Allison AL-130 Later version (post 1990)

[Guest Durutti]

I just found this forum and I'm very impressed!

My question:

Someone is offering to sell their Allison AL-130's to me for a reasonable price. They're in perfect working order (supposedly).

I'm going to see them but, before I do....

I want to know a little more about the sound of these speakers and how they compare to the other Allison models - particularly the earlier 1, 2, and the revered models. They are not triangular, but rectangular.

I need a clear accurate speaker for acoustic and classical music in a very large room, but I also listen to a lot of rock and electronic music.

Will these speakers produce enough "slam" and bass impact without me overdriving (damaging) them?

I have an NAD 120 watt amp.

The room has a ceiling that slopes from 16 to 8 feet. And it's walls are about 20x30 (with furnture, and shelves.)

I don't expect perfection with the difficult room, but don't want another speaker that wont give me enough BANG and image for the rock music when I'm sitting on the sofa 6' away.

I previously had installed Celestion SL6si's (monitor speakers) on stands and they were amazingly clear and revealing, but had no bass, and I blew a tweeter.

Then I went back to my old college days Boston Acoustics A70's which are muddy and not revealing at all, but at least had a little presence of full-range sound. As dim and muddy as they are, they're more enjoyable than the Celestions.

So, apologies for the rambling post, but how do the later Allison AL-130's stack up? Note: these are not the earlier 130's made til 1989, but the later ones.

Cheers,

[Guest jpk_1]

Hi,

What exactly do you mean post 1990? Where where these speakers made?

Is it possible to try them in your room? That would be the best way to find out!

I would think you would be happy with them and they would do what you want. They're killer speakers! They've up there with the best Allison's! I believe the response is smoother if they're pulled out from the wall a couple of feet?

Is your amp 60w/ch or 120w/ch?

They're rated 90db/1m/1watt, so they will play loud and clean!

I drove a pair of A:Ones with a 55w/ch integrated amp for several years and they did very very well!

Some people like the AL-130s better than the triangle models, claiming a little better focus than models with two tweeters pointing 90 degrees apart? Listen and decide. Also, with 2, 8 in woofers you move a lot of air. You can always add a powered sub later if you need / want more bottom end.

Let us know what you decide,

Joe

[Guest Durutti]

I don't know where they were made, but according to the library here, there were two series of 130's

The 1983-> series http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/allison/1983series.jpg

And the 1989-> series

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/allison/1989series.jpg

The model I'm considering is differentiated, apparantly, by the AL in the model #. As in "AL-130" (as opposed to "130.")

I can't audition them, but I need a speaker that wont require a subwoofer. Nothing that's described as "lean" and from the descriptions I've read, the Allison 1's are described as a bit lean in the bass, but the AL-130's quite full.

I was disappointed to learn the AL-130's have a vinyl veneer instead of real wood.

My amp is 120W per channel at 8ohms, (20.8dBW) and 340W at 4ohms.

The speakers are 6ohm models, so I assume I'd use the 8ohm setting on the amp?

The owner wants $400 for the pair. Good deal?

Thanks for the reply.

Cheers,

[Guest jpk_1]

AL 130 is much more speaker than the A-130, being a 3-way model along with 2 woofers! I believe the second (lower, reversed) woofer comes in around 100HZ on down, although the spec sheet doesn't indicate this.

You have plenty of power to drive them.

I've never heard the A:Ones described as lean in the bass, the specs are probably very close to the Al-130's: -3db 35 HZ, -6db 29 HZ so yes the bottom octave may be lean on paper, but how much music is really there? HT is another story. Allison did make an electronic subwoofer, basically an equalizer to boost the response flat to 20HZ and then drop like a rock below that. It can be duplicated with a EQ unit!

Both the A:One and AL-130 are considered full range speakers and it would take a lot of $$$ to better them.

I've been watching Allisons on the web for several years and very few Al-130s are offered for sale, although in the last six months or so 3 or four pairs were on Ebay, some advertised as NOS and getting $385 ~ $400.

There is also an very active Allison group on yahoo:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/allison-speakers

you need to be a yahoo member,

perhaps someone there could better answer your question on large room filling volume? esp on the bottom octave.

[Guest Durutti]

Thanks - I'll check out the Yahoo forums.

$3-400 is not that much money for a top pair of speakers. In fact, I see used speakers going for over 1K frequently.

I know this is a very general question, but how would the AL-130's stack up against more expensive speakers in the $1,000-$2,000 range?

