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Altec 1505B horns?

192.101.103.171
Posted on September 14, 2015 at 13:12:01
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Does anyone have experience with reproduction Altec 1505B horns? Original 1505Bs are getting hard to come by so I'm wondering about repros.

Best,

Jeff

 

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RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:13:48
Kloss



The reason for the big multicells was to match radiation pattern to theater size. To many cells in a home will affect performance. So while I have not heard Markus Klugs work. I have much experience with verous multicells. So unless collecting or setting up a mono system the large multicell wouldn't be the best option for most homes. In a way this is good news since the 8-10 cells are far more available and affordable.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:18:56
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Thank you for your message, Kloss, appreciated.

What do you think of the 1005B for home use?

Kind regards,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:30:50
Kloss



If your rooms wide will work 803-805 are mostly the best choice. 311-90d also fine. Depends what the goal is. Multicells if set up with right bass system are musical machines but will not image like modern horn designs. They do have a real type of quality that other horn flares seem to miss. Keep in mind horns match best with horns if you just slap a multicell on ported box you're not hearing what this type of designs capable of. One of my old Altec A5s pictured

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:33:10
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Beautiful VOTTs, Kloss! I'm thinking about putting together an A5, so you're right on. Any A5 advice?

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:39:32
Kloss
 Depends on the end goal- a near clone or are you just considering the a5 basic design as a stepping stone? I myself would consider radials if seeking modern quality, the a5 clone if you want to hear what a a5 sounds like. I love my vintage gear but also run modern. Or combinations. of both.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:42:52
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 I just want to hear what an A5 sounds like mostly, probably with some Hiraga-style crossovers. I've like what I've heard from Altecs in the past, so it seems like a fun project.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:52:22
Kloss



288 515b 1003-1005 find used a7 cabs local. They can be used in smaller rooms than most think just take much care angling and aligning horn. With 10 cell toe ins best if you want to push up against back wall feel free. You may need to brace altec cab. I would suggest getting altec horn mounts. Baffles are free bass so if you can add baffles it's worth it.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:55:09
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Gorgeous! Thanks for your suggestions, Kloss, appreciated!

Cheers,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 14, 2015 at 17:58:10
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 I'm thinking about the 288 & 1005 combo, 515B & 825 cabinet, Hiraga crossovers. We'll see what happens.

Thanks again for your comments!

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 15, 2015 at 10:03:10
horny
Audiophile

Posts: 745
Location: holland
Joined: October 17, 2003
 hello Jeff
i have the complete parts for the Hiraga crossovers as you interested i can made you a good price
for these
i buy it but never build it

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 19, 2015 at 05:24:41
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 If given a choice between 1505 and 1005, I would definitely take the 1505s.

I compared the two at length in a domestic situation and found the 1505 to be subjectively rich and free of hotspots, which the 1005 was not.

The ten cell horn had noticeable beaming issues in my setup, apparent when sitting down then standing up...I could hear strong vertical lobing. If I pointed the lobe toward my head in the listening seat, it was too hot.

Some of this lobing may have been the interaction/interference of the 10 cell with the woofer in my Onken, but I didn't get it with the 1505. I felt that I could hear the disjunction between the top and bottom rows of cells.

The 1505 configuration has a center cell...one cell in the middle, if you look at it. I pointed that right at my head in the listening zone.

Basically, I was being picky and had both horns to choose from. I'd use either one, but they did strike me as rather different in character. I thought the 1005 more aggressive, which some might like, and the 1505 more fat and rich, which I liked. Both are good.

Sadly, these horns ain't free anymore, but it should still be possible to score a pair for less than it must cost to buy modern repros.

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 19, 2015 at 06:10:15
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Hi Joe,

Thank you for the informative message, that really helps. I like a fatter & richer presentation as well.

The 1505b are 'impossible' to find right now it seems, and even the 1005b is hard to come by.

Do you know anyone who makes a nice 1505b repro that you could recommend?

Also, have you spent any time with Altec 805b horns?

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 19, 2015 at 07:14:16
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 I briefly had 805 horns several times but I used to believe that running the horn as low as possible is the only answer, so I never gave them their proper due.

