Altec 9861 / 9862

[Cyclotronguy]

Who has any information on these two products?

Cyclotronguy

[Don McRitchie]

The only web information that I have found on these products is on this Japanese website:

http://www.fsinet.or.jp/~ash-k/altec2.htm

There is a 9862 owner on this forum that that describes his system here:

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2811&highlight=9862

I have had mixed information from the few people that know anything about them. There is no question that they were designed for the Japanese market to be in competition with JBL's successful marketing of their largest monitors into Japanese homes. The former product manager for Altec (who was responsible for the all of the "Model" home speakers such as the 15, 17, 19) said that their design staff had nothing to do with these speakers. He stated that they were specificied and designed by their Japanese distributor Electori. This seems to be supported in pictures I have of the label for the contemporary 6041 that describes it as an Electori Altec Lansing speaker. However the 9862's owned by a forum member has no mention of Electori on the label and is definitely marked "Made in the USA".

The bass driver, mid horn and tweeter for the 9862 appear to have been developed for that system, and with the exception of the 416-8BD, were never used in another Altec system (the 416-8BD showed up as the helper woofer in the contempory 6041).

The only place that I can think of to try and get more information is from Electori. They are still around. However, finding someone there that speaks English and can remember those systems may prove difficult.

[ClaudioB]

Request for aid for 9861 DIY
Good morning, I have the ambitious project, to resurect the fantstic 9861 building on my own .
I need your kindly aid especially for the measures of the interior elements.
Does anyone have a plan, a sketch or even a detailed photos?

Thank you very much

( sorry for my english tooo )

Claudio

[Cyclotronguy]

Fortunately we know the staffing at Electori very well, through the Pass Labs crew and their English is excellent... better than mine!

Having said that we're reaching back a very long way, and the institutional memory of that product is very scant. There were apparently quality issues that plagued that particular offering.... and not enough of what they do have in the way of documentation to actually replicate the product.

I am lead to believe that performance wise it was "Stanley Screamer-esq" meets "Altec 1234", But I don't know that for fact. I've got a pair of Altec 1234's in process... progressing ever so slowly!

Cyclotronguy