Altec Bolero 890A, Mid-1960s Speakers with Glorious Sound

The Altec Lansing Corporation can trace its history all the way back to 1927.  The company has achieved nearly a century of success in the audio industry, with a number of iconic designs and beautifully executed speaker systems which can be found almost anywhere on the globe. 

The Bolero was introduced around 1965 and featured a number of engineering innovations, which was commonplace for Altec at the time. Most notably, the Bolero 890A is comprised of a relatively compact cabinet.  "Relatively" because to put this into perspective, audiophiles in the 1960s were used to very large, refrigerator-sized speaker systems.  In the mono days, one large speaker wasn't too much of a space issue, but as the industry leaped into stereo listening, having two massive boxes in one's living room became impractical.  The Bolero solved that with an innovative use of a passive radiator, cutting the box volume down to 1/4 of what would have normally been necessary. 

The second innovation included the use of a multi-cell micro-horn compression high frequency driver. The 3000H used a small, highly efficient, compression diaphragm, but instead of an 18" wide, heavy, cast horn element, Altec designed what they called a micro-horn. The apparatus provided a similar tuning and dispersion as its larger cousins, but without the need for long-distance projection.   In a typical 12 to 18 foot long living room, the 3000H is still very effective.  

The speakers have a sweet sound to them that is perfect for older tube equipment, like a Fisher X-100 integrated, or 800b receiver. 

This pair has been finished in a light walnut veneer and new grille frames were fitted with new speaker fabric.  Crossover caps were replaced with modern poly-film type, and the sound is open, airy, and enjoyable.  

Try out these classics at our Andover, MA showroom. 

$699/pair (plus applicable MA sales tax)

* Local sale preferred, but please contact us for shipping/delivery options. 

** Stands not included.