I noticed that the "NEW" Allison One's - recently available for a short time, were offered at $6400.00! Many people balked.

Any opinions?

Cheers,

[Guest jpk_1]

I’ve owned a pair of A: Ones since 1977, paid $720 for them, which was a lot of money for speakers then. In 1986 a pair of CD-8s was around $800 and they have 3 drivers vs. the Ones six drivers. I don’t recall what the AL-130s sold for new in the 90s, but it had to be over $1000? It’s frustrating how speakers in general have outpaced inflation, as for as new cost! Fortunately they can last a long time!

The revived Allison Co. did sell the Ones in the $5500 - $6500 range, a lot of people (esp. long time Allison fans) had sticker shock, but that seems to be what comparable / competitive speakers go for. The new Ones may have had solid cherry cabinets? This isn’t cheap, but looks real good! The new Ones also had an improved crossover and extended HF response. I wish I could have heard them, maybe someday?

The AL-130s are a very fine speaker; I don’t think you would find anything new in the $1-2k range that would be better. The AL-130s are also very smooth!

A friend has a pair of B&W 801s from around 1988, Stereophile raved about the 801s, funny, I don’t hear the magic of them, of course he prefers the 801s and I prefer my A: Ones. I recently listened to the B&W 703s in a high end showroom, I thought the AL-130s would be superior, I then listened to the B&W 802s, those were real nice, but at $8k, well I’m not going to spend that on speakers.

Preowned Allison’s can be a great bargain in today’s market. I wish I could answer your original question about enough slam in a large room, I think you would be happy with them, but would like to see a couple more opinions on it. Maybe others will chime in on this post.

[Guest Durutti]

Thanks for the great reply.

Very helpful.

I'd thought B&W 801's were supposedly legendary, but only as monitor speakers - not full range. Maybe I'm wrong there.

B&W's were also supposedly real wood - the Allison's (not the recent One's) not.

Which would at least partially explain the B&W's higher price tag.

Do B&W 801's and 802's have less bass than the AL-130's?

I'm very close to purchasing the AL-130's - if they're still available. Just wondering if they will be as revealing as my Celestion SL6si monitors, but without the glare and with BASS. That's what I'm looking for.

[Guest Baffle]

>My question:

>Someone is offering to sell their Allison AL-130's to me for a

>reasonable price. They're in perfect working order

>(supposedly).

Hi Tom,

First thing I would do is audition them if you can. It's easy enough to determine if all the drivers are functioning by getting right up next to the speaker at a low listening level and check out each driver. If the woofers are out odds are only one would actually be dead since they are series wired out of phase.

The Allison woofer can be repaired and/or refoamed with little difficulty these days.

In test listening the mid range I have a few select cd's that show up problems with the voice coil rubbing or otherwise distorting. If the midrange sounds clean at the lowest listening level, chances are it is a perfect driver.

The tweeters from my experience either work, or they don't. I'm sure test measurements will reveal discrepencies that your ears will not. I would not worry a whole lot about it.

>I need a clear accurate speaker for acoustic and classical

>music in a very large room, but I also listen to a lot of rock

>and electronic music.

>

>Will these speakers produce enough "slam" and bass

>impact without me overdriving (damaging) them?

>I have an NAD 120 watt amp.

>

>The room has a ceiling that slopes from 16 to 8 feet. And

>it's walls are about 20x30 (with furnture, and shelves.)

That is a sizeable room, with the slope you must be over or around 6000 cubic feet. "Clear and accurate"....yes but I know in this instance I would be using a subwoofer, and that would be with any competant system in that room. With the age of the Allisons and no replacement drivers available, you will need to use some discretion with the volume control. However, if you use them with a sub. the bottom end work for the 130's can be greatly reduced.

>

>I don't expect perfection with the difficult room, but don't

>want another speaker that wont give me enough BANG and image

>for the rock music when I'm sitting on the sofa 6' away.

>I previously had installed Celestion SL6si's (monitor

>speakers) on stands and they were amazingly clear and

>revealing, but had no bass, and I blew a tweeter.

Hey Tom, I just keep reading and thinking you would be loving a subwoofer in that room. Have you had one hooked up at any point in time for serious music listening. (forgetting movies at the moment)?

BILL

[Guest snagglepuss]

Don't know if you bought thembut they are a great all-round speaker.

I am driving them with 80wpc in a room 16x25 and high ceilings.

Can't go wrong for $400, new they were around $1200 in Canada

John