Not so sure about that anymore. If 805s are around, and they are relatively abundant it seems, I'd give them a shot.

I did many of my Altec experiments back in an era when you could get all the Altec you wanted cheap and sometimes even free. In the 80s, pro sound gave up on this stuff because of the 300W amp craze. Lots of surplus that people wanted to clear out for space.

It was easy and cheap to be a super snob. Now there is a massive pile of worldwide collectors, users, and cash chasing these things, so the competition is stiff...unless you can score a local cash deal old-school "U call, I haul" style. In the iphone ebay lookup era, that is increasingly unlikely.

Sometimes I wish I had my "rare" 1505s back but they would not fit onto a packed moving truck. I should have left some furniture and kept those instead. That was my main rig for 10+ years.

I am not a fan of the ubiquitous 511 and 811 horns, but most of the large format + multicell Altec gear is pretty good at what it does.

The 1" 802s are also great but you have to find a good horn to go with them. That's where I am focusing my attention these days.

I can't see replica multicells being a good deal. Given the incredible labor and shipping costs involved, the price can't be too attractive. I don't even know anybody making replicas of Altec multicells, but it wouldn't surprise me if they are.


------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 19, 2015 at 08:23:18
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Thanks Joe, I appreciate the info!

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 19, 2015 at 08:45:01
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 "Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good" is my basic message here, which is not to say that there is never room to climb higher.

If you can get to a spot where you are happy and entertained, enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

805, 1005, 1505 are all pretty good platforms I'd think. Any of those could be close to the end of the line if you get them dialed in to where they suit your preferences well.

Beyond that, there is Western Electric!

I will say, though, that I have not met many 1505 owners who complain about them much. It is not a fool's mission aspiring to own a pair if you can get them.

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 07:30:20
lokie
Audiophile

Posts: 1989
Location: Georgia, USA
Joined: January 28, 2003
 Like Joe, I'm still tinkering w the 800's (and a 32b horn).

But my next project will be w 288's. It's great to hear from the likes of Kloss and Joe- they can really save you a lot of time with narrowing down the endless possibilities, but ultimately, listening to the components in my listening room will have to be done. My strategy is to get a Altec MR94-8 Manta Ray horn, which are readily available, and let my ears get acclimated, get the crossover "in the ballpark" and then throw in a 1505 and compare.

I have a feeling my limited speaker placement will be too close to the side walls for the 1505... but we'll see (or hear).

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 10:31:41
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Sounds like an awesome project, Lokie! Let us know how it turns out!

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 10:34:47
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Hey Joe, thanks for the message. I'm waiting to hear about some 1005bs, but I'd really like to get my hands on the 1505b, especially after what you said about them. It would appear I'm a day late and a dollar short! ;-)

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 10:38:44
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 Grab what you can, Bro. You won't lose money on 1005Bs!!

I think you will delighted with them after you do the work to dial them in.

Hopefully, the nagging dream of 15 cells will dissipate as you are enjoying those 1005s!

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 10:49:46
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Thanks Joe! :-)

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 14:21:36
fred76
Audiophile

Posts: 1586
Location: Manila
Joined: February 28, 2004

Fatter and richer tone indeed...

Pic and vid below courtesy of Thomas' blog from last year's ETF.

I enjoy reading your posts Joe. Either here or in Lenco or DiyA. I hope you post more often.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 14:50:21
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 I'm sometimes too unfiltered for forums. Hahaha.

Almost got kicked off DiyA and got a minor battle going here as I type.

Hey, I am an opinionated individual, what can I say? :op

That ETF Altec rig sounded quite good indeed. Great midbass from that LF cab too but maybe that was the Finemet transformers in the amps (hand carried in module form from Japan!) Overall, an excellent show of what audio is all about, for me at least.

In any case, Hiraga is the man for getting Altec to work at magical levels of performance. His 604 cabinet is the best I ever heard and 1000x better than my wimp experiments got me. Very serious focused audioman, Mr. Hiraga.

My tendency is to keep things simple as is reasonable and pick good parts that allow this approach, but Hiraga engineers stuff to death, then sets it up to death. Guess he showed me!

