Altec speakers - History

[Hari Iyer]

If you have 1+ hrs spare time, below is a very good informative history about Altec speakers. Enjoy.

 

[square_wave]

Thanks for the share. What a heartwarming but also heartbreaking story of such a great legacy!

 

[grindstone]

As someone who worked at Telex when the Greenwich St guys ate everything, we were all sick for both EV and Altec but it was just another atrocity in a long line of what happened to University and everyone else (and we were nervous, too--in fact I got caught in xmas bloodlettings one year). It's all a sad blur. Klipsch, to this day, still keeps changing hands and getting chunks torn off of it, but keeps a flicker of a pilot light burning. It was the way of the world from the 80's on but especially in the 90's. The finance guys won...by not caring but ruthlessly pursuing short-term gains. America stopped making things and only made deals for about 60 years, give or take, as I see it. Almost none of the old names mean much of anything close to what they did. Even JBL has had enormous changes and it's deeply sad.

The world has moved-on. In this respect, our own stewardship of the ancient contraptions will always matter.

 

[General_sound]

As someone who worked at Telex when the Greenwich St guys ate everything, we were all sick for both EV and Altec but it was just another atrocity in a long line of what happened to University and everyone else (and we were nervous, too--in fact I got caught in xmas bloodlettings one year). It's all a sad blur. Klipsch, to this day, still keeps changing hands and getting chunks torn off of it, but keeps a flicker of a pilot light burning. It was the way of the world from the 80's on but especially in the 90's. The finance guys won...by not caring but ruthlessly pursuing short-term gains. America stopped making things and only made deals for about 60 years, give or take, as I see it. Almost none of the old names mean much of anything close to what they did. Even JBL has had enormous changes and it's deeply sad.

The world has moved-on. In this respect, our own stewardship of the ancient contraptions will always matter.
View attachment 96028

Indeed . Your last line is so true.

 

[square_wave]

The finance guys won...by not caring but ruthlessly pursuing short-term gains. America stopped making things and only made deals for about 60 years, give or take, as I see it. Almost none of the old names mean much of anything close to what they did. Even JBL has had enormous changes and it's deeply sad.

My biggest gripe - These money peeps took these brands / pioneering legends and converted them to something that is much smaller and toylike. I shudder when I see the "Nakamichi" brand on a soundbar or blutooth speaker. They could have converted the brand to a pioneering "source equipment" company if they wanted to stay relevant to the changing times. Dacs, Turntables etc. Such a shame!

See what they did :

Party Speakers

www.nakamichihomeaudio.com

It is the same with Altec.