what the hell are these!!

[mbask]

Hi all...I just dug out of my heep a pair of Altec Lansing "Acoustic Suspension speaker system 83s" that I had more or less forgotten about
because they don't sound that good. HF xover point is almost off the map
mid range is doing all the work and it really doesn't sound that good.
it is a three/way system, they look to be from the early to mid 1990s
can't find any info on these. can anyone help me out with some history?...
they appear to be kinda cheaply built .. but maybe there's potential.

[QwertyAccess]

whip out a picture!,

[spkrman57]

http://www.lansingheritage.org/sitemap.htm

[mbask]

Thanks for the link..but I already checked it out, notha.
As requested ..here's pix

Error: I originally posted these as model 84s their really 83s ....sorry about that ..how can i expect help if i'm confusing

[edgewound]

Thanks for the link..but I already checked it out, notha.
As requested ..here's pix

Error: I originally posted these as model 84s their really 83s ....sorry about that ..how can i expect help if i'm confusing

So sorry....but those have nothing to do with the "Lansing Heritage" era of Altec. The Milford, PA Altec-Lansing bought the rights to use the name to promote cheap crap consumer and computer speakers. They have recently bought all rights to claim the old stuff too, as their legacy, which as anyone with knowledge of the history is BS.

Don't mean to sound mean....it's just the truth. Great Plains Audio has the legacy to vintage Altec-Lansing parts and tooling.

[mbask]

"so sorry"??:dont-know ....I'm not, you answered my question...or more confirmed my suspicions about these $2 fakes but hey! they look $2 worth of cool don't they? ...by the way did you even read my first post at the beginning of this thread?

[edgewound]

"so sorry"??:dont-know ....I'm not, you answered my question...or more confirmed my suspicions about these $2 fakes but hey! they look $2 worth of cool don't they? ...by the way did you even read my first post at the beginning of this thread?

Yep...I read your post. You didn't say you were hoping to get rich, and I didn't assume you were, either. You asked for some history, and I gave it to you. You posted that you don't like the sound of them. They came from a different company with the same name....not the same heritage...there isn't one iota of Jim Lansing heritage in those speakers.

[mbask]

OK....thanks again for the helpful info
by the way.. has "JBL" ever suffered a similar situation...you know, the name used to sell cheap crap?
the reason i ask this is, I've passed on some JBL speakers made after mid 80s and i still will (save for "Pro" stuff) because it just doesn't look the same quality..

[edgewound]

OK....thanks again for the helpful info
by the way.. has "JBL" ever suffer a similar situation...you know, the name used to sell cheap crap?
the reason i ask this is, I've passed on some JBL speakers made after mid 80s and i still will (save for "Pro" stuff) because it just doesn't look the same quality..

Well...it's no secret around here...there's a good deal of JBL Consumer systems...come to think of it...Pro division, too ...that fall into the "less than desireable" category. The difference between JBL and the Altec-Lansing speakers' (that you show) heritage is...while JBL has gone through different ownership throughout the decades in business, it's pretty much remained the same entity, with many of the same people designing, marketing and building the product. JBL's parent, Harman International Industries, has become a pretty complex conglomerate with a central manufacturing operation with Harman actually being the manufacturer. The JBL brand is more of a design and marketing business now.

The realities of the international business climate...re: economics... have been of great discussion on this forum, and one we have lamented as necessary for our beloved JBL to survive as an American company. I've been a JBL Authorized servicer since 1988 and the changes to the organization have been sobering.

Sometimes it's disheartening to see the JBL brand name on stuff in Best Buy and even think it's the same company that you remember lusting after as a kid, but I guess they're doing what they need to do to be successful with today's consumer at many different price points...seems to be modeling after General Motors with different product divisions representing different demographic market segments and price points, but it becomes confusing due to the same brand badge, and it makes you wonder where the speaker series is in the line-up. I think they could do better in the marketing department, and there's alot of members here who agree with that sentiment. JBL has stumbled along the way, but who hasn't? I'd still buy JBL before Bose....and Bose has phenomenal marketing. JBL has better built products that sound better....and that's what we're paying for anyway.

[mbask]

Hmm...vedy inteddesting
I agree with your comparison to "Bose"

[4313B]

Nice post edgewound!

[Mr. Widget]

...seems to be modeling after General Motors...

Oh no, please don't say that.


Widget

[Maron Horonzakz]

JBL aint no steeeking GM