Hiraga is totally OK with me for showing up with that speaker system, towed in from France no less!

I jumped into this thread because I saw one of my brotherman audio guys making a potentially good move.

Large format Altec, or careful small format, although no longer free, is still a path to really excellent performance that most of us (here in the USA, especially) can still afford to put together.



------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 20, 2015 at 23:53:02
fred76
Audiophile

Posts: 1586
Location: Manila
Joined: February 28, 2004
 Mmmm.. Finemet core.. Hehe (thanks to Hitachi metals)

Yeah, it's with the crossovers, that's where all the blood, sweat, (and tears) starts..

Thanks Joe.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 05:24:44
Kloss
 Best to run the multicells with horn bass mid bass etc on ported cabinets you're not hearing what they really can do.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 06:22:14
Kloss
 A reason the 1005 may have caused issues for Joe could be his use of a ported cabinet that was most likely out of time and the midhorn to low. Out of time = hot beaming sound to low again would cause issues when one stood. These horns are far more similar than different, radiation pattern does not cause the issues I've read in Joe's report. As with all things YMMV and because my opinions and experience are different than another's does not invalidated their experience.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 06:36:22
Jeff Day
Reviewer

Posts: 537
Location: Washington State
Joined: October 20, 2000
 Thanks for the message, Kloss, I appreciate the feedback.

Best,

Jeff

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 06:39:28
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 Kloss, the VOT box is a ported cabinet.

What I believe is going on with the horn on the 828 is that it is acting more as a waveguide or lens than an impedance transformer, although the two concepts are related.

I think it is there to narrow the dispersion of the 15" to match that of the midrange horn at crossover freq to present a smoother transition. In a way, it provides a transition from reflex loading to horn loading as well.

I think that the wings seen in theater installations above and next to the 828 style cabinets is also part of this directionality plan. Reflex. OB and horn loading combined to engineer dispersion.

You can find this same approach in earlier WE designs.

I've tried VOT cabinets. I found them peaky and ragged but kind of exciting at the same time. Surely Hiraga fixed all of that with some secret sauce in the rig at ETF. ;op

The best bass I ever heard comes out of open baffle, front horn loaded Western Electric LF cabinets. Those things turn off and on in a flash. Most bass cabinets store energy and smear the notes, but those old field coil OBs don't. It is a shocking difference from what we are used to hearing.

And the obvious next step is full range single driver horn. Some of the early WE systems got most of the way there (70-80hz-6000hz) but even that compromise yields a horn that will not fit through the door of the house.

No doubt that a full large format VOT system (preferably with wings) is quite impressive and a great audio historical artifact and if you can pull it off, go for it. I wish I could.

I own a pair of fantastic 18" GIP field coil woofers that are built like WE TA-4181s and I just can't figure out a way to pull off the cabinets where I live. Downtown DC is no place for home full-scale theater horn systems.

My wife even convinced me to sell my Petite Onken/414 cabs last week. I consider that a tidy and compact solution. I tell ya, it's bad around here.

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 06:50:26
Kloss



As you know good horns can get large. I myself am choking on massive horns and need to thin my herd. I have 2- WE 13A about and RCA Shearers as well as Altecs etc. The RCA Shearer with its big W Bin is a wondrous sounding thing sure I can hear its issues but damn its just sounds so real. Did work better in my room with the 12 cell image was more fixed with 18 cell you get the grand diffusion. 13A do have a special quality but the Shearer is just a more real sound and it should be it was designed too.

 

Maybe a OB for the GIP?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 06:53:20
Kloss



Just a thought

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 07:51:29
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 The 13A was meant to be used in combination with the 12As, not as a stand alone piece.

My bud in Korea has a stereo 12A/13A setup in a 40 foot high, wood walled room and on certain kinds of music, like big orchestral, it sounds quite real. Amazingly real.

This was the FIRST attempt at a "high fidelity" speaker too. Incredible accomplishment.

I get to hear and play with a lot of rare, superb, and enormous theater speakers in my audio work. Great stuff but I don't desire to own this kind of thing anymore as long as I get to play! I took things as far as I could when I had some room for it but this is no longer the case.

The important thing is to have that catalog of amazing sounds stored in your head. Just to know what can be done is liberating.

Plus I can't afford what I think to be "the best" anymore. We're talking $50k++ for a pair of WE 594As and horns.

I'm now working on compact setups that are not total sell outs to home decor. I'm currently building a 4 cu.ft. cab with WE 728Bs with 32B horns and 802s. Should be finished today, in fact! Tiny, relatively speaking. Hope it makes me happy.

I will look into an undersized OB for those GIP 18"ers. Since I caved in and sold my Onkens, I have some political capital to exercise in my next speaker adventure.



------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 08:44:34
Kloss



Very much up on my WE history but I do thx you for the comments. I'm using the 13a angled toward listener with straight throat responce is useable to 7khz I also run a tweeter bouncing off ceiling only way I could get time arrival right and a 20ft path front bass horn. I thought maybe 200hz for cut off on 13a thus the lansing bins under it. I ended up measuring a usable 80hz now just running the 20 ft horn under. It also sounds good for vintage music run full. But with the bass horn and tweeters I'm not limted in music selection. I did switch out my LM555 for gotos and they sound just as good so far and no need for FC supply.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 09:51:36
lokie
Audiophile

Posts: 1989
Location: Georgia, USA
Joined: January 28, 2003
 Joe-

Are the WE open baffles you are referring to WE ta7331a?

Sure would be cool if there was something like this that could work with a more of a "off the shelf" speaker (than the GIP's etc) and a smaller cabinet.

Maybe something like a B&C 12PE32?? Way beyond my modeling skills but I'd be willing to build it and try it if someone smarter than me thinks it has potential.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 10:42:20
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 Ta-7331s aren't the greatest but they work...and some variation of that folded baffle, I guess they call it an H baffle today is a useful size reduction measure.

The baffles I'm talking about are open back, horn in front. The 2x18" "W horn" baffle for the Mirrophonic Model 2, for example. Here's a lousy sounding vid of some bad Japanese jazz of the M2 at Munich. Boy, did that showroom have problems, especially with a sound system for a 3000 seat theater!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQxNzaj72Bw

http://www.silbatoneacoustics.com/mirro.html

There were a few different baffles for the 14.5" TA-4151 with a short C horn on front open back.

Couple instances of that model in these pics.

http://silbatone.com/koreatrip.html

Awesome bass from all of the above...but not light and compact!


------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 11:00:42
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 >Very much up on my WE history but I do thx you for the comments.

The 12 and 13 shipped with an old version of the 555 driver called a "Mesh 555" by Japanese WE guys.

This one had an open back, unlike later 555W and 555s.

Power handling is lower but they will go a bit lower in frequency too.

Don't know anything about LMs and Gotos. I only know original WE and GIP 555s.

See one of the few blog posts I ever posted:

http://junkyardjukebox.blogspot.com/2012/10/western-electric-12a13a-adam-and-eve-of.html

I have not measured the 12 vs the 13. I think more HF gets around the simpler curve of the 12 though, probably more LF out of the longer, bigger mouth 13A. 7K is good ballpark figure.

Impossible to determine what they were thinking and doing in any detail. There is no publicly available documentation. They did rush that system out the door to meet Vitaphone's deadline. A friend of mine doing PhD research got into the AT&T archive and that is the gist of a lot of the internal correspondence.

I get to hear this system often. It is really amazing what they threw together on deadline in 1926!

13A should be a killer midrange horn.

Do you live in an airplane hangar, Kloss, you lucky devil?






------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 21, 2015 at 22:23:01
bald2
Audiophile

Posts: 338
Location: Oregon
Joined: January 21, 2006
 Small world, Joe. I was just up at Jeff's place three weeks ago (the Westminsters were okay but the LPs, snacks and booze were even better:), and subsequently I've been putting together a two way horn system. Started with a nice pair of 414Zs, found a pair of 32x 24x 14" cabs locally with 12" holes cut high, and will brace them in the coming days. Then bought a pair of 32C horns after reading posts on Joseph Esmilla's site and one or two by you and "Salectric." Found and bought a pair of 802Ds just last night on the big auction site (all drivers are 16 ohm), found a pair of 3000h tweets to play with for shits and giggles, and am building up Joseph's version of the N1600 crossover with paper in oil caps ( I like Ronken:).

