Modern speakers vs Vintage speakers

[Addicted to hifi]

View attachment 86489

I received PAP-C1 analog active crossover designed by Nelson Pass on 8:30 PM yesterday delivered by UPS.

PAP-C1, Custom Active Analog Crossover for Open Baffle - PureAudioProject

www.pureaudioproject.com

I could adjust the crossover frequency to 500hz only this morning after getting right hex.

After connecting output of Chord Dave and Mscaler, it seems to sound coherent and musical.

They claim warmup time of 24 to 48 hours for full sound.

But initial impression after one hour warm up is quite good.

Thanks Stephan for letting me know this product.

Very nice.congrats.

 

[thomask]

After 20 hours of warmup, Pap-c1 sounds transparent with no loss of details.

My journey to Altec A7 is almost accomplished.

I had listened to Magico A5 driven by Octave 80 amp, DCS Bartok and clock, September this year in Korea.

It has nice clarity but only area desired is more dynamics and impact.

My Altec A7 sounds closer to Magico A5 but with more impact.

It may not sound as typical vintage speaker but I tune it to my taste.

 

[thomask]

It sounds transparent and well separated.

After I get my Silbatone 300b amp repaired next year, I will use it to drive treble horn.

The main reason that I pursue bi amping is Silbatone 300b's 8 watts is not enough to drive Altec A7 full range in my spacious room.

In the meantime, I may try to add two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers to see what happen.

 

[DasguteOhr]

It sounds transparent and well separated.

After I get my Silbatone 300b amp repaired next year, I will use it to drive treble horn.

The main reason that I pursue bi amping is Silbatone 300b's 8 watts is not enough to drive Altec A7 full range in my spacious room.

In the meantime, I may try to add two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers to see what happen.

Before connecting a subwoofer, try playing 2dB more at 20Hz with the low EQ curve. this lets the altec bass play lower than it actually can.
maybe you like that

 

[thomask]

Before connecting a subwoofer, try playing 2dB more at 20Hz with the low EQ curve. this lets the altec bass play lower than it actually can.
maybe you like that

I will try it.

 

[thomask]

I had switched from Telefuken ECC83 to GE 12aux7.

I have 4 pairs of Telefuken ECC83 which tend to skyrocket in price recently.

GE 12aux7 that I paid 40$ for pair last year does not sound bad either.

While Telefuken sounds more focused with slightly wider soundstage, GE sound sweeter with more fuller bass.

Is Telefuken ECC83 overhyped?

I do not think so, but it is getting too expensive.

I paid 80$ for pair 7 years ago.


But I got 3 more pairs at 200$ pair this year.

I also collected 6 pairs of Nos Amperex ECC82 which is my favorite 12au7 tube.

 

[thomask]

This is the video that I made 6 years ago in Skagit tulip festival which is 15 min drive from my home.

After using Pap-c1, I am getting close to Rainbow.

 

[thomask]

I had switched from Cayin 300b pp(20 watts) to Line Magnetic 508 SET (48 watt) to drive treble horn.

Do I need subwoofer for Altec A7?

I doubt but I will try two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers with A7 on Christmas day.

 

[thomask]

Ana Caram's voice sound clean and detailed with transparent background.

This one was using Cayin to drive treble horn.

My Altec A7 does sound closer to modern speaker in clarity but it can rock without strain.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Ana Caram's voice sound clean and detailed with transparent background.

This one was using Cayin to drive treble horn.

My Altec A7 does sound closer to modern speaker in clarity but it can rock without strain.

sounds good.i love Ana carams voice.

 

[Robh3606]

Do I need subwoofer for Altec A7?

Depends on what type of music you are listening to. They are pre THX cinema cabinets so they have limited low end capability below 40Hz compared more modern designs. If they are original and in good condition be careful what you feed them and think twice before trying to EQ them. The 15 drivers have limited x-max and if you EQ below the box tuning you could unload the driver. So don't do any 20-30Hz + EQ especially if you are running with vinyl.

