I just can’t quit... Altecing!

ICTWoody

No longer a junior member
Is that a thing? Altecing? It is now.

So I’m slow at work. Sitting at my computer, jacking around on Facebook... like you do. I’m scrolling on this local vinyl collectors group I’m on and sometimes people post stuff they want to sale... you know... gear. Well I see these neat looking cabinets, reading the post and I see the price, $200... they look pretty decent. Keep reading... built by his grandfather... knight drivers, 3-way. Then I see it, “the woofers were swapped out for Altec 414’s.” I read it twice, looked at the post time, 1hr earlier. Comment “I’ll take them for $200, message sent.” Chatted with the seller via messenger. He was about 30min away from me. Left work early, hit an ATM and now I have these babies. Pics below.

I haven’t pulled the backs off, but he had pics with them off. Altec 414-16C’s with the cast basket. Score.

I love the cabs. They are a little crude kinda, but not bad. I love the patina and they just have some soul. They are only a bit under ~ 5 cu ft. The front baffles use a sub baffle that screws on from inside kinda like Iconics. I have so many ideas. Wanna vote?

Option 1) Keep the 414-16C’s. New motor boards and mount my Emilar EH 800 bowties with Altec 802-8G’s and build a network.

Option 2) New motor boards. Load them with a pair of my Altec 604-8G’s and either build Markwart networks for them.

Option 3) New motor boards. Load them with a pair of my Altec 604-8G’s and use the MiniDSP icepower amps I got from @Pat McGinty and make them active. Wonder if this option could let me tune up the bottom end a bit to compensate for the slightly small box? They are bigger than 612’s... but not near the optimal 9cu ft.

Oh... and before I go. I got there and he also informed me he was also selling a of 846A Valencias. Price was fair. Bought em. Pick them up Sunday.

- Woody

Here’s pics. Dusty the buffalo approves.

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I’m listening to these right now... and I did the 802/32 thing... the 32 is a little too laid back for me. I liked the EH800’s and my little Jabo’s I had better. I’ve never mounted the 32’s properly on baffles though... but I haven’t mounted the bowties properly either.

- Woody

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thinking option 1 makes the most sense; cabs way too small for 604s. OTOH, if you have a surfeit of 604s that you want to find a home for then the other options could make sense to you.
 
thinking option 1 makes the most sense; cabs way too small for 604s. OTOH, if you have a surfeit of 604s that you want to find a home for then the other options could make sense to you.

You think the 604 play is definitely go with a 9cu ft cabinet? Or bigger ala. Shindo?

- Woody
 
i'm no expert but i do have 604s and tried them in a series of progressively larger cabs. 612s were certainly too small to get any bass. even with the much bigger cabinets billfort has he is using subs. i am using JBL 4648 cabinets, each with one 2225H driver for bass assist with my 604Es. your mileage may vary:)
 
Texas cattleman of ol' have a habit of being quotable, D.H. Snyder fits in nicely here: "You make your profit when you buy, not when you sell".

Congrats on the find, man. Take the backs off and show off the goods!
 
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Damn Woody, you are on a roll! Valencia’s coming soon too...

Curious what other drivers are in those cabs...
 
Damn Woody, you are on a roll! Valencia’s coming soon too...

Curious what other drivers are in those cabs...

It’s some little Knight tweeter and a 6in Knight midrange... I think that’s what it is. I Get them open soon.

- Woody
 
Remeasured the cabs. When he told me the dims earlier he included the feet. These are only a little under 5cu ft. So I think the 604’s are off the table.

- Woody
 
What are the external dimensions of the cabinets, Woody?

(oh, and yes, laid back is probably an apt description for the 32C horns, but if you have a somewhat spicy driver like an 802-8G or an 808-8B, they get a little livelier - thanks again for the horns, BTW, I'm enjoying the shit out of 'em!)
 
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Woa, love it!
Love those kinda finds. Grandpa built it = could be some tasty ingredients. And "oh I also have these if you are interested?"

The motor board removable on those?

As far as options go, maybe you go ahead and build a motor board that allows you to once and for all mount the 32 inside.
 
Those look great! I’m interested to see what the Knight components are. They’ve been known to rebrand some decent stuff.

Also, when you get tired of all of those extra cabinets and Altecs cluttering up your beautiful place... Iowa isn’t too far from Kansas, just sayin.
 
Allied/Knight went from the sublime to the ridiculous when it came to components in their loudspeakers :tongue: Goodmans and EV to Utah.

More on-topic-ish. One simply can not have too much altecishness in one's armamentarium.
(IMO, IME, YMMV, etc.^3... cough-cough, harumpf, ahem...)
 
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