Vintage vs Modern speakers.

How about this one using Line Magnetic 508 instead of Cayin 300b pp amp to drive main tower.

I also tested frequency extension using Stereophie test disc tracks.

Before Eq, useful signal until 31.5 hz, only faint rumbling at 25hz and 20hz.

After Eq,   useful signal until 31.5 hz and at 25hz , only faint rumbling  20hz.

Thus I do not need subwoofer with A7 in my room.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. A great conceptsound enough to serve as the foundation for an independent democratic nation.

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It seems that JVS had been fascinated with Accuphase DG-68 Digital Voicing Equalizer .

https://www.accuphase.com/historys/images/dg-28.jpg

I had been usin DG-28 model since 2001.

I set up DG-28 last night after 11PM.

Using the mike, it scans 64 frequencies and then adjust the spectrum in the digital domain.

It has 4 pre sets so that I can choose the adjusted results for 4 different speakers.

Lansche 4.1 tends to sound sweet and warm but after room equlaization, it’s sounds get sharper and crispy.

The result with Altec A7 is very satisfactory.

A7 tend to be a little bit too aggressive in the treble.

I mean it give slight harsh edge from time to time.

But room correction and equalization through DG-28 seems to ameliorate such harsh edge.

[MEDIA=youtube]jO3rwoDpvqM[/MEDIA]

After equalization, Heifetz’ s violin sounds warm and full freshed.

[MEDIA=youtube]VTIe50QgCJI[/MEDIA]

But without equalization, his viloin sounds somewhat metallic.

[MEDIA=youtube]yPHZgInSsPU[/MEDIA]

After equalization, the bass seems to be little bit tighter and more extended but not a day and night difference.

To conclude, I am happy with equalization on Altec A7.

The most pronounced effect is to get the treble clean and make violin sounds warm and full freshed.

Thomas

Personally I’d love to have a pair of Altec A7’s or something similar with tube amps in my living room system, but I’m married and plan to stay that way. Something about the presence and immediacy of these systems makes them so engaging.

Altec Lansing’s Voice of the Theatre Speakers - What You Need to Know

A design by John Hilliard, Altec Lansing Voice of the Theatre systems originally targeted movie theaters. The entire series was gradually expanded for use in general sound reinforcement and later converted in extreme high-end audio segments for hi-fi home use. Dorsey knows cinema sound inside...

audioxpress.com

After reading the above article, I had decided to go for active bi amplification without using internal network.

I use Lyngdorf 2170 which has speaker output, analog output and digital output with highpass or lowpass options.


I set the highpass at 500hz on digital output and going through my dac and integrated amp to drive treble horn.


Initially, I had tried to use speaker output of Lyngdorf 2170 with lowpass at 500hz to drive bass unit of Altec A7.


But bass sound is lagging behind the sound from treble horn.

Thus I had used analog output with lowpass at 500hz to Crown XLS 2502 which drive
bass unit of Altec A7.


But bass sound is still lagging behind the sound from treble horn.

Then I had used analog output with lowpass at 500hz to Rogue Cronus Magnum II which drive
bass unit of Altec A7.

Now it is working fine with treble horn.

Many people may think that SS amp sounds faster than tube amp but it is on the contrary.


I had used Telefuken ECC 83 and Amperex ECC 82 in Rogue, but after replacing Amperex with GE 12bh7a tubes, Rogue sound more robust on bass.


After getting rid of internal network, Altec A7 sounds more transparent with clean details.


Since I am happy with sound out of Altec A7 after active bi amping, I retired Lansche 4.1 to attic on the third floor.

Please note that I had been using Lansche 4.1 since 2006 after buying it new at 50k$.

P. S. ticking noise is from my chair while I reord the music sitting in the sofa.

Horn could sound silky not squeaky.

Now I use Cayin 300b PP for treble horn and Rogue Cronus Magnum II fitted with Telefuken ECC83 and GE 12bh7a for bass driver.

It seem to sound very musical with nuanced details.

Bi amping is effective in giving clean and transparent sound.

@audition__audio 

Main tower of Scaena is easy to drive even with low power tube amp since it is very efficient at 93db/w.

But two 18 inch subwoofers need lot of power.

I use Crown XLS 2502

Thomas

I bought used Scaena 3.2 on Jan 2000. But due to Covid break, i could not assemble main towers for 30 months.

I appreciate Rick’s help in assembly of it last Friday.

During the time, I had been using two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers to augement either Lansche 4.1 or Altec A7.

Now i am doing some comparison between Altec A7 and Scaena 3.2.


Could you tell whether  the above musics are from Altec A7 or Scaena 3.2?

Thomas

@twoleftears 

I could do it later.

Now it is kind of blind game.

Thomas

One more song to tell whether the music is from Altec A7 or Scaena 3.2

@twoleftears 

What do you think of the sound regardless whether it is Altec or Scaena.

thanks in advance

Thomas

This shows the strength of hybrid Scaena and Altec A7.

The soundstage is wide and deep, almost mesmerizing.

Using Altec A7 basshorn bass sounds powerful with jump effect.

Thomas

Scaena 3.2 has 12 4 inch midrange drivers which work like full range without any passive crossvoer.

9 ribbon drivers are added with simple capacitor (6k hz cutoff).


They use active crossover at 120 hz. Thus two 18 inch subwoofers covers bass while mail tower covers frequency abover.

I had used two Scaena 18 inch subwoofers to augment subbass of Lansche 4.1 or Altec A7 for 30 months before assemvly of main tower last week.

My impression of two 18 inch subwoofers is positive with fast and tight bass with deep extension.

But somehow, two 18 inch subwoofers doesn not sound very weighty compared with Altec A7 bass horn.

Altec A7 bass horn give authoritiva bass although it starts tapering off at 50 hz and no signal below 30 hz.

When I added two 18 inch subwoofers to Altec A7 at 56hz using crossover of Crwon XLS 2502, they worked very nice.

Thus I had connected main tower of Scaena 3.2 above 500hz to see what happen.

They worked pretty nice as witnessed by Erik (Solypsa).

It may sound crazy to mix and match 60 years old vintage driver with modern speaker.

I had also tried 290 hz using Pap C1 active crossover.

it also work very nice.

Scaena 3.2 is one of the best speaker available in giving widest and deepes soundstage but also with clean mid range and treble using multiple drivers.


With slim line source, soundstage extend beyond my window.

Also I can easily pinpoint different instruments back and forth.


I will be out of town for three weeks to spend time with my 30 months old grandchild.


I will report more on August.

To coclude, I enjoy holographic 3 D stage made by Scaena.

In addition, Altec A7 basshorn add efforless dynamics to the system.

Also I have more headroom to drive main tower of Scaena with smal or medium power tube amp using either 290hz or 500 hz crossover instead of 120 hz.

But it is easier to go back to Altec treble horn since I keep 500 hz crossover point.

Thus I can have both nuance of vintage speaker and 3 D imaging of Scaena.

I had listened to WE full horn system more than 50 times in Korea.

Although they sounds very nice with nuanced details and effortless dynamics, they never throw 3 D holographic image provided by Scaena.