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Thread: New Poll At My Altec User's Board, And I'd Like YOUR Opinions!

  1. #16
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Todd,

    I think one of the problems is that a typical American consumer doesn't understand quality. We live in a culture where people know brand names but can't decipher real quality. The advertising industry promotes image and name recognition and there is no one that teaches us how to really look for quality. If you want a good shirt they teach us to buy one with the label proudly displayed on the outside. Very few people take the time to study the stitching and quality of fabric or even know what to look for.

    I agree that quality is all that we have to offer because ultimately there is no way we can compete on price. We replace highly paid workers with robots, but so do they. Ultimately if we want to maintain a high standard of living we can only compete with quality. The premium Japanese car companies have successfully done this. First by selling superior quality at a loss and slowly building a brand and now they have turned the 50's -60's "Made in Japan" to mean quite the opposite.

    As far as producing quality speakers here in the USA, JBL still exports to Japan. TAD's new home speakers are designed here, with drivers being made in Japan, the cabinets being built by robots and humans in China, and finally assembled wired and adjusted here. Any sold in Japan will then be exported to Japan.

    It can be done! We just need to teach the American public to look past name brands and search for quality. Or we can all go to work for Walmart and buy pretty mediocre merchandise that we see advertised on our big screens.

    Widget

  2. #17
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Back to Altec

    Then there is the issue of should the dinosaurs of audio be brought back.

    Personally I wish A-7s, 604s, and Model 19s were all still available. (Have you heard any more about the A-7 reissue?) I wouldn't buy any as I already have too many speakers and tend to lean toward JBL anyway. I also don't know a single person who would buy them. My friends either lean to the exotic audiophile stuff or are content with small contemporary stereos that couldn't compete with any college dorm system of the 70's.

    I am sure a few could be sold, but it would need to be a very small operation to survive. If you are leaning in this direction I wish you all the luck and will gladly support the effort.

  3. #18
    RIP 2010 scott fitlin's Avatar
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    Altec Pro A7 reissue

    No longer listed on their website!

  4. #19
    Todd W. White
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    Yeah, it's still there - you can find it on the ALT page -

    http://www.alteclansing.com/legacy/index.asp

    I don't think they've sold one pair.

    Bill made them enough horns, drivers, and woofers for 6 sets, I think, but they - neither ALT or ALPro - are ordering ANYTHING from him at all!

  5. #20
    RIP 2010 scott fitlin's Avatar
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    ok.

    It is on alteclansing.com. But I could swear it was also on Altecpro.com! And its definitely not on Altecpro.com.

    For $8700/pr how many could they sell without a showroom for people to hear them? No one I know would spend this much money sight unseen or heard!

    makes me wonder WHAT their marketing strategy is! Or IF they even have a marketing strategy!

    Todd, what exactly is Altec lansings idea behind this whole re issue thing? is it for real?

  6. #21
    Todd W. White
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    Wink

    Personally, I believe they are doing it in order to satisfy the United States Patent & Trademark office (USPTO).

    In order to legitimize their claim to the old (REAL) Altec Lansing trademarks they bougth from Telex, they have to USE them.

    So, by having a "Voice of the Theatre" system for sale, they are USING the TM, even if they don't sell any...

    It's all a show, as far as I am concerned...

  7. #22
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    "So, by having a "Voice of the Theatre" system for sale, they are USING the TM, even if they don't sell any...

    It's all a show, as far as I am concerned..."

    Wouldn't it be cheaper to stick a VOT sticker on one of their crappy little speakers? I am sure that would protect their TM.

  8. #23
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    "For $8700/pr how many could they sell without a showroom for people to hear them? No one I know would spend this much money sight unseen or heard!"

    Why on earth would you price them so high. All they have to do is see what the vintage market is doing. Seem's way crazy when you can get the original for so much less. Does the remanufactured driver costs warant those prices. Say $1500 a driver and driver/horn combo so 3K which may not be that outlandish with the limited production run. $5700 for the plywood???

    Rob

  9. #24
    Tom Loizeaux
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    Back to "the speakers Altec should make":
    I still feel the 604 should be seriously considered. I also agree that the Altec Big Red and Altec/Urei monitors helped keep Altec's name in the pro audio world for a number of years after the rest of Altec fell by the wayside. The 604, by itself, would not put Altec back in the studio monitor world - but building a top quality studio monitor might.

    As I thought about this I came to a few realizations. First, 2-way full range monitor designs are very difficult to pull off. It seems to me that a 3-way design that would use a 15" woofer, similar to the JBL 2235H, would be a good foundation. The Altec co-ax design is good, but maybe a 12" version would provide a better mid and upper end in a extended range 3-way system. If the woofer could cover 30 to 300 hz (probably bi-amped), then the 12" could cover between 300 and 3K, making the compression driver on the small co-ax horn only have to cover 3K to 20K. If the woofer could be put in it's own cabinet and the 12" co-ax and passive crossover in another, then these could be arranged to fit into the most common studio cutouts or soffit mounting arrangements. These cabinets could also be stacked, with the 12s on top, when a taller tower floor-standing confiruration is desired.
    As long as these products are well designed and constructed, and deliver pro performance, Altec has a chance to get back into the pro audio world.
    Just a few thoughts on this subject.

