VINTAGE TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVE / AUDIO / ALTEC

Altec

The Voice of the Theatre — and every stadium that mattered

History

Altec Lansing traces its origins to 1927 when All-Technical Services Company was founded in Oklahoma City by E. S. Pridham and George Carrington. The company manufactured audio equipment for motion picture theaters, developing the first practical theater sound systems as "talkies" revolutionized cinema.

In 1941, the company acquired Lansing Manufacturing Company from James B. Lansing (who would go on to found JBL). The merged entity became Altec Lansing Corporation, combining Altec's theater expertise with Lansing's driver technology.

The Voice of the Theatre (VOTT) series, introduced in the late 1930s and refined through the 1940s, became the industry standard for cinema sound. The A-4 and A-7 systems used large horn-loaded designs capable of filling massive theaters with clear, dynamic sound.

The Duplex drivers, introduced in 1943, combined high-frequency and low-frequency units in a coaxial arrangement. Models like the 604 and 605 became legendary in recording studios, offering point-source accuracy that defined "the Altec sound."

The 1950s and 1960s saw Altec expand into home hi-fi with models like the Valencia, Flamenco, and Model 19. These brought professional-quality drivers to consumer cabinets, earning a devoted following among audiophiles.

In 1984, Altec was acquired by Telex, and the brand went through various ownership changes. While new products continued under the Altec Lansing name, vintage Altec drivers and speakers remain highly prized by collectors.

Key Facts

FactDetail
Founded1927, Oklahoma City
FoundersE. S. Pridham and George Carrington
Key AcquisitionLansing Manufacturing (1941)
Cinema StandardVoice of the Theatre series
Studio Legend604 Duplex driver
StatusVintage drivers highly collectible

Legendary Products

Altec 604 Duplex (1943-1990s)

The legendary studio monitor that defined "the Altec sound." This coaxial driver combined a 15" woofer with a high-frequency compression driver on a multi-cell horn, all in a single point source. Versions like the 604B, 604C, 604E, and 604-8G served in countless recording studios worldwide.

Voice of the Theatre A-7 (1940s-1970s)

The most common cinema speaker in history. The A-7 used a 15" woofer in a large folded horn combined with a compression driver on a multicellular horn, capable of filling massive theaters with clean, dynamic sound at high volumes.

Altec Model 19 (1970s)

A consumer speaker that brought Altec's professional heritage home. Using the 605A Duplex driver in a compact ported enclosure, the Model 19 offered studio-monitor accuracy in a living-room-friendly package.

Altec Lansing Valencia (1960s-1970s)

A consumer speaker using the 15" 416 woofer and 806 compression driver on an 811B horn. The Valencia brought theater dynamics to home listening and remains highly collectible.

Classic Models Reference

ModelEraTypeDriversKey Features
6041943+Duplex Driver15" + HornStudio standard
605A1960s+Duplex Driver15" + HornImproved 604
4161950s+Woofer15"Legendary bass driver
2881950s+Compression1" throatClassic HF driver
A-71940s+Cinema15" + HornVoice of Theatre
A-41940s+CinemaDual 15" + HornLarge theater
A-51950s+Cinema15" + HornMedium theater
Valencia1960s-70sHome416 + 806/811BConsumer classic
Flamenco1960s-70sHome414 + 806/811BSmaller Valencia
Model 191970sHome605A DuplexStudio at home
98441970sStudio12" + HornCompact monitor
98501970sStudio15" + HornProfessional monitor

Sound Signature

Altec equipment is characterized by:

Collecting Altec

Vintage Altec gear is valued for:

Most collectible items:

Restoration Tips

Common Altec service items:

Competitors & Comparisons

Altec vs JBL: Sister companies; similar heritage; JBL more refined

Altec vs Klipsch: Both horn designs; Altec more professional cinema

Altec vs EV: Similar pro cinema focus; Altec warmer sound

All Models in Archive (186)

