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They are BIG MOFOs! My son had to help with pick up with his truck and help me carry them into the house. otherwise, unless you are Lou Ferigno aka the Hulk from the tv show, it is definitely a 2 person job.
I have been building lots of single ended pentode amps so i wanted to have some high efficiency speakers to better enjoy them. So i hooked the 19s up to a SE 6L6 stereo amp of RH type circuit. My previous speakers were some JBL L112 which have the same drivers as the JBL L100 in a slightly different box. After about 10 minute warm up for my amp and tubed preamp to warm up i played Dire Straights "Brothers in arms" which is a widely accepted audiophile recording. I set all the adjustment knobs on the speakers to 12 o'clock hoping that would be the neutral setting for tone. I hit the play button and the speakers poured forth quite loudly from the previous Jbl settings. Allright, both speakers seemed to have survived the trip home unaffected. I let the whole record play while i did some chores and then settled in to some more serious listening.
I started Dire Straights again and right away noticed how the horns projected their sound way more obviously than the JBLs. It was not something i was used to so it grabbed me. Bass was deeper than the jbl but some what softer too. The treble as expected was more evident. Soundstage was outstanding. Much much better with each instrument having a very solid place, unwavering almost unnerving. The depth of the soundstage was also much better. Definition was also much better. You know how there are always some parts of a recording where the voices are indistinct with the Altecs those parts are now distinct.
To summarize, awesome soundstage, better highs and bass, excellent dynamics, the 7 watt se 6l6 amp was way loud. Timbre of instruments is excellent, the steel bodied guitar on the "Man's too strong" had a very jangly tone and you can easily here the glass finger slide on the strings and frets. Some cons, to me, there is a little bit of disconnect between the highs from the horn and the bass speaker. the midbass and midrange seemed a little reticent compared to the jbl. I adjusted the tone control knobs turning down the treble and advancing the bass which helped to correct the effect. The directionality of the horns can attract your attention but that was ameliorated with adjusting the Lpad. So, all in all, i am very happy with my new speakers, and as i use them almost daily i think they are breaking in more and the minor concerns that i expressed are actually very minor, indeed. cheers, Dak
Follow Ups:
... I still have my pair of L-112's with re-foamed surrounds and newly recapped.
...But they remain less efficient than my Altec 2-way systems ......
For Single Ended power in general either Triode or Pentode outputs the Altec will do better than the L-112's delivering music.......
... And especially with DHT output tubes !
Have fun !
Willie
My absolute first impression was that the JBLs were more uniform in terms of frequency response. Also they have a tighter bass. I don't think i will ever sell them as they are made with high quality drivers. You really can't go wrong with either speaker. My biggest complaint was i had to nearly rearrange my whole listening room to accommodate the Altecs. cheers, dak
..Hmmm, Yes ....I do really like the sound of my L112's, .....so now DAK, you got me thinking ..... It's been a while... and I did like the coherency of the JBL 3way design....
I need to pull out my L112's and listen to them on some of my latest works, like my Ver.#2 26-26 DC 45 stereo amp, I haven't heard them with my last update on the Wurlitzer 45PP mono-blocks or my 3 stage 845 amp either......... Man I've got some listening to do.
Thanks DAK !
Willie
To me it really points out how different types of speakers can all be very good sounding. I mean i love the way the Altecs can reveal so much more nuances in the recorded music. But, when i first heard the 19s with sound of the JBL still firmly imprinted in my brain, i thought it seems to be that the horns are a bit emphasized. But now that the Altec have started to take over my auditory centers i don't feel that the horns are too forward.
I remember when i first got the JBL awhile back i was using Magnepans. I had MG IIIA followed by the 2.7QR. Keeping the system exactly the same i would switch between the Jbl and the 2.7 using one for a few days or longer than switching to the other. The mags have such a large radiating surface that they throw a lot of music but don't need to play loud to do that. Their sound is very nice and pleasant. While the JBLs were better at the low and highs, were more efficient, sound more natural and seemed to soundstage better. In the end i sold the maggies. In these days of dwindling resources, one should always give efficiency some extra credit.
While the JBLs were better at the low and highs, were more efficient, sound more natural and seemed to soundstage better. In the end i sold the maggies.
The early JBL monitors work fine nearfield, but I find their image most disconcerting at distance. Unlike modern JBL monitors like the LSR6332, they cross the 5" midrange about an octave too high. So, the directivity runs from wide at the bottom to noticeably clamped down at the top end of the midrange (in a very sensitive region) only to bloom again with a wide dispersion tweeter.
I recently listened to a pair of similar L110s at a friend's house. They were neutral with a nice top end, but that "fun house mirror" soundstage just didn't work for me.
Congratulations on your "new" Model 19s! I had two different pairs of these speakers at different times. I never did any mods to them except to purchase new foams for the horns, which, as Vinnie said, really help them sound better. (The Altec engineers really knew what they were doing!)
I certainly agree with your observation that they have much better front-to-back depth than many other speakers. This is something I noticed right away with mine.
One really nice benefit with these efficient speakers is that they play very cleanly and clearly at low volumes. They do not need to be cranked up in volume to "open up."
Altec took a lot of care to make sure the dispersion pattern was similar between the two drivers that really helps to smooth transitions at the crossover point.
I always took a kind of perverse delight in people's comments about the size of these systems. One friend, upon seeing them for the first time said, "MAN! Those are some BIG HONKIN' speakers. I liked that.
Enjoy your Model 19s. . . great speakers!
George
Make sure the foam is in place around the horns and hasn't deteriorated. It makes a difference. You might also want to put in new high quality caps in the crossovers. They are nice speakers alright. Had a pair for several years then sold them because i thought we were moving. We didn't and I have missed them ever since.
Edits: 09/28/16
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Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
My speakers dont have that. And they way they project past the plane of the speakers indicate that they are custom.
I think the 19 came with the foam originally.
The link below is for aftermarket replacements.
"These are custom factory cut inserts to replace deteriorated foam around the horns of Altec Lansing 19 speakers.
Once installed they are virtually indistinguishable from the originals, though the foam is a modern version."
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
They used to be available on the big auction site?
I would say foams make a pretty big difference in linearity and precision of the stereo image.
I ended up making my own from foam I bought, but I think I heard they are supposed to be available. Might take a lot of time on the web though.
Ah yup, that's the stuff. It isn't just window dressing.
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Search epay, there's a couple out of canada that sells them......I htink they sell them for ~$35 USD.
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You're welcome!
Your post reminded me I need to order some too.
Yes, they are available. Good feedback from users on an Altec specific forum.
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With stock diaphragms (aftermarket ones are horrible), properly working woofers, correctly set crossover adjustment, these speakers have traits that no new speaker any price does. Smooth, natural, dynamic, low distortion / high resolution sound.
Have fun with them.
thank you for the tip. The mounting seal seems to be ok.
DAK, Model 19 loudspeakers are GREAT loudspeakers. If the drivers are not new then don't worry about breaking them in. You may have to allow for a slight period of hearing adjustment, though.
I have pretty much the same speaker but with a 14 cu.ft. cabinet for lower bass tuning.
Good luck and happy listening.
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About 9cu ft net internal.
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The 19s are 19" deep x 30" wide x 37" tall. That works out to roughly 12 cubic feet.
DAK, I think you are referring to 'external' volume.
I should have made it clear that I was referring to the interior volume.
http://www.hostboard.com/forums/f700/174087-altec-19-a.html?highlight=model+19+cu+ft
Some good Model !9 info here:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jmarkwart/id14.html
C'mon mah, DAK's measurement was a decent estimate of the internal volume as well. Granted it's not spot-on and wouldn't for pass military specs, but it's close enough for a " rough " idea of what the internal volume is as well!
I'm listening to: Strawberry Fields Forever -- Songs By The Beatles by Daria
Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)
Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society
Full-range/Wide-range Drivers --- Front & Back-Loaded Horns --- High Sensitivity Speakers
Edit: Eephus not Seephus - typo.
Tom, that felt like a Seephus pitch.
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Thetubeguy1954 (Tom Scata)
Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society
Full-range/Wide-range Drivers --- Front & Back-Loaded Horns --- High Sensitivity Speakers
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