Another Altec Build

[rajagopal_j]

Hi Guys,

This is going to be my altec build thread.

It was love at first hear from the time I heard Rajiv's rig about 10 months ago. Since then I have been reaching out to a lot of my friends in the Cine industry for altec drivers. Now I have found these. The good guys at KPN just dropped these off at home.

My Helmet in the middle to give you an idea of size.

Massive 288-16k HF Driver, you have to see it in person to understand its size.

416-A LF Drivers

The cone looks pretty new, probably reconed. Need to listen to guage how good its going to be.

I have already started pestering Rajiv and I am looking forward to a lot of help from the other Altec gurus and everyone else willing. More updates soon!

 

[stevieboy]

Very nice Rajagopal! They look to be in very good shape indeed. Rajiv is indeed the perfect guy to help you. I am soaking up knowledge from him right now hostboard, lansingheritage forums are also good places that keep me busy reading. Right now though I'm learning how to read a crossover!

 

[Rajiv]

Hi,

Rajgopal,congratulations.:clapping:

The 288K(ferrite magnet) are very good drivers. They have the tangerine phase plugs and better HF extention than the older Altec 288's.

The 416 woofers have been reconed with local cones.

Will gladly help you with your Altec project.

Regards
Rajiv

 

[rajagopal_j]

Very nice Rajagopal! They look to be in very good shape indeed. Rajiv is indeed the perfect guy to help you. I am soaking up knowledge from him right now hostboard, lansingheritage forums are also good places that keep me busy reading. Right now though I'm learning how to read a crossover!

Hey thanks for the inputs eventually I will get around to crossovers. At the moment, the first order of business is to procure recone kits and HF diaphragms, while I wait for those to arrive, I need to get this muck out of one of the HF drivers.

Hi,

Rajgopal,congratulations.:clapping:

The 288K(ferrite magnet) are very good drivers. They have the tangerine phase plugs and better HF extention than the older Altec 288's.

The 416 woofers have been reconed with local cones.

Will gladly help you with your Altec project.

Regards
Rajiv

Appreciate the support Rajiv!

 

[stevieboy]

That looks like chocolate walnut brownie stuffed in there! Just last night I was browsing through the hostboard forum and came across a thread of someone who had a HF unit in far worse condition, very rusted and he cleaned it up. Somewhere around the 30 page mark.

Regards

 

[GeorgeO]

Good luck with your build.

 

[rajagopal_j]

That looks like chocolate walnut brownie stuffed in there! Just last night I was browsing through the hostboard forum and came across a thread of someone who had a HF unit in far worse condition, very rusted and he cleaned it up. Somewhere around the 30 page mark.

Regards

Steve,

I went through the hostboard forum for altec users, and I tried searching as well with no luck. If you do come across that thread again, please do post the link.

 

[captrajesh]

OMG I think we need an Altec circle now.

Congratulations Rajagopalji. Looking forward to your build.

Rgds


Rajesh

 

[santhosh]

Hi Rajagopal,
Congratulations and welcome to the Altec Club .

Have you thought about what cabinet you want to go for?

When you order the diaphragms and cones from GPA, please keep me and Stevieboy in loop. I have a pair of 515B LF drivers that I need re-cone kits for and we can do a group shipping as the boxes are likely to be bulky considering 15" cones.

All the very best for your build .

PS: I am unsure how GPA packs and ships them. They are most likely to ship them in seperate boxes. If they stack them in one box sucn one on top of the other such that the cones are not damaged, then we can do a group-shipping.

 

[stevieboy]

Here you go Rajagopal Rusty 802-8G

 

[Rajiv]

Hi,

PS: I am unsure how GPA packs and ships them. They are most likely to ship them in seperate boxes. If they stack them in one box sucn one on top of the other such that the cones are not damaged, then we can do a group-shipping.

All cones, voice coils,gaskets, shims etc are packed in one box.They are packed very well and unless mishandled will not be damaged.

Regards
Rajiv

 

[rajagopal_j]

Hi Rajagopal,
Congratulations and welcome to the Altec Club .

Thank you!

Have you thought about what cabinet you want to go for?

Not decided yet. Infact I was thinking of calling you and anil up to see if I can make a trip to Blore this weekend and listen to your rigs.

When you order the diaphragms and cones from GPA, please keep me and Stevieboy in loop. I have a pair of 515B LF drivers that I need re-cone kits for and we can do a group shipping as the boxes are likely to be bulky considering 15" cones.

Sure we can do a group buy and get it shipped to one place.

Here you go Rajagopal Rusty 802-8G

Thank you Steve!

Finally I got around to some basic cleaning on the HF and found that the Voice Coil gap is uneven as in one side of the gap is large and exact opposite side is closed shut ergo the pole pieces have been moved. Probably someone has dropped the driver. Now I need to take it to Ali Bhai.

Santosh and Steve,
Please PM your mobile numbers to me, I will call you to discuss GPA group shipping. I have sent a PM to you with my mobile number as well.

 

[stevieboy]

Rajagopal and Santhosh,

PM me your exact requirements so I can get a shipping quote. Bill replied with costs of what I asked him for my requirement. Santhosh your cone kit is $77 each. However still send PM with exact model just to be sure and part no from the website greatplainsaudio.com under parts link.

Regards

 

[rajagopal_j]

Guys,

After a lot of reading on the net and reading about different designs for enclosures. I am now leaning towards building Jean Hiraga's Onken design.

 

[Rajiv]

Hi,

Lynn Olson's, post from DiyAudio .Once you have tasted the magic of Altec, Vitavox, etc there is no going back to regular speakers.

I have the odd feeling that large-format compression drivers, a multicell or well-designed LeCleac'h (with exit-angle of the driver as part of the design equation), combined with the Altec/GPA 416 bass unit, might be the destination for many audiophiles who have evolved into music lovers.

This might sound a little gushy, but I can't think of anything else that has the beautiful tone colors of a large-format Altec setup. Big-panel electrostats have comparable resolution and 3D-ness, but tonal beauty and take-your-breath-away musical expressiveness? They try, but don't quite get there.

Beyond the Ariel - Page 783 - diyAudio

 

[anilva]

Hi,

Lynn Olson's, post from DiyAudio .Once you have tasted the magic of Altec, Vitavox, etc there is no going back to regular speakers.



Beyond the Ariel - Page 783 - diyAudio

I fully agree. Some of us have been enjoying this combination for a while.

Cheers.

 

[santhosh]

Very interesting thread and knowledge filled exchanges on most things audio - from horns to tubes to unconventional amp designs to driver and speaker designs. Lynn sure seems to be impressed by the 416 woofers and 45 tubes - a combo that I have come to love. I hope to read the entire thread one day.

I have the odd feeling that large-format compression drivers, a multicell or well-designed LeCleac'h (with exit-angle of the driver as part of the design equation), combined with the Altec/GPA 416 bass unit, might be the destination for many audiophiles who have evolved into music lovers.

He couldn't have said this better, I have the same thoughts having heard them in my system.

This might sound a little gushy, but I can't think of anything else that has the beautiful tone colors of a large-format Altec setup. Big-panel electrostats have comparable resolution and 3D-ness, but tonal beauty and take-your-breath-away musical expressiveness? They try, but don't quite get there.

Reminds me of Stevieboy's signature

 

[santhosh]

Rajagopal, how are things progressing with your build? Have you finalised the cabinet design?

Stevieboy also is in touch with Bill@GPA and from my conversations with anilva and stevie, I understand that the GPA packing can only accomodate a pair of recone kits. Anything more will be a seperate box, so guess we can buy together but shipping seperately makes more sense.

 

[Rajiv]

Hi,

Stevieboy also is in touch with Bill@GPA and from my conversations with anilva and stevie, I understand that the GPA packing can only accomodate a pair of recone kits. Anything more will be a seperate box, so guess we can buy together but shipping seperately makes more sense.

Unless they have changed their packing boxes they can ship at least two pairs of recone kits in one box.

I got recone kits for two pairs of woofers in one box.The box is big so even though it does not weigh much the shipping is expensive because of volume. However it was still less expensive then getting two seperate packages.

Regards
Rajiv

 

[rajagopal_j]

Hi Santhosh,

I have been travelling for work, things have been so busy the last 2 weeks that I haven't had the time to even come online.

Not much has been done on the cabinet side or on the crossover. Still waiting for my HF units to come back from Ali bhai here. Apparently he is very good at his work but way too lazy. Rajiv and another friend have suggested that I go and sit with him for a couple of days and get the whole thing done up. Just need to find the time to get those. I also need to source horns.

At the moment I am also considering a open baffle design. Any thoughts on that?

B Rgds,
Raj.