GPA (Great Plains Audio) 15 inch 604-8H-ll

S

SixCats!

Super Member
Hi all,

I was just wondering if any AK'ers either own and/or have heard
the BIG 15" GPA 606-8H-ll FULL RANGE DRIVERS ? I called GPA today
(curious Cat that I am) seeking to learn the cost of such drivers.
WHOA! $750.00 EACH driver! I thought to myself, "Wow...expensive!" However, as the day passed, I began thinking "ummmm, perhaps $1,500.00 for a PAIR of 15" FULL RANGE DRIVERS (less cabinets) is really NOT that bad a deal should the GPA 604-8H-ll's be truly SUPERIOR performers".
I mean, lol, even the cost of the GPA's with CUSTOM Cabinets should be a BARGIN compared to MANY other HIGH END speaker systems. LOL, I figure it has got to be less expensive that a pair of TANNOY WESTMINISTER! Anyway, I was just wondering.

Regards,
SixCats!
 
Ask GPA to provide you with the response curve.

$1500 is very good territory for complete DIY systems.

You can build some spectacular compression driver/horn two-way systems with that budget....:thmbsp:
 
Hi Z,

Yea, ya know, the more I think about it, $1500.00 (while still a good chunk of change) is truly NOT that much money for a (start) to a GREAT speaker system. I truly enjoy my (what I believe) are HEATHKIT Cabinets with a
(borrowed from Capt. Scary) 12" full range NORELCO drivers. However, after hearing the 15" EV (and University) speakers/horns system I recently bought with those VERY large Cabinets, I can't but help wonder, how would
15" CO-AXIAL FULL RANGE drivers (i.e. ALTEC 604's, TANNOY's, etc.) sound in K-horn size (or bigger) Cabinets ? I suspect if done correctly, it must be a thing a BEAUTY!

Regards,
SixCats!
 
They sure look interesting
Click to expand...
And for the same admission price or less than their well used vintage counterparts seem to bring.

I listen to 15 inch duplexes almost daily, at a 5-6 foot listening distance in a 15 x 16 room they surpass any other 2 way design these ears have heard, and in my listening room, these ears have the final say.

EDIT: FWIW, there is much to be gained from crossover mods. For those that want to dive in real deep building their own scratch networks, you can find all of the HF/LF phase relationships for the various Altec duplexes on Jeff Markwart's website.
 
Not to be a spoil sport here but if GPA made them, you can bet your A$$ they are very good!

We spend alot of time here mincing words about vintage stuff while GPA keeps all us Altec lovers in sweet music, weather it be repairing the old or providing the new!

Please don't bite the hand that keeps us fed!

Gary
 
SixCats! said:
Hi Z,

Yea, ya know, the more I think about it, $1500.00 (while still a good chunk of change) is truly NOT that much money for a (start) to a GREAT speaker system. I truly enjoy my (what I believe) are HEATHKIT Cabinets with a
(borrowed from Capt. Scary) 12" full range NORELCO drivers. However, after hearing the 15" EV (and University) speakers/horns system I recently bought with those VERY large Cabinets, I can't but help wonder, how would
15" CO-AXIAL FULL RANGE drivers (i.e. ALTEC 604's, TANNOY's, etc.) sound in K-horn size (or bigger) Cabinets ? I suspect if done correctly, it must be a thing a BEAUTY!

Regards,
SixCats!
Click to expand...

SixCats, I'm sure you must have seen this guy's site, then?

http://www.wardsweb.org/Billfort/

Cheers,

David
 
bowtie427ss said:
I listen to 15 inch duplexes almost daily, at a 5-6 foot listening distance in a 15 x 16 room they surpass any other 2 way design these ears have heard, and in my listening room, these ears have the final say.
Click to expand...
BMS/811 network is posted:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1131453#post1131453

gamalot said:
Not to be a spoil sport here but if GPA made them, you can bet your A$$ they are very good!
Click to expand...
Not 'til someone measures them or GPA publishes performance specs they're willing to stand behind, Gary.... :no:
 
SixCats! said:
However, after hearing the 15" EV (and University) speakers/horns system I recently bought with those VERY large Cabinets, I can't but help wonder, how would 15" CO-AXIAL FULL RANGE drivers (i.e. ALTEC 604's, TANNOY's, etc.) sound in K-horn size (or bigger) Cabinets ? I suspect if done correctly, it must be a thing a BEAUTY!
Click to expand...
Hi, SixCats.

