Modern speakers vs Vintage speakers

[thomask]

Love the design of the house as well as the beautiful system.

Thanks for your compliment.

Washington State provide electric power at the lowest cost among 50 states due to high percentage of hydro power.

It tend to have too much raind during winter time.

But it is better to enjoy music inside home during wintertime.

I may live at my current home for my life.

It also has nice 180 degree view from Olympic Mountains to Pacific Norhwest



Above photo was taken at balcony of my house.

 

[thomask]

Candles, favorite beverage, slow dance to the Altecs...she will decide they are the best thing ever

My wife enjoy my modern system due to pristine treble out of plama tweeter.

That is the reason that I had kept Lansche 4.1 for since 2006.

But I am not sure whether she will like Altec A7 or not.

 

[bonzo75]

My wife enjoy my modern system due to pristine treble out of plama tweeter.

That is the reason that I had kept Lansche 4.1 for since 2006.

But I am not sure whether she will like Altec A7 or not.

You should get in someone to measure the drivers. The old ones can be out of sync and might need a diaphragm replacement

 

[thomask]

I finally set up Altec A7 for listening.

I had mishap with Silbatone 300b amp of which fuse I blew by accident.

While i am waiting for replacement fuse, I had connected Rogue Magnum II fitted with Nos Telefuken 12ax7 and Amperex Au7 tubes.

it sounds much better than I expected with lively treble and natural bass.

It is also good for classical music with nice details and clarity.

 

[MarcelNL]

Berlin Audio Meet, where old met new (my frankenserver prototype)

 

[thomask]

Thanks you so much Thomas for sharing this!!!!!
I’m so happy them find home eventually, I have been driving 5000 miles to pick them up in Minnesota more than decade ago, and you went through all these covid hassle to take them home.
They deserve this!
Thank you again,
G


This is a message from the previous owner.

He drove 5000 miles to pick up the speaker and had used it for 15 years.

But due to WAF, he had to part with it.


I am doing cable rolling to adjust the sound.

Altec A7 rocks but also good for vocal music.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

View attachment 82665

I finally set up Altec A7 for listening.

I had mishap with Silbatone 300b amp of which fuse I blew by accident.

While i am waiting for replacement fuse, I had connected Rogue Magnum II fitted with Nos Telefuken 12ax7 and Amperex Au7 tubes.

it sounds much better than I expected with lively treble and natural bass.

It is also good for classical music with nice details and clarity.

Very nice.

 

[the sound of Tao]

View attachment 82665

I finally set up Altec A7 for listening.

I had mishap with Silbatone 300b amp of which fuse I blew by accident.

While i am waiting for replacement fuse, I had connected Rogue Magnum II fitted with Nos Telefuken 12ax7 and Amperex Au7 tubes.

it sounds much better than I expected with lively treble and natural bass.

It is also good for classical music with nice details and clarity.

Great you’re having plenty of fun Thomas, that’s awesome. Looking forwards to you getting the Silbatone on them… would even love to hear how the Line Magnetic goes on them if one day you’re up for the moving logistics… though I do appreciate that’s not a light swap in task at all Enjoy them in good health

 

[thomask]

Great you’re having plenty of fun Thomas, that’s awesome. Looking forwards to you getting the Silbatone on them… would even love to hear how the Line Magnetic goes on them if one day you’re up for the moving logistics… though I do appreciate that’s not a light swap in task at all Enjoy them in good health

I will try Silbatone 300b when I have replacement fuse, but I get the impression that it is not going to have enough power to drive Altec A7 in the second floor whose dimension is 17 ft wide 30 feet deep and 25 ft high .

Line Magnetic 508 may have more potential to drive A7 well in this space.

But it is too heavy to lug around.

I have two sets of Line Magnetic 508, but one of them need repair.

I also consider moving A7 to the third floor (17ft wide and 17 ft deep 15 ft high) where Silbatone 300b may be enugh to driive A7.


It will take time.

I will try several optiions one by one.


the

 

[MarcelNL]

what is the sensitivity of the Altec, is it the 97 I read somewhere?
We played the Euronor Junior (see picture above) that has similare SPL (around 98 I reckon) with a 1.5 W tube amp to levels that overloaded a room roughly 10 meter wide by 15 meters deep and 3m high.

