AR-LST vs. Allison Model One vs. AR-3a

[super...@yahoo.com]

Hello!
I'm at my mid 20s', so speaker designer like Ed Villchur, Henry Kloss
and Roy Allison are kind of strange to me. The well-known speaker
designers in my generation are Arnie Nudell, Carl Marchisotto and Dave
Wilson.
I've read tremendous amount of comments through various audio
discussion forum regard these 3 legendary loudspeakers. However,
doesn't see anyone has do a comparison of these 3 loudspeakers.

I came across a pair of AR-3a lately, and I find it sounds wonderful
driven by a tube amplifier in an audio community gathering. I've
listened to the Allison Model One 7 years ago with CJ components, it
sounds quite nice. But I never listened to the AR-LST in my life. I
heard lots of people comments about Allison Acoustics Model One
performs and sounds better than AR-LST; and the AR-3a sounds quite
different comparing to the other 2. Some said that AR-LST is better
than AR-3a. Someone even said that the AR-9 is an improvement over the
LST. I'm confuse.

Based on what I read, Henry Kloss designs the AR-3 and refined by Roy
Allison afterwards so-called AR-3a. And both AR-LST and Allison Model
One are completely designed by Roy Allison. Anyone can analyze these 3
loudspeakers technically and sonically, and compare one to the other.

So which loudspeakers consider being the best from AR? AR-LST, AR-3a or
AR-9? How are these AR speakers up against the Allison Model One? I
really interest to learn something about these classics.

Thanks!

[super...@yahoo.com]

[calc...@hotmail.com]

Boston Bland, kid, Boston Bland. If you're going to audition vintage
speakers forget about the acoustic suspension monkey coffins and go
after the saucy, curvaceous things like Klipsch (K-horn), La Scala,
Belle Klipsch: Altec 604s and other coaxes in better cabs: etc,etc.

[Dingus]

super...@yahoo.com wrote:
> So which loudspeakers consider being the best from AR? AR-LST, AR-3a
or
> AR-9? How are these AR speakers up against the Allison Model One? I
> really interest to learn something about these classics.

i dont know who designed what but... the original AR-9 came out after
Teledyne stepped into the picture, and was produced from around 1980 to
around 1983 (rough guestimate but its fairly close). i have heard the
Allison I driven with a very nice solid state Quad amp (dont know which
model) and it put out a wonderfully big beautiful smooth sound. i
recently aquired a pair of Teledyne AR-9's which i drive with a Luxman
R-117 receiver and for my taste in music i would opt for the AR-9 over
the Allison I. if my taste in music was less rock oriented i would
take the Allison I. i have not heard either with tube gear but would
love to.

there is a later model AR-9 but it is not nearly the same speaker as
the original Teledyne AR-9. cant help you with the AR-3a or AR-LST but
i cant conceive either as being in the same class as the other 2.

hth,
dingus

[Howard Ferstler]

Dingus wrote:
>
> super...@yahoo.com wrote:
> > So which loudspeakers consider being the best from AR? AR-LST, AR-3a
> or
> > AR-9? How are these AR speakers up against the Allison Model One? I
> > really interest to learn something about these classics.
>
> i dont know who designed what but... the original AR-9 came out after
> Teledyne stepped into the picture,

I believe that Ken Kantor may have been involved with the
design of the original AR-9 system, although Victor Campos
may also been involved. Campos may also have been involved
with the later version of that system. The AR-3a's original
design was drafted by Ed Villchur before he sold the company
to Teledyne. The actual system was designed by Chuck McShane
and Roy Allison. The LST was Allison's design, as was the
Allison Model One.

> and was produced from around 1980 to
> around 1983 (rough guestimate but its fairly close). i have heard the
> Allison I driven with a very nice solid state Quad amp (dont know which
> model) and it put out a wonderfully big beautiful smooth sound. i
> recently aquired a pair of Teledyne AR-9's which i drive with a Luxman
> R-117 receiver and for my taste in music i would opt for the AR-9 over
> the Allison I.

It will be more focussed and less spacious. Both systems
solved the mid-bass suckout problem.

> if my taste in music was less rock oriented i would
> take the Allison I. i have not heard either with tube gear but would
> love to.

Assuming good tube gear, there would not be much difference.
With high-powered SS gear you would get higher peak outputs.

> there is a later model AR-9 but it is not nearly the same speaker as
> the original Teledyne AR-9. cant help you with the AR-3a or AR-LST but
> i cant conceive either as being in the same class as the other 2.

I compared the early AR-LST to the earliest Allison Model
One decades ago. They sounded more alike than different.
Remember, both were designed by Roy Allison, and both had
the same performance goals. The Model One would, simply by
its design, be flatter responding in the lower middle range
between 150 and 400 Hz.

Howard Ferstler

[Howard Ferstler]

Oh, yes. I also compared the Allison One to the AR-3a, and
the former was generally brighter and more spacious
sounding. Later on, I compared the Model One to the Allison
IC-20. Not much difference, but the IC-20 did have a bit
more clarity, due to the driver arrangement.

Room-power curves for the IC-20 can be found in issue 95 of
The Sensible Sound, along with curves run on a number of
other good systems. Issue 94 also had curves, because they
were included in a two-part article I wrote.

My book, The Home Theater Companion, has a fair amount of
information about various AR and Allison models, by the way.
The book, published by Schirmer, is out of print, but used
copies are available on the internet.

Howard Ferstler

[Howard Ferstler]

Howard Ferstler wrote:

> I believe that Ken Kantor may have been involved with the
> design of the original AR-9 system, although Victor Campos
> may also been involved. Campos may also have been involved
> with the later version of that system. The AR-3a's original
> design was drafted by Ed Villchur before he sold the company
> to Teledyne. The actual system was designed by Chuck McShane
> and Roy Allison. The LST was Allison's design, as was the
> Allison Model One.

Oops, another correction is required. Ken Kantor was
involved in the design of the much later AR "Magic" system
and not the AR-9. The AR-9 was designed by Tim Holl and Alex
DeCosta. I believe that Campos helped to design the AR-10pi
system

Howard Ferstler