Altec Boleros

[Tom Brennan]

I'm gonna pickup some Boleros next week. They have a killer 10" with the magnet structure from the 414. Who can tell me about the tweeter or any other interesting info?

[boputnam]

Hey, Tom...

I don't know anything technically specific, regrettably. However, my dad had a pair that I loved during my teens - then the estate settled in my lap. I shipped 'em home, with great anticipation. The 10 PR I thought would give good, solid bottom.

My listening experience, however, was disappointing. The LF was muddy, and lacking. As well, that horn seemed to roll-off too low, such that the Bolero's lacked good soundstage, and briliance. They go plenty loud, but they couldn't touch either my 4312's L/R, and certainly not the 4313B's - cabinets that were in-hand for A/B comparisons. I gave them a fair test, A/B, flat and exact same placement. I tried and tried, but finally nostagia lost... :(

Maybe your experience will be quite different - it is all so individual, as we know...

[boputnam]

I omitted providing a Link to the Lansing Heritage Library site, where there is only a little on the Bolero's...

Altec 1971 Home (http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/altec/catalogs/1971-home/page23.jpg) brochure, p23

I may have something in my files - I'll look, today.

Let us know what your impression is when you get them. I might have been drunk... ;)

[HenryW]

Hello Tom-

I have seen and heard many years ago, but left with little memory of the impression (I remember they were a pretty decent bench just a tad low).

There is a pair for sale in St. Louis area I could take a look at or you could contact direct at:

http://www.oldhifi.com/gearpage.html

I have dealt with the gentleman in the past - mail me for any opinion.

[Don McRitchie]

According to the driver reference on our site, the original 890B used the 3000G compression driver/horn. The later 890C used a driver that is unknown to me - part number 21517. What's interesting is that this driver is listed as "unrepairable" and must be replaced if it fails.

[Tom Brennan]

Thanks fellas.

When I get them home I'll see what they're like.

I was wondering about the horn-driver on the 890C because it looks kinda "Hepnerish", which isn't bad. But Hepners could be fixed.

These Boleros should work well horizontally on bookshelves where I now use Heresies, my big speaker days being over.

[Chas]

I had a pair of 601D's that were coaxials using the 3000. I popped one of the tweeters and called Great Plains for help. The guy I spoke to said they were unrepairable and that the voice coils were actually from a dynamic microphone element!

Watch out how hard you drive them!:flamer:

[Don McRitchie]

Yes, Bill can no longer replicate the diaphragm used in the 3000 series horns. However, when they were in production, they did make and sell replacement diaphragms. As GPA indicated, they were actually a microphone diaphragm. However, what is unique about the 890C is that, even when in production, the diaphragms were not replacable. I'm curious at to just what this driver was since I don't know of any other horn that Altec made that was designed from the start to be disposable.

[boputnam]

Originally posted by Tom Brennan
These Boleros should work well horizontally on bookshelves... They may, indeed. I A/B'd them in floor positions with both 4312's and 4313B's. Anxious to know what you think...


...my big speaker days being over. :(

[Todd W. White]

The 3000 series tweeter element IS still available!

Bill Hayes at MicroMike Labs has them, and can repair them for you!!!!

Bill was Head of Acoustic Research at Altec from 1972 - 1982, and was an employee in the Acoustic Lab from the middle 1950's.

He bought all of the Altec microphone parts when Gulto (EV) bought Altec Lansing in 1984 and started servicing them himself.

He's a one-man shop, so don't expect a one-week turnaround, but his work is EXCELENT, and he is a GREAT guy and a good friend!

His contact info is:

Mr. Bill Hayes
MicroMike Labs
1537 West Cris Place
Anaheim, California 92802
Telephone: (714) 774-0342

Tell him I sent you.

[boputnam]

...as promised

[boputnam]

ibid, p2

[Tom Brennan]

I got the Boleros over the weekend, up in Dexter Michigan, a pretty little town near Ann Arbor.

Anyway I'm most pleased with the sound. They are sitting horizontally on bookshelves at ear height. They are driven by a DIY 15wpc gain-clone amp Kurt Chang made and gave me.

Bass is more extended than my previous speakers, Klipsch Heresies. The Boleros have a more natural and robust tonal balance. The bass is tight and well-damped, very good for a speaker this size.

Midrange is very present and has that big Altec "technicolor" sound. These speakers are definately real Altecs. They sound great playing LDs and DVDs. Ben-Hur, Cleopatra and How The West Was Won sound very good.

