Hey folks - I’m a long time creeper, but new to posting here at the Haven.
I’m interested to hear from some of you folks who have lived with this Altec affliction for longer than I have (or hell, shorter - maybe you’ve got a *really* bad case). I wanna hear about the best Altec setup you’ve personally heard or owned.
Here’s why I’m asking: I’ve been through several Altec setups over the past few years - 9844, 604e, 604g, Vals, single 414s, Model 19s, Model 17. Currently running the Model 19s as well as 604s in 620 cabs.
I did a ton of work or crossover tinkering on almost all of them and loved them all for the reasons we all love the Altec sound.
I resto-modded my first pair of Altecs - 9844s, and played around a lot with various crossover topologies - crossed up high ala JE labs and others down low. Anyway, I’ve been coming to the realization for a while that, a) I prefer horns crossed over low, and b) like many others before me, I don’t love the 811b sound.
Anyway, I finally got around to hearing a 511b the other night, driven by an 802-8d and paired with 416-8as in later production Val cabs. Bone stock Heathkit AS-101 networks (which are very close to the Altec N800f as I understand it).
Now I know few of y’all love the 511b, but having never heard, say, the Emiliar EH500, I was floored. The 2k harshness of the 811b was not there - and there’s not even a mid attenuation circuit on the AS-101! It was all smooth, eminently listenable, gorgeous. Driven by my mx-110z into mc225. Everything I love about the Alltec sound, little of what I don’t.
I was *shocked* at how much better it sounded than the 811b in any implementation I’ve ever heard. So shocked, I left that night and swore an oath I’d quit dicking around and get SERIOUS about getting to the endgame Altec sound.
i’d already been thinking for months about going the Onken route and taking my time trying out various horns/drivers, but after my 511b experience, I have to restrain myself from buying the first good pair of 288gs I can find and going for the moonshot.... probably something not dissimilar from @marantzfan ’s endgame Onkens.
So here’s the place I’m at: I finally know where I want to get to - or at least really close. If it means selling off my other gear to get there, so be it. Hopefully it won’t take that. But would it be so crazy if it did?
So for those of you who’ve reached the “end” (I mean, c’mon, there is no real end here - you guys know these things are relative!), what did it consist of? And what did you love about it? And I get that it may not be Altec... that’s cool too.
I’d love to hear from @ICTWoody about his Onken experiece. And REALLY looking forward to hearing @marantzfan’s thoughts when he fires up those MK1005 horns. They look gorgeous.
I’m interested to hear from some of you folks who have lived with this Altec affliction for longer than I have (or hell, shorter - maybe you’ve got a *really* bad case). I wanna hear about the best Altec setup you’ve personally heard or owned.
Here’s why I’m asking: I’ve been through several Altec setups over the past few years - 9844, 604e, 604g, Vals, single 414s, Model 19s, Model 17. Currently running the Model 19s as well as 604s in 620 cabs.
I did a ton of work or crossover tinkering on almost all of them and loved them all for the reasons we all love the Altec sound.
I resto-modded my first pair of Altecs - 9844s, and played around a lot with various crossover topologies - crossed up high ala JE labs and others down low. Anyway, I’ve been coming to the realization for a while that, a) I prefer horns crossed over low, and b) like many others before me, I don’t love the 811b sound.
Anyway, I finally got around to hearing a 511b the other night, driven by an 802-8d and paired with 416-8as in later production Val cabs. Bone stock Heathkit AS-101 networks (which are very close to the Altec N800f as I understand it).
Now I know few of y’all love the 511b, but having never heard, say, the Emiliar EH500, I was floored. The 2k harshness of the 811b was not there - and there’s not even a mid attenuation circuit on the AS-101! It was all smooth, eminently listenable, gorgeous. Driven by my mx-110z into mc225. Everything I love about the Alltec sound, little of what I don’t.
I was *shocked* at how much better it sounded than the 811b in any implementation I’ve ever heard. So shocked, I left that night and swore an oath I’d quit dicking around and get SERIOUS about getting to the endgame Altec sound.
i’d already been thinking for months about going the Onken route and taking my time trying out various horns/drivers, but after my 511b experience, I have to restrain myself from buying the first good pair of 288gs I can find and going for the moonshot.... probably something not dissimilar from @marantzfan ’s endgame Onkens.
So here’s the place I’m at: I finally know where I want to get to - or at least really close. If it means selling off my other gear to get there, so be it. Hopefully it won’t take that. But would it be so crazy if it did?
So for those of you who’ve reached the “end” (I mean, c’mon, there is no real end here - you guys know these things are relative!), what did it consist of? And what did you love about it? And I get that it may not be Altec... that’s cool too.
I’d love to hear from @ICTWoody about his Onken experiece. And REALLY looking forward to hearing @marantzfan’s thoughts when he fires up those MK1005 horns. They look gorgeous.
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