My colleague owns a 15″ Lansing element from the 1930s and several Altec Lansing 311b, 604, 811b, Model 19, as well as some other models.

Horn-loaded – speakers (e.g., all at Altec) gained a reputation for harshness in HF and midrange coloration, and consumer demand for them almost dried up by the mid-1970s. The popularity of Altec Lansing theatrical loudspeakers among audiophiles waned in the mid-1950s with the promotion of the Acoustic Research/Janszen dynamic/electrostatic hybrid loudspeaker. Then it went down in connection with purchases from various technology/investment companies, and engineers fled to other companies like JBL, EV, and others.Īny day of the week, older Altec Lansing beats those other companies with better active filters and PEQ regarding audible distortion and frequency response.Īltec Lansing stands in a class of its own of older high-sensitivity speakers. Altec Lansing was dominant in the USA in cinemas and studios, and homes with “higher requirements” from the 40s until the late 70s.