North Georgia Audio Society Meeting: Fall 2017
The North Georgia Audio Society’s Fall 2017 meeting was an opportunity to test out some really great equipment. The guys from Pax Innovation worked until midnight to have everything ready for us, and as always the restoration work was top notch. The components to be tested were a pair of Mark Levinson ML-2 amplifiers, Yeatts custom tube amplifiers, restored Crown D-45 amplifiers, Altec Lansing 311-60 horns w/ 299-81 drivers, restored … Continue Reading…
The Altec-Lansing Model 19-MR3: The Loudspeaker That Never Was
The Altec-Lansing M500 Maestro is a largely lost and forgotten loudspeaker, but it is, perhaps, the best the company ever built. It arrived in the final days of Altec-Lansing, Inc., and production was cut short due to the sale of the company. Why is the M500 Maestro important to us today? It provides the framework for what would have been the replacement for the highly acclaimed Model 19. It has … Continue Reading…
Altec-Lansing Valencia: Improving a Classic
The Altec-Lansing Valencia 846B is an American audio classic that inspired the development of the legendary Model 19. It shares many similarities with the newer and larger Model 19. There were two versions of the Valencia: the 846A and 846B. For our testing purposes we chose the 846B due to its impedance, and that it was a tuned port enclosure. We had two goals with our Valencias: 1. Make them … Continue Reading…
Dynaco ST-70: A Timeless Classic
David Hafler and Ed Laurent founded the Dyna Company (later Dynaco) with the intention of not only producing transformers, but high-quality audio circuitry. The company was incorporated in October 1955, with business premises located at 617 N. 41st St in Philadelphia. Dynaco’s first product was the Mk. II 50-watt power amplifier. Available as a kit or preassembled unit, the Mk. II was sold for several years until its replacement in … Continue Reading…
Altec Lansing Model 14, Part 4: The Ultimate 14 (Updated!)
If you’ve been following our Altec-Lansing Model 14 project that began with a summary of the loudspeaker, this final part will be of special interest to you. After spending 8 weeks testing the Model 14 with various crossover configurations and amplifiers, we’re ready to report our findings. The Altec Model 14 suffers from a couple of weaknesses that have led to its lack of popularity among audiophiles. Firstly, Altec-Lansing revised … Continue Reading…
Saying Goodbye to an American Icon: JBL
It appears that this is the end for JBL as we have known it. – Greg Timbers James B. Lansing founded JBL one year after leaving Altec Lansing as their Vice President of Engineering in 1945. The company was first called Lansing Sound, Inc., from 1 October 1946, and later changed its name to James B. Lansing Sound. James Lansing was noted as an innovative engineer, but a poor businessman. … Continue Reading…
Great Plains Audio & Altec Lansing
Great Plains Audio was formed in 1998 after the closing of the Altec Lansing factory in Oklahoma City. It was clear to Bill Hanuschak, who worked for them from 1980 until they closed, that there would be a need for someone to continue the maintenance of the large number of Altec acoustic products in use around the world. So, he went to EVI/Telex, who had purchased Altec Lansing, with a … Continue Reading…
JBL XPL-200A: The Holy Grail of Audio?
The JBL XPL-200A is considered by many to be the holy grail of loudspeaker systems. They are coveted by collectors and music lovers alike, especially when they are paired with one of the most rare of all audiophile components: the JBL DX-1 active crossover network with an XPL-200A card set. When we were offered the opportunity to bring a pair into the listening room, we felt honored. The XPL-200A is … Continue Reading…
Altec Lansing Model 14, Part 3 – Initial Impressions
After their complete restoration, our pair of Altec Lansing Model 14s were finally ready to be auditioned . We placed them on stands so that the top of the cabinets were at ear level. (This was determined to be the best height during setup testing.) They were set 10′ apart (center to center), 3′ feet from the side walls, 28″ from the the rear wall, with a toe-in of 4″ … Continue Reading…
JBL 4425 Studio Monitor
The JBL 4425 is a Constant Directivity horn loudspeaker system designed by Greg Timbers. It’s based of the larger 4430 and 4435 systems that were designed by David Smith. All of these systems utilize Don Keele’s famous 2344 or 2342 Bi-Radial Horn, oftentimes referred to as ‘Dolly Partons’ or ‘Baboon butts’. The 4425 combines this with the 2416H compression driver. Don Keele was responsible for the first Constant Directivity horn … Continue Reading…