Rob

 

[thomask]

Depends on what type of music you are listening to. They are pre THX cinema cabinets so they have limited low end capability below 40Hz compared more modern designs. If they are original and in good condition be careful what you feed them and think twice before trying to EQ them. The 15 drivers have limited x-max and if you EQ below the box tuning you could unload the driver. So don't do any 20-30Hz + EQ especially if you are running with vinyl.

Rob

I had tried eq once but not any more.

in my room, I could cleary hear 31.5 hz test signal from my Altec A7.

Thus I do not feel the need to add subwoofer.

But I will try it on Christmas to see what happen.

 

[thomask]

One more person become happy after getting Altec A7-500

Quoted from other forum.

Thanks to all of you who showed videos of vintage speakers playing, whether unobtainum's in South Korea or rare but available stuff added to your own systems at home. The lovely music from these vintage classics recorded onto this forum finally pushed me into going for it. For two days now I have had my own pair of Altec A7-500's in my listening room. These I connected to my Ayon Spitfire SET integrated, Ypsilon phono stage, Phasemation SUTs and Classic Turntable Company update of a Garrard 301 and am loving them. They are not the speakers that demonstrate incredible treble or bass extension, nor razor sharp resolution, but sound more like real musicians playing live than anything I have ever owned before. Old 60's R&R records get my foot tapping again. The horns reproduce the sounds of big band horns when I put Duke Ellington's Take the A-train on, drum solos are exciting again, and because of the flair of the horns they allow me to sit anywhere in the room and still get a good sound stage. I am really jazzed.


I am not into gear for its own sake, have no desire to tweak my A7-500’s in order to get greater treble and/or bass extension. For me the gear is only a means to an end, that end being enjoying my records.

Pure analogue to vinyl recordings, unlike digital, have the actual sound of the performance recorded into the grooves. One who listens to (pre-digital) vinyl searches for equipment that can reach into those grooves and play back that recorded event in a way that sounds closest to what was recorded sounded, when it was recorded.

My recently purchased Altec A7-500’s (though the crossovers were rebuilt to stock specs), are otherwise stock vintage two-way speakers that, combined with my SET and other my other gear, are giving me the most natural and enjoyable sound from my old records that I have ever achieved to date, and (IMHO) may be the best sound that I have ever heard from any stereo system.

 

[PeterA]

Great stuff. He identifies the essentials the manner in my opinion. Thank you for sharing.

 

[MarcelNL]

I'm still pretty much deaf in one ear from UAI, BUT I can now clear it for a couple of minutes to listen to the server prototype.
The short version is that I like what I hear and it appears to still break in(now on 24/7 for a week), loads of separation between instruments, effortless dynamics that are borderline ridiculous (Three Blind Mice recordings are scary good), overtones and acoustics in spades, no glare, very realistic sound.
It would surprise me if it cannot keep up with the best TT/Cartridge, both are different but this is very good!

Now I have to tweak the bypass cap(s) and cabling a bit, add another EPS cable to the CPU and then it's up to building a case ...likely going to use panzerholz.

 

[thomask]

This album is called "The Tokyo: the sex, the city, the music".

I will bring down two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers on Christmas or eve to see what happpen.

 

[MarcelNL]

10 inch subwoofer? that's a tweeter ;-)

If you can get the timing issue and integration anywhere near right and those subs extend lower than the Altecs it should be a fun experiment! There is no substitute for cone surface area like more cone surface area.

 

[thomask]

10 inch subwoofer? that's a tweeter ;-)

If you can get the timing issue and integration anywhere near right and those subs extend lower than the Altecs it should be a fun experiment! There is no substitute for cone surface area like more cone surface area.

18 inches correction.

 

[thomask]

One more track from the same album

 

[Solypsa]

Nice...
a dance party

In similar lines are the 'Disorient' label and maybe a little minimal house from So Inagawa.

Nice that you are having fun with these Altecs.