Come to think of it, we met briefly in the Sibatone room at RMAF in '11 and I still remember that heavenly sound. An oasis after the so called high end stuff. Jeff, check out the YouTube video of that room and you'll see our friend David Rives sitting and enjoying the sound of that room with a nice big grin on his face...

Harry Z

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 22, 2015 at 05:30:23
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 This world can be extremely small, which is great sometimes and not so great others! Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide!

I listened to 32s, plastic and metal for two weeks before selling my 414 Onkens. Got to where I was sorta hoping the guy who said he would buy the boxes didn't call me back. Things were getting quite good.

The 414 is a great speaker, I suggest letting it play full range then tap in the 32 with a first order cross over using a 4uf or so cap for 8 ohms (2uF for 16 ohms) ~5k crossover. You will probably need some attenuation before teh cap...L Pad, resistor network, autoformer... but if you hook it up with only a cap, you should hear the potential.

I'd suggest that you put two sets of terminals on the box, one to the 12" and one to the horn. and compare the N1200 with single cap on the 32 using outboard filters, listen to both then decide.

The plastic horn is super rich and captivating. Put on some Dinah Washington and you'll die.

This simple rig was pretty awesome. Great vocals out of the combo.
A speaker setup for less than $1000 that will blow most of what you can buy new out of the water...in my jaded opinion anyway.

That WE757A I took to RMAF is an amazing speaker. It was the model for the 728B/32B/802G system I finished yesterday as an attempt at a "poor man's version." Still tweaking and initial impressions are promising, but in the end I will still be too poor to buy original 757As!


------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 23, 2015 at 14:10:48
Iain42
Reviewer

Posts: 895
Location: Arcansaw
Joined: February 10, 2004
 I keep waiting for blog post updates.....




High sensitivity, wide dynamic range, low distortion, and smooth frequency response. Pwk

http://www.itishifi.com

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 24, 2015 at 05:38:42
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004



Yeah, I know Iain...seems my main hobbies of drinking beer and listening to music have overtaken my drive to read and write! At least I have my priorities straight.

Anyway here's a pic of my new "miniature" 802g/32B/728B speaker. I still have to paint the baffle and install cabinet parts and grill cloth but couldn't resist hooking the pair up raw for a listen.

Sounds very promising so far. I have two sets of terminals on the back so I can experiment with xovers (and other HF horns/tweeters) externally but I'm starting out with a first order on the 802 and letting the 728B run full range.

728Bs cost 20x as much as 414s and they are fabulous units but not 20X as good as the 12" Altecs. I wish I still had those Petite Onkens too.

If one doesn't have the space that our comrade Kloss has for balls-to-the-wall theater installations with wings, the classic 12" + small horn configuration allows one to "keep the faith" in a lifestyle friendly package.

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 25, 2015 at 02:43:23
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1358
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 Joe, Can you describe the differences between the plastic and aluminum versions of the 32?

 

RE: Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 25, 2015 at 05:30:19
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 Have to keep it quick because I have house guests waiting for breakfast, but,in short, the plastic 32 is very fat and rich in flavor and the metal one is much drier. Both are fairly laid back, smooth, and not brash and shouty like a 511/811.

With either one it would probably be advantageous to use some EQ in the crossover for a touch more HF at the top sparkle range. I chose to use the metal version in my project initially because it has a bit more subjective definition up high but when I have a chance I will swap in the plastic one again with the 728B. My listening evaluations over the past weeks were with a 414A/Onken.

I will measure both in the coming days. So far, I am flying by ear.

Although the mouth geometry looks about he same, the plastic one is about 1" shorter at the driver end, possibly to help prevent the end of the horn from snapping off if the speaker is manhandled...these horns were used in stage monitors and the like.

