Altec 681A
Little is documented about the Altec 681A beyond period audio-equipment directories and advertisements. It was a general-purpose, moving-coil dynamic microphone. Altec offered it for years and revised it in small steps.
The earliest reference is early 1961. Audio (March 1961, p.51) listed the 681A at $36.00, less stand. A later listing in Tape Recording (January 1969, p.102) gave the price as $77.50 and noted a frequency response of 50-18,000 cps, with a choice of low or high output impedance.
Across these sources the 681A shows up as a no-frills dynamic for speech and general-purpose pickup. A sister model, the 682A, had a wider response (45-20,000 cps) at a higher price. The 681A was sold without a desk stand as standard. The stand and the switch kit were extras.
- Type: Moving-coil dynamic microphone
- Frequency response: 50–18,000 Hz
- Impedance: High (25,000 ohms) or low — selectable
- Output level: −58 dB (ref. 1 V/dyne/cm²)
- Cable: 15 ft. attached
- Dimensions: 7½ in. long
- Finish: Dark green baked enamel with brushed chrome
- List price: $36.00 (1961), $42.00 (1964), $77.50 (1969)
No service manual, schematic, or detailed engineering description has turned up in the usual archives. The 681A appears to have been a catalog-mainstay model, updated in price over a decade but basically unchanged.
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