Modern speakers vs Vintage speakers
- Thread starter thomask
- Start date
I pulled the trigger without audition.
It was gamble.
Also, I had to cross the border to BC, Canada from Washington state.
Thus I need to take Covid test.
Also my suv could take only one of them.
Thus I drove 50 miles down to borrow my friend's truck.
It was a lot of hassle.
But it had paid.
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I paid 50K$ for new Lansche 4.1 16 years ago.
It was like buying luxury German car (Lansche is also made in Germany),
But I got Altec A7 four weeks ago at 1000 CDN(750 USD).
Despite the price difference Altec A7 give more effortless sound with nuanced details.
Lansche give more refined sound with holographic imaging.
But with Michael Jacson and large scale orchestral music , I prefer Altec to Lansche.
I would think they’re probably better with rock music too. Holographic imaging, pinpoint imaging, and image outlines, are hi-fi stereo attributes which personally I do not hear in live music. I hear energy and life and natural tone and dynamics. The Altec sounds like an incredible value, even a steal for that price. Congratulations.
it does.I listened to it thru my headphones.
Billie Holiday's voice sounds warm and sentimental through Altec A7.
I think that with vinyl the differences would be even more in-your-face. Though it would be difficult to convey on a phone video.
So what makes the A7 so great?
Big horn and woofer?
Alnico magnets?
Construction by people who had natural references and not just digital files and previous generation speakers?
60 years of practice — materials getting better with use?
Do any current speakers match the A7? Outside inbred diciplines such as “3d” and “air”?
Jesper
So what makes the A7 so great?
Big horn and woofer?
Alnico magnets?
Construction by people who had natural references and not just digital files and previous generation speakers?
60 years of practice — materials getting better with use?
Do any current speakers match the A7? Outside inbred diciplines such as “3d” and “air”?
Jesper
With Radian my reference is the horns Universum which uses the 950 PB (beryllium). Lots of videos here, https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/horns-universum-videos.31213/
You will see that the white speaker system and the Red/black sound different on the same music, because of different electronics. There is also a video there of Aviad playing the same cello piece from different performances/recordings, showing a lot of difference. The universum is indeed the most transparent to recordings speaker I have heard and listen to at regular intervals over the last 5 years. The black red one has a 400GBP audio technica AT 33 on a 3k locally made TT with the basic Sikora arm, yet you will hear extremely high nuance on the various violin pieces.
On TAD, it is TAD 4003, and I refer to Leif's system write up here for all the details on why and how http://zero-distortion.org/tad-4003-dual-woofer-flh-leifs-system-norway/
Altec is very good, mind you, nice timbre and pleasant, but less nuanced for violin inflections though imo lesser nuance with the fullness works better for rock as compared to the beryllium counterparts. Maybe if someone added a vdh Strad here it would be sufficient. The problem with many Altec owners is they are lower budget by nature and usually use SPU, shure, etc
I am referring only to the 500 Hz above range, not the woofer. Altec woofers are legendary.
Thanks for that write-up. I had seen yr report of Lief's at your ZD. I supect both of these need a fair amount of space.
The upper range doesn't. It depends on the bass solution. Leif uses a lot of space because he can, it is like Mike's or any 4 tower system, you really can't compare it to a normal cone speaker.
The same Radian or TAD can be incorporated in the Altec A7, A5, or A817 design. It is using the Radian or TAD for the midrange, and then using either one or two woofers below for midbass. You require around 4m from the speaker, and as Leif's has a partial rear wave, good to pull it out a bit. The A5, A7, and the uni will not be an all out assault on bass like Leif's.
Thanks for the follow-up. My room is too small for an all out assault on bass. ~30 sq m. Horn bass is probably ruled out.
I have heard trios with bass horns inn 6m x 5m, and both tune audio Anima and horns universum in average rooms as they are downward firing horn bass. I would have fine with all of them in 20 feet long rooms with at least 4mm. Of course they will be bigger sounding in bigger rooms and can scale effortlessly.
For an analog junkie with classical focus of those I would have gone with universum. The change to change in each LP makes it extremely enjoyable as each is a different concert.
When you like smooth organic sound test the B&C de 250 16 ohm,
with bigger horn works from 800hz - 18khz. I use it in my open baffles from 2-18khz phantastic driver.
Next level open the back of the Driver let stored energy out you get 19khz.
with bigger horn works from 800hz - 18khz. I use it in my open baffles from 2-18khz phantastic driver.
Next level open the back of the Driver let stored energy out you get 19khz.
No...it is a bastard, hawthorne silver iris 15" with B&C de250
My preference, bearing in mind I am hearing these over my computer speakers, are the Altec A800, so smooth, warm, presence, followed by the Tannoy Autograph, then the JBL and Tesla tied for third (because of a slight edge in the leading transients, woman's voice).
Can you try other cds on it? If so, try to get a pair of Beyma CP350TI. You can only get them used but they are simply superb. Almost as linear as the DE250 but lower distortion.
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