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I'm interested in getting a pair of GPA replacement Diaphragm for Altec 288.
How is the sound when comparing with the original Altec one.
Thanks....
Follow Ups:
I had an original diaphragm altecs and than I repaired some other with GPA diaphragms. The original one do appear to sound a little softer but since the 288 drivers were not the same and could have different magnet strenghts it's not really meaningfull. I installed 4 GPA 288c dias and they all perform great, clean and extended. Now , Bill is busy running a schop and it takes some patience to order. Best is to call and than follow with inquire email.I don't have experience with aftermarket dias which tend to be 1/2 price of GPA.I bought GPA mainly because it somewhat preserves the value of a driver (easily leveling the difference in between aftermarket and GPA price)and since I'm a moron who collects drivers in a case some day
I will be able to do meaningful comparison :),the value of drivers is of some importance to me. Ah , I think they don't closely match diaphragms if you won't inquire. It is a good outfit and we're lucky it's still there. It comes from before internet era so doing business requires a little more patience than other internet purchases.
They seem like such a promising company. I just couldnt get a response from anyone... EVER...
Tried 3 different times, months apart. Phone / email. Once got ahold of Bill on the phone and appeared to be hung up on about a min in.
Wanted to see if they would care for a mint 604 Hollywood and mint 604E with matching Xovers on some type of trade for some 604-IIIs in cabs. Figured it would work to their benefit.
Couldnt get so much as a reply. I have now given up. Just dont get such a business model. In an email I even noted if I pissed someone off somehow I apologize and please let me know. Nothing.... Id have been happy for an email saying to get bent. Odd business practice.
Their even on Ebay with feedback. If I wished to buy something from them Id only use that route. Your covered then. And incentive of sort is present.
Sad really. Seems an awesome company with great products and quite the niche.
More power to you with whatever you choose.
Dave
nt
oh man, sorry to hear that! maybe just have some extra patience with them. i don't think email is good for contacting them, but i have called and talked to them several times-getting my 605b reconed, getting new crossovers and just asking questions.
they don't always answer the first time, but do eventually. i have the impression there aren't a lot of people working there. if you're in the middle of something sometimes you just can't stop.
the guys seem to be in a hurry, but always took time to answer my questions and share their knowledge.
try again, you will be very happy with their work...tho maybe they aren't interested in making trades.
paul
I really did try.
The thing I want to get across more than anything is that I really am and HUGE fan of what they are currently doing. In this small niche industry it is a god send that such a place exists. Plus with all the great testimonials from others, it appears they are doing a fine job.
On the notion of my trade idea. It was NEVER some slimy attempt to pawn off some vintage altec 604s for more than it would have been worth it to GPA. I really wanted to come up with something to their advantage too. A mint 604 Hollywood just sold for $2K on bay with no Xover or anything. Plus in their FB history on bay they clearly have sold old altec gear. I assumed they would have a good repore for selling anything altec and probably fetch more as a seller if they pitched themselves. All I was looking for was a chance to simply ask and see if they would even entertain such an idea with whatever conditions they would have wanted.
Ive been down this road before with other small time outfits. Really it seems a 50/50 with so many of these "one man shows". Will things go as hoped and or be what one was wishing for. Found some gems and duds along the way. Ive been trying to keep heart but am quickly loosing time and patience for it. Lifes too short and I dont wanna work this way much more if I can avoid it.
Again I truly believe they probably have some AMAZING products. I was hoping I could find out for myself. Really wanted to work something out to both sides satisfaction. But seems it wont be happening. I should be spending less on this crazy hobby anyway and socking more.
I thank you for your kind words and believe your sentiment. But it looks like it wasnt meant to be for me for whatever the heck the reason.
Dave
Your posts more of a complaint and doesn't help GPA out. When in reality you have nothing to complain about at all. They did nothing wrong.
