Altec 510 reviews?


I would like review information or opinion on the Altec 510 speakers that were re-issued I believe in about 1999. My brothers each had 511's from the 80's and one had studio 14's. They both kept the 511's as they loved the full sound. I purchased the 510 model as 511's are not in the re-issue group. I have thought about moving toward some 604 based speakers or some Klipsch but really just want to hear of any reviews. I may save myself the cost if the difference in listening experience is not that substantial. Problem is I cannot really 'try out' any other speakers as in this area only new systems are available. Help!
obsessalot
My 510s were bought for $80 on craigslist. They had a lot of cosmetic issues, but worked well. I bought them purely to play with, to see if they were like my old 508s. They couldn't compete with my VMPS RM30s, nor for $80 did I expect them to. When I got done checking them out I gave them to a coworker, who seems to like them. As I mentioned, you're going to need to spend more $ to improve on them, and you are facing the law of diminishing returns, big time.
Because of their excellent "listenability" I thought they were good enough to keep long term in an above average system, which is high praise for me. You've got a pretty good speaker; you might consider staying with them. They need a gutsy amp to get them going.
Thank you for your response Jmbatkh. I really appreciate your taking the time. I am happy with the 510's and know that reading through all of the information here that I could do better to be sure that all other components of my system are up to par. That will allow the speakers a chance to perform to their optimum. Diminishing returns is also a good point. At what point to end the pursuit? It could be a long road. I hear so many technical issues brought up here and in different threads that I don't know what to make of half of it. That is, I don't know if I could detect phase shift and other technical occurances unless this auditory situation was pointed out to me. For that reason and others I think I would have to be in a training session with a sound engineer to understand and hear all of these differences. Again, appreciate the response. You have been helpful!
I have 604 based speakers which are in enclosures built by Serious Stereo. I disagree that they do not sound full or open at low volumes. I suppose it would depend on the implementation of the speaker though. Mine are in a 11.5 cubic foot bottom vent enclosure. I normally listen around 70-80db and they sound very good to me at this level. They still sound good at lower volumes but I think you will find that most all speakers will need at least this much volume to sound their best.
Can anybody help me with the crossover frequencies of altec lansing 510 A speakers? Thnx.