altec granada v. other vintage horn systems

I've an opportunity to pick up a pair of Altec Granada from an original owner who says he purchased them in 1973. I have not seen or heard them in person but have pictures and they do appear to be in excellent cosmetic condition. The surrounds on the woofers do also appear to be fine and they are supposed to be in full operating condition. I've attached a picture of one of them with the front grill off.

I am very interested in them but it would require a 400 mile one way drive to pick them up. Before I move forward, I would certainly appreciate any thoughts or suggestions from members who may have some knowledge or experience with this model.

From my research on this site, I found they were introduced in 1971 but were only in production for a couple of years. They appear to be a scaled down version of the Barcelona with a smaller cabinet, 15" woofer with slightly smaller Voice coil and magnet and an 807 instead of 808 compression driver. They also cross over at 800Hz instead of 500 Hz. One member on this site was not impressed by the 807. Please refer to the 1971 catalog pages 5 and 17.

They came in two versions, a powered bi-amped version, the 2875 and a passive version, the 875. This pair came as a biamped version but was converted by the dealer at the buyers request to the passive version using the 801 crossover.

I have owned several vintage horn systems including JBL Olympus, Sovereign, Klipsch KHorns, Belle Klipsch and Cornwall. I have never owned a vintage Altec system so would certainly appreciate any thoughts and experiences that any of you might have to offer in relation to JBL or Klipsch. Also, the Granada compared to other vintage Altec systems. Does anyone have a feel for the value of these? The asking price of $250 certainly seems reasonable.

Thanks for your help.

Kevin

Hi

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I have never owned a vintage Altec system so would certainly appreciate any thoughts and experiences that any of you might have to offer in relation to JBL or Klipsch. Also, the Granada compared to other vintage Altec systems. Does anyone have a feel for the value of these? The asking price of $250 certainly seems reasonable.

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- I'd buy them just for the cabinets at $250.00 .

- If I did buy them , I'd eventually swap out the 807-8a for a pair of 902-8a , 802-8G, or even a 802-8D drivers ( in that order of preference ).
At the very least I would turn the 807 into a 806-8a by installing new aluminum diaphragms purchased from Bill H at Great Plains Audio ( part # 34647 ).

- Then I'd look to see if I could find a pair of decent Altec 411-8a speakers to replace those 413-8a " type " woofers . ( Certainly I would give them an honest try-out first ). I'd consider installing a pair of 416-8C(s) as a last resort. This would require porting the box - though the box might be too small.

- I'd also install a high Frequency "lift" EQ to bring out the top end sparkle from any of the mentioned ( including original ) drivers . ( This added circuit may already be present . )

- It's worth noting , that by 1975 Altec was installing bonafide 806-8a drivers in these for the top-end, along with a real 413-8a dynamic force woofer. They had effectively tossed out the so called "type" speakers or as I call them - the cheapened wannabes. Also by 1975 Altec was installing the original 802-8a and the 411-8a in the larger Barcelona. I interpret these mid 70s' developments as Altecs' version of a "Mea Culpa" .
Look here for those references to the newer/better parts.


<> :cheers:

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One member on this site was not impressed by the 807.

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Oh , I also don't like the 808 or 908 in addtion to the mentioned 807. The Symbiotik diaphragm found in all these drivers is " dull & unresponsive" to my ears .

Hi Earl,

Thanks for the great info. I meant to mention that I previously noted the discrepancy that the 806-8A showed up in the driver reference for 1975. Your explanation certainly makes sense.

If I didn't leave them stock, it sounds like a worthwhile project per your recommendations.