 

[bonzo75]

what is the sensitivity of the Altec, is it the 97 I read somewhere?
We played the Euronor Junior (see picture above) that has similare SPL (around 98 I reckon) with a 1.5 W tube amp to levels that overloaded a room roughly 10 meter wide by 15 meters deep and 3m high.

97 is for the 416 woofer, 100 for 515.

If dual FLH like Altec 817 is used, two 515s give 103. The horn loading adds further 6 db to the 817, that gives 109. Not sure how much the horn loading of the A7 gives but should be similar though the woofer rolls off muhc earlier to the bass.

The upper driver is 109.

Thomas can you look at the back and tell us what drivers are in there?

 

[thomask]

97 is for the 416 woofer, 100 for 515.

If dual FLH like Altec 817 is used, two 515s give 103. The horn loading adds further 6 db to the 817, that gives 109. Not sure how much the horn loading of the A7 gives but should be similar though the woofer rolls off muhc earlier to the bass.

The upper driver is 109.

Thomas can you look at the back and tell us what drivers are in there?

Horn driver is 808-8A 8 ohm version,

https://greatplainsaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/807a_808a-01.pdf

I could not find bass driver version.

 

[thomask]

Swan Song

I had connected Silbatone 300b using Psavne Acme 300b tube to A7.

It gave delicate and nuanced sound way better than Rogue Cronus .

Alas the amp shut down after 5 minutes.

Just in case, I used the generic Line Magnetic 300b tube .

But this time only one channel worked for 2 minutes ans shut down again.

Something must be wrong with Silbatone amp after i blew the fuse.

i will bring this amplifier to Korea next January to get the repair done.

 

[Mikem53]

Very true....but does that mean better sound? A Carbon-Klang violin is made out of carbon fiber, but does it sound better than a Stradivarius?

I'm totally unconvinced that advanced materials make better sounding speakers. I've never heard a speaker that sounded better because if was made out of extruded aluminum or countertop material.

Particle board, MDF and plastics have made Britney Spears a singing sensation...

 

[thomask]

I am back to Rogue Cronus Magnum II fitted with Nos Telefuken 12ax7 and Amperex 12au7 tubes.

it does not sound terribly bad compared with Silbatone whish give slightly more transparent window and nuanced details.

I tested frequency response by Stereophile Test CD.

A7 give enough signal at 31.5 hz, but only faint rumbling at 25hz and 20 hz.

But I have no intention to add subwooder to A7 which give effortless and tuneful bass in my room.

 

[thomask]

Russian Song called Larrisa;s Romance

Tender Trap by Frank Sinatra

Source Cocktail Audio 50x d server

EMMlab Dac2

Freya pre fitted with Sylavania and RCA 6f8g's

Line Magnetic 508 fitted with RCA 805, EML 300b, Melz 1578, RCA 6c8g

Altec A7

 

[MarcelNL]

sounds like you have the making of a great system, though you may wanna investigate your room acoustics as it comes across as very echo-y

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Russian Song called Larrisa;s Romance

Tender Trap by Frank Sinatra

Source Cocktail Audio 50x d server

EMMlab Dac2

Freya pre fitted with Sylavania and RCA 6f8g's

Line Magnetic 508 fitted with RCA 805, EML 300b, Melz 1578, RCA 6c8g

Altec A7

Sounds great threw my iPad.

 

[Mikem53]

Russian Song called Larrisa;s Romance

Tender Trap by Frank Sinatra

Source Cocktail Audio 50x d server

EMMlab Dac2

Freya pre fitted with Sylavania and RCA 6f8g's

Line Magnetic 508 fitted with RCA 805, EML 300b, Melz 1578, RCA 6c8g

Altec A7

I have the Freya+ using 4 Sylvania 6SN7’s , did you modify the Freya for those tubes ?

 

[thomask]

I have the Freya+ using 4 Sylvania 6SN7’s , did you modify the Freya for those tubes ?

You can use 6f8g tubes with adapters.

2pc gold plated 6F8G 6C8G TO 6SN7 6SL7 tube converter adapter | eBay

Every product will be tested before we send out.

www.ebay.com

I used to use Kenrad vt231 and Sylvania vt231 for Freya +.

But 6f8g tubes tend to give fuller sound than regular 6sn7 tubes.