Older Altec horn speakers

FWIW, I bought a pr of (absolutely mint, one-owner) 1977 Model 19s and am very impressed. Especially on a fairly tight budget, these things are very impressive. Only downsize is the weight & size, if you consider those things negatives.

You can find pairs in good shape in the $1200-$1500 range.

Great Paul, Now if you get the upgrade itch do not sell them. They can be improved.

"Looking for a good horn speaker" - That said, if you can find a pair of 16-ohm Altec Valencias, that would be a gorgeous combination with proper tube amplification. And if you do get them, you likely will have sniped me in the process! ;-> Ah, Valencias - One of my holy grail (read:daily) searches . . . but well worth the effort.

Good luck!

No upgrades imminent as my audio budget is now much smaller than before. And I'm discovering the trade-offs need be few.

I believe the 19s are generally considered superior to the Valencias.

Paulfolbrecht stated:

"I believe the 19s are generally considered superior to the Valencias."

I have heard and compared these two side by side years (decades, actually) ago, and again much more recently. I would agree that the 19s are the better choice for some large-scale types of music, but my take on the Valencias is that they do a far better job in terms of sonic finesse and soundstaging, and as such, I definitely prefer them over the 19s for small ensemble, solo instrumental, and most vocal music. The Valencias can provide a very intimate musical experience for the aforementioned types of music that is quite intoxicating.

Bottom line, both are superb speakers!