These are commercial quality loudspeakers for professional applications. You know, for people who can afford them.

(i.e. not for gadget consumers, pseudo-audiophiles, or tech bloggers)

Well, if it makes you feel better, the current standard in studio monitors (not coincidentally the ones backed by the MPAS today) are also available at home, also look "goofy" compared to "normal" speakers, but run $20k for the pair. They weigh about 300lbs each and have tweeters made from diamonds. I've heard them in person and I'd trade 1 nut for them now and 2 after I've started my family.

These speakers are QUITE sought after in the high end audiophile community. We're talking analog purists here, everything from vinyl records to tube based amps. I worked with a guy who was into this stuff and he was talking about the system he's building for his new house. Going through all of hte specs and such, originals of these were included, and he mentioned that "I'm not going crazy or anything, I'll probably only spend twenty tohusand on the system".

I want those speakers to pleasure me.

Strictly speaking, speaker design has not, in fact, advanced a whole lot or changed significaantly since the 1950s. Loudspeakers still use whopping great magnets to drive a coil or wire, which is wrapped around, and moves the cone or tweeter. Whether the cone is made from cardboard or hemp or the tweeter from steel or diamonds, they're pretty much operating on the same principles.

In fact, professional speaker manufacturers (such as L Acoustics in Europe) are now going back to 'line source' speaker designs, creating 'line arrays' which are a completely different way of making and arraying speakers in concert configurations, which dates back to the original high-output loudspeakers made in the early 1900's. So you might say loudspeaker design is moving backwards, not forwards.

extremely efficient speakers tend to be volumetrically large. In particular folded horn designs, such as these or say the kilpsch la scala result in very large speakers. So you get incredible, tight bass response without a huge amplifer it's just that you paid for a pair of speakers that won't fit in the back of your car (even if you drive a yukon).

If anyone's seen the scene in Snatch where they blow out the windows with the extra-loud blanks, I'm guessing that's what'd happen if you put two of those things in a Yukon.

Not to be picky, but I don't think the large 15" speakers in these things have a long enough excursion to produce a high enough SPL level to blow out the windows of a yukon. But if someone tries, please let us know the resultes.

In response to givemeyourshoes....Mythbusters anyone?

Roxstar

word to the wise

"don't give up even one nut so easily"

@mtopper: There's nothing easy about a pair of B&W Nautilus 801Ds. ;-)

Old technology designs do come in handy sometimes, just look at guitar amplifiers, i.e. handmade Marshall's

Stoopid geek review. Not everything is like compooters. Audio gear certainly has a much longer life span than computer gear.

Client of mine had the original A7's , used to put them on the back porch and play them while waterskiing on the lake.

In general, horn speakers are more efficient, so you get an "effortless" sound without needing hundreds of (real) Watts of amplification, but they can be more colored than other designs.

Consistent good sound throughout a large theater is a different goal than home audio, so I wouldn't pay much attention to AMPAS or THX certification.

Speaker design definitely hasn't advanced much. The 70's brought good flat panel speakers (KLH 7 electrostatics and Tympani Magneplanars) and the classic Rogers LS3/5A small British bookshelf speaker. Since then, apart from ribbon tweeters (rare because patented by Magnepan), there's been little but incremental improvements and occasional good use of exotic materials.

I own a original pair of these Monsters.Inc. That i call them. :) My pair is made in year 1980 and have original loudspeakers. I can tell you that: There is no sound like that. In some moments, you do not hear the music, you only feel it by floor. I'm afraid that i can't subscribe fully the feeling. When i put a 2x200W RMS power on these monsters in my home, I found myself into hospital! The reason was, that my heart begin to jump over! I'm 35 years old and I have never have problems with heart.
On open field the loudspeakers "plays"
2x400W RMS Power without any distortion!

"Voice of the Theater" weight 170lbs. They have long throw woofers which move more air, and air movement is AUDIO. I have a friend with a pair of these and 10 watts per is almost enough to ruin your ears. They will take 200 watts continuous! These things are Very efficient. Not only is speaker design returning to the "Old Days", but so is amplifier design. You can now buy tube amps and even 1 tube amps for individual microphone lines. There's nothing better than old fashion Plate Modulation! As a musician, Broadcast Engineer, and Amateur Radio operator; I find bigger speakers, less compression, and tubes will give you a more realistic sound, at any audio level, than digital systems. If you can afford the Altecs, BUY THEM!

i have a pair of the A7 from the 70's and am looking for the best way to set them up, what amp to use etc..any suggestions?