A5

Altec Lansing A5 Voice of the Theatre Loudspeaker System.

1950s–1970s.

Compact large-format two-way theatre loudspeaker system developed for motion picture playback and professional sound reinforcement applications.

The A5 combines a horn-loaded low-frequency enclosure with a multicellular high-frequency horn assembly, producing high efficiency, strong vocal intelligibility, and wide dynamic capability with relatively low amplifier power.

The low range employs the 15-inch 416-series woofer mounted within the compact bass horn enclosure, while the high range utilizes the 802-series compression driver coupled to the 805B or 511-series sectoral horn, depending on configuration.

Compared to the larger A7 system, the A5 adopts a reduced cabinet size intended for smaller theatres and installations where floor space was limited, while retaining much of the immediacy and projection characteristic of the Voice of the Theatre series.

Originally designed for commercial cinema environments, the A5 later found continued use in studios, hi-fi listening rooms, and enthusiast-built domestic systems centered around high-efficiency reproduction.