Altec Lansing 95 Speakers

Altec Lansing Model 95 Black Source: http://smarthomesolution.net/buy-Sell/

This article written June 2010 by wjhonson@aol.com.

Today (6 Jun 2010) my partner picked up a pair of these Altec Lansing 95's or Model 95's for a good price at a local flea market.  What can I find out about them?  I'm mostly interested in their specifications and what they're worth.



The official website for Altec Lansing is at this link.  The specifications for the Altec Lansing Model 95 are at this link on altecpro.com as a PDF.  The cabinets are 22 inches high, 12 inches wide, 9 inches deep and each weigh 23 pounds.  The speakers have a nominal power handling of 60 Watts.  Some people are calling these "bookshelf" speakers but at 23 inches tall and 23 pounds each, I would call them towers, free-standing, or pedestal.  I'm not seeing "bookshelf" here myself.

[Edit]
This was evidently the badge for Altec Lansing at some point, but my badges don't look like this, so I'm not certain.  Do you know where I can another picture showing the badges?  If so, shoot me an email at wjhonson@aol.com

Altec Lansing Model 95 with grill on

These speakers came in your choice of Dark Oak, or Black Woodgrained Vinyl which is the type I now have.  They were evidently also known as the 95-BK and the 95-BLK.

The above picture does not show the grill and screen cloth. So here is a really tiny picture of the speakers with the grill and cloth on, that I found online.  "The Altec Lansing Model 95 is a full-range, high-performance, 3-way acoustic suspension loudspeaker system.... 8" woofer and 4" midrange are composed of carbon-filled textured polypropylene with butyl rubber surrounds.  The 20mm dome tweeter is made of high-impact formed polyester....Ferrofluidic cooling is incorporated into the loudspeaker system for increased power handling."  So there you go.


[Edit]
There is a website here dedicated to these retro Altec Lansing systems, where they state that you can email sumnermc@earthlink.net if you are looking for these systems or, I suppose, parts.

They were apparently made in 1995 as the specifications page is dated June 1995.  However another website claims that they started making these as early as 1989.  Per that specifications page, Altec Lansing was evidently then based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Altec Lansing Model 95 Rear connector plate Source: http://smarthomesolution.net/buy-Sell

, but as you can see from the connector plate below, the speakers were evidently made in Milford, Pennsylvania.  Wikipedia has something to say on that point.  To confirm the year they began making these, there is a New York Times article "SOUND; Improved Gear Is the Fair Game", by Hans Fantel dated 2 Jul 1989. In that article, while discussing new speakers just introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show, he states "... Of course, there have always been speakers ... adding neither false brilliance nor bloated bass.... Take, for example, Altec Lansing and JBL ... recent entries from both companies are models of musical veracity. What's more, some of them are quite reasonably priced. A case in point is Altec Lansing's Model 95, a remarkably well-designed and fine-sounding conventional box speaker whose sonic warmth and fullness are complemented by a pleasantly unobtrusive yet altogether clear treble. Listing at $299 a pair, it offers excellent value. "

So there you go.  Am I good or what?


[Edit]
When you shop at flea markets, you're rolling the dice, and I got one speaker with a non-functioning bass.  So now I'm on the hunt for a replacement part.  The guys over at the Altec User's Board suggested that I could just go to Parts Express and buy a woofer of comparable efficiency, provided it was under thirty bucks it might be worth fixing this speaker.

Instead of fixing these, I've gutted them for the parts.  Which I'm now selling as follows:
Two tweeters $15 each
Two midranges $25 each
Two grills with cloth and badges $15 each


If you buy more than one of these items, I'll give you a 15% discount on the entire purchase.  If you buy them all in one shipment, I'll give you a 35% discount, which would be $85 to buy it all.