1203B[1968]
1219B[1958]
1221A
1224A
1592A
203B[1952]
237461975
250A
264201975
264211975
288-16K1975
288 Compression Driver1947-1985
288D1975
288L1975
290-4G[1957]
290C1975
290E1975
292-8A1975
3000B
311-601975
311
33952-high-frequency-driver
33952[1970]
346471975
347261975
348521975
348531975
402A
414-8C1975
417-8C
417B
418B1975
421-8H SERIES II
421
421A1975
511 Horn FamilyUnknown
511B horn
511B Sectoral Horn1947-Present
515-8G1975
515B Woofer1947-Present
600B
601 Duplex1946
601c[1954]
601D1975
601e[1955]
603
604 Duplex Series1944
604C1954
604E1965
605A Duplex1959
6171960
633
633C
639
802-8C1975
802-8D1975
802-8E1975
802-8T1975
804a[1957]
806-8B1975
8061975
808-8A
808-8C1975
811 Horn FamilyUnknown
811b
828b
832A Corona1957
846A Valencia1966-1974
846B Valencia1974
848A Flamenco1967
873A Barcelona1970
875A Granada1970
902-8b1980s-1990s
906-8A1975
908 Compression Driver1980s-1990s
909-8a
9264A[1959]
938-8AE1975
9440A[1975]
9842-8D1969
9844-8b1975
98441968
9844A1975
9846A1975
9848a
9849-8D1975
9850 Studio Monitor1964
9864-8a[1965]
98651975
A4X
A5 Voice of the Theatre
A7-8
Crescendo1974
H-10031975
H-1203B1975
H-811B1975
lansing-10051975
lansing-1005b-horn1975
lansing-15051975
lansing-15061975
lansing-2101975
lansing-290-series1975
lansing-309-8a1975
lansing-4181975
lansing-511b-horn1975
Lansing 511b
601C1975
601e1975
604A1944
614D1975
lansing-616-8a1975
lansing-617-8a1975
Lansing 755A
lansing-802-8g1975
804A
lansing-8051975
lansing-805b-horn
lansing-807-8a1975
lansing-807-8b1975
lansing-8071975
lansing-8081975
lansing-832a-corona1968
lansing-873a-barcelona1963
lansing-875a-granada1968
lansing-902-8a1975
lansing-902-8c1975
lansing-9021975
lansing-9081975
lansing-909-16a1975
lansing-909-8a1975
lansing-920-8b1960
932-8b1975
lansing-938-8ad1975
lansing-9381975
9444B1975
9446A1975
950-8B1975
lansing-9815-8a1975
lansing-9842-8a1975
lansing-98481975
9848A1975
lansing-9849-8a1975
9872-81975
lansing-9872-8a1975
lansing-9872-8f1975
lansing-a7-500-8e1975
lansing-barcelona1967
lansing-crescendo1964
lansing-flamenco-848a1963
lansing-iconic1944
lansing-malibu1968
lansing-model-141977
lansing-model-151978
lansing-model-171980
lansing-model-181980
lansing-model-nine1975
lansing-n-500-c1975
PS-3601975
lansing-santiago1975
lansing-stonehenge-ii1971
lansing-voice-of-the-theatre-a101945
lansing-voice-of-the-theatre-a51945
lansing-voice-of-the-theatre-a61975
M-500[1955]
Melodist
Model 141972
Model 151972
Model 171970s-1980s
model-181970
Model 191977
Model 19s
Model 831975
Model Nineteen1976
Model One1978
Model Seven1975
MR9311975
N-1600A
N800F
Santiago1971
Stonehenge I1970s-1970s
Stonehenge II1970s-1970s
Stonehenge III1975
Valencia 846B
VOTT A41947
VOTT A51947
Voice of the Theatre A71947-1970
Models

None

Speakers

Amplifiers

Crossovers

Drivers

Equalizers

Horns

Speakers

VINTAGE TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVE / 03-16-2026 / FEEDBACK