Fell off the Wagon....Altec Bolero 890B acquisition

[je2a3]

One of my friend just purchased a pair pf 890C and he love the speaker. Only issue he has with the speakers is he found the bass is on the light side. Does any expert have a suggestion to improve the bass respond on the 890C?

I also have the 406-8Y 10" woofer from the 890C Bolero/Madera. It has a 3" voice coil vs. 2" on the 406Z. The alnico magnet in both 406s look similar to the one in a 414. To my ears, the 406Z goes about half an octave higher while the 406-8Y rolls off a little earlier on top and goes lower by about half an octave. Both have that 414 midrange magic.

So far I've only been able to listen to them in a repurposed Heath AS10 cabinet which is barely 2 cf. I'm happy with the quality of bass from both drivers. I knew someone in Manila who stuck his 406-8Y in a 614 cabinet, I didn't hear them but it was reputed to be better than in its original Bolero configuration.

I wish "Bowtie427" was on this board because of his intimate knowledge of all things Altec. Maybe we can make a suggestion.

+1, I'm an avid reader of his posts.

 

[Audionut]

I also have the 406-8Y 10" woofer from the 890C Bolero/Madera. It has a 3" voice coil vs. 2" on the 406Z. The alnico magnet in both 406s look similar to the one in a 414. To my ears, the 406Z goes about half an octave higher while the 406-8Y rolls off a little earlier on top and goes lower by about half an octave. Both have that 414 midrange magic.

So far I've only been able to listen to them in a repurposed Heath AS10 cabinet which is barely 2 cf. I'm happy with the quality of bass from both drivers. I knew someone in Manila who stuck his 406-8Y in a 614 cabinet, I didn't hear them but it was reputed to be better than in its original Bolero configuration.



+1, I'm an avid reader of his posts.

Ohh, there’s a set of 890C’s locally for 6 benji’s. Might be worth a second look.

 

[je2a3]

Ohh, there’s a set of 890C’s locally for 6 benji’s. Might be worth a second look.

Maybe for a pair of 890As or Bs with intact 3000 tweeters? But IMO not worth that much for the later 890C with cheaper tweeter.

 

[marantzfan]

Maybe for a pair of 890As or Bs with intact 3000 tweeters? But IMO not worth that much for the later 890C with cheaper tweeter.

I’d agree with this. I typically see 890C sell in the $350-450 range. $600 is a bit of a stretch.

 

[mhardy6647]

The "C" had a pretty generic horn tweeter, didn't it?

(from www.lansingheritage.org)

 

[Viceroy1492]

For those looking to replace the tweeter diaphragm on the Boleros. He has a Facebook page.


MicroMike Laboratories ™
1537 West Cris Place
Anaheim, California 92802
Telephone: (714) 774-0342
Attention: Mr. Bill Hayes

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

For those looking to replace the tweeter diaphragm on the Boleros. He has a Facebook page.


MicroMike Laboratories ™
1537 West Cris Place
Anaheim, California 92802
Telephone: (714) 774-0342
Attention: Mr. Bill Hayes

Welcome to The Haven, @Viceroy1492

Glad you found us. Please stop by the Introductions and Member Systems room and tell us a little about your systems and yourself.

Thank you for posting the information on replacing the HF diaphragms on the Boleros.

Is this service for the A and B series, the C series or all of them?

 

[je2a3]

For those looking to replace the tweeter diaphragm on the Boleros. He has a Facebook page.
MicroMike Laboratories ™
1537 West Cris Place
Anaheim, California 92802
Telephone: (714) 774-0342
Attention: Mr. Bill Hayes

I believe this is no longer current. A few years ago there was a thread at the Altec Users Group that Bill had a stroke. Then there's this fairly recent FB post by his son.

 

[StevenZ]

From what I've heard, those 3000 tweeters have unobtainable, irreplaceable "microphone ribbon diaphragms".

Be careful in there.

Stephen Sank of Talking Dog Transducer services ribbon microphones. Perhaps he'd be a good source to use if these need servicing?

 

[guiller]

The "C" had a pretty generic horn tweeter, didn't it?

(from www.lansingheritage.org)

It looks to me that the shipping weight quotations in pounds and Kgs have been interchanged!

 

[Bernie]

Based on the number of fried 3000 tweeters floating around including those in the Altec 601 co-ax, I wouldn't trust any of the N3000X crossover circuits. Altec tried to run the tweeters down to 3kHz which IMO is too low for such a small and delicate device. I think these tweeters are best used as fill-ins above 5kHz. I've only used 1uf PIO caps on my 3000H pair and after over 15 years, no problems.

If I had an 890B Bolero, I'll ditch the stock XO. I'll run the 406Z full-range, use a 1uf PIO cap + L-pad to the 3000 tweets.

I have a pair of Bolero 890c's that I'm using with an Eico HF81 (pp EL84). I really like them, but the horn tweeters are an obvious weakness. Do you think the 3000 tweeters could work with the 408-8Y's this way (1uf cap + L-pad on the 3000's)? Or would there be a gap between the 406-8Y's and the 3000's? Is 14 watts too much for the 3000's?

 

[je2a3]

I have a pair of Bolero 890c's that I'm using with an Eico HF81 (pp EL84). I really like them, but the horn tweeters are an obvious weakness. Do you think the 3000 tweeters could work with the 408-8Y's this way (1uf cap + L-pad on the 3000's)? Or would there be a gap between the 406-8Y's and the 3000's? Is 14 watts too much for the 3000's?

If you have access to a pair of working 3000 tweeters I'd highly recommend running the 406-8Y full range and supplement the highs via your proposal above- 1uf PIO cap + L-pad > 3000. The smaller the cap value (uf), the greater the protection there is for the tweeter. If you find yourself needing a bit more bite in the top end, try a 2 uf.

 

[Bernie]

If you have access to a pair of working 3000 tweeters I'd highly recommend running the 406-8Y full range and supplement the highs via your proposal above- 1uf PIO cap + L-pad > 3000. The smaller the cap value (uf), the greater the protection there is for the tweeter. If you find yourself needing a bit more bite in the top end, try a 2 uf.

Thanks! The hunt is on then...

 

[je2a3]

Thanks! The hunt is on then...

Just a few ideas since a pair of working Altec 3000s can be difficult to find and expensive.


In my main mono rig, I recycled a Heath AS10 cabinet loaded with an Altec 406-8Y. Top end is augmented by an Altec 32A/802/34647 via 1uf PIO cap/L-pad. Similar airy highs to the 3000. Probably just as expensive or more than an Altec 3000 though....

Many years ago I recommended the Fostex FT17H aka Radio Shack 40-1310 as an affordable tweeter for the 755C and E. But even those are over $100/pair nowadays.


Right now I'm listening to Altec 755Cs in ex-J-Rob 618 cabs + Sansui tweeters I got for $50/shipped. Not bad at all.

If memory serves me right @mhardy6647 has posted about affordable tweeters, worth searching in this forum.

Good luck and happy listening!

 

[Bernie]

Just a few ideas since a pair of working Altec 3000s can be difficult to find and expensive.

View attachment 8994
In my main mono rig, I recycled a Heath AS10 cabinet loaded with an Altec 406-8Y. Top end is augmented by an Altec 32A/802/34647 via 1uf PIO cap/L-pad. Similar airy highs to the 3000. Probably just as expensive or more than an Altec 3000 though....

Many years ago I recommended the Fostex FT17H aka Radio Shack 40-1310 as an affordable tweeter for the 755C and E. But even those are over $100/pair nowadays.

View attachment 8996
Right now I'm listening to Altec 755Cs in ex-J-Rob 618 cabs + Sansui tweeters I got for $50/shipped. Not bad at all.

If memory serves me right @mhardy6647 has posted about affordable tweeters, worth searching in this forum.

Good luck and happy listening!

