This is part one of a series of 4 posts covering my journey with the Altec Lansing Valencia 846b. You can jump between posts using the following links:
- Adding Aperion Audio AMT Super Tweeters to the Altec Valencia
- Dampening the Valencias horns
- Trying a Lyngdorf TDAi 2170 as a digital crossover
I’ve been looking around the local classifieds for a while now, keeping an eye out for a potential project centered around restoring a pair of classic/vintage 
loudspeakers. There’ve been a few contenders that I’ve considered, including the Altec Lansing A7-500s, Hartley Concert Masters, various Klipsch models including the Khorns and La Scalas, and the Altec Lansing Valencia 846.
Why would I consider doing such a thing, you may ask? And I’ve asked myself the same question. On one side, I’m an electrical engineer by trade and appreciate good-sounding audio equipment, particularly when there’s a low cost-performance ratio. On the other hand, I’m old, lazy, impatient, grumpy, easily distracted, poorly motivated, senile, and short-tempered. I’m also infirm, with terribly shaky hands that are surely symptomatic of the onset of Parkinson’s or some other disease with a similar capacity for debilitation. All good then. Let’s get started.
The Donor – Altec Lansing 846b, a Restored Classic
I’ve scouted a few different pairs of the Altec Lansing 846b on Craigslist, ranging in price from $1500 all the way up to $3500. There didn’t seem much difference between any of the options I looked at, confirming that at least half the people selling stuff on Craigslist have no idea what it’s worth. Not my problem.
The pair I decided on were already a lovingly restored pair, which gave me a much-needed head start. The previous owner had fitted the speakers with 5″ wooden bases and custom grills designed to expose the 811b horn.
The speakers include:
- Original 416-8b woofers, 806-8a compression drivers, and 811b horns.
- Original Crossovers.
- Internal XOs were removed and twin 5-way binding posts were installed for bi-amping.
- A pair of Model 19 crossovers from the reputable Altec Lansing parts and restoration experts, Great Plains Audio
In addition, the 416 -8b woofers had been serviced/inspected along with the 806-8a compression drivers at Great Plains Audio, where the drivers were recharged. The cabinets are in good condition (some very minor chips, dinged corners, etc.) considering their age.
Let’s take a look:
You can see from the above that these are in fair shape. The grills are obviously not from the originals, so I’ll be looking to replace those at some point in the project. There are a few minor bumps and scrapes but nothing too serious. The wooden plinth was made from cheap lumber but most people seem to think that getting them up off the floor is beneficial to the sound.
Let’s take a look at the crossovers from Great Plains Audio:
Great Plains Audio Altec Lansing Model 19 crossovers
These were not used by the previous owner, he drove them from an active crossover. I’m giving consideration to going active, and I’ve started a dialog with Phil at Marchand Electronics, who has tabled a couple of different active options, including one that is vacuum tube-based. You can see from the above that parts quality in the GPA XOs is better than that which came stock in the 846b, but probably not by much. Obviously, the Altec Lansing Model 19 is a different speaker than the 846B, but the Model 19 XO is compatible and seemingly preferred, generally, by Valencia owners.
You can also see that the XOs above are lashed up with lamp cord. The lamp cord connects the XO to the speaker binding posts and also to the amp! So first order of business is to find boxes for the crossovers and get rid of the nasty wires.
How Does the Altec Lansing 846B Sound?
Some might consider me nuts for plugging that rat’s nest of wire into my $30,000 custom Allnic Audio A-6000 300b SET monoblocks, without at least getting out the multimeter and checking over a few things. But that’s what I did. I even left the screw connectors in place as it looked like the ends had been soldered and it was late and I didn’t want to start soldering. So I basically set them down in the room, connected them to the amps, and powered up the system.
I messed just a little with placement in the first hour or so, preferring them firing towards my shoulders with perhaps 15 degrees or so of toe-in. They’re about 70″ into the room and 40″ or so from the sidewalls. I set them on rubber anti-vibration pads and later added a second set of pads under the front pads to tilt the speakers upwards a little. What follows is a snippet from a text that I sent to a friend the day after my first listening session, which lasted 9 hours straight:
In summary:
The Altec Valencias are not quite as warm in the midrange as I’d expected. This could in part be due to placement, I probably have them further out into the room than intended by the designers who voiced them. Bass is actually good but constrained by my room acoustics, which I’ll cover later. But this is a very promising start, they sound way better than I’d expected. And, they soundstage quite well, throwing a big, wide, deep stage with fair imaging and a fair amount of resolving power. I think they’re going to need super tweeters, but that was expected.
The next stage is to tidy up the crossovers and get some decent speaker cables in there.
Click “follow” to be notified of the next installment of this project. Please feel free to comment below with ideas and suggestions. I’m completely open as to what path I’ll follow with restoring these.
CAH (March 7 2022)
Above is a crappy video I shot of the listening room(s) so you can get an idea of the space and the rest of the system. Please give it a ‘like’ and a ‘share’ if you happen to watch it on YouTube.
