New speaker build - Altec/Onken

[anilva]

Completed another long drawn project today. This time it is the vintage Altec drivers housed in a Onken design.

The speakers are massive and each must be weighing over 70 KGs. The woofer is a 15" Altec 416A Alnico and the HF is a Altec 811B with 802D Alnico HF driver.

Both are currently driven through a Behringer Digital crossover.

The project has taken nearly 8 months, right from buying the vintage Altecs, reconing them and finally making the Onken cabinets.

Special thanks to Rajiv (HFV forum member) for his constant help, support and advice.

They sound wonderful. Very easy to play and very efficient and can play very loud. This driver combination in a Altec Voice of The Theater A5 enclosure plays to a theater size of about 500 people (small by Altec's standards).

So this brings to a close my frenzy on DIY stuff for the last few months with Fostex Back Loaded Horns, Tone Tubby Open Baffles, Pass F5 amp, Gainclone amp and now this. Rest for a while, enjoy the fruits of labour, before a new bug bites.

Cheers.
Anil

 

[jitubisht]

woooooa, they are massive mate!
Congrats!

 

[Kittu]

70kgs !Whoa! thats massive...:clapping: Wish you a 700kg speaker project soon...

 

[iaudio]

Anilva, now you should have built all these goodies before august so that we could have pestered you for a listen during our 'audio yatra'. But going by their similarity to what Rajiv has, I guess I can assume they sound fantastic.
Keep the DIY flag flying high!

 

[suri]

Completed another long drawn project today. This time it is the vintage Altec drivers housed in a Onken design.

The speakers are massive and each must be weighing over 70 KGs. The woofer is a 15" Altec 416A Alnico and the HF is a Altec 811B with 802D Alnico HF driver.

Both are currently driven through a Behringer Digital crossover.

The project has taken nearly 8 months, right from buying the vintage Altecs, reconing them and finally making the Onken cabinets.

Special thanks to Rajiv (HFV forum member) for his constant help, support and advice.

They sound wonderful. Very easy to play and very efficient and can play very loud. This driver combination in a Altec Voice of The Theater A5 enclosure plays to a theater size of about 500 people (small by Altec's standards).

So this brings to a close my frenzy on DIY stuff for the last few months with Fostex Back Loaded Horns, Tone Tubby Open Baffles, Pass F5 amp, Gainclone amp and now this. Rest for a while, enjoy the fruits of labour, before a new bug bites.

Cheers.
Anil

superb!-

now - when can i listen to these?

regds suri

 

[kaushik]

congo from me! well made...where did you purchased the cones..is any 6" cone available?old speakers sound best ...i have found many ppl saying.

Attack of the Gaint Diy spkrs begins!!!

 

[Rajiv]

Hi,

Special thanks to Rajiv (HFV forum member) for his constant help, support and advice

Anil,you are welcome.The pleasure was mine.

So this brings to a close my frenzy on DIY stuff for the last few months with Fostex Back Loaded Horns, Tone Tubby Open Baffles, Pass F5 amp, Gainclone amp and now this. Rest for a while, enjoy the fruits of labour, before a new bug bites.

You are amazing,to have compleated so many projects in such a short time.

I am inspired by you to get of my backside and bring the projects I have started and languishing unfinished to fruition as soon as possible.

Regards
Rajiv

 

[santhosh]

They look fab Anil. Must have been a herculean task to ship them - procuring, reconing etc. Hats off to you. Would like to drop in for a listen sometime soon.

superb!-

now - when can i listen to these?

regds suri

Suri, When are u visiting Bangalore next? Plan something soon, I'll work out the itenary. May ride shotgun to Kannur with you to listen to the witches, long overdue.

 

[anilva]

@all Thanks for all your kind words. I will go through the fine tuning of the speakers now in terms of measurements, tweaking the crossover points, time alignment and few other things.

You folks are most welcome to visit me for a listen.

Cheers.

 

[anilva]

congo from me! well made...where did you purchased the cones..is any 6" cone available?old speakers sound best ...i have found many ppl saying.

Attack of the Gaint Diy spkrs begins!!!

Kaushik,

Thanks. The recone kits are purchased from Great Plains Audio who make them as per original specs using original tooling. Check their website for your requirements.

Cheers.

 

[anilva]

Hi,




Anil,you are welcome.The pleasure was mine.




You are amazing,to have compleated so many projects in such a short time.

I am inspired by you to get of my backside and bring the projects I have started and languishing unfinished to fruition as soon as possible.

Regards
Rajiv

Rajiv,

Your help and advice is invaluable in this effort. Thanks once again. Need to make some tweaks on the time alignment etc.

Waiting for you to complete your 605 stuff.

Cheers.

 

[GeorgeO]

Fast work and looks very promising.

I think it's time( it's overdue!) for an audition of Anil's stuff. Let's plan something soon. I may need to go to the US in early/mid November, so if we can do it before that it will be great.

 

[vivekphadnis]

Those speakers are awesome Anil.

George, count me in for the listening session if all of you are going.

Vivek

 

[t.antony]

Congrats on the new addition. It will take a lot of dedication to do a project like this, KUDOS for that! Please do post the measurements results and your experiences with time alignment .

Regds...

 

[mekr]

i should also bring to the notice of visioners ,the help provided by Rajiv our member ,who has been helping me with his efforts monetary as well as physical to me in obtaining lifelike sound

 

[Adhiraj]

Naaaaicce I like I like.Congratulations ,they look superb! I bet they sound fabulous considering you are using it in active biamp config no finniky passive xo's to bugger the direct driver amp connection

 

[Rajiv]

Need to make some tweaks on the time alignment etc.

Hi,

Anil,have you tweaked the system and adjusted the time alignment?

Listening impressions after a week with the Altec's.


Regards
Rajiv

 

[anilva]

Rajiv,

I have tried tweaking them with few changes. Crossover point, equalization between 1-1.5K, time delay for the woofers etc. I have 4 saved settings as of now. Today I measured them with RTA. Seem pretty balanced except for some peak around 2.5K and also a steep fall after 50 Hz. I am compensating with subs. Overall I am trying to balance out few things, while keeping my sonic preferences. I like speakers a little sharp.

Overall the speakers are very dynamic in nature. Can go really really loud in terms of SPL. Highs are wonderful. Bass is full and tight. This tweaking will go on for sometime till I get bored.

Cheers.

 

[GeorgeO]

>This tweaking will go on for sometime till I get bored.

Presumably to them move on to your next project, right?

Cheers!

 

[santhosh]

I have tried tweaking them with few changes. Crossover point, equalization between 1-1.5K, time delay for the woofers etc. I have 4 saved settings as of now. Today I measured them with RTA.

Are you using a Behringer? Is RTA the real time analyser app available for iPhone/ipod?