Thanks again! This gives me plenty to work on. I'm thinking first I might try putting the cap/l-pad on the 890c tweeters and let the 406-8Y run wide open so i know what it sounds like and feel comfortable that I'm not going to blow up 3000's or what ever I manage to track down.

I actually have a pair of 32C's that I was hoping to track down some 802's and 414's for eventually. Iknow there are other threads on that subject, but I've been wondering, has anyone mounted 32/802/414 all together inside a Petit Onken?

 

[je2a3]

Thanks again! This gives me plenty to work on. I'm thinking first I might try putting the cap/l-pad on the 890c tweeters and let the 406-8Y run wide open so i know what it sounds like and feel comfortable that I'm not going to blow up 3000's or what ever I manage to track down.

Excellent idea!

I actually have a pair of 32C's that I was hoping to track down some 802's and 414's for eventually. Iknow there are other threads on that subject, but I've been wondering, has anyone mounted 32/802/414 all together inside a Petit Onken?

If you are not craving for very deep bass a 406/32/802 combo might be enough.

 

[RBitterlick]

I had the opportunity to own both the 890B and the 890C, and though I was expecting to stick with the B, I was surprised to find the C sounded better in highs, bass, and glorious midrange. Both sets were newly-recapped, so I was comparing apples to apples. (Recapping these, incidentally, works wonders.) The pair of B went away on the popular auction site. In my opinion the fake plastic grilles on the C look kind of cheesy/dated 1970s, and I was able to pick up a nice pair of the 890B grilles that I slapped onto my C pair.

My only gripe is that the built-in bookcases in our new house are not wide enough to place the Boleros on their sides as designed, and thus the magic isn't quite there due to the weird horn dispersement with them standing up.

 

[JohnVF]

You mentioning them needing to be on their side to sound best got me hunting around for a photo of my 890Cs. It seems the photobucket had one after all these years. You can just see them... they played high up in an upstairs loft that served as my bedroom for several years, with the Sansui gear in the forground. And yes, they sounded better laying on their sides with the horns horizontal.

I liked the very-70s grilles!

 

[zim bida]

Hi All,

I'm rather new to the board - but that won't stop me from chiming in!

I've got a pair of 890C's (well actually three, they are now serving as front R, L, center for home theater).

I can't compare these to the B's, as I've never had them, but after I got them I did a lot of reading up on them all over the place

the C's have Heppner horns, but I find them pleasing, very pleasing and never found them particularly short of bass (though I am not a basshead) -When I had them in a stereo setup, fed by a Scott LK-72, I found horizontal to be much preferred with horns on top, and unlike a pair of Klipsch Heresy II's I had had in that position didn't feel the need to augment the low end by running the center channel to a small subwoofer.

In my reading up on these and related, I do recall Bowtiess suggesting that there is fostex tweeter that was put out by Radio shack that might be an improvement in performance on the 3000 (at least as they were used in the seville) and is considerably more hardy, I'll see if I can dig out that part number, so that might be something to consider

here are my B's in stereo usage

 

[mhardy6647]

Hi All,

I'm rather new to the board - but that won't stop me from chiming in!

I've got a pair of 890C's (well actually three, they are now serving as front R, L, center for home theater).

I can't compare these to the B's, as I've never had them, but after I got them I did a lot of reading up on them all over the place

the C's have Heppner horns, but I find them pleasing, very pleasing and never found them particularly short of bass (though I am not a basshead) -When I had them in a stereo setup, fed by a Scott LK-72, I found horizontal to be much preferred with horns on top, and unlike a pair of Klipsch Heresy II's I had had in that position didn't feel the need to augment the low end by running the center channel to a small subwoofer.

In my reading up on these and related, I do recall Bowtiess suggesting that there is fostex tweeter that was put out by Radio shack that might be an improvement in performance on the 3000 (at least as they were used in the seville) and is considerably more hardy, I'll see if I can dig out that part number, so that might be something to consider

here are my B's in stereo usageView attachment 11282

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