Compression Drivers for Dummies: Everything You Ever Want to Know About Them but Were Afraid to Ask

HAPPY 250th BIRTHDAY U.S.A.!! Its July 4, 2026 As the United States marks its 250th year, we're excited to release our very first full-length show-and-tell video dedicated to compression drivers. For this project, we teamed up with our longtime monthly supporter, Steve Huelsbeck, who graciously opened his home and shared his impressive collection of Altec 1-inch compression drivers, along with a wide variety of driver components and diaphragms from different manufacturers. A special thanks to Steve for being a fantastic host. We had a great time filming the video, diving into the history and anatomy of these classic drivers, and simply enjoying great conversation in the process. We apologize for the length of this video!! It is long because we attempted to pack as much information and useful tips as we can into it but still it "light". We believe the information presented in this video will benefit all horn speaker fans and hobbyists. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it. The information presented here applies to all compression drivers, regardless of manufacturer. It does not apply only to Altec one inch drivers. Although, we showed Altec 802, 806 and 808 ALNICo magnet drivers as well as the 902 and 908 Ferrite magnet drivers. Below is a basic breakdown of the video. It was difficult to maintain focus and stick to our script once we got going. Introduction (0:00) History of the Compression Driver (6:48) Compression Driver Anatomy (13:51) Replacement Diaphragms for Altec 800-900 series drivers (27:19) Fixing Common problems, typical CHLG rants and recommendations (43:17) As mentioned in the introduction, we encourage all hornies to chime in the conversation. We are interested in what you have to say. Provide supplementation information and let us know where we fell short in our explanation. If you have a better idea or more current information please share it in the comments section. If there needs to be a follow up to this video, we would certainly consider it. Compression Driver Technology was invented by Edward C. Wente & Albert L. Thuras at Bell Telephone Laboratories (aka Bell Labs) in the 1920s. Bell Labs and Western Electric were part of AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph) founded by Alexander Graham Bell. All of them were part of the Bell System (aka Ma-Bell). Western Electric was the manufactured arm of AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph) founded by Alexander Graham Bell. Both were part of the Bell System (aka Ma-Bell). The result of Wente and Thuras's work is the Western Electric 555, arguably the most famous compression driver ever. SnS = Simply Speakers https://www.simplyspeakers.com/ Our diaphragm recommendation for Altec compression drivers: Altec Aluminum Altec Pascalite GPA Aluminum Altec Symbiotik with caveats mentioned in the video. Radian Simply Speakers with caveats mentioned in the video. Various Chinese brands with caveats mentioned in the video. Places that can recharge ALNICo magnets in the US. Please contact the following. This list may grow (or shrink) over time. Accurate as of 7/4/2026. 1. Upland loudspeaker Service in Upland, CA http://www.repairspeakers.com/ 2. Speaker Repair Pros in Garden Grove, CA http://www.speakerrepairpros.com 3. Peter Noerbaek in Springtown, TX https://pbnaudio.com/ If you enjoy our content, please LIKE our videos and Subscribe to our channel. It really helps to get the word out of the virtues of horn based loudspeakers and why they are the BEST for hifi. You can follow us on instagram:   / chicagohornguys   You can further support us by "Buying us Coffees" using the link below: https://coff.ee/chicagohornguys Be a monthly buy us coffee supporter from the Continental US and get a free hat. or Join us on Patreon (future benefits and contents for Patreon members to be determined. Right now its a hat for monthly paid members):   / chicagohornloudspeakerguys   #hifi #stereo #horns #JBL #Altec #18Sound #Radian #WesternElectric #B&C #BMS #Faital #SBAudience #GreatPlainsAudio