Posted by manualblock [ 24.191.167.32 ] on April 19, 2004 at 16:00:31:

In Reply to: Which Pi model is most like the Altec A7? posted by edta on April 18, 2004 at 18:10:45:

Hi EDTA, Allow me to chime in as I have fair amount of experience with A7's and I also have owned Pi Theater 4's now for a year. I also listen to Valencias which I have had for 15 years. In your post you ask specifically about the sound and you don't mention size or cost so I will offer my humble opinion of those qualities. The Pi's I own are the middle of the pack in terms of cost, with the delta woofers and psd 2002 drivers. The A7's are limited in the frequency extremes and they are much more relaxed with low power tube electronics. I have never liked Altecs with SS amps. They require lot of space to open up and can sound somewhat restricted in small rooms. They image but not as well as the Pi's. The Pi's resolve detail better and certainly image better presenting a wide and deep soundstage with careful positioning. The Pi's have a punchy authority that engages all types of music well. The Pi's are seamless through the mids where the Altecs can sound partitioned. The Pi's sound good with SS or tubes even though I prefer them with tubes. Lest you think this review is a valentine to the Pi's, yes I like them and think they are the great bargain of the age in speakers but the Altecs have some qualities of their own. They are organic, meaning they reproduce acoustic sounds in a real manner that nothing else does. Piano, female voices, and above all stand up bass sound 3dimensional and the tone is musical. To sum up I have only heard the 4's so I am not an authority on Pi speakers since the 4's are one of the less expensive models. So would I try to build a system around A7's, no, it's too much work, money and inconvienence when for almost no expense you can own one of the better model Pi's and if the 4's I own are indicative of the house sound you get equivelent quality as the Altecs with the convienence of being able to use SS gear and build them with the finish of your choice. You also have factory support and advice available. Hope this helps. You can e-mail for more specifics if you are interested. (I have no connection with the Pi outfit other than as an owner of their speakers and am not writing this in the hopes that Wayne sends me a free t-shirt size small.)

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