May 18 2022 Update – Almost 10 weeks in and I’ve done nothing to the speakers at this point. They still occupy the top spot in the main listening room with the $35K MSRP Piega C40 still relegated to the second system. I’m basically procrastinating. I should take care of the crossovers and at least get them up on higher stands. But I continue to go back and forth on the crossovers. Should I spend $1000+ on the passive XO approach, and if so, from whom? Or, should I go active, and if so, using what kit? So I choose to do nothing!
One of the biggest weaknesses I’m hearing with the Altec Valencia is a low soundstage. I use a chair that could benefit from being 3 inches closer to the ground, but the Valencias are jacked up on 5″ stands. But still, the images presented appear too low to the ground, I need more soundstage height. I’ve tried tilting the speakers up by an inch, and two inches, but it doesn’t sound right shooting up at an angle. So I need to make taller stands and see if that helps. But overall I continue to enjoy the sound of this classic speaker. I recently added a First Watt J2 power amp to the mix and it’s a great partner for the Valencia – highly recommended as an alternative to tube amps and a steal at under $3K.
June 23 2022 Update – Just published on June 23, page two of this review/project can be found here > Altec Lansing Valencia with Aperion Audio Supertweeters
Follow the link above to see how I fared with the introduction of super tweeters from Aperion Audio, and the introduction of digital crossovers with room correction!
Links to all posts in this series:
- Adding Aperion Audio AMT Super Tweeters to the Altec Valencia
- Dampening the Valencia’s horns
- Trying a Lyngdorf TDAi 2170 as a digital crossover
Before you go, please leave a comment below!
If you have a restoration story or review that you’d like to share (publish on this website) then please contact me here: info@audioresurgence.com
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There are many different upgrade paths for the older Valencia. If done properly, you’ll have a wonderful sounding speaker that can compete with far more expensive modern designs.
Were they mine my first move would be dumping the 806s for a pair of 802-8Gs. A vastly smoother and more extended driver. 806s higher power handling, 2K peak and rapid HF rolloff above 8k made them more suitable for sound reinforcement. The associated crossover from the Model 19 had useful MF and HF controls.
A simple 2X 6-8 or 10″ box speaker stand will help, and if you have the inclination (pun intended) taper the sides to angle the speakers up and use Sorbothane feet.
I’d avoid the (otherwise very nice) Aperion tweeters. IMHO they turn a purebred classic into a mongrel. One doesn’t ‘stance’ a Ferrari 275. Just make them the best 846s, and enjoy that.
Hey Chad_P
Yes, I think you’re right. Time has been the main issue, I’d big plans to bring the Valencias up a few notches in performance but I just haven’t had a lot of time. That said, I do have 3 different sets of Aperion Audio super tweeters arriving next week, including the Dual AMT Ribbon Super Tweeter. So I’m looking forward to hearing those with the Valencias, and I’ll report back with findings in a couple weeks or so…
Thanks for your posts on your restoration. My friend from college gave me his pair Altec-Lansing 846u speakers which were in his basement for some 25 years. I am just in the beginning phase of restoring them. The cabinets have a very musty smell to them. Any suggestions as to how to get rid of the smell? I’m currently hanging sealed packets of DampRid to draw out the smell. In regards to the picture of the 846Bs you are restoring, do you have a source for the black foam that surrounds the horns? Do you plan to stay with that design, or are you going to replace it with speaker grills that cover the length and width of the cabinets?
I would think you’re on the right track with getting the moisture drawn from the cabinets, perhaps some kind of clear varnish sealer might work after the woodwork is clean and dry?
I haven’t needed to touch the rubber seals on mine as they’re in pretty good condition. I bought some Dynamat sound dampening material which I plan to use to cover the horns, at that point I’ll do a proper inspection of the rubber seals.
I don’t plan to go to the traditional full cover on the fronts, I like the idea of having the horns exposed.
There’s a guy selling reproduction foam panels that cover the full panels but they’re around $300 a pair and not worth it imo. I think i saw him on audiogon.com
Good luck with the restoration. I’m trialing a set of Aperion Audio super tweeters on mine presently and so far the changes have been positive. I’ll do an update on the main thread in a week or two.
Thanks for your updated post on the demo of the super tweeters. It was incredibly thorough and very interesting!
Since we last chatted, I sanded down the veneer cabinets on the 846U’s and stained them with Special Walnut and then treated the wood with two coats of satin-based polyurethane. I put a fresh coat of matte black paint on the plywood boards that hold the 15” woofer, which turned out great.
I also applied DeOxIt to the attenuators on the crossovers, as they were shorting in and out when I adjusted the pot.
I did have a question on the close-up picture you put on your latest post which shows the horn speaker. Originally, my speakers had fiberglass surrounding the horns (which was musty and had to be discarded). Do you use any foam or other material surrounding the horns on yours? If so, what did you use (type of material, thickness, etc.)?
I continue to look forward to your posts. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the super tweeters!
