Altec 755C: The world’s best high efficiency single driver antique bookshelf speaker?

[Three quid]

Does line magnetic sell that driver on its own?

 

[beaur]

Just wondering if someone had compared WE 755 with the Line Magnetic or GIP replicas.
Since the prices of original WE 755 skyrocket and matched pairs are literally unobtanium, it should be a good choice to test and compare them.

I have heard all three back to back. The issue with comparing was each was in a different enclosure. Some people criticize the newer reproductions, but I think they sound pretty good, especially if you don't have an original. Overall I like the original better, as it has that tone I enjoy. Next would be the GIP and very close behind the LM. You wouldn't go wrong with either of those if you liked what either had to offer. I could be mistaken, but I think the newer ones went for a "fuller" range and didn't nail the midrange like the older versions.

Beau

 

[djsina2]

I don’t see a 755 type driver on the GIP site. Is it still being made?

 

[je2a3]

I have heard all three back to back. The issue with comparing was each was in a different enclosure. Some people criticize the newer reproductions, but I think they sound pretty good, especially if you don't have an original. Overall I like the original better, as it has that tone I enjoy. Next would be the GIP and very close behind the LM. You wouldn't go wrong with either of those if you liked what either had to offer. I could be mistaken,

Thanks for your thoughts! I've only heard WE and Altec 755A, C and E.

..but I think the newer ones went for a "fuller" range and didn't nail the midrange like the older versions...

Beau

This is always the problem when extending the frequency extremes, the midrange always suffers.

 

[Walter66]

"Its bandwidth, narrowed to the essentials compared to "modern" sound transducers, leads to concentration on the essentials when listening. In doing so, the listener does not miss the slightest thing, but rather rapidly falls prey to a degree of sonic magic that must unfortunately be considered extinct, just like the perfect temporal cohesion of this loudspeaker, which degrades the vast majority of current multi-way designs to a sound puzzle with clearly audible interfaces. "
That's my opinion, having some listening experience with WE speakers, too. After hearing them, I've had zero strive towards such modern speaker constructions anymore. They just fail to impress me anymore but on the opposite, scared me with their inability to establish acoustic magic in the experience like the old designs did. Their qualities couldn't be analyzed by measuring them, just by auditioning.

 

[ihmeyers]

Question for those on the thread clearly more knowledgeable than I...

I just bought a pair of Silbatone Bae cabs for the 755.. I prefer not to go for $5k for 755A drivers. Are they that than the 755Cs? These aren't going to be my primary pair of speakers as I have a number of others. Still, I ordered OCC silver to wire them and want them to sound good on 40-60s vocal and Jazz. Can I get away with the 755Cs or am I better biting the bullet for the As.

Thanks much.

 

[beaur]

Question for those on the thread clearly more knowledgeable than I...

I just bought a pair of Silbatone Bae cabs for the 755.. I prefer not to go for $5k for 755A drivers. Are they that than the 755Cs? These aren't going to be my primary pair of speakers as I have a number of others. Still, I ordered OCC silver to wire them and want them to sound good on 40-60s vocal and Jazz. Can I get away with the 755Cs or am I better biting the bullet for the As.

Thanks much.

Great buy on the cabinets. Those are great for the 755. If you can get original, in good-shape WE 775As for $5K I'd go for it. The difference between the A and Cs can be significant depending on what's been done to each but generally, the Cs are very good and honestly will just depend on how much you want that original WE tone but you could probably be happy with the Cs. More for me would be that assuming you take care of them, the A's will most likely increase in value or at least remain at around what you have paid. The only ones I've seen recently at $5K are reconed or otherwise repaired so I'd stay away from those.

Heck you could even try the Line Magnetic replicas just to see and while they would be a step down they would sing in those cabinets.

Beau

 

[ihmeyers]

Thanks very much Beau.

Are the LM drivers available? I've seen them in those big cabinets but not for sale individually.

 

[Solypsa]

I don't know how much the 755c are lately but it could make sense to start there, get a sense of the speakers, and begin an earnest search for some 755A that are both acceptably priced and more importantly minty and original. Could take a while to find both factors in one sale

 

[beaur]

Thanks very much Beau.

Are the LM drivers available? I've seen them in those big cabinets but not for sale individually.

They used to be but not sure now. Contact Jonathan Halpern at Tone Imports and he could let you know. He's also a pretty good person to ask about finding older 755s.

 

[ihmeyers]

I don't know how much the 755c are lately but it could make sense to start there, get a sense of the speakers, and begin an earnest search for some 755A that are both acceptably priced and more importantly minty and original. Could take a while to find both factors in one sale

There are a couple of pairs of 755A on eBay, one at ~5.5K, one at 6K. I hate spending that much money buying from someone I don't know. I bought a pair of Altec 605Bs on Ebay and one had a bad diaphragm. Luckily my speaker repair guy had exactly one NOS diaphragm in stock. The episode spooked me enough that I gave up on the RCA LC-1 project I was considering.

 

[Three quid]

Thanks very much Beau.

Are the LM drivers available? I've seen them in those big cabinets but not for sale individually.

They are available, but kinda pricey. $2.5k for a pair

 

[ihmeyers]

They are available, but kinda pricey. $2.5k for a pair

Thanks. They are also field coils as far as I know so they would need a power supply.