I am sure I am too greedy to think of these. But what can I do? I am seriously considering to go for them. This must be a very rare chance to get these original A7 800 sets.
Vintage Preamps Tube Preamps | eBay
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I am sure I am too greedy to think of these. But what can I do? I am seriously considering to go for them. This must be a very rare chance to get these original A7 800 sets.
Vintage Preamps Tube Preamps | eBay
Specific link?
GM
2 Altec A 800 Speaker System with 803A 802B and 808 Horn Big N800D 12 Ohms | eBay
thats a pretty awesome setup. you can bet it's not going to go cheap. but then again the auctions have been wildly fickle lately.
bid high and often
Whoa...Quote:
Originally Posted by VolvoHeretic
What's the over and under on this?
Thanks!
My, my! These should fetch a 'pretty penny'! Surprised they aren't being parted out. If your 'pockets' are deep enough, no audio related reason not to try and get them comes to mind, though of course you'll need period correct electronics and a room large enough to use the wings to complete the 'walk down Memory Lane'.
Good luck with the bidding!
GM
2499.....4299Quote:
Originally Posted by alancohen
Not going to speculate, just in case............
GM
It is like a dream to have these old original sets but , practically in listening to music, would it have any meaning to keep these than 19 or Valencia?Quote:
Originally Posted by GM
BTW thanks Volvo and Phil for the link.
A very similar set to this sold for $4995 this time last year, without XO or wings.
As a guide, the 802/H808 combo should go for about $3000-4000, the 803A pair for about $800-1200, the XOs for $300-500 and the cabs about $500-1000, as they have wings, if they were all sold separately.
All based on sales in my spreadsheet over the last 5 years.
So the total will be around $5000 for speaker sets (if I am lucky) + $1100 for shipping + $610 for customs + $200 for domestic transit = $7410.Quote:
Originally Posted by magnarc
And what else ? I have to think again.
Those are very nice ! How are folks still finding these treasures ? I guess it's location,location.location....
I know. ^^ That's why I am looking at this again and again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Altec Best
I bid 42.99 but I was outbid by an autobid. Go figure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alien_Shore
I'm stunned!Quote:
Originally Posted by gortnipper
Well, considering its age and having obviously been used a long time in a cinema judging by the amount of screen paint splatter, I imagine the AlNiCos need a serious drain/recharge and may not get back to spec even then. For me personally, it's a nice collectible 'toy' for spinning old vinyl, RTR tapes or reproducing an old movie soundtrack if one has the space, disposable income, but have zero interest in making a limited BW relic my prime HIFI/HT system, especially if I can't afford the period correct electronics, which I imagine will cost many times what the speakers will likely go for once brought up to spec [assuming the right components are still available].Quote:
Originally Posted by sanhanul
GM
My opinion as well... But can always put in new drivers in that system and put the originals in safe keeping for future resell or whatever..I have enough brand new drivers to fix them right up.. :biggrin2: As most of them are just collecting dust ATM. :frown2:
i would love to see someone from this forum get those. :) give it your best shot.Quote:
Originally Posted by sanhanul
I could be wrong, but I'm of the opinion that the 'ship has done sailed' [peaked] on the pioneer speaker collectible market since the next 'wave' of 'baby-boomers' grew up with KLH, Advents, boom-boxes, T/S, cassette tapes, etc., with then contemporary publications 'trashing' the 'ignorantly' designed monstrosities powered by glorified light bulbs before the 'age of enlightenment'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Altec Best
GM
Quote:
Originally Posted by GM
Quite possibly.. But i think gear like that will always have a following,kinda like WE gear...Your talking H808's with 802B's.. Those there are rare,and highly sought after and don't see that changing anytime soon..1940's gear.
I just threw a grand at it. I couldn't tolerate seeing $102 any more.
We'll see........before the J.A. Pan Co. got rich enough to drive prices up you couldn't hardly give this stuff away, especially large utility/prosound cabs/horns and why so few have survived. It's not like they were always rare. Most tube gear also, especially prosound/cinema stuff. What wasn't recycled/sold overseas wound up with HAM radio folks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Altec Best
GM
What do we need to make them to original spec except for recharging magnet and , probably , changing old caps from the network?Quote:
Originally Posted by GM
Maybe wiring. If the woofers rub or have other problems, then you're screwed. The alum. diaphragms should be quite work hardened by now, so will probably have more limited BW than OEM or modern replacements, so as a collectible, you must keep them, but for everyday playback, store them and use GPA's.
Mostly my comment referred to the front end electronics, pre-amp, etc., which of course could mean anything from using as is if already competently rebuilt or need all new caps, resistors, tubes, etc.; basically everything but the chassis parts and iron.
GM
The H808/802Bs are the real value prize here I think.
