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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?
128x128shkong78
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
@m

  I pulled the trigger without audition.

It was gamble.

Also, I have to cross the border to BC, Canada from Washington state.

Thus I need to take Covid test.

Also my suv could take only one of them.

Thus I drove 50 miles down to borrow my friend's truck.

It was a lot of hassle.

But it pays.

Thomas
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
https://youtu.be/eyTSyclr-GQ

Billie Holiday's voice sounds warm and sentimental through Altec A7.
yugebohner
27 posts
 
Have you ever heard a pair of Altec Madrid 872B’s by chance? I’m guessing the A7’s are an all around better speaker compared to the 872B’s, but they were the first real speakers I ever heard and the speakers I grew up listening to. Paired with a marantz 2270 (which I still have), that was truly a match made in heaven. The lows were so full…I miss those speakers. There’s just something about a big 15” woofer that cannot be replicated by multiple smaller woofers. 

Nice setup!
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,975 posts
 
The a7 can run with a 50k audiophile loudspeaker but I knew that already and it only gets better an a2-4 -a5 all are far better than an a7. Shearer designs even better than those. I have had jaded audio designers rethink life's work after hearing Shearer horns. One doesn't need to spend 50k if wanting great sound you can just buy an Altec or other similar vintage theater horn and lite modify it. A big difference between 1-2k and 50k you could build a dedicated audio room with a pair of modified Altec a5s for 50k.
shkong78's avatar
shkong78 OP
1,485 posts
 
@johnk 

I heard that A5 has more powerful driver than A7.

But I will be happy with A7 for the time being.

My dream is to get Western vintage horn wth field coil driver some day.
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