ALTEC Model 15s

I have an opportunity with a pair of clean Oak veneer ALTEC Model 15 cabinets.
They are bare boxes - no grills, no crossovers, no drivers ... fixed rear panel and front load drivers.
I gather they had a pair of Altec 12s woofers that were run full range, and a nice pair of horns -
Crossover design looks pretty simple.

I do have a spare pair of JBL 2214H drivers, tho I think I should set them up as original designs, or close to it,
and use ALTEC parts. I've heard they were good 2 way designs for their size.

Any thoughts on this strategy?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hjames

I have an opportunity with a pair of clean Oak veneer ALTEC Model 15 cabinets.
They are bare boxes - no grills, no crossovers, no drivers ... fixed rear panel and front load drivers.
I gather they had a pair of Altec 12s woofers that were run full range, and a nice pair of horns -
Crossover design looks pretty simple.

I do have a spare pair of JBL 2214H drivers, tho I think I should set them up as original designs, or close to it,
and use ALTEC parts. I've heard they were good 2 way designs for their size.

Any thoughts on this strategy?

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If the price is right, buy them.

I think the Altec 12" in these were actually more of a 13" ( from an Sd perspective ).

Worst case, those cabinets become to be a mule for a future le14a project .

Are you thinking of going after Altec 32b horns ?
- They have ( unfortunately ) become a bit of a fashion accessory, which has driven up the price ( beyond what their "cost-2-benefit" ratio actually supports, IMHO ).

Eminence 290B BiRadials are a very viable ( non-bent ) horn alternative ( when driven by an Altec/GPA 802-8G ).

:)

The price was - agree to give the empty cabinets a good home!
And, they are oak veneer - kind of a nice change of pace!
They are front load cabinets - the back is not removable ...

I may not whoosh through these over Christmas like I did with those L212s I got last year,
but they could be a fun pair. And not the monsters a pair of Model 19s would be.

Thanks for the info on horns!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Earl K

If the price is right, buy them.

I think the Altec 12" in these were actually more of a 13" ( from an Sd perspective ).

Worst case, those cabinets become to be a mule for a future le14a project .

Are you thinking of going after Altec 32b horns ?
- They have ( unfortunately ) become a bit of a fashion accessory, which has driven up the price ( beyond what their "cost-2-benefit" ratio actually supports, IMHO ).

Eminence 290B BiRadials are a very viable ( non-bent ) horn alternative ( when driven by an Altec/GPA 802-8G ).

:)

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Joe rolled by and dropped them off around 5PM last night. Very nice guy, he delivered them!
They look to be in good shape, for the most part - after I took the pic I sprayed a bit of Orange oil on top
to keep the cat away, and put them front-to-front to keep the cat OUT of them.
The visible "scratches" basically went away with the Orange oil - the cabinets are dry!

I'll be looking for a pair of ALTEC 414c woofers - but otherwise I'm still at a thinking and planning stage
- I have not had time to do anything with them so far.




Attachment 79160

I've seen the plastic version of the 32 (90deg) horn go for reasonable amounts (less than the metal one).
If found, it would be fun to restore and see how it goes (vs tearing into it). Either path is certainly valid,
particularly if fun/entertainment is involved :)

Haha. Project, calling Heather. Just FYI, I have a half dozen LE14As with new Rick Cobb foams. Tested on my DATS for matching. I am in love with this JBL model and have 2 DIYS built around them. I have LE14H-3s on the way that will get subbed in.

Nice find...and delivered too! I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Had a pair of these on hand some years ago. Bass performance was quite banal - always thought was due to magnet strength deterioration. Probably best to replace woofers with new ones suitable for that size box.

Got rid of those Model 15s AGES ago - had JBL 2214 woofers in there - sold them, the horns and drivers, and gave away the boxes.

Went full in on a pair of Heathkit AS-101s originally owned by the Heathkit President.
They are basically Altec Valencias - Modded the box with granite tiles on the bottoms, backs and tops for solidity,
modded the drivers, damped the metal horns, built a custom crossover for them based on tips from a local guru,
and added JBL slots in custom boxes on top - they hit hard and go deep and high now!
Very nice on the Jolida 65w/ch tube amp!

Attachment 82348