From my SS, sales, in US$, of H808 with/without driver. Legend is Unit/Pair or Single/Condition/US$ Price/Ignore/Date
H808 P Exc Tar 1535 1840 2009-08
H808 P Good 1455 1550 2010-09
H808 S Exc 1025 1050 2010-12
H808 S Exc 1250 1300 2010-12
H808 S Exc 1175 1190 2011-02
H808 P Good 2025 2025 2011-05
H808 P Good 2410 2410 2011-05
H808 P Exc 2500 2500 2011-07
H808 P Exc Metal 2665 2665 2011-07
H808 P Good 2550 2550 2011-10
H808 P Exc 1225 1225 2012-01
H808 P Exc Metal 2380 2380 2012-05
H808 S Exc 2000 2000 2012-07
H808 P Exc 925 925 2012-07
H808 P Good 1800 1800 2012-10
H808/802B S Fair Tar 1" Throat 1415 1580 2010-05
H808/802B P Exc 4625 5250 2010-05
H808/802B S Exc Tar 1" Throat 1350 1500 2010-07
H808/802B P Exc 3300 3725 2010-07
H808/802B P Exc Tar 1" Throat 3650 4060 2010-07
H808/802B P Exc 3795 3980 2010-10
H808/802B S Good 1495 1495 2012-01
H808/802B S Exc 1130 1130 2012-06
H808/802B S Good 1250 1250 2012-08
H808/802B S Exc 1525 1525 2013-02
H808/802B/803A/825 S Exc 4995 4995 2012-07
H808/802C P Exc 1875 2050 2010-07
H808/802C S Exc 1110 1110 2011-04
Quote:
Originally Posted by GM
Well I think the collect ability and value shot up the moment Altec went out of business.Now that you can no longer purchase these units/speakers new,that will certainly always drive up prices.Plus for their price IMHO Altec is the best, for durability,value, and sound for their price point.Altec has always been my Favorite speaker company ! And I don't see that changing anytime soon,and I grew up after the Baby Boomers... :cool2:
I'm still trying to figure what extremity I want to give up for those 800's...:biggrin2:
Actually Altec is very cheap if we compare them to old Tannoy. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Altec Best
And I think the reason for Altec's comparable low price to old Tannoy is its availability today .
There's a pair of 805B tar-filled going off by me. $1400.Quote:
Originally Posted by Altec Best
It began long before, shortly after it became obvious that LING was gutting them, so local theaters and especially other countries began 'stockpiling', me included. Altec's closing just when the 'net was 'taking off' kicked it up a notch and the 'easy money' of the dot.com and other 'get rich quick' folks sent it into maximum overdrive.Quote:
Originally Posted by Altec Best
You're in the minority. Go to DIYaudio or similar and post a poll for the < 30 yr olds as to whether or not they would pay primo $$ for 'old tech' prosound components, speakers that take up a lot of living room real estate, or even current tech for that matter.
A part of me hopes I'm wrong as their over inflated prices once kept me from losing my house, but I'd rather be able to buy it either 'dirt' cheap or free for the asking like I did in the late '60s thru the early '80s as so-called 'recovery' [recycling/landfill] fees kept increasing.
GM
Probably.. That's OK with me.. I don't go to the DIY forum too much cause most of the projects there 80/90% are Bookshelf speakers that don't interest me much.And for the 30 year olds,it's probably cause many of them may not have heard a properly set up Altec system.Can they build a great sounding speaker system with todays drivers ? Absolutely ! They are just not for me. If my speakers aren't up to the ceiling they are too small.:pQuote:
Originally Posted by GM
FWIW- I already have all the Altec drivers I need,so for me to use todays drivers it would be an added expense.But i don't have H808's that i would love to own..
I'm just an Altec guy through and through.They just sound right to my ears.To each his own, I like to say !
So...who bought it for $8865?
Not me ;)
Now I feel better because it is end.
Gosh, Even my upper estimates were low!!
I knew they were going to go sky high.. With shipping costs well over $9 grand.... Yikes ! :tongue2: :wink2:
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Grab them ! I have a pair of brass throats 30162 for those if you buy them.Quote:
Originally Posted by alancohen
I always thought the tar filled 805 was designated the H805/805H, or simply the 805.
Was there a range of model numbers?
They are if they are tar filled H805 or 805's.. The 805B's are the Aquaplas models.Quote:
Originally Posted by magnarc
I believe the original 808 was tar filled- the ones in the auction were not. there was also an adapter for the 555W. I shudder to think about the cost for a set of those. We'd be talking a mortgage.
http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc...2011/07/23.jpg
Final bid is as much a reflection of the value of the US dollar as the speakers themselves. For some regions on the globe, the USA is on sale at an ever increasing discount.
I figured they were long term worth at least $10 k if in decent working order, so could be a minor bargain at the sale price. If the horns had been the original tar filled, it would have been in the realm of 'if you have to ask'.........Quote:
Originally Posted by magnarc
GM
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Sad, but true......... the king is dead, long live the king!Quote:
Originally Posted by bowtie427ss
GM
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I wonder if any have survived as I imagine they were rare to begin with, which would mean it would probably have to be a movie star's mansion's mortgage to have a sporting chance of having the winning bid.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Guy
GM
Collector / investor stuff for sure...
That's a snappy price indeed! Interesting that the 2nd place bidder used a snipe service, but the winner had some deep pockets - they wanted those things for sure!