Altec A1X (1975)

A large-format cinema speaker system from Altec, part of the Voice of the Theatre line, designed for high-fidelity theatrical sound reproduction.

Overview

The Altec A1X is a professional theater speaker system made by Altec Lansing. It came out around 1975 as part of the "Voice of the Theatre" series. It was built for large cinematic spaces, including geodesic dome theaters with curved screens. The system was described as "state of the art" at the time, and it was meant to deliver the sound of a live public address system in film presentations.

Specifications

Product name	Altec A1X
Manufacturer	Altec Lansing
Product type	Speaker system / cinema speaker
Driver Configuration	six 15-in. woofers
High-frequency drivers	2 x 288C 2.8" compression drivers
High-frequency horn	1505B exponential multi-cell horn
Design type	horn-loaded, 2-way speaker

Context

The "Voice of the Theatre" line started in 1947 and became a standard in professional audio. The A1X went into a few high-end theaters, including the Englewood Theatre, which was noted in 2024 as the only theater in the country with A1X speakers. There the system sits behind a massive curved screen in a geodesic dome setup.