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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?
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dbphd
1,630 posts
 
I’d never seen the A7 in black before. The ones we had in the lab used the larger 500 sectoral horn, were an industrial looking bluish green, and open at the bottom. I used one at home as a graduate student in the early 60s. It was great for the horns in Aida, a bit less so for voices.
ryder
1,690 posts
 
I do not have experience with the Altec or Lansche but generally prefer modern over vintage speakers for sound quality, looks and new/clean condition.
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
Altec A7 does sound much better than i expected.

I picked it up only three weeks ago.

It give effortless dynamics and nuanced bass with wide and deep soundstage.

Although Altec does not sound boxy, I could notice more holographic imaging through my modern speaker Lansche 4.1 which I had been using since 2006.

I am happy to have both.

I will play each depending on music and my mood.
Altec seems to work better with Jazz and rock music although it is not slouch with Classical music.
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
I think Altec A7 sounds more like live music.

The holographic imaging through Lansche 4.1 may be exaggerated effect which can not be heard at live concert.

But audiophiles tend to enjoy such holographic imaging.
mozartfan
2,143 posts
 
I am happy to have both.

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I morphed both low sens and high sens together, Best of both worlds , separate cabinets  but one   cohesive meshed soundstage.
Best of both designs. 
Could I be happy with only 1 single WBer,
Sure i could,
 Could  I be happy with a  single low sens speaker?
No never again.
 I could not, will not.
But both together, provided the low sens midwoofer is very well behaved. 
This is the caveat, the lone condition. 
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