Selling my beloved speakers. What are they? The Altec Valencia is a version of the world famous 'Voice of the Theatre' speaker which was designed for home use. The drive units are all the same as you find in the voice of the theatre.... you have.... Altec compression mid-range (alnico), with 4 way horn Altec 15" woofer (alnico again) JBL 2405 slot tweeter (alnico again, just for luck). The speaker is being sold with wooden stands that were made for me by a cabinet maker. They have built in spikes on the bottom. The 2405's are in matching wooden boxes. The 2405 boxes are MDF with a walnut veneer, the stands are a mixture of hardwood and MDF with a walnut veneer. The actual Valencia's are SOLID American walnut, hand rubbed and oiled. What have I done to them? 1) The horns have been damped 2) The Caps have been changed to Mundorfs (not cheap!) 3) The crossover in the 2405 is a replica of that used by Kevin Scott in the Air Scout. In fact, the Air Scout is the nearest commercially available speaker to this, with a similar horn, just a measly 12" bass unit, and also a JBL 2405 slot. I've seen a pair used in audio asylum for £8k. Here's a few facts... 1) When the speaker was launched, it was TWICE the price of Tannoy GRF's. 2) I am (unbelievably) the second owner from new. 3) The original caps are still there etc. You can make it as-it-came-from the factory if you want ( why???) 4) The 2nd hand price of the drive units ALONE is £800. What speaker can you say that about?.. can you think of ANY?... maybe, but I bet theyr'e even more expensive.. What do they sound like? More DYNAMIC (in my opinion) than any speaker at the heathrow show for a start... let's start with my definition of that... I'm not just talking about loud bangs and drums, but also quieter changes in volume, like a sudden strum from a guitarist. It stands out like it's really there. They go from above 20hz down to about 45hz. The visceral impact from them is really something. They can fill a very large room, no problem. They were used as mid-field monitors in many studios. The 'voice of the theatre' itself is STILL the only speaker reccomended (I think by the academy of motion pictures) for cinema use. As many-a-japanese enthusiast will tell you, they can work in moderate sized rooms too. My price is fixed (and £900 LESS than I've spent buying them used and doing them up), at £1,600. I'm giving them till the 10th here on ZG and PFM, and then it's home to the Altec &JBL hungry Audiogon. NB No, I don't know what I'm going to buy instead. That's half the fun. More pics will follow.. see attachment...