    Tom

  10. #25
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Hello Tom

    Is the large format monitor dead?? I just think its rather odd JBL doesn't offer one. Don posted Drew Daniels is discouraging people from building his system on the site and pointing them towards the new 12" 3 way monitor which by the way has a matching sub. The word is it simply outperforms the older designs. I have seen a rash of monitors comming right out of studios. So would they have a market for a 15" based monitor or are we it???

    Rob
    Last edited by Robh3606; 08-03-2003 at 08:52 PM.

  11. #26
    Senior Seņor boputnam's Avatar
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    "Is the large format monitor dead?? I just think its rather odd JBL doesn't offer one. "
    No, but it depends upon your ZipCODE. The large format monitors, at least the 4344 along with some others, is available in Japan.

    Seems JBL thinks we have gotten beyond our size issue...
    bo

    "Indeed, not!!"

  12. #27
    Administrator Robh3606's Avatar
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    Hey Bo

    "The large format monitors, at least the 4344 along with some others, is available in Japan. "

    Yes but for consumption of the masses not as a Pro Monitor. So who would be buying them the Studios or people like us who are smitten with the stuff?? What do they use in Japan by the way?? Are they using them there to master new material?? Now theres a thought!


    "Seems JBL thinks we have gotten beyond our size issue... "

    What size issue

    Rob

  13. #28
    Webmaster Don McRitchie's Avatar
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    Is the large format monitor dead??
    Yes. The large format monitor as a viable market segment for JBL is pretty much dead. Even in the heyday of the 43xx, studio installations made up less than half of the sales of these systems. More 4343's went into Japanese homes than ever went into studios.

    The large format monitors gave JBL their first major inroad into the pro market. JBL leveraged this by making the monitor line their initial installed sound product line as well. 4350's found their way into discos, theatres and many other pro sound applications. When JBL developed dedicated speakers for these markets, it obviously ate into the demand for monitors. Coincident with this was the shift to near field monitors as the primary studio tool.

    Currently, main monitors are only used in large commercial studios. The number of such studios worldwide is around 2000. This is a very small number for a mass produced product. On top of this, the current trend is towards custom designed monitors. Enclosures are custom built and systems are designed around the architectural requirements of individual studios.

    That being said, JBL has not totally abandonned the market. Mark Terry, the President of Harmam Pro and JBL Pro told us that his goal is to have a flagship JBL product that represents the state of the art in every market in addtion to their more mass market offerings. In the studio field, Peter Chaiken, the Director of Broadcast and Studio for JBLpro has worked with George Augspurger in testing new JBL drivers in custom studio installations. If anything comes of this, it will likely be studio specific drivers as opposed to complete speaker systems.
    Regards

    Don McRitchie

  14. #29
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Don got his post in there while I was typing so I am echoing most of his post.

    "I have seen a rash of monitors coming right out of studios. So would they have a market for a 15" based monitor or are we it???"

    Well Rob, I think you nailed it. We are it.

    I think it is pretty obvious that JBL would still be selling large format studio monitors if the studios wanted them. As Bo pointed out they still make some for the export market. If there was any real demand, they would still be selling them to studios here as well.

    I was reading an article in Mix magazine a while back and they were interviewing some studio designers. In the section where they discussed the monitors they referred to "those large soffit mounted speakers that everyone hates". Apparently they prefer the small near field monitors produced by everyone including JBL.

    TAD, Meyer Sound, and Westlake are all still making large format horn based monitors, but in current studio shots I see a lot more dome based systems from Dynaudio and others. The big horns with their inherent colorations don't seem to be in big demand. That is part of the reason we have so many to choose from on eBay.

    Last edited by Mr. Widget; 08-03-2003 at 10:03 PM.

  15. #30
    RIP 2010 scott fitlin's Avatar
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    I know this is true!

    Originally posted by Todd W. White
    Personally, I believe they are doing it in order to satisfy the United States Patent & Trademark office (USPTO).

    In order to legitimize their claim to the old (REAL) Altec Lansing trademarks they bougth from Telex, they have to USE them.

    So, by having a "Voice of the Theatre" system for sale, they are USING the TM, even if they don't sell any...

    It's all a show, as far as I am concerned...
    IT IS a charade! I called them again, trying to find out availability and such! Whoever Im talking to at Altec Lansing has NO IDEA of this speaker!

    And Ill call again, too.

    But, all these various Altec incarnations leave me feeling somewhat skeptical! Add to which the other things Ive already mentioned to you, Todd, and I wish you guys luck. And IF your goods are proper I WILL be looking into purchasing.

    You guys have your work cut out for you!

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