Vintage HiFi Audio Forum

Audio Discussion => TUBES TUBES TUBES => Topic started by: tinpan on April 23, 2011, 12:21:06 PM

Title: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: tinpan on April 23, 2011, 12:21:06 PM
I stopped by another buddy's house to check out his Atec 288 horns he rebuilt and catch up in general on his going ons.

(http://images53.fotki.com/v138/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3554-vi.jpg)
He had his Atec 288s rebuilt, ordered a pair of Jabo horns and manufactured this brace to mount the horns on the bass cabinets. All I can say is utter sweetness. I have long been in the Klipsch camp and only recently explored the Lowther offerings. Altec was an unknown world to me until I ran into Digital Pete and his Altec VOTT A7s. I can see Altec in my future

(http://images47.fotki.com/v1589/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3560-vi.jpg)
Pete didn't like the crossovers that came with the A7s so he made these. I think Matt's work, above, and these are a work of art.

(http://images56.fotki.com/v124/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3502-vi.jpg)
Matt redid his Altec bass bins and refinished the front of them. Here he is running the Jabo horns with them on his homebrew 300b SET amp. You can see the Sonos he is using for a media server as well.

(http://images56.fotki.com/v124/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3547-vi.jpg)
After a while we switched out Matt's bass bins for these NOS Altec Sentry IV bass bins. You can also see Pete's crossover. These bass bins were new in the box and you can see the stickers still on them. Pete bought one and Matt bought the other. When they unpacked them they found the surround had rotted away. They replaced the bass drivers with new ones but I can't remember what they were.

(http://images45.fotki.com/v148/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3569-vi.jpg)
Here is Pat, Pete and Matt LtoR listening to the Sentry IVs and Jabo Horns. You can see a pair of Model 19s in the background. I don't think they sounded very nice, Matt sold them pretty quickly.
Pate and Matt also sold the Sentry IV bass bins, which i now own. They will be used for a future project when my Lowther PM4a's arrive

(http://images12.fotki.com/v611/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3572-vi.jpg)
As with anything these two do, they couldn't stand not seeing what the Altec horns from the Model 19s wold sound like, so, off came the grills

(http://images55.fotki.com/v509/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3574-vi.jpg)
Out came the horn

(http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3576-vi.jpg)
And soon Pete and Matt began exploring the insides of the Model 19 cabinets.

We never got around to actually hooking up the Model 19 horns, I forget what side tracked us. But it was fun as always to hangout with this crew. Pete is the guy that built my Audio Note amps and Matt is the guy that recommended them to me, he also talked Pete into building them for me and launching that as a side business. I have learned a lot hanging around this crew.

Then I was off to the Rabbits Den for the Mini MD get together


(http://images32.fotki.com/v1047/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3553-vi.jpg)
One last look at those horns, gotta love em.



Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: Slim-Shaddy on April 23, 2011, 12:32:52 PM
very cool!
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: Kingman on April 23, 2011, 12:33:32 PM
DAMN!!!!......DAMN THEM SOME BIG HORNS!!!!!    :o    8)    8)    8)    8)
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: wkhanna on April 23, 2011, 12:46:46 PM
Those had to sound absolutely gorgeous!
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: Zoot Horn on April 26, 2011, 07:36:11 AM
damn,, that one pic of the guy sticking his head inside one of them,,man eating speakers,,lol,, very nice work,,anyone know the efficiency of those jobbies? Lots of folks grinning.  8)
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: tinpan on May 01, 2011, 10:33:00 AM
The 288 driver by itself is 115 db. In this set up going through the crossover, it's probably 95 to 100 db. Matt just got his Interstage Mono Blocks and holy moly does it ever sound nice.
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: Zoot Horn on May 01, 2011, 12:04:34 PM
thanks-- so I'm guessing that ya'll drive these with an SET amp? I suppose that it would not take too much power to make em' sing.My ignorance of horns leads me to ask this question--how do they "soundstage:? Is it a 3d type--really curious--any reply is appreciated.Thanks.
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: tinpan on May 01, 2011, 04:53:52 PM
Yep, they are PSE amps. Audio Note Interstage Mono Blocks

(http://images56.fotki.com/v127/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3356-vi.jpg)
He just got done building a pair of these. They are Parallel 300b SET tubes. Boy does it sound nice. I am going to do a similar thing except i am going to use a Lowther driver for my horn. Although, his Altec driver really has me looking at that horn set up as well.
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: tinpan on May 02, 2011, 08:27:36 PM
Pete's Altec A7s are like a wall of sound.  Huge soundstage. Matt's is more pin point for the sweet spot, but that is a little deceiving, his set up also presents a big sound stage if you start cranking.

Think along the lines of live music

I pulled these out of my storage bin to play with my Sentry IVs. My horns will be different  :P
(http://images107.fotki.com/v159/photos/6/111916/8324195/IMG_3739-vi.jpg)
Title: Re: On the way to the Rabbit's Den - Horns and Tubes
Post by: Zoot Horn on May 02, 2011, 08:38:12 PM
holy beejeezus guys,, after looking at these horns,,I glanced at my monitors,,,and somehow I feel entirely inadequate.  :'(