intotubes Posted January 22, 2006 Author Share Posted January 22, 2006 I'm reluctant to start over with a new crossover design. I saw a thread on an Altec BB where a guy had the components (less crossover) of a Carmel and then found a cabinet. He put it together but has been wrestling with a crossover design that sounded right. I don't want to depart too far from the original design and end up losing what I have heard called the "Altec" sound. They sound pretty good right now but being over 40 yrs old the caps are no doubt causing some problems. I liked the idea of using the old network and laying it out on a board. Without looking at one, I don't see why that wouldn't work. Thanks for the discussion. I appreciate learning more about these guys from my trusted group here at the Klipsch site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 A less expensive alternative to the Marchand is the Behringer line of xovers. They're made for studio/PA applications but have good parts and impressive features at a very reasonable price starting under $100... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 The Behringer DCX2496 crossover adds features that can help you adjust the sound in the room - such as EQ and time delay... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I'll put in my vote for active. I was expecting a very difficult time and it took les sthan an hour to dial in the system. (but I already knew the crossover points to use). Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted January 22, 2006 Share Posted January 22, 2006 I'd rather buy a used crossover than the Behringer stuff. I didn't realize Marchand started so cheap - interesting. I got an ART 2-way stereo/3-way mono w/ sub out for $90. Not fantastic, but I'd sure rather see it than Behringer in my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 "I'd rather buy a used crossover than the Behringer stuff. " Yeah...Behringer doesn't get much respect from the a'phile crowd as some feel it degrades the signal too much. Then again, some don't and its a great value and quite versatile. I've read some reviews in which some folks suggest that they should increase the price to spark the interest of the a'phile crowd. "I didn't realize Marchand started so cheap - interesting. " Their least expensive 2-way crossover starts at $40/board ($25 for the kit) but they are best known for their tube xovers which can cost over $4K! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben. Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Behringer gets even less respect from the intended market - pro audio. No biggie, though. They seem to work OK when they work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted January 23, 2006 Share Posted January 23, 2006 Before I'd start doing anything irreversable on these things, I'd see what they're selling for on ebay. The big old Altecs can bring quite a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intotubes Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 You don't see these beasts on E-Bay. There is a pair of Malibu's up right now. It'll be interesting to see what they go for. I am actually considering having a cabinet maker friend of mine make me a pair of Malibu cabinets to put my components in. They will match my CW's better. Might even use the black Cornwall fabric you can get at Partsexpress(?) for a better match. For the record, I am NOT selling these. They are in the same league as Klipsch for sure and suit me just fine. I guess I am a sucker for horns. I can't get enough of listening to them. BTW the guys at the Lansing forum arent' nearly as prolific as the fanatics here. A lot less action. I saw a few familiar faces over there though. Man, are these old speakers (Altec & Klipsch) cool or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 Congrats on your Altec score. I would also keep them if I were you. Yes, I love my Belle Klipsch, but I also have an extreme fondness for my Altec Valencias - and they will be around for a long while. I think your reasoning is sound on staying with a passive crossover somewhat close in design to the original. Active often works for many speaker applications, but as you accurately pointed out, there are enough stories out there from Altec owners who started messing around in crossover land too much, modern-wise, and lost some of that "magic." Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
intotubes Posted January 24, 2006 Author Share Posted January 24, 2006 AAH, Valencias. They must sound glorious with that 15" woofer (right?). I don't know if I mentioned I was keeping them. [] Here's a pic of my (temporary) stack. LOL, not a lot of WAF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.records Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 tubes, I bet that Klipsch/Altec combo will sound great. The folks on the Altec site are not as numerous as here on the Klipsch site, but give them time. They know Altecs like you Klipsch folks know your stuff. It just takes longer for them to chime in. They have helped me alot with my Altecs. As a matter of fact, one of them that lived about an hour south of me drove up and checked out my speakers for me (on his own dime) spent the day with me (I treated for lunch) and he even did some repairs on a couple of spare diaphrams for me. He also did a small mod that took the HF SHOUT out of them. They really sound awesome now, especially since I got my tube Mc's. God, I love horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Altec used to make an electronic crossover combined with a 30 watt amp for the highs and a 60 watt amp for the bass. As I recall the result was quite respectable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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