From AL Press Release:

Iconic Series

This category will combine classic methods and materials with new technology to build a bridge from the past to the future. The lineup will be built with some of the qualities that made Altec’s classic sound great, like high-efficiency drivers, Alnico magnets, and Class A amplifier architecture. It will also incorporate music streamers, a mobile device interface, whole-house networking, and home theater capabilities. The aim is to bring Hi-Fi to audiophiles and a new generation at an attainable price point. Altec will focus on what makes for the best listening experience and use high-quality components, superior build quality, and great finishes. The idea here is to fill the void between high-end Hi-Fi and consumer products one might purchase from Best Buy.

And here are the very first pictures anywhere of the new Iconic speakers!

More information to follow, but the speakers shown will be shipping from the Long Island NY facility in January, with an MSRP of $13,000 (introductory pricing.)

The amps are a monoblock 300b design and output around 8-10w/channel, they retail for $3500 introductory pricing.

Speakers use a 15″ woofer crossed over at 1300hz and the mid/ribbon XO point is 9000hz. Efficiency is 96dB / 8ohm.

How Do The Altec Lansing Iconic Speakers Sound?

This isn’t a review and shouldn’t be construed as such, the show conditions (basically a small hotel room) were not conducive to forming any meaningful impressions on how the final speakers might perform when properly installed. That said, they played nicely with the 300b amps, quite loud and with plenty of headroom, though the room was quite small, perhaps 18’x16′ or so.

The speakers sound very nice, both on and off axis. They have a full-bodied sound that leans to the warm side of neutral, and perhaps a little polite on the top end, in the vintage/classic style. I’m disappointed not to see a horn used in the design, as they do want for more dynamism and presence, a signature that was certainly present in the older VOTT speakers.

I’m not exactly sure who these speakers are aimed at, nothing about them really suggests a certain demographic. Were they being pushed towards the nostalgic crowd who’ve owned or still own a VOTT A7, A8, or perhaps the Altec Lansing Valencia or Model 19, then they ought really to have been designed around a horn driver, no? If they’re being pitched in a modern marketplace to stand against other modern speakers, then they’d look and sound more modern, right?

The 300b Amps

I didn’t get into much of a dialog on the amps, but I can confirm that these were put forward to me as ‘Altec Lansing’ amps, and I had no reason to believe that they were badged, or clones of another brand. So, I was surprised when a conversation broke out on one of the popular audiophile forums, where several people suggested these amps look identical to amps which can be purchased from a company called BRZHIFI Audio via Ali Express for $378/pair plus shipping! Now this seems to be spreading around the web, an audio review website called ‘Twittering Machines’ picked up on this and has reported on it with some disdain. I’m reserving judgement until there’s some clarity, but I do invite James @alteclansing to step forward and clarify the situation to prevent the rumor-mill from getting too caried away and causing an online stink that’s going to be difficult to fumigate in 6 months’ time.

Meanwhile see and hear for yourself: