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Thread: one Altec Lansing Model 15 sounds muddier than other

  1. #31
    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Interesting! It seems like perhaps we are onto something by tearing into the drivers. (And yes, by "drivers" I meant the whole horn dealio and what parts were in each). But like Mr. Widget said, both phase plugs look similar. Not sure what gives but this is certainly progress.

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
    Interesting! It seems like perhaps we are onto something by tearing into the drivers. (And yes, by "drivers" I meant the whole horn dealio and what parts were in each). But like Mr. Widget said, both phase plugs look similar. Not sure what gives but this is certainly progress.
    Yes but from what Widget is saying, I'm thinking the black phase plug won't make any difference since this also seems to be a Tangerine model. I was hoping it was aftermarket and maybe not as good of build quality.

  3. #33
    Senior Member DerekTheGreat's Avatar
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    Indeed, but maybe there is a difference? Perhaps someone got some trash in there or the black one isn't made from the same materials and thus accounts for the differences in sound? Just throwing ideas out there..

  4. #34
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    I'm going to send both drivers to Bill once I receive the used Tangerine plug. Now that he'll have both, maybe he'll be able to hear the difference between the two. In the meantime I bought two used 802-8G drivers. Once they arrive I'll be able to compare those with my good driver that has the Tangerine plug.

  5. #35
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    As for "muddier" sound, is it from lack of high frequency extension or just lower in level when compared to the other driver?

  6. #36
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    The best way I can describe it is, lower in level when compared to the other driver. I can hear highs in the right, but pales compared to left

    Both drivers had 23744 diaphragms, but only the left-driver has an orange Tangerine phase plug. The right has a black plug, which may still be a Tangerine? The right-side is also the side I have less high-end frequency response.

    The muddier sound follows the horn when I switch from cabinet to cabinet. To me that says the right-side cabinet's crossover is good, and something is wrong with the right-side horn assembly, possibly the driver.

    Remember for years I had two amps feeding the same pair of Model 15's. When one amp was on, I could see the VU meters moving in the amp that was off. Wondering if any backfeeding destroyed the right-driver?

  7. #37
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    Since the diaphragm has been replaced maybe the shims are no longer needed. With those in place it could raise the voice coil in the gap just enough to lower the output.

    Changing diaphragms should include cleaning the voice coil gap in the driver, using some sticky tape to grab dirt ect. running something like a business card around the gap to get anything loose, using more tape to pick up anything, some clean compressed air to blow anything loose and then repeat all the above.

    Then when putting the new diaphragm in before snugging it down run some test tones to it loud enough to easily hear and a starting around 400hz and move the diaphragm as much as you can with the screws in place to find the spot where you hear the cleanest pure tone with no over tones and snug it down in that spot.
    Those diaphragms have centering guide pins it may not have much if any play to move and may be good to go as is.

    It is not unheard of to slightly enlarge the centering pin holes in the diaphragm to allow for more play to fine tune the centering.

  8. #38
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    @Mike Caldwell: At this point I'm going to send both drivers to Bill, once I receive the used Tangerine plug. I've already fried three diaphragms, including the two rare 23744's. I did try to clean the voice coil gag when I installed the GPA 34647. Like you mentioned; there isn't much if any play due to the centering pins. Maybe Bill can run some frequency tests when he has both drivers and compare the two. He said the right-side was fine but didn't have both drivers at that time.

    Between the right-driver not having the orange radial plug and having two diaphragm spacers, maybe is enough to have the muddier sound compared to the left-side.

    What's weird is if the left-cabinet didn't sound so good, I probably would have never known the right is muddier.

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