If you mean on the stuff on the inside of the cabinet, then yes, but it’s still the standard stuff that came with them probably when new. It looks like it might be fiberglass but I’m not sure. I was reading an article on the Great Plains Audio website where they tore out the old stuff and replaced it with a lamb’s wool filler. Supposedly it improved the bass response of the woofer. I may look into this further when I’ve more time.
It sounds like yours are coming along nicely. Hopefully the cleaning and the polyurethane have killed the mustiness. I added the digital crossovers to my 846b’s yesterday and it has taught me a lot about these speakers. I thought the drivers were responsible for the rather dark and rolled-off sound, but it must have been the crossovers, as removing the passive XO’s is quite a revelation in how these things can sound. I’ll drop an update when I get a chance.
I was actually referring to what Material (if any) you use in the areas immediately above, below, and on both sides of the horn speakers. Mine were packed with fiberglass originally. I had to discard that due to its musty smell. So I was curious what you did with THAT area, seeing that the horns are now exposed.
OK, gotcha. It’s basic foam rubber. Check this page out, scroll down and you’ll see a close-up of the stuff with the horn removed https://www.audioresurgence.com/2022/06/dampening-altec-valencia-846b-horns-altec-811-b.html
That’s VERY helpful; thanks for the link!
When I got my 846u’s from my friend, the two horns were surrounded with the same yellow fiberglass insulation that was on the inside of the cabinet (which appeared to be spray-painted black on the front sides and triangular wedges, which I assume was to avoid the yellow from showing through the speaker grill cloth).
I had to discard that, too, because it was really musty smelling. I think this might have been the way they were originally shipped, because I’ve seen other photos online of 846u’s that had the near identical fiberglass insulation and triangular wedges surrounding the horns.
I would rather use rubber foam insulation, as it’s going to be easier (and cleaner) to work with and looks a HECK of a lot nicer, especially if you are going to expose the horns.
I just have to find a vendor where I can get strips wide and long enough to accommodate the length of the cabinet and the width of the plywood immediately below the horns (preferably in 1″ thickness) and where I can also “re-create” the triangular wedges.
No problem! I couldn’t find much info on your cabinets and horns and whether or not they’re the same as my 846b. If they are, I’d be happy to pull the foam and measure/sketch up the two different sizes that you need.
That would be fantastic, and very helpful. Thank you!
Can you also include a sketch of the triangular wedges that are in the corner?
OK, I posted a sketch on the Dynamat page here https://www.audioresurgence.com/2022/06/dampening-altec-valencia-846b-horns-altec-811-b.html
You can also save yourself some hassle and buy foam surrounds on eBay, I posted a link to the eBay listing on the same page.
This is great; thanks much! What is the thickness of the foam inserts?
1” thick
I owned a pair of these from 1974 to about 1987, when I loaned them to my brother. I need to see if he still has them. I drove them from a Crown D60 amp, and they sounded very nice. Yes, rolled off on the top and bottom, but the middle was quite nice. Imagine that I went to a coop school, and moved them back and forth to college every 6 weeks for a couple of years, then to Colorado for grad school, and back…
I bought mine about a year ago. Still very stock but plain black fabric grilles. I want the the foam ones. Aural hifi in Denver isn’t selling them right now. Any recommendations?
I drive them with a restored MC2100. I also have an MC452 but there’s no synergy.
Great Review, thanks ! I have enjoyed my pair of Valencias for 46 years now. Bought them new from my brother at Sound Hound in Orange County. He worked there in the early 70s. The Valencias have undergone several exterior changes but are still stone stock innards with several magnet recharges and one replaced horn diaphragm (courtesy of The Who, Won’t get Fooled Again. Thanks guys). My music tastes “echo” yours very closely to. We must have grown up in the same time period. Less classical now and more Rock/Pop, contemporary and some Jazz/Blues too.
Now to my review: Having installed the Valencias in countless rooms, in all sorts of different ways with too many different components to list, you have arrived at the same conclusions that I have. Get them off the floor about 4-6 inches, near the front wall is OK, maybe 8-10 inches away with side wall spacing about the same and 10-15 degrees of toe in. Please, please don’t forget room treatment. This is the most overlooked component of any high performance sound system. Do you and your system a favor and work on it. In small rooms hardwood floors are a no-no, so cover them. Same with walls, too bright for these horns. With bigger rooms the less the floor and wall treatments seem to matter though.
You were right again, with the Altecs presentation of the music is directly related to the quality of the source components, engineering and recording. Gunk in = gunk out, but Steely Dan or Dire Straits in – and WOW, Magic comes out ! Currently listening (between 1-3 watts) with PS Audio Power, Cardas wiring, Marantz SACD SA7-S1, Audio Research LS27 and McIntosh MC462. (Tubes for the horns and solid state for those 15 inchers). Finally, for anyone thinking about securing a pair, do it. You will be rewarded with way more than you expected from grandpa’s old boxes that make noise. You might even start thinking of yourself as an audiophile, welcome aboard !