Brought home Altecs today :^) (pics inside)

[Rex Everything]

Here is a set of Altec Iconic speakers aka 846A Valencias.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ampegmang/AltecIF.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ampegmang/AltecIB.jpg
I ended up trading a minty Marantz 2270 with out wood case for these babies. How'd I do?
When I opened up the back of the cabs to inspect the drivers and find out what components were in them I found that on of the horns had pulled the particle board out of the top where the magnet mounts to the top support(tacked and glued from the factory).
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ampegmang/altechorn.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ampegmang/altecspot.jpg
Any thoughts on how to fix this? Wood glue and a clamp? Add wood at the top corners of the horn and bolt the tops in there? Combination of both?............
In the meantime would it be ok to stack these on top of my 846B Valencias horn to horn and use them both? This would leave the horn resting on the top(bolted in of course) and make it so I can check these out at home. Let me know if this would be a good plan.
Here's a shot of each of the insides of these:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ampegmang/AlteciGood.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a148/ampegmang/altecbad.jpg
Speakers are loaded w/ the following
416-16Z 391029/391029
811B horns
806A 391041/391041 (these also have a 4300 and 4292 stamped behind each code respectively)
N-800 X-overs both are stamped 70 36
Is it safe to assume the 70 on the X over stands for 1970 and that these speaker are 1970 vintage(late '70 by the 41 week on the horn drivers)?
Let me know about stacking them, fixing the horn mount and how ya'll think I did.
:D

[sheltiedave]

You did VERY well on that swap, Rex. You got the 16 ohm version, and a clean set to boot.

Why in the world would you want to stack them?

[Rex Everything]

You did VERY well on that swap, Rex. You got the 16 ohm version, and a clean set to boot.

Why in the world would you want to stack them?

I only want to stack them so that I can try them out here at home. If they are resting on there tops then the horn will set on the spot where the particle board pulled out and I won't have to worry about damaging the horn by just letting it hang from the two bottom bolts on the front.

These cabs are 16 ohms total or 8 ohms total(each)?

[theophile]

Rex,
G'day.Happy New Year.I'm a member both here and at AK.I recognised your avatar and moniker and wanted to respond(being a 846A owner and all).
What lovely condition they are in.
You've got the 846Bs as well?Wow.
I guess you like your Valencias.
With regard to stacking.Why not?Go for it.There is only one person who can tell you whether it works or not.Yourself.

[Don C]

I'd replace the short piece of wood that the driver is hanging from with a longer piece. That way, you can glue and screw it into the unbroken wood on either side of the torn out spot. I'd probably fill the bad area with bondo first.

[Rex Everything]

I'd replace the short piece of wood that the driver is hanging from with a longer piece. That way, you can glue and screw it into the unbroken wood on either side of the torn out spot. I'd probably fill the bad area with bondo first.

Good idea, thanks! I think instead of bondo I'd just put some wood glue in the hole and put the original stuff back in along w/ the longer wood. Gonna think about this a bit more

[Rex Everything]

Rex,
G'day.Happy New Year.I'm a member both here and at AK.I recognised your avatar and moniker and wanted to respond(being a 846A owner and all).
What lovely condition they are in.
You've got the 846Bs as well?Wow.
I guess you like your Valencias.
With regard to stacking.Why not?Go for it.There is only one person who can tell you whether it works or not.Yourself.

I have posted them at AK now as well.

The grills do have several cracks in them but they are all there still. There are several small pieces of veneer missing on the lower corners and a few scratches/rings/scrapes here and there but over all they are very nice. One is fade quite a bit more than the other. It's the one that was in the sun.

I do like my 846B's very much and can't wait to play these for a few days and compare them. It was just an accident that these were Valencias also. I was hoping for Magnificents:D but I am more than happy w/ more Valencias, especially since they are a different style and a bit older.

I am in DESPERATE need of model 19's now! :D

[Storm]

Rex -

You should sell these.

I had a pair of Heathkits that were identical to 846As. I compared them to the 846B's and there is no comparison. The reason being - these have no port holes for the woofer, the 846B's do.

You did a good swap, but I would sell those on eBay if I were you.

Or, if you need another set for another area of your house - thats always an option.

Keep this thread posted on your results, but I am almost confident you will keep the 846B's.

Good Job!

-Storm.

:D

[Rex Everything]

Rex -

You should sell these.

I had a pair of Heathkits that were identical to 846As. I compared them to the 846B's and there is no comparison. The reason being - these have no port holes for the woofer, the 846B's do.

You did a good swap, but I would sell those on eBay if I were you.

Or, if you need another set for another area of your house - thats always an option.

Keep this thread posted on your results, but I am almost confident you will keep the 846B's.

Good Job!

-Storm.

:D

I can already tell you that the 846B's are not going anywhere. They will be staying w/ me for sometime to come(I hope).

As for selling I'm not sure what they'd be worth or if anyone would even want them as a whole speaker. I know the parts are worth money but I hate dismantling vintage items if I could help it. Model 19's are the only other speakers I could see wanting right now(well, A7's but they are a bit big:) )

What about cutting a new baffle for these w/ a port for the woofer? Do you think that would work well?

I'll post my thoughts on these when I get a chance to listen to them here.

[Storm]

Rex -

You would get about $1200.00 for them on eBay like they are. Parted, about $800.00 for the components.

I would offer worldwide. The asians go nuts over the 846A's and most have a system in place for shipping.

Good luck.

Let us know the A/B results.

Did you see the thread about the A/B results of the 846U vs Model 19 I posted a couple weeks back?

I strongly suggest keeping the 846's. The 19's give them a run for their money, but I love the 846's the best.

-Storm

[JBLRaiser]

set them on top of the cab, while making repairs. It would save lifting those muthas.:idea:

[Rex Everything]

set them on top of the cab, while making repairs. It would save lifting those muthas.:idea:


Not a bad idea but these are light compared to the 846B's

[JBLRaiser]

Rex -

You would get about $1200.00 for them on eBay like they are. Parted, about $800.00 for the components.

I would offer worldwide. The asians go nuts over the 846A's and most have a system in place for shipping.

Good luck.

Let us know the A/B results.

Did you see the thread about the A/B results of the 846U vs Model 19 I posted a couple weeks back?

I strongly suggest keeping the 846's. The 19's give them a run for their money, but I love the 846's the best.

-Storm

only HIS ears can make up HIS mind.:thmbsup: I think you said that somewhere in your search for sonic orgasmia.

[Rex Everything]

Rex -

You would get about $1200.00 for them on eBay like they are. Parted, about $800.00 for the components.

I would offer worldwide. The asians go nuts over the 846A's and most have a system in place for shipping.

Good luck.

Let us know the A/B results.

Did you see the thread about the A/B results of the 846U vs Model 19 I posted a couple weeks back?

I strongly suggest keeping the 846's. The 19's give them a run for their money, but I love the 846's the best.

-Storm

I'll have a listen to the over the next few days and report back on the a/b.

Thanks for the pricing guide line and the tip on the Asian market.

I have not read the thread you speak of but I will now :)

[Paul C.]

No ports? Look a the photo of the one with the horn in place... On each end of the horn aren't those gaps (that's grill cloth showing!) working as ports?

[Rex Everything]

No ports? Look a the photo of the one with the horn in place... On each end of the horn aren't those gaps (that's grill cloth showing!) working as ports?

I thought that when I looked at it but then thought the sound would be very different due to location and size of the porting vs. the 846B porting

[Storm]

I was refering to the ports next to the woofer that act as a bass reflex. The gap on the horns is just that, gaps. I doubt they were added on purpose to function a certain way.

I know on mine - the ports are on both sides of the woofer, but on these, there are none.

paul - correct me if I am wrong, please.

:)

-Storm

[Rex Everything]

I was refering to the ports next to the woofer that act as a bass reflex. The gap on the horns is just that, gaps. I doubt they were added on purpose to function a certain way.

I know on mine - the ports are on both sides of the woofer, but on these, there are none.

paul - correct me if I am wrong, please.

:)

-Storm


You are correct on the porting of the two cabs

[Tom Brennan]

"The gap on the horns is just that, gaps."

The gaps are the ports, the speakers are bass reflex. Altec used such ports on several models, they knew what they were about you see, they had engineers and everything.

"I doubt they were added on purpose to function a certain way."

And you base these doubts on what? At least read the Badmaieff-Davis book and the information in the library here.

[glen]

... you see, they had engineers and everything.

:rotfl:

[speakerdave]

. . . . The gaps are the ports, the speakers are bass reflex. Altec used such ports on several models, they knew what they were about you see, they had engineers and everything. . . .
:)

[sheltiedave]

Dang, Tom, no mercy for the :barf:

I'm starting my search for a 16 ohm potato masher and N1200.

BTW, Rex, having heard both the A & B, you'll like the B much more. The conventional ports help out on the base response a little.

[bowtie427ss]

... you see, they had engineers and everything.
I'm wondering at what point the engineers learned about internal bracing. Probably my only true "complaint" about many of the Altec boxes.

[Mr. Widget]

I'm wondering at what point the engineers learned about internal bracing. Probably my only true "complaint" about many of the Altec boxes.JBLs of the era were a little bit better, but you are right... cabinet vibrations and panel resonance were not really dealt with back then.

I remember reading one of the many Speakerlab "Technical" papers of the mid '70s... they stated, that additional braces were not needed in a speaker box, "...the cone which undergoes the greatest stresses is only made of paper after all." :no:


Widget

[Tom Brennan]

Now you got me thinkin' Widget.

[moldyoldy]

I'm wondering at what point the engineers learned about internal bracing. Probably my only true "complaint" about many of the Altec boxes.

Hi, Bowtie!

They knew the importance of rigid panels alright (see Altec excerpt from '60s below), but knowing ain't always doing. Gotta keep in mind that many of the cabs we refer to as Altecs were actually built by others too. Still, many factory cabs need beefed up in varying degrees, but the cost and effort requires minimal resources and allows the owner to 'get involved'. I have far more faith in yesterday's engineers than today's "modders", and think most modders would get better results if they put down the soldering iron and picked up a hammer and saw.;)

[sonofagun]

I deplore the lack of bracing also.

Apparently they were skimpy on the use of f'glas insulation too! Was/is there any on the back panels?

[Paul C.]

I thought that when I looked at it but then thought the sound would be very different due to location and size of the porting vs. the 846B porting


The reason this came to mind, the same was done on the A7 when flipping the cabinet upside down and moving the horn inside. One of the two boards on front were removed, the horn replace the area of that board, and the gap around it was the port. The larger board was removed when the 511b was placed inside, the smaller board was removed when the 811b was place inside.

So, that is why it occurred to me in this case. And with those gaps on each side of the horn, the cab cannot function as a sealed box, can it?