Altec 19's VS JBL-L300

[rvito]

Could anyone please Tell me how The Altecs Compare to the 300's. Thanks

[Mr. Widget]

While this is the Lansing Heritage site, I must admit we have a James B. Lansing bias. I would suggest you pose the question at the Altec love fest site as well and compare the responses.

http://www.hostboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=3729


That said the basic differences are that the Model 19 is way more efficient but at a sacrifice of low frequency extension. Also since the 19 is a two way, the High Frequencies are not quite as extended as the three way L300.

Widget

[mike]

Some might argue that the 19 is smoother in the crossover region, but I think the L300 is a superior speaker overall. The L300 is more modern sounding. The 19 surprisingly doesn't sound a whole lot different than the older Altec models like the Valencia. The one thing that they did cure with the 19 is the "one note bass" problem of the older Altec designs.

Mike

[spkrman57]

The Altec model 19's are small refrigerator sized.

My personal preference is for the JBL model, the Altec 416 does not seem to have the same tight response in the bass as the JBL LF drivers.

Ron

[scott fitlin]

The Altec model 19's are small refrigerator sized.

My personal preference is for the JBL model, the Altec 416 does not seem to have the same tight response in the bass as the JBL LF drivers.

RonI wouldnt call the size of L300,s small. They are also small refrigerator size!

The L300,s rock. Good bass and highs, good mids! Punchy JBL bottom!

Model 19,s have their loyal fans, characteristic presence that Altec was famous for, but highs and lows not as extended as the JBL! Some guys are willing to sacrifice the frequency extension for the sound of the Altecs!

[Steve Gonzales]

Both great speakers in their own right. Both have podigious output. Kinda hard to nail it down in absolute black and white terms. I honestly think that the L300's have the edge in a head to head competition because of the extended, silky smoooth UHF output and seamless blend between it's three drivers. The Altec 19 is NO slouch!. I love the airey top end it has, although as stated above, not as extended due to the limits of the 802-8G. This driver can play into the UHF region, but not like the dedicated UHF (077) of the L300. The closest that I can come to a true A-B test is this: I have some JBL L222's that have been modified to accept and use the LE85/H92 midrange of the Summit's and use a simular UHF-076 vs 077. I had a pair of Altec model 15's ( the 19's little brother) in the same room on the "B" set of speaker outputs. The 15's use the same 802-8G driver as the 19's and a modified version of the 811B (bent and open mouth) and a lesser 12" LF driver. My older brother Louis, who couldn't tell an Altec from JBL, but is a talented guitarist, was amazed at the sound from the L222's as we played everything from Rock to Jazz. I then switched to the Model 15's and he said immediately "No, turn those back on!". Remember, I said the CLOSEST to an actual A-B test. All in all ,I think a person could be VERY happy with either of these fine speakers, I do think comparing them is like the Camaro/Mustang debate that the car guys have had going on for years. Lucky you to have either!