Assuming that some here are familiar with these classic monitors-though which I’ve never heard or anything like them-please check out what Pano said against them for playing compressed recordings; post # 28 here.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/do-altec-604-hold-up-with-modern-music.347208/page-2
Likewise, if you please, Lynn Olson’s take on them too; post #14,967. https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/beyond-the-ariel.100392/page-749
All of this pertains to my crushing dilemma over driver/horn choices for playing many of my favorite but badly compressed vintage music which presumably had to be so processed to make LPs and even singles usable on cheap vinyl record players, or even the SOTA turntable systems of the day.
My speaker design knowledge is so badly limited that I’ve only been guessing that what coincidentally, my builder Troy Crowe says here during his final listening tests on the DCM50 (and perhaps in a horn like his ES450 or ES290) might not accentuate how badly compressed are many of my otherwise favorite 1960s pop and soundtrack recordings. Please view here from 17:15 to end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8haDt66kueM
Based on this and what you may know about these drivers-and how much compression and what hardware was typically used on albums like these
https://www.discogs.com/release/15301709-Little-Anthony-The-Imperials-The-Best-Of-
would you say that most of those tracks would sound better on the DCM50/ES-450 than on drivers with greater dynamic range and beryllium diaphragm, like Pierre’s otherwise superb speakers? See posts #15,266, 15,276.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/beyond-the-ariel.100392/page-764
Seeking this assurance or other recommendations, I (jkff) posted here.
I hope you’ll find that discussion more interesting than time consuming to go through.
Notice there that EarlK continued insisting that as those like Brian Wilson heard his playbacks on Altec 604/605 monitors, as did Chuck Britz who did much of the engineering there during those sessions at Bill Putnam’s United Western Recorders for Pet Sounds and most of the earlier Beach Boys albums, that those are the best speakers for making my compressed recordings sound their best. Presumably, EarlK might further argue this because Brian and Chuck may have also heard the finished tracks again after compression was added, and apparently approved of the sound.
Might Earl-or even Lynn-also recommend those Altecs because they radiate as a point source, though I don’t fully understand the principle?
How much do you think EarlK is right or wrong to recommend the Altec 604 or 605 to maximize enjoyment of my compressed 1960s recordings?
Would the DCM50/ES450 combination be a far better choice? If yes, why?
Or what other kinds of drivers and/or complete speaker systems (passive or active as long as my tube preamp can drive them http://www.dsachsconsulting.com/custom%20line%20stage.html ) would be better choices?
Ideally, if recommending drivers/horns, they would be compatible with my Altec 416-8B midwoofers that Troy reviewed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bo-g5-EFuQ&t=37s
Again, the idea is to choose speaker drivers and/or complete speakers which do the least to accentuate how compressed these recordings are, even if the speakers couldn't be played at anywhere near the sound pressure levels of the original studio event, and without any audible distortion.
Thanks for any help.