I bought a pair of Heathkit AS-101 speakers (Altec Valencia 846A clones) with blown tweeters for $20. Bill at Great Plains fixed me up with new diaphragms, etc. and now the AS-101s sound terrific with a modest Tripath-based amp I put together. These things are big and have a very low WAF indeed.

Should I continue to campaign to get these things out of the garage and into the living room?

or

Should I eBay the drivers and use those funds to buy a kit from Northcreek or Pi? (Or another supplier...)

I'd appreciate any advice you guys can offer about bang-for-the-buck and such things.

Rumor has it that the 846B (with two round ports) has stronger bass than the 846A (where the horn sits back from the baffle and that opening serves as the port). However, the bass that is present has a great rolling, effortless quality. I've also considered building new cabinets from the old Altec plans...

If I can get similar or better sound from a Pi or NorthCreek kit, that seems like the way to go. Certainly your Valencias and Theater 4s sound different; do you prefer one over the other? Do the Theater 4s work better in an average-size living room?

My tripath amp has great detail (to my ears) but it seems that a higher powered amp would bring more richness or body to the sound...totally conjecture on my part. What differences did you find using the GC? How do Pi speakers sound with these kind of DIY amps?

(by the way, sorry for the rambling response, it's late. And thanks!)

I think one of the best all time compromises is a simple 2-way with a reasonable size woofer. The 2-pi fits this catagory. I think if you visit the PI site you'll see loads of positive comments.

I didn't realize Theater 4s were even bigger than the Valencia cabinet. That puts them out of the running, unfortunately... Of course, my biggest audio surprise so far is the very high indeed WAF of the Pioneer CS-99a. They match our sixties-era wood furniture that once belonged to Mrs. Geauga's grandmother. For home theater and CSI in 5.1, they do pretty well. However, I'd like to have a nice pair of front channel speakers to use for serious listening as well as gunshots and explosions.

Thanks for your comments, manualblock. Anybody have comments on NorthCreek or have other suggestions for a comparable kit?

Is DIYing taller MLTL cabs to get a smaller footprint an option? This would allow a minimum o.d. width/depth of the horn's 18.75"/16.75" with the added benefits of getting the drivers up around your face/chest and more net Vb for greater gain BW.

GM

Right, store the OEM cabs if practical since they may have some vintage worth and use the components in new ones since he apparently likes them except for their lack of low end, which the larger Vb addresses to some extent. Once optimized, they can be finished off to more closely blend with the decor, or at least not 'stick out like a sore thumb' if kept close to a wall or corners.

GM