AR3 Speakers - Lessons Learned!
gkau...@the-planet.org
refinished nicely, the second is still in progress.
What I have learned:
The grille comes off easily from the front. Remove the woofer to get
into the cabinet.
The stuffing material itches - use gloves!
The cabinets refinish nicely - use 400 to 600 grit sandpaper. I use a
light oil finish with good results. Even some moderate scratches and water
rings came off nicely.
The crossovers are always shot - replace the rheostats (18 hom
originally, but modern 8 ohm LPADs work just fine).
Replace the caps with good quality poly parts - I used Solen caps and
was quite pleased.
Larry Spector suggested Layne Audio at:
http://layneaudio.hypermart.net/. The owner was very nice on the phone, and
they provided a crossover kit that was only a bit more than the individual
parts would have been. It included rheostats and Solen caps.
Steve Hopkins pointed out that the low volume I was getting from the
midrange may be because the caulking material around the voice coil had
dried out. Thanks to his suggestion I removed the grille and scraped this
stuff away carefully. The midrange sprang back to life!
The AR3 remains a very nice sounding speaker. Not spectacular - but
solid and enjoyable when properly rebuilt. They are a classic that I am
happy to add to my collection!
Oh, and plan on 30-60 watts per channel. Efficiency and AR3 should
never be used in the same sentence! I tried them briefly with a Dynaco
SCA-35 - what a joke. They are much more lively with a pair of Mark III's.
- Gary
Bill B.
> Oh, and plan on 30-60 watts per channel. Efficiency and AR3 should
> never be used in the same sentence! I tried them briefly with a Dynaco
> SCA-35 - what a joke. They are much more lively with a pair of Mark III's.
>
> - Gary
Hi,
I have a nice pair of the AR4X 2 way speakers (8" woofer, 2" tweeter)
and they sound fantastic with an old (1953) Bell 3D Binaural amp putting
out a whopping 15 watts pre channel via a quartet of 6V6's. No, it's not
a system to blow the roof off the house, but is sounds fantastic with
Jazz. Personally, of all the '50's and '60's speakers, AR's seem to
sound the most balanced tonally. I think your AR3's will suprise a lot
of people who get a chance to listen to them.
As for refinishing these veterans, If they are heavily stained and
have scratches, I hit them with 150 grit paper first, followed by 220
then 400. Then I apply a couple coats of gloss tongue oil or satin
polyurethane with a lint free cloth. After each coat dries, I use very
fine steel wool. I keep applying coats till the grain of the wood is
barely niticable, but not to the point of making the speakers shiney.
Original finishes on these speakers left a bit of the grain showing, it
was not shiney a la piano lacquer.
B.B.
Frederic Phillips
>
> Oh, and plan on 30-60 watts per channel. Efficiency and AR3 should
> never be used in the same sentence! I tried them briefly with a Dynaco
> SCA-35 - what a joke. They are much more lively with a pair of Mark
III's.
>
> - Gary
>
>
power, the better!
About the least powerful unit I have encountered that was suitable was a
Dynakit Stereo 70, and that barely did the job. I'm now using a Fisher
500C,and that does the job decently in a fairly large room.
I personally like transistor units (perish the thought) with the AR3/AR3a as
well. The overbright sound of many of the older units complements the
slightly distant perspective inherent in the ARs.
A couple of my solid-state favorites to drive them:
Marantz 2270
The AR amplifier or receiver (if you can find one still alive)
Dynaco SCA80/Stereo 80
Fisher 500T (small room only, due to the Fisher only being about
20WPC- but, the Fisher is about as bright as they come- or at
least mine is- and the speakers and receiver complement each
other very nicely.)
I would have to say the AR3/3a is probably my alltime favorite speaker.
