Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 33

Thread: Altec A7/VOT Bass Enhancer?

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    6

    Altec A7/VOT Bass Enhancer?

    I can not find any reference to this. Maybe it is because I can't remember what exactly it is called. There is a green metal box that goes between the amp and the Voice Of The Theater speakers. I'm told it is internally potted.

    This should be the place to find out what is inside this box. Surely someone here has removed the potting on this thing.

    Thanks, I'm trying to help out a friend with two pair of these.

  2. #2
    Senior Member 1audiohack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Las Vegas Nevada
    Posts
    3,092
    "Black boxes" are fun aren't they? They are actually easy to "see" into with measurment equipment.

    Guessing that if it is a "bass booster" filter it would have two wires in and two out. If it is a network / crossover it would have two in four out.

    Post a picture so we can see what you have.

    Barry.
    If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Lee in Montreal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Montréal
    Posts
    2,487
    Quote Originally Posted by Grainger49 View Post
    I can not find any reference to this. Maybe it is because I can't remember what exactly it is called. There is a green metal box that goes between the amp and the Voice Of The Theater speakers. I'm told it is internally potted.

    This should be the place to find out what is inside this box. Surely someone here has removed the potting on this thing.

    Thanks, I'm trying to help out a friend with two pair of these.
    Could this be simply be the crossover filter like on the rear left corner of this A7 (from Fame Studio, Muscle Shoals)?


  4. #4
    Senior Member Don C's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Santa Rosa CA
    Posts
    1,722
    I think we've discussed these before, but I'm not finding it today. Maybe this catalog page will help.

    Edit: More information Here
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  5. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    6
    Ok, you guys have it. It is the bass energizer. The crossovers have been rebuilt with film caps and Alpha Core/Goetz air core inductors. But the sound is still muddy and sometimes edgy. I'm looking to find out what is inside and don't have a ZY bridge, that is what Barry is posting about. A friend might, I'll ask.

  6. #6
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    NoVA - DC 'burbs
    Posts
    8,547
    Quote Originally Posted by Grainger49 View Post
    I can not find any reference to this. Maybe it is because I can't remember what exactly it is called. There is a green metal box that goes between the amp and the Voice Of The Theater speakers. I'm told it is internally potted.

    This should be the place to find out what is inside this box. Surely someone here has removed the potting on this thing.

    Thanks, I'm trying to help out a friend with two pair of these.
    ALTEC Bass Energizer Module 100A

    AudioMag-Altec-Energizer.pdf
    Name:  BassEnergizer.jpg
Views: 1431
Size:  174.4 KB
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  7. #7
    Senior Member Lee in Montreal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Montréal
    Posts
    2,487
    Ah, ah, ah. "Extreme low bass" must be a euphemism when discussing Altec A7 speakers ;-)

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Orange County, CA
    Posts
    3,597
    These devises don't increase the bass, but actually reduce everything above that. The user then turns up the volume to compensate for this loss and that increases the bass. I'm betting if you open one up, it is nothing more than a choke in parallel with a resistor.

  9. #9
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    NoVA - DC 'burbs
    Posts
    8,547
    The Altec Bass Energizer Modules I bought arrived today. Now, I am in the midst of heavily modifying a pair of Heath AS-101s, basically early Valencias.
    I have started rebuildng the crossovers with a mix of polycarbonate caps and a huge russian surplus teflon cap, but I'm not done yet so they are not yet in place.
    And I presume I will need to recap the Bass Energizer Modules - I can't find a time stamp on them but I did find a review of them in a 1965 Audio magazine.
    Anyway, they are a low pass network with 6-10dB insertion loss - the mids and highs get pushed down so the bass is "enhanced".
    So I put them in place - fed with my Jolida 502CRC tube amp (65w/ch est 85w/peaks). I did have to turn it up a little, but I played a couple songs.
    (Cousin Dupress, Thanks to You [Boz, from Dig], and Treetop Flyer [from Stills Alone])
    I already had improved the dynamics from all the other mods I've been doing - physical mods to the woofers, enhanced fill methods and sub-dividing the cabinet
    so the woofer has its own area to play in, venting the cap on the compression driver- QPads to dampen the 811 horn ... Now, with the Bass Energizers, I can hear
    there is a little dullness, (as I expected - I really need to finish the crossover rebuild and recap the energizers), but - dang, these Altecs Hit Hard now!

    Name:  IMG_6604.jpg
Views: 1069
Size:  182.4 KBName:  Crossovers_6601.jpg
Views: 1236
Size:  91.1 KB
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Orange County, CA
    Posts
    3,597
    A 6 - 10 dB insertion loss equates to a 4 to 10 times the power requirement to produce the same volume. Because the low end, that really requires most of the amplifier's power, sees little loss, the overall power requirement for the same dB is substantially reduced from these values.

  11. #11
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    NoVA - DC 'burbs
    Posts
    8,547
    AudioMag-Altec-Energizer.pdf

    Except from 1965 Audio magazine reviewing the 100A Bass Energizer Module
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  12. #12
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    NoVA - DC 'burbs
    Posts
    8,547
    Quote Originally Posted by toddalin View Post
    A 6 - 10 dB insertion loss equates to a 4 to 10 times the power requirement to produce the same volume. Because the low end, that really requires most of the amplifier's power, sees little loss, the overall power requirement for the same dB is substantially reduced from these values.
    The point is, these Energizer modules actually do work.
    Bass levels are increased with a minimal change to the volume level.

    Name:  IMG_6606.jpg
Views: 1121
Size:  72.5 KB
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  13. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Orange County, CA
    Posts
    3,597
    Another way to accomplish the goal without using all that power or putting resistance/inductance in the path that can have other detrimental effects on the sound is to use the bass adjustment found on most preamps/integrateds/receivers.

  14. #14
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    San Francisco
    Posts
    9,720
    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    AudioMag-Altec-Energizer.pdf

    Except from 1965 Audio magazine reviewing the 100A Bass Energizer Module
    Thanks for the link. I love the notion of large vs. “so called bookshelf” speakers and wifely influences.


    Widget

  15. #15
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    NoVA - DC 'burbs
    Posts
    8,547
    Quote Originally Posted by toddalin View Post
    Another way to accomplish the goal without using all that power or putting resistance/inductance in the path that can have other detrimental effects on the sound is to use the bass adjustment found on most preamps/integrateds/receivers.
    Really?? Are you really going to go THERE?? Crank the bass way up on your amp to get the same results?
    Unbelievable!
    A more Apt comparison would be to TURN DOWN the Mid and Highs -
    Or roll off the sound above 150Hz on a 31 band EQ, leaving the Bass there
    or even get something like the BX-63A for the woofer ...

    Biggest issue I have with these right now is chasing down a suitable polycarbonate Cap (that will fit in the case)
    to replace the ancient electrolytics currently in there.
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Altec 8254 (A10) bass cabs vs. DTS152A bass cabs
    By r.kettenis in forum Lansing Product General Information
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 07-01-2014, 02:08 AM
  2. Are these bass cabs an Altec design?
    By douglas234 in forum Lansing Product DIY Forum
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 07-28-2011, 09:31 PM
  3. Altec Madrids as bass bins?
    By hatrack71 in forum Lansing Product Technical Help
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 03-12-2010, 11:57 PM
  4. altec 816 A bass horns
    By rockin'rushmore in forum Lansing Product General Information
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 09-14-2005, 10:14 AM
  5. Altec Bass Energizer
    By dancing-dave in forum Lansing Product General Information
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-10-2003, 05:33 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •