Hi
I need to get the inductor values in Altec Valencia 846b's.
Does anybody have the definate values, or the source of where to get them from?
Thankyou
Chris
Hi
I need to get the inductor values in Altec Valencia 846b's.
Does anybody have the definate values, or the source of where to get them from?
Thankyou
Chris
Bump...
Does anyone know the values of these inductors? I'd be curious to know, too!
Try Bill at Great Plains Audio. (405)-789-0221.
Thanks zipplok...I was just looking up their number! wow...lol
Are you keeping the Valencias?
Let us know what Bill says.
Can you ask him his opinion on the 846 Valencias and about upgrading the crossovers?
Thanks.
-Storm.
Funny...I just talked to Bill for a little bit. He's fun to talk to. I asked his thoughts on changing (upgrading) crossovers and wiring in the Valencia's and his response was, "I don't really buy into all that audiophile stuff so that's a personal choice." I thought that was cool. I also asked him about their (the 846B's) upper end response which I thought mine was lacking in. I told him that they seemed to roll off pretty much after 15kHz but the manual says they are good to 20kHz. His reply was that that is pretty much all they can do and they don't "audibly" make it to 20kHz. Interesting.
I also asked him what he liked listening to and his response was (get this), "a cloth dome tweeter of some kind...I'm not big into horns". lol.
Not sure if I'm keeping them or not but they are definitely not going to be used much. For my listening room, they are too big (or the room is too small for the speakers...lol) which doesn't make them enjoyable. I'd rather listen to my Polk's than these. Bill agreed. I asked if a tube amp would sound better. He said that in all his years, he's not used tube amps on ALtecs or most any other horn speaker. Hmmm...
A capacitance/inductance meter will get you in the ballpark. Compare with the one in the other channel and see how close they are (or aren't! ).
A better way is to work your way backwards by determining the values of all the other components and (doing some calculations) you can see what the appropriate value should be for your inductor. I know that Altec used pretty basic network topologies without much attenuation, so it should be a standard butterworth (for example). You could probably get away with using a freeware program like the one at the Lalena site for crossover calculations.
I will offer this advise- don't change the inductors. Since inductance rarely shifts much, they are probably fine and the network "works" because of them. Replace that iron core with an air core and you will need to start from scratch. Changing the caps is probably a better performance yield as the values are probably off by now. AND- there are a lot of great caps on the market to choose from to suit your style. I find the jupiter caps (available at Soniccraft) are wonderful for some of the earlier metal horns. They are made of paper in beeswax and offer a sweet and laid back sound- kinda on the smooth side. A great match but a bit pricey.
Thanks for the update.
This confirms and answers my persisten thoughts that I have had for a while.
I will not go to tube amps.
I will not change the crossovers.
Glad to get an honest opinion from a professional. Glad I have not made any modifications to them.
If we can find a way to get those speakers to AZ, I am definately interested in purchasing them.
Thanks!
-Storm.
Tube amps and crossovers (especially vintage ones) are very prone to shift. 'Changing' them? NO, I agree with you on that one- usually not a good thing. Replacing certain parts so they work properly? Definately YES. With regard to upgrading- it's highly subjective. Don't assume that anyone suggesting a caps upgrade is dishonest until you've tried some nice boutique ones yourself. Yet again- THAT is subjective too. Some people simply can't hear a difference because their hearing isn't sensitive enough to detect such subtle changes to a system. Perhaps some people don't have the associated audio components to highlight the changes. I assure you, though. Caps change the sound drastically, and can make or break a network.
Try this company for your shipping needs:
PHXName:FORWARD AIR, INCAddress: 2465 SOUTH 19TH AVENUE
BUILDING D-1
PHOENIX , AZ 85009
Phone: 602-252-7866Fax: 602-252-8211
But like they alway say:
"If it ain't broken, don't fix it."
Until my speakers refuse to play, then I will fix them.
Nothing wrong will happen to them, especially if I dont abuse them.
-Storm.
perhaps just because they "play" does not mean they are playing to their full, original performance levels....
And how on earth would I know that?
Jump into a time machine and listen to a pair at the factory, then hop back into the time machine and figure out what is wrong?
From listening to them as we speak, I cannot tell if there is anything wrong with them.
I push them to their limits all the time and they seem to be working great.
-Storm.
maybe you could build some new, equilvalent networks and see how they perform
or you could take the networks to a tech if you don't have the time/tools/experience
I agree, Storm. I'll probably go ahead and change the caps and the L-pads since the L-pads were making the highs cut in and out when moved...even after cleaning. I can see how they would alter it. I'm going to take tis_true's advice and leave the inductors as they are and do the caps. I may even leave the original solid core wire, but, I do have enough around here to change the sire too for sh@t's and giggles. (lol).
Maybe we can figure a way to get them to AZ. Keep on the look out for a pair of SDA's out there and we might be able to work out a meeting point halfway.
Ciao....
Thats a possibility.
What speakers are you on the lookout for?
Thanks.
-Storm.
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