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Desperate to Get Back to Horns

After selling my Altec Model 19’s some 30 years ago out of dire necessity, I’ve been lost ever since, and goodness knows I’ve tried.  From conventional to stat’s, and everything in between, nothing has filled the void.  I even built an Altec 604 based system at great expense, but it just wasn’t for me.

I still can’t accommodate the size of the Model 19’s, and Model 14’s are not on my list because I chose the 19’s over them when I bought the 19’s new.  With that said, I’m wondering if a speaker like the Volti Razz would get me close?  Or perhaps something from the Klipsch Heritage Series, like the Cornwall?

For years, I lusted after a pair of Avantegarde Uno’s, but after hearing them a few years ago, I just wasn’t impressed, not to mention the price point. A buddy of mine told me to check the cost of the drivers in the Klipsch, and I was absolutely shocked how inexpensive they are, so they’re not really a consideration unless I hear otherwise.  I just don’t understand how they can justify the price point of the new Cornwall when the drivers are so inexpensive.

I realize only another pair of Model 19's can replace them, but are there any other speakers in the $5K range, new or pre-owned, that can bring back some of that Altec Model 19 magic? 

seadweller
deep_333
1,912 posts
 

Just make a refrigerator sized cabinet and you’ll get your combination of efficiency and extension, or put a sub at the right spot (which would execute better)...that’s not the point....Modern high end PA has attributes that old altecs didn’t quite get to...holographia, slam, whatever for days..watch some big meyer bluehorn disappear like a piece of cake and let me know when the altec did something close....

On the other hand horn design has progressed considerably, and compression driver design has progressed, and some modern prosound or prosound-style woofers outperform the Altec woofers in areas other than their combination of efficiency and low-end extension. 

jasonbourne71's avatar
jasonbourne71
1,441 posts
 

@viridian Thank you for clarifying the difference between the Altec 19’s and the Speaker Lab 7's. The author of the quote is Thomas Wolfe - not Hardy. 

seadweller OP
56 posts
 

Thanks everyone for the input!!!  Another pair of 19’s is out of the question unfortunately.  I’ve had a number of opportunities to buy a pair, but they just won’t work in our home (WAF).  cheeky

Interesting about the doping compound.  I assume if you had to get the woofers re-coned, they won’t be the the same.  I wonder how much that changes the original sound overall?

I’ll look into the speakers mentioned.  I’ve been curious about a PA system as well.  Myer Sound and Westlake Audio make some magnificent speakers, but they are way out of my price range.  Another pair of speakers I listened to many years ago were the PMC IB-1.  Super fast and dynamic, but also out of my price range.  They came about as close to horns as any other conventional speaker I’ve heard.

viridian's avatar
viridian
5,298 posts
 

Yes Wolfe! Thank you for the correction, appreciated.

sns
3,953 posts
 

I'm horn convert, I can say with great assurance my highly modified Klipschorns are end game. Many mods possible with Klipsch Heritage, if mods not your thing, I'd go with Volti's, these more refined than stock Heritage although more recent Heritage production has really upped the game with better horns, drivers, crossover components.

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