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AR speakers in the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen


KlausDK

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Dear All AR enthusiasts

I beleive that Denmark was quite a big market for the classical range of AR speakers in the early 70'ies, especially if you look at sold speakers per capita. They were very popular, but also to the expensive side, so there were a considerable factor of "Hi-Fi upper class" involved in owing an AR speaker at that time.

The reputation of AR speakers got a considerable lift in Denmark, when the Royal Opera and Ballet House in Copenhagen chose AR speakers as their Sound/PA equipment for the theater room. Six LST's were installed, three on each side of the stage and twentyfour (24) AR-6 speakers was hanging around for supporting sound.

I have known this fact since then, but I recently managed to get an AR-6 flyer on eBay which had a picture of the Danish Royal Opera and Ballet House in Copenhagen on the front, as per attached. I don't know for how long the speakers were actually used or what happened to them afterwards. I have called the technical department and they could inform me that there were no one employed today, who had been around at that time, and those they knew of, who had, were dead by now.

This was when my desire for a set of AR LST's set of, to last over thirty years until this year, when I finally managed to get a set of my own. They have by the way an interesting story. They were originally bought by the General Manager of NAD electronics, and used to sit in his office in London UK. When the Danish HiFi importer/retailer "The HiFiClub" bought the NAD company in the late 80'ies early 90'ies, the set of LST speakers got in the hand of an Danish employee of "The HiFiClub" who took them to Denmark. They are of the more rare black paint finish (silk not glossy)

At that time, by the way, "The HiFiClub" were the Danish importer/retailer of Acoustic Research speakers and electronics in Denmark.

All the Best

Klaus

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1566.txt

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  • 6 months later...

Interesting new development on the speakers in the Opera Houise in Copenhagen

Through another contact, an AR friend of mine, we spoke to a sound engineer at the Danish Royal Opera, and despite the previous message, that they were all gone, they did still have AR speakers left from the installation in the early 70'ies. And they were just about to throw them out, so if we wanted them, we could just come and pick them up!!!

So we went there today, no signs of the 6 LST's but 19 AR6's and 1 AR 17, probably bought later as a replacement/addition. All the AR6's are pretty beaten up in the cabinet, and they are all painted black from when they were installed, grille cloth and everything. All badges off course long gone.They are the old type with a potmeter/rheostat for tweeter adjustment. The original type of wofer unknown, since all woofers were replaced in 1985 to the new generic 8" square magnet type, meaning they must have been in function well up into the 90'ies maybe longer? There were 24 AR6 originally installed, so a catch of 19 is not that bad. We can for sure get a number of good speakers out of these, but some cabinets seems to be too damaged to bother about. But on the other hand, this is speakers with a history. Think about the voices who have come live through these speakers

Nobody knew where the LST's have gone, unfortunately.

Enclosed a picture of yours truly in front of the Opera with boxes with speakers, just for documentation, and a close up of one of the speakers.

ARchaeology???

BR Klaus

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Klaus -

Are you kidding !!?!!

This is one of those things that might make a person turn religious. Especially when you consider that they were saved at the last minute and carted home in what appears to be a Volvo wagon by a grey-bearded guy. Sometimes you just have to conclude there is a god.

Good find, Klaus. . . good find.

Now you just need soundminded's algorerhythm and a really big room so you could set them up in a circle around you like a Stonehenge replica.

That's impressive detective-work. I'd never have thought to call and ask. Congratulations, Klaus.

Bret

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>Interesting new development on the speakers in the Opera

>Houise in Copenhagen

>

>Through another contact, an AR friend of mine, we spoke to a

>sound engineer at the Danish Royal Opera, and despite the

>previous message, that they were all gone, they did still have

>AR speakers left from the installation in the early 70'ies.

>And they were just about to throw them out, so if we wanted

>them, we could just come and pick them up!!!

>

BR,

Great images of you and the Royal Opera House AR-6! That was good persistence on your part to make contact with the sound engineer!

Now you have added another chapter to the history of Acoustic Research. Please send us some more images once you get the AR-6s sorted out. Incidentally, I think I recall that the black-finish AR-6s were done by AR (similar to the black-lacquer finish available on the AR-LST). The wood was actually American Black Walnut, but without the oil finish, and then painted in a satin-finish black lacquer. As you know, black-finish AR-LSTs were available as a special-order item, but few were finished in black.

--Tom Tyson

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>>Interesting new development on the speakers in the Opera

>>Houise in Copenhagen

>>

>>Through another contact, an AR friend of mine, we spoke to

>a

>>sound engineer at the Danish Royal Opera, and despite the

>>previous message, that they were all gone, they did still

>have

>>AR speakers left from the installation in the early

>70'ies.

>>And they were just about to throw them out, so if we

>wanted

>>them, we could just come and pick them up!!!

>>

>

>BR,

>

>Great images of you and the Royal Opera House AR-6! That was

>good persistence on your part to make contact with the sound

>engineer!

>

>Now you have added another chapter to the history of Acoustic

>Research. Please send us some more images once you get the

>AR-6s sorted out. Incidentally, I think I recall that the

>black-finish AR-6s were done by AR (similar to the

>black-lacquer finish available on the AR-LST). The wood was

>actually American Black Walnut, but without the oil finish,

>and then painted in a satin-finish black lacquer. As you

>know, black-finish AR-LSTs were available as a special-order

>item, but few were finished in black.

>

>--Tom Tyson

Hello Tom I have one black LST but it's not in to good of shape. shippers did a number on it but like the other i have save this one will get saved also. make it a good center channel

Jim

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Thank you all for your interest

Actually I have to contribute the contact to the sound engineer to my friend Anders, since I did not have great luck in my contact to the opera.

Looking inside the speakers, there is a transformer mounted in the signal path, looks like it was done at the AR factory during assembly, or possibly by AR in Denmark, where the headquarter for Sacndinavia was situated (established during 1973). According to the sound engineer at the Opera, (his name is Ohm, honestly!!!) this was due to the long wires from control room to speakers, This demanded a high voltage system to minimize loss in the wiring, and then the transformer reduced the voltage at the speakers.

The tweeters are dated Aug 1972, so the installation is made either late 1972 or more likely and as I remember it in 1973.

I will try to line up all 19 AR6 speakers and make a "group photo" tomorrow.

Best Regards

Klaus

post-101646-1174682696.jpg

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>Thank you all for your interest

>

>Actually I have to contribute the contact to the sound

>engineer to my friend Anders, since I did not have great luck

>in my contact to the opera.

>

>Looking inside the speakers, there is a transformer mounted in

>the signal path, looks like it was done at the AR factory

>during assembly, or possibly by AR in Denmark, where the

>headquarter for Sacndinavia was situated (established during

>1973). According to the sound engineer at the Opera, (his name

>is Ohm, honestly!!!) this was due to the long wires from

>control room to speakers, This demanded a high voltage system

>to minimize loss in the wiring, and then the transformer

>reduced the voltage at the speakers.

>

>The tweeters are dated Aug 1972, so the installation is made

>either late 1972 or more likely and as I remember it in 1973.

>

>I will try to line up all 19 AR6 speakers and make a

>"group photo" tomorrow.

>

>Best Regards

>

>Klaus

What they most likely had was a 70 volt system. Each loudspeaker has a transformer like you photographed. It is unique to 70 volt applications. They are very common when you have a large number of speakers to provide power to such as the concert hall situation you have encountered. Check the link below to learn more.

http://www.yorkville.com/default.asp?p1=6&p2=17&p_id=73

It's all about the music

Carl

Carl's Custom Loudspeakers

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Hi Klaus;

>I will try to line up all 19 AR6 speakers and make a

>"group photo" tomorrow.

"Group photo", had me laughing for a few minutes, thank you, Klaus.

Now you can have multi-stacked AR-6's.

You better have a real good wife acceptance factor or move out to the woodshed.

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Great job, Klaus!

I thought you might appreciate this more recent view of the Royal Opera House. (It's a capture from a video I took last summer.) I'm sure you will recognize the day!

-k

kkantor.spaces.live.com

PS- I hope this doesn't get me in trouble... I was going to post a higher-rez still photo, but then I remembered that most audiophiles are very strict about these matters....

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So I managed to line the whole family up for a photo, what a re-union.

I have also taken a picture of the back of one speaker. Three things to notice:

1. Serial number, they are all in the 18.000 range, but not real close, there is one in the 17.000 as well, this particular speaker is 18644.

2. Back plate not of plywood, meaning as I understand, that they are most likely made at the European Factory

3. Black paint behind the serial # sticker/label, meanikng that they must have been painted black at the factory

Best Regards Klaus

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Guest matty g

Klaus -

Thank you very much for your photos and rescue story. What a tragedy it would have been if those historic speakers had been thrown away! It is refreshing to know how universal AR's reputation is, even to this day. It's people like you that make these pages such a great place to be.

Thanks

Matt

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  • 1 year later...

Hi, I'm new to this forum, I'm searching for information on the AR 6.

Recently I've bought for few USD a pair of AR 6 early version with potmeter/rheostat they S/N are 14610 and 14885 but I don't think the wofers are original but I'm not shure. Can you help me? I enclose photo of the woofer. In the case the woofers are not original wath kind of woofer can I use for the original sound?

Thanks for help.

Mario

Interesting new development on the speakers in the Opera Houise in Copenhagen

Through another contact, an AR friend of mine, we spoke to a sound engineer at the Danish Royal Opera, and despite the previous message, that they were all gone, they did still have AR speakers left from the installation in the early 70'ies. And they were just about to throw them out, so if we wanted them, we could just come and pick them up!!!

So we went there today, no signs of the 6 LST's but 19 AR6's and 1 AR 17, probably bought later as a replacement/addition. All the AR6's are pretty beaten up in the cabinet, and they are all painted black from when they were installed, grille cloth and everything. All badges off course long gone.They are the old type with a potmeter/rheostat for tweeter adjustment. The original type of wofer unknown, since all woofers were replaced in 1985 to the new generic 8" square magnet type, meaning they must have been in function well up into the 90'ies maybe longer? There were 24 AR6 originally installed, so a catch of 19 is not that bad. We can for sure get a number of good speakers out of these, but some cabinets seems to be too damaged to bother about. But on the other hand, this is speakers with a history. Think about the voices who have come live through these speakers

Nobody knew where the LST's have gone, unfortunately.

Enclosed a picture of yours truly in front of the Opera with boxes with speakers, just for documentation, and a close up of one of the speakers.

ARchaeology???

BR Klaus

post-103779-1229379677.jpg

post-103779-1229379722.jpg

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Hi, I'm new to this forum, I'm searching for information on the AR 6.

Recently I've bought for few USD a pair of AR 6 early version with potmeter/rheostat they S/N are 14610 and 14885 but I don't think the wofers are original but I'm not shure. Can you help me? I enclose photo of the woofer. In the case the woofers are not original wath kind of woofer can I use for the original sound?

Thanks for help.

Mario

Hi Mario

No they do definitely not look right, unfortunately. My best advice is to monitor ebay for a set of woofers to come up for auction, that do happen occationately, AR-6 and AR-7 woofers will fit.

BRgds Klaus

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Hi Mario

No they do definitely not look right, unfortunately. My best advice is to monitor ebay for a set of woofers to come up for auction, that do happen occationately, AR-6 and AR-7 woofers will fit.

Hi thanks for answer, Only 6 and 7 ? On ebay there is a pair of AR4 woofer they are 8" wath do you think about?

http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...52BSI%26otn%3D3

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Hi thanks for answer, Only 6 and 7 ? On ebay there is a pair of AR4 woofer they are 8" wath do you think about?

According to the AR pricelist from 1986, you can find in the library, the same replacement woofer was used for the following models:

4, 4x, 4xa, 6, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 25

Although there were (minor differences) between the models, I am sure that the ones on ebay will be a better fit than the ones you have. The ebay ones are early version alnico magnet, they will fit perfectly if your AR-3a's have rheostat on the back for tweeter adjustment. If your AR-6'ses has a switch (there is both a two position and a three position switch version) for tweeter adjustment, they originally were probably equipped with a later woofer with a square shaped ceramic magnet, but again, the set on ebay will for sure be a better fit than the ones you have now.

BRgds Klaus

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