Altec Nineteen or VOTTs

Fffricative essing 'el Joel. You've left me well behind there

 

My new cunning plan involves a bit of woodwork.






They are JBL 4345's. Probably top of the range vintage JBL's for domestic use. More or less unobtainable mind unless you build your own clones.

But they sound breathtaking. Bottom end goes even lower than the 4435's and sounds very tactile with it. I wouldn't be surprised if those 18" woofers are amongst the best ever made.

Midrange though is where they really score over the 4435s. The pair I heard had modern charge coupled xovers and sounded simply sublime. Easily the best speakers I have ever heard.

Apparently its possible to improve on them even further using a TAD-2002 compression driver instead of the JBL unit. Not cheap mind but I might just start saving up.

 

4345

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Speaking as an ex- 4312 owner, this is all very interesting!

 

Those Djibbels are funk machines, but will take some driving. Out of interest, what is the rest of your system?

 

Here's the specs for the 4345s. They're very efficient:

http://www.lansingheritage.org/images/jbl/specs/pro-speakers/1981-4345/page04.jpg

 

Not as efficient as Altecs perhaps but not bad. Probably average around 95dB though will depend on the exact drivers used.

Amp will be the Berning.

Pre-amp, I haven't decided yet. I'll use the Berning as an integrated to start off with and see how it goes.

CD currenty a Marantz CD-63 which is probably on its last legs - I've had it for about 17 years!

And an LP12 which I have had since 1988! Never bothered upgrading it though at some point it acquired an Ittok and a Dynavecotor 10x5.

So fairly firmly source last!

 

Oh Christ. Another one

 

Soon I will be the only person who hasn't heard one! What are they like, as good as Mike says? Keith.

 

Actually coops I've yet to hear it. I bought it on the back of comments by Mike and the others who've heard it driving a (modern) JBL in his system. And the humungeous five year thread on Audiogon. I figured that as production has stopped and relatively few were ever build I could most likely recover my money if it doesn't work for me.

So my second hand Berning is currently being worked on by Allan in Canada who told me last night that various parts had just been dropped in the cryo tank!

 

I would like to hear one, I need about fifty watts ofr my new speakers, so the Berning fits the bill perfectly,I have heard of Allan's mods, what else does he do? Keith.

 

Posh new volume knob and some re-wiring with silver Stereovox wires. I think he also does some things with paper RFI screening.
Maybe some cryo'd tubes too, not so sure about that.

The line between Allan and David appears a slightly fuzzy one. I get the impression that Allan's mods were adopted by David and incorporated into the later production models.

coops, I could be tempted to bring the Berning over to yours in return for a listen to your Horns!

 

Ooooh that sounds like a good idea, whereabouts are you?

Here are my horns crying out for some Berning.

 

Now they're nice.

 

Good of you to say so my Lord, they sound ok too,but are very revealing of source and amps!

 

Right, bake off at Coops' it is then.

 

Beautiful. Nice tables too.

coops I'm in South London. I'll PM you if you like once the Berning arrives and I've figured out how it works.

 

Will be very interesting to hear how the Berning pans out......

 

M man that is very kind of you, we are in Muswell Hill, not far away! The other amp I have heard a lot of with my speakers is the Kr 1610 'kronzilla' .

 

You'll be wanting one of these, then


A-45 page

The JBLs are efficient, but a 4-way with a complex xover and an 18" LF (the "midrange" is JBL's superb 10" driver) is not going to be all that easy to drive.
My old Harbeth C7s were not terribly efficient @ around 89dB /W /M, but they are an extremely easy speaker to drive. The EVs were around 93dB /W /M, but actually presented a more difficult load than the Harbs. The NS-1000X are around 90, and are by far the most difficult speaker to drive from the three. These ask for serious, quality grunt.
I'm sure the Berning will deliver, but you may need more than one