Altec
Everything Altec in the archive is professional equipment, built for theatres, studios and public-address systems rather than living rooms. The pair of 1530T power amplifiers uses 6146 transmitting tubes in push-pull and expects a 600-ohm balanced input; the 440B preamplifiers are mono units in wooden cases; the 1606A is a mixer amplifier of the kind that ran a small PA installation.
Professional gear changes the checklist. Inputs may be balanced and transformer-coupled, outputs may have constant-voltage taps, and many units have been modified over decades of service. Ask for the modification history and check the input impedance before connecting a domestic source.
Collectors value Altec amplifiers partly for their lineage: the company formed from Western Electric's theatre-service arm in 1937 and took the Altec Lansing name in 1941. The Altec Lansing maker page has the full story.
3 entries
Altec Lansing
Altec 1606A Mixer Power Amplifier
A public-address mixer amplifier from the company that grew out of Western Electric's ERPI.
Altec Lansing
Altec Lansing 1530T Power Amplifiers (Pair)
Professional mono amps with 6146 transmitting tubes in push-pull and 600-ohm inputs.
Altec Lansing
Altec Lansing 440B Mono Preamplifiers
A restored pair of professional mono preamps in their original wooden enclosures.