Altec Lansing · Horn-loaded · Mid-1970s (in the 1974 and 1975 catalogs)
Altec's 1975 catalog called the Valencia the most sought-after full-size Altec system in history, with the identical components to its A7-8 Voice of the Theatre. The 846B puts a 15-inch 416-8B woofer and an 806-8B compression driver on the 811B sectoral horn, crossed at 800 Hz, in a vented walnut cabinet about 30 inches tall, 26 wide and 20 deep. Its signature was the dramatic black sculpted foam grille, which replaced the 846A's wooden fretwork. Altec also made it as the 846U in unfinished birch, the real utility version. Altec rated it at 97.5 dB at 4 feet with one watt, so a small amplifier will do, and each speaker weighs 99 pounds. Its floor-standing siblings in the 1975 catalog were the Barcelona, the Santiago and the Santana.
With the grille off
Ask for a photo of every driver with the grilles off, on both speakers. They should match each other and this list.
The black foam grille ages like any polyurethane foam, so check it closely. At 99 pounds a speaker, these are a pickup or freight buy, and a careless move can crack a horn or a cabinet corner.
New to old speakers? How to check a used pair walks through every driver, the crossover and the cabinet.
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for photos of both speakers with the grilles off and the serial labels on the back, and pass on any seller who won’t send them.
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Horn-loadedSpecs and what to check →
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