Jac5468
with a rebuilt but unaltered pair of W% Heathkits and PAS3 combo. I do not
find power to be a problem in this setup. As a matter of fact, I prefer them
to my now bedroom speakers, Spendor LS3/5a's. Yes the AR's just sound better,
espically on jazz and fusion which is most of my listening. Believe it or
not the 2AX's have more extended highs but more distant mids for sure and of
course a more extended low end. I am quite surprised by the sound of them at
times and encourage anyone to try them in their system, they might be quite
surprised. BTW. I agree with the reader who stated thet they do sound good
with solid state amps. I have a few older ss amps including a Heath AR15/
These speakers hide many flaws of ss amps quite well.
Daniel J. Marshall
Hi,
I have heard (here I think it was) that the old ARs and the RS Linaeum
tweeters are a match made in heaven and make a combo that is hard to
beat. I snagged a pair of the RS Linaeum tweeters a while back, but
don't have any AR speakers to try them with. I do listen to Linaeum 10s
(which blow the RS LX speakers out of the water by a wide margin) so am
familiar with the capabilities of the Lineaum tweeters. After listening
to them for a while, most other tweeters I have heard since don't seem
to hack it anymore.
Dan Marshall.
Paul S.
when you scrap-off those litle dabs of silicone?
gkau...@the-planet.org wrote in message ...
gkau...@the-planet.org
but I never got all of the caulking off. I just removed whatever I could
get to with a jeweler's screwdriver and xacto knife. I did remove the
grille first (It pulls off fairly easily - just watch the wires) and later
reattached it with some silicone cement. I did this with the speaker
running at a moderate volume and the tweeter turned all the way down. There
was a dramatic increase in volume at one point, and I pretty much stopped
cleaning then. I also used a small bit of WD40 on a rag to clean up some of
the sticky mess.
I replaced the "fuzz-ball" before reattaching the grille.
- Gary
Paul S. <paul...@sprynet.com> wrote in message
news:7k0l7o$eq$1...@nntp1.atl.mindspring.net...
Jeanette D. Walton
Bernstein, a few of those RCA Red Seal "Maria Callas" recordings, Shostakovich
on Melodiya Angel, and the Szell/Oistrach Brahms Cello Concerto on Columbia,
pour yourself a large single malt beverage and you'll be all set!
I'm regretting selling the darned AR3a's now!
gkau...@the-planet.org wrote:
> Thanks to many of you, I now have a working pair of AR3's. The first one
> refinished nicely, the second is still in progress.
>
> What I have learned:
>
> The grille comes off easily from the front. Remove the woofer to get
> into the cabinet.
>
> The stuffing material itches - use gloves!
>
> The cabinets refinish nicely - use 400 to 600 grit sandpaper. I use a
> light oil finish with good results. Even some moderate scratches and water
> rings came off nicely.
>
> The crossovers are always shot - replace the rheostats (18 hom
> originally, but modern 8 ohm LPADs work just fine).
>
> Replace the caps with good quality poly parts - I used Solen caps and
> was quite pleased.
>
> Larry Spector suggested Layne Audio at:
> http://layneaudio.hypermart.net/. The owner was very nice on the phone, and
> they provided a crossover kit that was only a bit more than the individual
> parts would have been. It included rheostats and Solen caps.
>
> Steve Hopkins pointed out that the low volume I was getting from the
> midrange may be because the caulking material around the voice coil had
> dried out. Thanks to his suggestion I removed the grille and scraped this
> stuff away carefully. The midrange sprang back to life!
>
> The AR3 remains a very nice sounding speaker. Not spectacular - but
> solid and enjoyable when properly rebuilt. They are a classic that I am
> happy to add to my collection!
>
gkau...@the-planet.org
speakers It's getting a fair bit crowded. I may have to put the kids in the
garage soon.
If anyone is local to Boston and interested in a pair of AR5's or Small
advents at a fair price give me a yell - My wife would love it! The AR5's
are essentially AR3's with a smaller (10") woofer btw.
- Gary
Jeanette D. Walton <jdwa...@home.com> wrote in message
news:37641902...@home.com...
tom_ty...@my-deja.com
I find this to be a very, very daunting process, and I have been making
my way into AR-3s since 1959 when I got my first one. I've opened
probably a hundred since then. Originally, the grill is literally
"bowed" a bit and worked into a narrow grove around and under the grill
molding; hard glue is attached at both ends and a bit around the long
dimensions as well. The grill cloth -- ivory or ivory-with-gold nylon
rattan -- is stretched so that there are absolutely no bows or wrinkles
across the grill cloth once finished. There is no gap between the
grill cloth and the front molding. The grill-cloth weave pattern is
concentric with the front molding lines. In short, the originals were
basically letter perfect. This is the way it was done at 24 Thorndike
Street; now, in retrofit, this R & R process is 1000 times harder to do
to make it look exactly as original. Show me an AR-3, and I will tell
you instantly if it has been violated (i.e., "entered"): it's so
obvious when someone has removed and replaced the grill paned on this
speaker.
On refinishing the AR-3 in oiled walnut, teak or birch:
AR originally used boiled linseed oil to finish the oiled cabinets, and
then finely wet and dry sanded with wax for the final finish and
luster. Every AR cabinet was literally hand rubbed. When refinishing,
I've found that Watco Satin oil works best, using a 600-grit wet-dry
paper. It usually takes two or three coats of oil with this fine
sanding to bring the walnut back to life (considering that the
scratches, etc., have been dealt with first). I then use Watco Satin
Wax for the final coat, and wet sand this for a beautiful, deep satin
luster.
On replacing the crossover and level controls:
Many people replace the crossover components, but this is not always
necessary. For example, the capacitors -- whether oil-filled or paper
(Chicago) -- usually are okay. Ocassionally you will find a bad
capacitor, but this is much rarer in AR speakers than in KLH and other
brands of the day. But some people feel fevently that changing the
capacitors in a the crossover makes a big difference, even if the
original ones were correct and functional, and each to his own.
The level controls are 16-ohm wire-wound Pollock fully rebuildable
types, and can usually be brought back to life. If the resistance
value is changed, there is less possible attenuation and a slight
mismatch but nothing serious. The 16-ohm rating is the range of
resistance. But in truth, the original Pollocks do quite well if
rebuilt. There is about a 1-dB reduction in efficiency in the midrange
and treble using the controls, but generally it is worth it. Some
people also recommend by-passing the controls altogether, but the AR-3
-- believe it or not -- is simply too bright when done this way.
On AR-3 efficiency:
The sensitivity of the AR-3 is the Sound Pressure Level at four feet on
the axis of the speaker radiating into anechoic space, for an input of
one electrical watt. Under these conditions the AR-3's sensitivity
rating is 91.7 dB at 200Hz. Taken on an octave-band basis, the average
sensitivity for the AR-3 is 90.5 dB SPL approximately.
Amplifier power needed to power the speaker varies with room size,
music type and sound pressure needs; the 25 watts minimum power was
sufficient for moderate-sized rooms on orchestral music, but was
probably not sufficient for modern digital sources. Amplifiers with 60-
100 watts RMS miminum power with stable output down to 2.5-to 3.0 ohms
input impedance should be the minimum requirement.
--Tom Tyson
tomt...@nr.infi.net
________________________________________
In article <fPB83.1166$5H.6...@ndnws01.ne.mediaone.net>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
tom_ty...@my-deja.com
loudspeakers (today and in the past) are/were designed simply by
"voicing;" i.e., the designers simply listen to the end product and
determine if it is the sound quality or characteristic they seek.
AR speakers were quantified in design from the very first AR-1 built in
1954 up through the years by careful testing, measurement and final
listening. The design criteria was wide and flat frequency response
both on and off axis, low harmonic distortion, wide dispersion,
excellent transient response and smooth power response. AR used
outdoor anechoic environments as well as large anechoic chambers to
measure and quantify the performance of each speaker: a lot of golden-
eared types will disagree with the assertion that a speaker that
measures well will usually sound good. It is known, of course, that
peaks and valleys in frequency response are audibly detectable.
Doubling in the lowest bass frequencies is audible to anyone, poor off-
axis response makes a speaker seem overly bright on axis and harse and
sometimes dull sounding back in the listening environment. AR speakers
may sound reticent to some listeners, but most discerning music lovers
recognize that this reticence is closer to the actual live sound than
overly bright, up-close sound heard from many speakers. In the long
run, natural sound is less fatiguing than overly bright highs,
exaggerated bass and midrange sounds.
--Tom Tyson
tomt...@nr.infi.net
_______________________________________
In article <3763BE...@worldnet.att.net>,
tom_ty...@my-deja.com
Sounds like you had some good experiences, actually listening to music,
with a pair of old AR-3a's somewhere in your life. It's funny, but
many listeners are so consumed with the sound of the speaker itself
that the music escapes them. A loudspeaker should disappear into the
depths of the music, and become self-effacing and invisible. AR-3's
and AR-3a's were (and are) very accurate and musical, and they
disappear into the music. They don't call attention to themselves as
many transducers do. To get this sense of enjoyment, however, one must
get back into the reverberrant environment of the AR-3a's output. They
are ideally flush-mounted horizontally in a bookshelf with books all
around for a true 2-Pi mounting. This way, the AR-3a can produce very
uniform and flat power response into the listening room.
I have basically two systems: 1) a "main" system with B&W801s and Krell
KSA-300S/KRC-3, etc., and 2) an "office" system with equalized (Allison
ESW) AR-3a's/Adcom amplifiers, etc. The B&W's are very accurate and
delightful loudspeakers, but I find that the AR-3a's are easier to
listen to for long periods and more enjoyable. When I listen to the
main system I am always listening to every nuance, every flaw; I can't
seem to help it.
Therefore, go back and find you a pair of mint-condition AR-3as and get
back into that sound.
--Tom Tyson
tomt...@nr.infi.net
_________________________
In article <37641902...@home.com>,
"Jeanette D. Walton" <jdwa...@home.com> wrote:
> Now what you have to do is go some old "Pines of Rome on Mercury,
Lenny
> Bernstein, a few of those RCA Red Seal "Maria Callas" recordings,
Shostakovich
> on Melodiya Angel, and the Szell/Oistrach Brahms Cello Concerto on
Columbia,
> pour yourself a large single malt beverage and you'll be all set!
>
> I'm regretting selling the darned AR3a's now!
>
Mothra666
with the switch in the back and can be fixed by cleaning. anyone have the best
method?
Philip Stevenson
Http://members.aol.com/mothra666/chris.htm
"I'm too fucking busy and vice-versa"
- Dorothy Parker
McGregor
...
> i have some ar4's and the tweeters dont work. i hear the problem often
happens
> with the switch in the back and can be fixed by cleaning. anyone have the
best
> method?
Its not a switch, but a wire-wound potentiometer (rheostat, if you prefer).
The problem is with the plating on an internal slip ring/slider pair that
make contact with the moving arm of the control. Taking the control apart
and cleaning the slip ring with a typewriter eraser helped for awhile, but
replacing the control with a pair of fixed wirewound resistors might be
best.
Good luck,
Chuck N7RHU
Douglas Olson
only partial success. The real solution is to remove them.
The tweeter and mid need to be at about maximum. Or
better, rebuild the crossover and replace the mid and hi freq.
driver. Speaker builder had such a project several years ago.
doug
fanu...@gmail.com
> I just purchased some AR3 speakers and on the back of the speakers I see wires leading from numbers 1 and 2 to a 1/4 jack. Also the number 2 connector has a jumper wire hooked up to the tweeter connection. Has anyone seen such a connection before?
thanks
Joe
Peter Wieck
http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/acoustic_research/original_models_1954-1974/original_models_schematicss/restoring_the_ar-3a/restoring_the_ar-3a_full_pd.pdf
Some useful information.
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA