
Too bad Altec didn't use the same principal with a crossover freq somewhere between 500 and 1000hz.
Ron
Interesting direction this thread is heading. I haven’t anything else other than my two Altecs to compare to, but the A7’s with 416-8A, 802’s with 511b’s and 501-8a, and the A8 clones with 418-8hII, 32b with what ever driver they might have came with (still don’t know since too lazy to take out 32 flat head screws and look) and also 501-8a sound unreal and great.
All I can say is that if both of my sets have symbiotic diaphragms (probably), and with a slug of Piezo super tweeters (they do :)), they sound fantastic (EQ pegged on the bottom with amp bass tone control also pegged). But then again, I am a bass and treble junkie and like my music progressive and loud, just like the live concerts. I guess I will just keep my A8's crossed over at 500 hz and save a $1000.
Hmm, the 32 horn is only 'good' down to ~800 Hz and the N501-8A is a textbook 8 ohm 500 Hz/2nd order Butterworth filter, i.e. isn't 'gapped' to spread the XO over a wide BW like most XOs, so don't understand how you can listen to it loud for the simple reason that the driver's diaphragm should have self destructed the first time it was cranked up even if it has a loading cap. At minimum, it should be protected by the inexpensive 800 Hz N801-8A or DIY one by modding the N501.
Note too that with the N501, the dip in response between the woofer roll-off and the horn's, which will be shifted up to around 1 kHz IIRC if it has a loading cap [most likely], should be very audible.
Look at the size of the 511 Vs the 32 to see the gap in low end loading a ~300 Hz lower XO point represents.
Bottom line, something's missing from this 'equation' as presented, but not knowing the real reason why they still function, I can only assume the worst lest someone be mislead into thinking that using an XO point well below a horn's gain BW is a viable one.
GM
And them, is this correct ?
http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3259/altecfin.jpg