I'd say the plastic one is a sensible choice, particularly given the relative high availability and much lower price. It looks like a piece of junk plastic from my Volvo's AC system but sounds very nice.

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 25, 2015 at 05:41:44
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1358
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 Thanks Joe. Your comments are very helpful. I actually have both the plastic and metal 32 horns and have used them both, but in different cabinets. Since the mounting dimensions are different, I have not been able to swap them back and forth to hear how they compare. In each setup I have used an 802-8G and a crossover that includes eq circuits from the Altec 9849A which used the same driver and a 32 horn.

 

RE: Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 25, 2015 at 06:08:13
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 I compared them sitting on top of an Onken box. You are correct...the front mounting flanges are not the same size. Why did they do that?

I am holding off on routing out a rebate for the front lip of the horn in my new project until I decide which 32 to use or whether I will go with a 32 at all.

The WE 728B plays quite high..."almost" doesn't need a tweeter but ~8k just isn't enough HF for most modern listeners.

If somebody has a better suggestion for a sweet tweeter that will match the flavor of a 728B, I'd like to know.

I hate to put a crossover on the 728B down in the 3k range since it is so good playing full range, but I'll try it before abandoning the notion. It sure works in the 757A, et.al.

Generally, however, the antique collector notion that the metal 32 is great because it is more "WE like" and the plastic is cheap modern trash does not really hold up in practice.

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 25, 2015 at 06:35:42
lokie
Audiophile

Posts: 1989
Location: Georgia, USA
Joined: January 28, 2003
 Joe,

What do you think of an open baffle w the 32's and GIP's?

Something like these Shindo's but w the 32.



 

RE: Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 25, 2015 at 12:49:26
bald2
Audiophile

Posts: 338
Location: Oregon
Joined: January 21, 2006
 Watch it, Joe. I like Volvos:)

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 28, 2015 at 12:43:16
Qman
Audiophile

Posts: 322
Location: Midwest
Joined: October 30, 2001



My Frankenspeaker: with 1957 Altec 803A & 802D, crossing over around 1200hz.
Jensen Triplex cabinet. Love the 803A but my being petering out to soon. Will try the 414A.

 

RE: Plastic vs. aluminum, posted on September 29, 2015 at 04:59:02
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 V70, the preferred ride of the urban gear hustler.

Fits a pr of Petite Onkens but only one Altec 828 cab at a time.

I'm on my 3rd one. Best car evah!

------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 29, 2015 at 05:21:39
Joe Roberts
Manufacturer

Posts: 412
Location: Virginia
Joined: January 25, 2004
 Cool setup!

Seems to me that the 803A might squeak up to 1200hz but I'm wondering if that little horn can play comfortably down that low. I haven't tried it yet myself.

Altec LF specs on some horns are a bit ambitious, or perhaps tuned for presumed lo-fi applications. I have scavenged 32b horns with cheap 720 PA drivers attached as used for full-range paging/announcement service.

The 414A/Z can play full range without sounding scratchy and garbled, so you can get the crossover out of the vocal range and to a point where the horn is cruising easy.

As reported above, I was digging the sound with 414A full range and the 32B horn floating in at 6k or so, first order, but the setup could easily handle a 3k xover and all of the drivers would be happy. The 414 and the 32/802 were extremely well matched in "flavor" and a natural pair.



------------------------------

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent -- Wittgenstein

Free your mind and your ass will follow -- Parliament/Funkadelic

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on September 29, 2015 at 12:56:38
Qman
Audiophile

Posts: 322
Location: Midwest
Joined: October 30, 2001
 Thanks Joe. The horn will eventually end up in the cabinet with the driver facing up. My set-up sounds much better in the 828 horn cabinet, blends nicely. I've gone mono for a few years now, really don't miss the stereo effect and much easier to integrate into my home.

 

RE: Altec 1505B horns?, posted on June 12, 2016 at 15:33:03
Randal P
Audiophile

Posts: 33
Location: NYC Area
Joined: August 19, 2004
 Joe,

Stumbled across this from the other thread. Could you let me know the volume and port size of this speaker? It's pretty much exactly what I would like to do with a 414 and 32a.

Thanks,
Randy

 

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