Altec 873A Barcelona

Name: Altec 873A Barcelona
Brand: Altec

1970 - 1970s

The Altec 873A Barcelona was the flagship of Altec's "Dynamic Force" series. It came out in 1970 as the company's top home speaker system. It is a massive floorstanding box that pairs professional-grade components with a sealed enclosure, and it offered deep bass and wide dynamic range.

Specifications

Type	2-way, sealed enclosure floorstanding loudspeaker
Low Frequency Driver	411-8A 15" woofer
High Frequency Driver	808-8A compression driver on 511B horn
Crossover	N501-8A network
Crossover Frequency	500 Hz
Nominal Impedance	8 Ω
Power Handling	60W continuous
Frequency Response	20 Hz - 20 kHz
Dimensions	980 mm W × 760 mm H × 610 mm D (38.6" × 29.9" × 24.0")
Weight	67.6 kg (149 lbs) per speaker

Driver Configuration

The 873A Barcelona used some of Altec's most advanced professional components:

Woofer: 411-8A - 15" heavy-duty woofer with massive magnet structure, designed for extended bass response in sealed enclosures
Compression Driver: 808-8A - High-performance 1.75" diaphragm compression driver
Horn: 511B - Multicellular horn with 90° × 40° dispersion pattern
Crossover: N501-8A - 500 Hz crossover network with level controls

Cabinet Design

The Barcelona has a very large sealed (acoustic suspension) enclosure. That was unusual for Altec, which usually went with bass-reflex or horn-loaded bass. The cabinet volume is approximately 10 cubic feet, which let the 411-8A woofer reach down to 20 Hz.

The cabinet is thick plywood with extensive internal bracing to keep panel resonances down. The front baffle has two sections, with separate grilles for the woofer and the horn. The exterior is premium walnut veneer, and the whole thing looks like furniture.

The Dynamic Force Series

The Barcelona was the first model in Altec's "Dynamic Force" series, which was a new direction for the company in the early 1970s. The series emphasized:

Extended Bass Response: Sealed enclosures for deeper, tighter bass than traditional horn-loaded designs
Higher Power Handling: 60W continuous rating, exceptional for the era
Sophisticated Crossover Networks: Advanced filtering with level controls for precise tonal balance
Premium Construction: Furniture-grade cabinets with meticulous attention to detail

2873A Active Version

Besides the standard 873A passive model, Altec offered the 2873A Barcelona, which had a built-in 770A electronic crossover and bi-amplifier system. The active version featured:

770A amplifier/crossover unit mounted on the rear panel
Separate 60W LF and 30W HF amplifiers
Electronic crossover at 500 Hz (12 dB/octave)
0.5V RMS input sensitivity
26 dB gain control range
-80 dB or better hum/noise level

The 2873A was one of the earliest fully integrated active speaker systems for the home market.

Performance Characteristics

The 873A Barcelona was renowned for its:

Exceptional Bass Extension: 20 Hz response from a sealed enclosure was groundbreaking for its time
High Dynamic Range: 60W power handling allowed for concert-level volumes without distortion
Smooth Midrange: The 500 Hz crossover point and 511B horn provided seamless driver integration
Controlled Dispersion: Multicellular horn design for consistent coverage and imaging
Low Distortion: Professional-grade components operated well within their limits

Historical Context

The Barcelona arrived in 1970 as Altec's response to changing market demands. Turntables, tape decks, and amplifiers were getting better, and listeners wanted speakers that could deliver the full frequency range with lower distortion and higher power handling.

The Barcelona was priced at ¥426,000 in Japan (approximately $1,400 USD in 1975), an ultra-premium product for discerning audiophiles. It competed with the best from JBL, Tannoy, and other high-end makers.

The sealed enclosure is the unusual part, since most Altec systems used bass-reflex or horn loading. Altec was willing to switch technologies when they gave better performance.

Design Philosophy

The Barcelona embodied several advanced design principles:

Sealed Enclosure Advantages: Lower distortion, better transient response, and deeper bass extension compared to ported designs
Professional Component Integration: Using studio-grade drivers in optimized home enclosures
Bi-amplification Ready: The 2873A version pioneered active speaker technology for the home
Furniture Integration: Massive scale balanced by refined aesthetics and premium finishes

Amplifier Requirements

With 8Ω impedance and 60W power handling, the Barcelona works with a wide range of amplifiers:

High-powered solid-state amplifiers (50-100W+) to fully exploit its dynamic capabilities
Quality tube amplifiers with sufficient power (30W+)
Modern high-current amplifiers for optimal control of the massive 411-8A woofer

The power requirement is relatively high compared to typical high-efficiency Altec designs. That follows from the sealed enclosure and the extended bass goals.

Legacy and Collectibility

The 873A Barcelona is among the rarest and most sought-after Altec home speakers today. It was a flagship with limited production. Complete, original examples in good condition can command prices of $3,000-$5,000 per pair or more.

Several factors contribute to the Barcelona's collectibility: