sootshe Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Well I've finally finished my Elliptracs built up from a kit supplied by Dave. Took a lot of work, but I'm pretty pleased with the result.......................I've wanted these to mate with some of the GPA 399 drivers that are basically a pancake version of the original Altec 288/290 series...........for those of you not familiar, a pancake version is basically a shorter version of the original, which I'm told means that it is not as comfortable down in the lower regions...........GPA product is made from the original tooling & dies used to make the vintage Altec Lansing gear.................................I'm running these through an ALK uni & there is definitely no issue with the 400Hz crossover point. They also have a 390 version which they claim will go to 300Hz, but I wanted the 399, as it produces a slightly crisper sound than the 390. .........these babies are nearly 8" in diameter & weigh nearly 10kgs...........................so , to cut to the chase.......................first the Elliptracs.......................compared to the ALK Martinelli Trachorn that I was using, I would say that they are different, rather than better..................having said that, I prefer the sound of these to the Trachorn.............much less directional......the sound doesn't come from the speakers anymore & produces a very wide soundfield..........................................& the GPA's.............................compared to the K55's (dual phase plug type) mated to the Trachorns................well there's really no comparison. Everything is better....the detail......the contrasts between instruments....the timbre of the instruments.........the ability to pick out individual instruments. They have a dimension that the 1" drivers just cannot produce, no matter their quality. They have a much fuller sound & an effortlessness that has to be heard. ...............................for the first time in a long time, I find myself listening to the music & not to the equipment & that's probably the highest compliment I can give them. .............................the final step is to upgrade the croosovers to ALK AP12-500's, not because they need to be crossed higher, but because they will improve the performance in the upper bass & lower midrange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 oh....& by the way......no affiliation with GPA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 With a bit of trimming they fitted beautifully into the existing cabinets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 These pics are before I fitted the drivers, so that's masking tape you can see down the throat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sootshe Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 One final one. Not sure why you can see the white type marks around some of the perimeter, but they aren't visible in reality. Must be the camera or the light.......sorry about the fingermarks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaspr Posted May 24, 2012 Share Posted May 24, 2012 Nice...really nice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David H Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 They look great, nice job on the horn finish. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny's Jill Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 I love the top cab. I have the same horns, but I had dave build them. obviously not a attrative as yours, but sound excellent. I am using the B&C De-85 driver 2-way, started off -way with the JBL-2404, but this sounded better without the tweeter. The speakers are Fastlane's Prophile 41. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 Outstanding.... I'm certain that you get many comments on these beauties... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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