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In Reply to: RE: New Amp posted by Lagav on January 05, 2025 at 16:51:31
These:
https://reverb.com/item/86413337-altec-lansing-a7-voice-of-the-theater-vott-3156-808-80-511b-n501-8b
Be careful with these, I've previously had a pair. They were produced for the sound in a theatre. You need a huge room and a listening seat 15 feet away. Still the soundstage is crude and broad brushed. Slam and dynamics are excellent but that's about it.
Two best things I've ever bought in audio: 1.) Hot rodded 2A3 SET; and 2.) movie theater speakers for my smallish-mediumsish living room.
Got the speakers around 2009 when the old downtown theater got new stuff to replace them.
Got the 2A3 amp in 2010.
I've also used a 300B SET amp in the same setup - I like both 300B and 2A3, I just prefer the 2A3 a little better.
Effortless detail, timber, air, and dynamics in spades, nothing harsh about these at all. I listen to them near field. Great soundstage and imaging, as well.
Mine are EV Sentry IVB, which are 3 way horns with a plasticish midrange horn, as opposed to the Altec A7 which is 2 way with a metal horn. Also, the EV is a little more efficient at 101 or 102 db/watt/meter vs 97 for the A7. A 7 watt 300B amp would have no issues driving either near field.
What's missing in my system is bass below around 45hz. But the bass it has still frightens the critters when I play anything by the Minnesota Orchestra, and the bass hits hard - it's just not deep. Based on the size of my living room, I haven't ever seriously considered adding subs.
I'd think maybe the sound might be rough listening near field with some types of amplification, but is more likely to be PURE MAGIC with your new amp!
Note: I'm not the seller of those A7's, nor do I know or have any affiliation. Just saw those earlier in the afternoon I saw your post!
I believe EV Sentry tends to have better reputation than VOTT in being able to adapt better to home situations compared to theater. Have you tried VOTT in home situations?
Also, used prices for EV are not really any lower than VOTT..
Not yet...- But I have heard A7 with 300B, and it was right up my alley. I intend to get a set of VOTT, specifically to use with a 300B SET.
Yes, I've had good luck integrating the Sentry's into my living room. I've used them with 2A3, 300B, and EL34 amps. EV PI15-3 and Aristocrats have served me well, too, and so have Heresy I and circa 1995 Definitive Tech lower end of that brand floor standers.
I recently tried some Klipsch RP-160M 2-way bookshelf speakers and found the 2-way an interesting change of pace - but they're so small and I've become completely addicted to the way big speakers fill the air with music such as others cannot do (to my ears and tastes - if you think differently that's great, too).
I'm looking forward to getting some VOTT to round out my SET/horn collection as well as round out listening choices at my place.
As this thread illustrates, folks' personal preferences run the spectrum of differences - thankfully there are great manufacturers, makers, craftsmen and artists who make wonderful stuff to fit all of our preferences! For me, it's SET and horns. Period. I'll take the MAGIC midrange and solid 45 hz every time over deeper bass minus that magic. At this point, I don't desire to bi-amp in order to have lower bass, but understand that some prefer that and have great results doing so...-
"What's missing in my system is bass below around 45hz."
That's a major problem with so-called high efficiency speakers. The numbers the manufacturers advertise are created by the horns, but the woofer section can't keep up. This really does a disservice to the audio community. It would be much more appropriate to pad the horns down to 95dB or so and complement them with a large bass reflex enclosure. A system like that can provide bass to 20Hz. It's sad that marketing departments dictate these designs, rather than engineers who know how to produce full-range speaker systems. I've brought home two sets of Cornwalls over the years. This speaker falls squarely in the category of sacrificing bass for numbers. Both sets got the boot after a couple weeks of listening. I can't imagine how people put up with Heresys and La Scalas. They're not suited for much more than a high schoool gym.
I tried a few of the company in question. Their speakers are
using, in some cases, markedly inferior drivers as compared to
Altec or GPA drivers. Crossover networks and wiring can also
waste power.I have also run into some of the speakers in question with
very high efficiency numbers that couldn't be driven by a common
2A3 SE amp that the mf'r had rated at 3.5 watts, which it easily
delivered across the usable audio bandwidth.That much power should have
been overkill if the speaker's rated SPL numbers were honest.
They were not....My GPA transmission-line cabinets will run super deep bass
all day long at about 8/10 watt. Clarity and definition is
absolutely the best. That 8/10 watt is driving the woofer,
the crossover network, and the horn-loaded midrange/tweeter.I measured 105 db at 1.1 watts, at 30 HZ-- more than
I use to listen to music. Yes, all wiring is heavy gauge silver,
etc., so the system is efficient. I like this because I
demand absolute clarity.Looks like nothing has changed! Quality is as quality DOES.
Personally, I have found that a great 15" woofer requires a
cabinet in the neighborhood of 11 or slightly more-- cubic feet.Now, some of those speakers being discussed DO have large
enclosures (the expensive one!), but to me they're still
inefficient.You can't beat the movie people! They play into large areas
sometimes thru screen materials. I owned a theatre which
seated about 360 people. The Altec cabinets were designed
into the screen, behind the screen fabric, and fired thru
it..I designed the whole thing, and used 8 watts per channel max.
The system was LINEAR DOWN TO 20 HZ. It can be done, but
the "hi-eff" speakers you cite ARE NOT high-efficiency.--Dennis--
Edits: 03/27/25
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