Being the vintage Altec enthusiast that I am - I have 3 pairs of gigantic vintage Altec loudspeakers in my modest sized home - you can imagine how excited I am by this particular "Today's Fresh Catch", the Great Plains Audio (nee Altec) 802-16G Series II compression drivers and the 416-16B low-frequency drivers.
First let me tell you how impressed I am with the quality of the packaging & packing that the Great Plains Audio drivers were shipped to me with - first rate!
It's always a good sign when I see companies put that much thought into their packaging & packing, as I know that means they've also put an impressive amount of thought into their designs as well, and are proud enough of them to make sure they get to the customer in perfect condition.
Great Plains Audio 802-16G Series II compression drivers. MSRP $900 USD each.
I thought it would be handy for you if I included a copy of the fact sheet for the 802-16G Series II compression drivers.
All of my vintage Altec's utilize 16 Ohm AlNiCo drivers, so that's what what Bill Hanuschak sent to me for the review, but for all of you that use the 8 Ohm versions, those are also available as well.
I unpacked the 802-16G Series II compression drivers first, and I'll tell you what, their build quality is impressive in the extreme, and even better than my collection of vintage Altec drivers, as truly great as they are.
Great Plains Audio 802-16G Series II compression drivers. MSRP $900 USD each.
After all, one of vintage Altec drivers' most endearing traits is that they have near "eternal life" and can operate trouble-free for decades, and probably for at least a century in domestic use. It's likely the loudspeaker cabinets will crumble to dust before these drivers will need servicing.
It is a bit of surprise to pick up one of these 802-16G Series II compression drivers, they are heavy! I haven't put them on the scale yet, but I will, and report back.
The attention to detail is superb!
The 802-16G Series II compression drivers exude impressive quality, and these new "Altec" drivers look to be even better in quality and materials than the vintage drivers, as hard as that is to imagine for me.
Great Plains Audio 416-16B low-frequency drivers. MSRP $1240 USD each.
While I was unpacking the boxes for the Great Plains Audio 416-16B low-frequency drivers, one look at them nearly took my breath away - really! They are that impressive.
I really have to hand it to Bill Hanuschak, not only has Bill continued in the Altec legacy of building ultra-high-quality drivers, he has improved upon them - that's impressive.
Great Plains Audio 416-16B low-frequency drivers.
Here's what is coming in the next few months as I start to evaluate these Great Plains Audio 802-16G Series II compression drivers and the 416-16B low-frequency drivers here at Jeff's Place.
I will be installing the Great Plains Audio 802-16G Series II compression drivers and the 416-16B low-frequency drivers into the Duelund-Altec Project "Stokowski" Altec loudspeakers that I wrote about in the Positive Feedback "The Duelund-Altec Project – Dare to Dream!" feature article (HERE).
I've said it before, but I'll say it again, I like the Duelund-Altec Project "Stokowski" Altec loudspeakers better than any loudspeaker I've ever heard at any price. Their music-making ability is better than anything I have ever listened to personally, and that's with pretty much any source or any amplification I have tried.
Duelund CAST tinned-copper crossovers in the "Stokowski" Altec loudspeakers.
In fact, as I write this post I'm listening to them right now with the Audio Note UK Oto Phono SE Signature integrated amplifier, which happens to be the best amplification match to them that I have yet come across (and relatively affordable for its lofty level of performance at $6330 USD MSRP), and there's some pretty heady components here at Jeff's Place.
This combination of the Duelund-Altec Project "Stokowski" Altec loudspeakers and the Audio Note UK Oto Phono SE Signature integrated amplifier has been putting me in musical heaven every time I listen to them - drool worthy for sure!
Oto Phono SE Signature Integrated Amplifier
It's a busy time of year for everyone as we enter into the Holiday Season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years here in The States, with multiple audio shows, family committments, and not to mention my own birthday in December!
I'll get the latest Great Plains Audio and Altec news to you as soon as I can, though, because I know a lot of you are excited to hear about how the latest Great Plains Audio drivers compare to my (and your) vintage Altec drivers.
In the not too distant future you will be hearing more about the history of the transition of the legendary Altec operation to Great Plains Audio, Great Plains Audio's history after assuming the Altec legacy, the recent purchase of Great Plains Audio by Troy Audio, with the intention to infuse more resources into Great Plains Audio, and the exciting future plans that Troy Audio has for Great Plains Audio.
If you are thinking there is an Altec revival underway you are exactly right! It's exciting times in Altec-land my friends!
Duelund CAST tinned-copper crossovers in the "Stokowski" Altec loudspeakers.
I'll be making a future post about the history of the 802/804 series of compression drivers, from their earliest Altec incarnations to the latest Great Plains Audio 802-16G Series II compression drivers, to be followed shortly afterwards with my first listen to the 802-16G Series II compression drivers installed into the "Stokowski" Altec's in place of my original Altec 804A compression drivers (above).
GPA drivers family photo!
After that you'll see a future post about the history of the 803-416 series of Altec low-frequency drivers all the way up to the Great Plains Audio 416-16B low-frequency drivers, to be followed by a post about my first listen to the 416-16B low-frequency drivers replacing my original Altec 803B 15-inch low-frequency drivers in the "Stokowski" Altec's.
GPA drivers family photo!
After that I'll be focusing on the feature article for Positive Feedback about the Great Plains Audio 802-16G Series II compression drivers and the 416-16B low-frequency drivers in the "Stokowski" Altec's, with the feature article appearing - hopefully - in the early February 2020 timeframe.
GPA drivers family photo!
Lots of exciting Great Plains Audio and Altec reports to come, stay tuned for more!
Many thanks to Bill (Great Plains Audio), Santos and Francisco (Troy Audio), for making this exciting GPA-Altec adventure happen!
As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!