I do get your point. And really I just need to let it die. I shouldnt become the whiny little bitch :-)
You and I spoke on the phone at length many years ago. Your one of hard working, good guys in this hobby. You volunteered a great deal of your time and knowledge to me then. So I apologize if I over did my point below.
As a fellow small business, two man outfit employee, I just dont get the approach some people choose to take. But, its not my business to dictate how others choose to approach theirs. But as a interested consumer, I was bummed.
Really at the root of it. I was more let down I didnt have the chance to talk with em, and possibly work something out. Again, had no intent to rip anyone off in such a trade. Thought it might have been up their alley.
Oh well...
Ill end up in an Asylum some day at this rate :-)
Thanks for the reality check.
Dave
No worries ;) Happy listening..
yawn
But a company being unwilling to so much as answer a question. After numerous attempts at communication. Just seems rather disappointing. So yes I am complaining that a simple business courtesy was an impossibility.
While we had no transaction between one another. I guess I dont agree that I have nothing to complain about. Again, a simple, polite "no thanks" would have more than sufficed.
Honestly at this point. Im so worn by this anyway. The BORED may delete my thread. Im not interested in starting a pissing match about anything. I really am more soured by the fact 0 effort was made and maybe should just expect this possibility by now. Seen it too many times now.
Really, just delete this thread.... Its pointless...
Re=Dial .........
Re-dial..........
Re-Dail...........Hello GPA..
I hope you do count the time zone differences trying to call ;?) I was calling a few times and usualy succesful after 2 attempts. C'mon guys you can't be that spoiled. While I can understand sisies at vinyl asylum whining that cleaning service lady snaped their precious Koetsu cantilever (like they could not clean their own damn room!) you guys have to battle to bring into house huge horns and sometimes quite few of them. But , you complain over few calls. If the GPA dias were for free you'd be glued to the phone all your work day.
are manyformer Altec speaker workers who purchased the tooling from Altec and set up their own business. The 288 may have had revisions over the years, so the replacement diaphragms probably reflect the later models and designs.
There is a company who manufactures beryllium domes for drivers like the JBL 2441. I wonder if they make replacements for the 288. The 2441 beryllium domes are not cheap but they sound fantastic.
Stu
What is the difference in term of sound performance when comparing the Beryllium Dome to the regular Altec Aluminum Dome ?
Thanks...
In the case of the JBL 2441 mounting as a midrange for a Edgar horn, the increase in detail is stunning. The driver sounds more like an electrostatic driver in being extremely revealing and extremely quiet, for some reason. Of course it still has the tremendous dynamic range, but has a greater sense of "ease" as the dynamic range increases, probably as the beryllium is much stiffer than the aluminum and thus less prone to distort.The original 2441 has a tiny pad glued to the tip of the dome, which I suspect is similar to aluminum domed tweeters having the little pad on the front of the diaphragm, on the sort of "bull's eye" extension. Even the Seas tweeter with the mesh grill has a small about 1/4 inch plastic dot on the center, the purpose being that the dome has a lot of distortion on the dome tip and the slight air pressure build up will dampen that distortion. The replacement beryllium diaphragm has not such pad, BTW.
I do not know if a beryllium replacement is made for the 288 as it is for the 2441. They are roughly similar in size ( the JBL is about an inch bigger)and both employ edgewound voice coils.
Be aware the beryllium replacements for the JBL were on sale for $600 a piece. I believe TAD also makes replacement beryllium cones, but I am not sure if their sizes will work in a 288. Rumors have it that TAD hired a female JBL engineer and gave her carte blanche to create drivers to surpass those of JBL and Altec.
After listening to before and after on the 2441 replacements, I am most certainly impressed with the difference in the choice of material. However, the issue then becomes how to up the signal quality of the lower driver (D131) as the midrange is now so good the speaker reveals a certain lack of coherency.
of course YMMV
StuPS The manufacturer was truextent and their website claims they are working on smaller domes.
Edits: 03/14/12
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