Re: Altec 604 8G drivers....Rocking Now..!!!
Ashok ji,
Thank you for your kind words. And yes, one of the most mesmerising aspects of the pair is that they completely disappear! one is no longer listening to the speakers or the "chain" or a component!
of course every component in the chain is contributing to the overall effect, however, its is the speakers that are doing the disappearing act, despite their huge proportions!
And yes, the weekend after the next one I will plan out a session for you, kamal ji, vinay arora, sid. will keep it limited as the room is small.
all other FMs will be invited on a weekend after that one!
Manavji, it was a pleasure after a long, long time meeting up. Thanx for your patience and kindness despite our being delayed (as is this post vis-a-vis Saturday). I know you would have had a earful when you eventually reached CyberHub for your dinner date.
One of the magic words that clinched my wanting to make it was these were Kanwarji's o/p. I normally would not let up an opportunity like this, though it was a working day for me, traffic from Delhi to Gurgaon being what it is at that time notwithstanding.
Yes, the Altecs, interesting looking and designed drivers (purely in the looks deptt.).
But I guess we did get a good 45-60 minutes with them.
I agree with Kamalji's observation, the speakers certainly sound very smooth but need more breaking-in. That said, they will eventually shine.
Being one for airy highs (prejudiced, possibly owing to the ESLs) and deep-kicking lows (prejudiced, possibly owing to Kanwarji's Avepa), the NOS/mint condition of the drivers may have caused a slight roll-off on both ends. But the midrange was nice, smooth, detailed and effortless.
The CDs we carried (and played) were as follows:-
1. Kalpana Zokarkar - Hidden Gems, Mystica Music
The first song tells me all I need to know in most systems.
On the Altecs, her excellent voice shone through. The tabla too.
However, I missed some depth with the rest of the presentation.
2. Sarah McLachlan - Rarities, B-Sides and Other Stuff Volume 2
Again, the first song, the sheer presence and warmth that a good system can demonstrate, is all one needs for a confirmatory. This came through.
3. Jagjit Singh & Chitra Singh - The Unforgettables, SaReGaMa/RPG
I look for the rasp and grainy quality in Jagjitji's 'Baat niklegi to door talak'. I also look at how smooth Chitraji's 'Raat bhi neend bhi, kahani bhi' sounds vis-a-vis shrill/hurtful.
These were win-win!
4. Maxim - The Piano Player, EMI/Virgin
Flight of the bumble bee and Exodus allows a check on dynamic range and harmonics for more current generation music interpretations, albeit on classics.
These handled his music very well.
The speakers are ATLs with active XO, Class AD built in amplification with the 15" Altec co-ax drivers. The cabinets are teak, built solidly (I have always loved Kanwarji's Nawashahar cabinet-work team). I would have given even more numbers if the front was a single baffle/block/plank; brings out the rich grain. The vote's out on whether to polish (glossy/matte) or not, but to each his own. The detailing was also interesting, other than the rounding-off of the sides and pointy-edges. The driver also seemed to have Kanwarji's signature touch-ups (pl. correct me if not), for longevity, etc. I would have liked to understand more on the speaker legs/footers, but could not. If these are adjustable and allow for some vibration management, would be great. Also, since these would be heavy. These are bottom firing, with obviously ample cubic capacity to allow the Altecs to sing and dig-deep. On first impressions, it was Phil Collins and since there were two seats in the room, I was standing; the speakers disappeared, leaving a deep and broad sound-stage instead! This was in-spite of the room being of modest dimensions (12x10) for a driver implementation of this size (there are foam bass-traps in the rear corners).
After 'Resurrection', this would be a delight. But, I would suggest you wait for a month and then decide. The highs should be better on the Resurrection whereas LF should in the Altecs (though maybe not as fast).
Tapanji, Panditji, Harry and Kartick, nice meeting up!
Looking forward to a vinyl session by the time the drivers open-out and settle in. Manav has a museum of it (sheer number and choice)! Along with chilled beer, icing!!!
Ashok ji,
Thank you for your kind words. And yes, one of the most mesmerising aspects of the pair is that they completely disappear! one is no longer listening to the speakers or the "chain" or a component!
of course every component in the chain is contributing to the overall effect, however, its is the speakers that are doing the disappearing act, despite their huge proportions!
And yes, the weekend after the next one I will plan out a session for you, kamal ji, vinay arora, sid. will keep it limited as the room is small.
all other FMs will be invited on a weekend after that one!