What you don't yet seem to understand is that the specific driver design parameters dictate the size and tuning of the cabinet according to a desired system performance. Sticking a driver in a big box does not necessarily produce a better sounding speaker. Coax or no, there's an optimum box alignment for each driver and application.

If you're really interested in this stuff, invest in Dickason's Loudspeaker Design Cookbook and read up to learn what it's all about and how to do it.... :thmbsp:
 
Yep

dgwojo said:
They sure look interesting; GPA 604-8HII
Click to expand...
There is something so nice about the way the 604 series sound. That's probably why so many people own them. They've done an excellent job with the updated version, I wish they were a bit closer, I'd go have a listen.
 
gonzomeep said:
Not to mention Wardsweb is an Administrator here on Audio Karma :yes:
Click to expand...
So is Billfort - the guy who built those. :)

Yes, $1500 is a lot of money for a pair of drivers and doing the cabinets and and crossovers right for these isn't cheap either but based on what I hear from my Altec 604's, it's an option worth considering if you want to shop in this price league - especially if you don't have a large listening room.

You'll always get lots of opinions and focus on specs, measurements, other approaches, ways of doing speakers 'better', cheaper, etc. but for me it all comes down to listening and this is how I developed a love for 604's. I think speakers are a critical link in building a nice sounding system (which includes everything from source through to the listening room) and buying speakers right based on listening is the way to go when laying out big dollars like this.

IMO, If you are considering speakers like this, other people's opinions are interesting and great for pointing out options but listen, listen, listen and you won't be disappointed.
 
Zilch said:
BMS/811 network is posted:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1131453#post1131453

Not 'til someone measures them or GPA publishes performance specs they're willing to stand behind, Gary.... :no:
Click to expand...

No argument here Zilch. I wouldn't know a 604 if I tripped over one but speak more from experience with other woofers and drivers I have had repaired and rebuilt at GPA. The man goes above and beyond paying particular attention to details few ever would.
I am not sure GPA even has the equipment to test and publish the results but I would love to see a member here with a pair send them out to you and get it done.
One thing that has surely come of all of this is your roll as the "Myth Buster" and the 802-8G simply does not stand up to scrutiny as I thought it might.
My Buddy, member Hillman, always complained there was something missing about the sound from his completely refurbed 19s.
Could it be where the 802-8G falls off?????

Gary
 
gamalot said:
My Buddy, member Hillman, always complained there was something missing about the sound from his completely refurbed 19s.
Could it be where the 802-8G falls off?????
Click to expand...
I'd encourage Hillman to make the requisite $250 investment in a pair of the recommended alternative drivers and evaluate for himself. As Billfort stated above, listening is the bottom line. There are likely other issues with M19, but having decent drivers is place is most essential.

I could probably have tweaked 802-8G into submission with respect to HF extension; it was the lack of uniformity I found most unsettling. It's simply not possible to generate a coherent soundstage or stable image with the pair of refurbished drivers I tested.

As you saw, the curves for the alternatives virtually superimpose; the designer and manufacturer seem to know the variables and have them well under control. If Hillman doesn't like them, he'll likely find a willing buyer here on AK who'd want to give them a try in one or another system....
 
Billfort

Billfort said:
So is Billfort - the guy who built those. :)
Click to expand...
Right-O Billfort. As Johnny Carson used to say: " I did not know that" :no: . Cool. As for whether or not the 802-8G has a problem or not, I cannot hear it. Thousands of people/owners would tend to agree, I believe. How many of us bought, or did not buy, speakers because someone said they didn't look good on a graph? I've never heard anyone say that the M19's top-end had problems. Hell, I was surprised with my pair. Is it the all-time #1, no. You could do a lot worse, for sure.
 
Hi all,

I just want to say THANK YOU to all you guys for all the information/links you've provided. Well, truthfully, I do NOT know what direction I will go regarding speakers (I'm sure more than one). This much I can say, in my over thirty years as a hobbiest, I have listened to and/or owned a lot of different Speakers. At times, I have enjoyed them all!
I own (or have owned) DCM Time Windows,
KLIPSCH Heresy's, PIONEER HPM 100's, JBL 4311B Control Monitiors,
KEF 102's, BOSTON ACOUSTIC A-70's, to name a few. Presently,
I listen to my THIEL 03A's, ESS AMT 1's, and my HEATHKIT's
(with 12" NORELCO full range drivers). I also own a large pair of WHARFEDALE W90's (needs new caps, a work in progress) as well as
the large "homemade" Cabinets I picked up this past Easter Sunday
(one houses the EV 15" Woofer EV and EV horns) and the other
(houses the 15" UNIVERSITY Woofer and UNIVERSITY horns).
That being said, since I now own some basic (but decent)
TUBE gear, I find myself listening to (and enjoying) the more efficent type of speakers. I find that I am listening to my HEATHKIT with the 12" NORELCO's more than ANY Speaker system I own! There is just "SOMETHING" about this type of sound that works for me! I find that I can listen for hours on end and not grow tired. OK, now that I have had a chance to listen to large the "homemade" Speaker with their BIG 15" Woofers and HORNS, I must say that I am very IMPRESSED! However, I have NOT had a chance to do any "long term" listening with these large Speakers
(which are presently located in my Garage loft). I don't know if I am likely to grow tired (or not) listening to such a system, only time will tell.
I can say this much, I sure LOVE the DYNAMICS/IMPACT/RANGE etc. of this type of Speaker system. So, this all leads me to my current thinking :
how might a 15" co-axial/full range driver system
(in the proper Cabinets) sound in a (somewhat) large room ?
(approx. 20' x 20'). I only wish I had a chance to hear such a system!
However, being here in Maine....anyway. So, in a "NUTSHELL" lol, I guess what I am trying to say is, might 15" full range/co-axial drivers
(in the proper cabinets) give me the benifits I enjoy in a 12" full range driver system but, only MORE ? I sure hope my rambling makes some sense lol.

Regards,
SixCats!
 
SixCats! said:
So, in a "NUTSHELL" lol, I guess what I am trying to say is, might 15" full range/co-axial drivers
(in the proper cabinets) give me the benifits I enjoy in a 12" full range driver system but, only MORE ? I sure hope my rambling makes some sense lol.
Click to expand...
I don't know anything about your Norelcos, but Altec 604s are NOT full-range, and ARE notoriously inaccurate. Think the 4311Bs you're are already familiar with, which were originally modeled (4310) to mimick the Altec 604 voicing.

I also don't know how much of that GPA has "fixed" in their redesign, but I'd sure want to get the facts before I dropped $1500 plus crossovers and cabinets on a pair of their new drivers. :yes:

I've already suggested a path to "DYNAMICS/IMPACT/RANGE" for you requiring far less expenditure....
 
Zilch said:
I don't know anything about your Norelcos, but Altec 604s are NOT full-range, and ARE notoriously inaccurate. Think the 4311Bs you're are already familiar with, which were originally modeled (4310) to mimick the Altec 604 voicing.

I also don't know how much of that GPA has "fixed" in their redesign, but I'd sure want to get the facts before I dropped $1500 plus crossovers and cabinets on a pair of their new drivers. :yes:

I've already suggested a path to "DYNAMICS/IMPACT/RANGE" for you requiring far less expenditure....
Click to expand...

Damn you're brave.
 
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