The woofers are interesting. Besides the powerful motor from the 414 they have 2-profile cones; straight-sided until about 1/2" past the dust-caps and then concavely curvo-linear. These are NOT your normal 10" woofs and evidence a good deal of engineering thought and quality construction.

The "mystery tweeter" sounds very good; highs are delicate and nicely detailed with subjectively good extension. I have the tweeter level controls set on the minus position.

The tweeter has a conical initial horn flare, just like a 1" compression driver. Then comes a seperate cast horn flare. I was gonna remove one of the tweeters to get a look but they are glued in as well as screwed so I'm leaving them alone.

All in all I'm very pleased with these speakers. The Heresies are going in the closet or out on loan. I'm back with real Altec sound in a small package. Anybody considering a bookshelf speaker should consider these, they're sleepers.

[Mr. Widget]

Well it's no wonder they have extended bass. They have the 10" Altec free-suspension phase inverters!:D :D :D

Got to love that adspeak.

Widget

[HenryW]

Dang it Tom - I thought we finally had you at the best bookshelf with the Heresy...

I guess I'll wander up the road and look at a pair (with 3.5 pair of Heresy I guess another bookshelf won't hurt) of the Bolero. I may be a hard sell....

[Tom Brennan]

Henry----Well I wouldn't go so far as to say the Boleros are head and shoulders better than the small Klipsches, both are very good. It's a difference more of flavor than of quality.

[boputnam]

Tom - thanks for the comprehensive report. Especially since you've put them in a bookshelf (proper) position - I didn't have the means to, and that would certainly enhance the bass response, as intended.

Widget - I loved watching those 10-in phase inverters all through High School - the start of my stereo-addiction!

[Zeke]

I've recently seen something Altec using what appears to be the woofer and tweeter from the "Corona" but adding a passive radiator in a "Bolero" design structure. As such, no horn driver or uniquely shaped -- per description -- woofers but similar in size and shape. (I don't recall a model number.) What gives? It actually just looks as if someone added a radiator to the Corona. Anyone know a model number and/or specs? Thanks!

[louped garouv]

I just got a pair of Altec Bolero 890As... S/Ns 755 & 776

one of the 406s had been reconed in '85 according to the gentleman I got them from... dustcap is different, but the cone seems almost identical, except darker (I will post pics next week)

been listening through a Pioneer SX205 reciever to various XM radio channels...

so far so good, I like them, expecially for "bookshelf" speakers

very reminiscent to the A7 tone I have in the basement... but much, much smaller...

[Rex Everything]

Dang it Tom - I thought we finally had you at the best bookshelf with the Heresy...

I guess I'll wander up the road and look at a pair (with 3.5 pair of Heresy I guess another bookshelf won't hurt) of the Bolero. I may be a hard sell....

Henry, have you gone out and tried these speakers yet? BTW, thanks for posting that site. I am a very green n00b in this vintage thang but things are moving fast. I am going to be bringing home a set of Altec Valencias this weekend and was thinking the Bolero may be a nice complitment to set up on the bookshelf.

[Tom Brennan]

My Boleros are presently being used to play an electronic drumset and digital piano through, also for some mono hi-fi listening. Using a little Behringer mixer, Teac T-amp and a rooty-kazooty Sony DVD-CD player.

At first I feared they'd give up the ghost used this way but they're doing fine.

[louped garouv]

I thought they sounded better laying on their sides when I was listening to them... better HF dispertion IMO

judging from the scuffed veneer on the bottoms (if they were oriented like in your picture), I guess the original owner had them oriented like yours...

mine are going to be the "monitor" speakers in my home DJ set up.

[mikebake]

Tom, how did the Chicago guy end up in Lexington??

[Tom Brennan]

Mike----After the Sox won the Series there was no more reason to stick around Chicago. ;-)

My folks, 81 years old, live in Lexington and I wanted to be near. And I was tired of Chicago, 57 years was enough.

Lexington is just right in size and very civilized, very nice place. And I got a new 3300 square foot house for $250,000, nice house too, my father went there every day and bird-dogged the builders.

The only hassle is that us Long Knives have to watch out for Shawnees and other intruders from north of the Ohio. :-) Well, I don't have much hair left anyway, nobody will bother taking my scalp back to Detroit for the British bounty.

We should meet at Parts Express some day, go out and get a loose meat sandwich.

[mikebake]

You're too funny! I do like Lexington. Prior to my current unemployment, I went there monthly on business. I like Louisville, too. PE trip, good idea.