Vintage Altec Iconic 1964

[VFR800A]

Hey folks,

I'll confess right up front, I don't know a thing about vintage Altec speakers. That's why I'm here. I'm thinking about purchasing a pair of Altec Iconic speakers, which are equipped with 416-A woofer, 806A Alnico mid, and 811 horn. I'm presently a SET (300B) and Fostex fan, and love vintage Klipsch as well. So, does anyone have experience with the above speakers and specifications? Will they mate well with 8-10 watts of SET power? Also, what issues can I expect from a circa 1964 speaker? Anything I need to look out for or should they be good to go (plug and play) given one caring owner? I'm concerned about the state of the magnets.

Basically, are they worth considering?

Thanks,

Jim

[Redhook98]

I to just bought my first older speakers. 1957 or so to be exact. I was very happy with the sound, quality and construction. They make a good product. Have had mine quite loud over the past few days, and no problems at all. Of course, mine are not Iconics, so I am merely commenting on quality and reliablility of the brand and components.

[spkrman57]

The system impedance is 16 ohms(you probably already knew that). I have had no probs with single ended tube amps set for 8 ohms running 16 ohm drivers.

The bass is decent down to around 50 hz, after that drops rapidly, the 806/811 combination is good to around 12 - 14 khz and drops quickly after that.

I have used a 3rd order crossover w/HF compensation for the Altec horns/drivers I have played with before.

The stock crossover is a 2nd order BW with L-pad(or 3 step fixed attenuator).

My complaints with the 416 driver is the reponse goes above the 800hz crossover point which tends to load the midrange rather heavy.

Those are all the "nit-picky" items I have pointed out.

Overall for low to medium levels they sound rather nice with natural instraments(classical/jazz/etc). I don't like them with "electronic" instraments: guitar/synthesizers/etc.

The biggest factor on this purchase will be the price. 416's and 806's can be bought for inexpensive funds if you search around and are patient.

I used to be a big Altec fan. Until I found the JBL way!!!!!!

How much is this system????

Regards, Ron

[VFR800A]

I've learned that spending more doesn't mean better. So, my system sounds awfully good for the moderate price. My SET is a $1,000 DIY unit that does exceptionally well against pricey competition. The speakers are original, in good condition, and I can get for around $500 USD.

Tell me about JBL? I'm in the process of building the Nagaoka rear-loaded horns for the Fostex FE166ES-R drivers. Maybe that will shed some light on my tastes.

Thanks