Vintage vs Modern speakers.


Most people have wrong belief that modern speaker has more clarity and details than vintage speakers
Recently I got 50 years old Altec A7 which sounds much better than my expectation.

I had kept Lansche 4.1 with plasma tweeter for 16 years which is still regarded as modern speaker.

You judge ths sound of Lansche 4.1 which go down to 20 hz and Altec A7 whcih go down to only 31.5 hz but more robust bass from the following Youtube videos.
Surpising thing is that Altec A7 give as much as details as Lansche 4.1 with plasma tweeter.


[MEDIA=youtube]LE8j3ufH3u4[/MEDIA]
Loving you was like party
https://youtu.be/LE8j3ufH3u4
https://youtu.be/gGu9NfsMzGQ

Way down deep
https://youtu.be/jSfOCo-EKPU
https://youtu.be/-4apGL7GnGg

A touch of sonic madness
https://youtu.be/OGBUpeNqvcY
https://youtu.be/OGBUpeNqvcY

The Gate of Dafos

https://youtu.be/ulY5cfEA8bM

https://youtu.be/HlNwXvjxcu4

Which do you like better between Vintage(1) and Modern (2) judging from the Youtube videos?
128x128shkong78

 

 

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

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.

Someone was asking about listening to a pair of Altec Madrids 872 - listening to a pair of 872As I found for 375 - treble is not revealing but they are nice to listen to - the biflex 15” woofers do a nice job - the speakers sounded a bit rough when I got them but I opened up and tightened all the press for connections hooking up the woofer and tweeter - many were loose - now they sound much better! 

shkong78, this is a very interesting thread.  Thanks for posting it.  I am a horn guy.  My main speakers have be DIY horns for nearly twenty years.  Thus I started listening to your posted videos assuming I would prefer the Altecs.  Much to my surprise on the selections you posted I I really liked the Lansches better.  They are very fantastic speakers.

 

shkong78, thanks for the Youtube clips.

Altec A7’s (with the larger HF horn) where my first PA speakers. When stored in my live in loft I used one for band practice, playing radio, records and tapes in the mid 60’s. I had no knowledge of audio. During a visit by a recording Engineer acquaintance, he relocated the A7’s, my couch and ran lamp wire to the Fisher and holy schitt! The hook went deep, there was no looking back.

Your open space is reminiscent of my loft space. I think I’ve been chasing that presentation for ever. Sadly, that loft was short lived.

In hindsight the fidelity from the simplicity and efficiency of the A7 has always stayed with me. If I had the space...