Altec Lansing 290E Compression Driver (1960s–1970s)
A two-inch-throat driver that will shout across a stadium on a handful of watts - and punish you if you load it wrong.
Overview
Pick up an Altec 290E and the first thing you notice is the heft. It's a cast assembly built around an AlNiCo V magnet, the same motor the 288 theatre driver used, but with a phenolic diaphragm instead of aluminum. That one substitution tells you most of what you need to know. The 288 was the polite indoor theatre driver. The 290E was the one Altec sold for stadiums, race tracks, and outdoor voice-warning systems, where the message had to survive weather, distance, and whatever the PA was feeding it.
The 290E is a high-efficiency 2-inch throat compression driver, part of Altec's professional driver lineup, produced during the 1960s and 1970s. Altec's own 1968 literature was blunt about it: the most powerful driver in the line, rated at 100 watts above 300 Hz, with a stated 300-8,000 Hz frequency response and 4-ohm impedance. The company claimed that four of them on a single horn could reach continuous sound levels as high as 82.5 dB at half a mile from the horn. That figure says less about hi-fi than about what these were built to do. Weatherproofed construction was part of the spec, and Altec named the applications outright: voice warning systems, stadiums, race tracks.
In a home or studio system, the 290E behaves very differently from a modern dome or soft-dome compression unit. Sensitivity is reportedly between 110 and 112 dB, so a few watts go an extremely long way. Owners report that it reaches uncomfortable levels on amplifier power that would leave most speakers silent. That efficiency is the whole point of the design, and it is also why the 290E is fussy about what you bolt it onto.
Key Features
Phenolic Diaphragm on a 288 Motor
The 290E shares its motor assembly, including the AlNiCo V magnet, with the Altec 288, but it has a phenolic diaphragm rather than the aluminum one used in the theatre driver. Phenolic is heavier and less delicate than aluminum, which is the trade you want in an outdoor or high-duty-cycle installation. It gives up a little of the top-end sparkle the aluminum 288 is known for, and in exchange it holds together under continuous abuse. Some 290E variants shipped with aluminum diaphragms, so a pair bought on the used market may not match internally. Check before assuming two drivers will sound the same.
2-Inch Throat and Horn Compatibility
The 2-inch throat mates with Altec's multicellular and constant-directivity horns. The 311-90 and 311-60 sectoral horns are the natural partners in Altec's own catalog, and the driver also turns up on 803B and 511B horns in owner systems. You don't run this driver bare. Its frequency response is entirely defined by the horn it is bolted to, and Altec's own documentation treats the horn as part of the system, not an accessory. Mismatched horns produce uneven response and audible distortion, which is the most common complaint from people who buy a 290E without a matching horn.
Optional 15045A Matching Transformer
Some 290E drivers were fitted with a 15045A matching transformer. Others were not. Collectors note that drivers on the secondary market frequently arrive without the transformer and without the rear cover, so a "complete" example is worth more than a bare one. If the transformer is missing, the driver will still work, but the impedance matching the original system was designed around is gone.
High Efficiency, Low Amplifier Demand
At a reported 110-112 dB sensitivity, the 290E needs almost nothing from an amplifier to produce serious output. That makes it a natural match for low-powered tube amps in a biamped or triamped system, and it is why the driver was specified for installations where the amplifier budget went almost entirely to the low-frequency section. The trade-off is that any noise in the signal chain, like hum, hiss, or a dirty pot, is amplified just as efficiently as the program material.
Historical Context
The 290E was a successor to Altec's earlier 285 and 286 drivers, with improved efficiency and durability, at a time when theatres, stadiums, and large venues were demanding reliable, high-output sound reinforcement. It became a staple in cinema sound systems, public address installations, and high-fidelity monitoring setups, and its use extended well beyond movie theatres into broadcast studios, houses of worship, and outdoor public address systems.
Altec's 1968 catalog put the 290E at the top of the driver lineup, the one you specified when the job was too big for a 288D or a 730C. In practice it was commonly paired with low-frequency drivers in multi-way systems, and it is often associated with the "Altec sound": clarity, dynamic range, and a slight upper-midrange presence that gives vocals and horns a forward, immediate character. Recording Engineer (August 1977, p.50) compared Altec horns against alternatives in its speaker test reports, noting the Altec horn's smoother response in that comparison.
Collectibility & Value
The 290E carries a collectibility rating of 7/10. It is not as rare as some of Altec's earlier drivers, but it is sought after by professional audio historians, cinema restorers, and high-efficiency speaker enthusiasts, and it still turns up with reasonable regularity on eBay, audio forums, and vintage speaker restoration shops. Market value runs roughly $100 - $300 per unit depending on condition, diaphragm type, and originality. Intact phenolic diaphragms and original packaging command premium prices.
Two things consistently bite buyers. First, drivers often arrive missing the 15045A matching transformer and the rear cover. That's a common complaint in collector threads, and one to confirm with the seller before purchase. Second, the binding post screws are frequently missing. Owners have measured them as close to UNC #6-32, which helps if you are trying to complete a pair. Diaphragm condition is the other big variable: aluminum diaphragms fatigue and corrode over time, and phenolic replacements are rarer and harder to source than the aluminum ones. Great Plains Audio restoration is a known route for bringing tired units back to spec.
Restoration itself is not complicated but rewards care. Check the diaphragm for tears, warping, or corrosion before anything else. Keep the magnetic gap free of debris, using a small brush or a piece of adhesive tape, never a metal tool. The AlNiCo magnet can weaken over decades, and re-magnetization will restore lost sensitivity. Clean the terminals, replace frayed leads, and match the driver to an original-spec multicellular horn such as an 802C or 811.
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