AR-4 series speakers

[WAROFMAN9]

A thanks to all who contributed with advice and direction on my recent AR projects. Both the AR4xa and the AR4x,s are complete.

All 4 speakers now sound and look good and am having a great time comparing several sets of systems.

Had fun with all the rebuilds. both sets had never been opened and kindof cool to break into several time capsules of sorts.

The materials, components and construction methods of the day.

A photo here with AR4xa,s & Ohm Walsh driven by Marantz 2265 and preouts to Onkyo A-10 integrated driving AR94,s (the black towers on the outside).

The extra AR4x,s may go to garage or stack on AR4xa,s. .

A question on pre outs.... can I split the pre outs from the Marantz to two separate amps as I need (want) more outs?

How do you guys that own multiple speakers and sources change stuff up without too much hookup?

[ra.ra]

Am finally getting around to responding here....

WAROFMAN9 - - - am curious what you've been hearing from your new 4x and 4xa speakers? Also, is that a Telecaster sitting in your listening room? And lastly, my most notable ability to switch among various speakers is aided with this device (see attached) - - - a multiple speaker selector (GFS-6) made by adcom, altho' many manufacturers (including AR) make similar devices.

This remainder of this post is a follow-up from months ago and for now at least, is bringing this thread back to posts 29 thru 33, where I was trying to understand how best to convert a pair of 4x speakers into a reasonable facsimile of a pair of 4xa's. All pics attached here represent my recent process.

The tweeters used here are p/n 200034-0 from AR-18b speakers - - - these have the protective screen - - - see pic 034 tweet to see the tweeter and the fabricated adapter plate required to fit this tweeter to the 4x baffle cutout. For the correct capacitor value, I wasn't quite sure what value would end up working best. The most obvious candidates were 10 mf (mentioned by Roy per original 4xa crossover); 8 mf per modifications by ligs; and 5 mf per original AR-18b speaker.

After restoring the original 4x pots and replacing both cabinets with the new tweeters, I first swapped out one of the original 20 mf caps (from original 4x) with a new 10 mf cap and audibly compared the results. The only diagnostic devices used were a pair of well-used human ears, and the immediate results of this initial test showed a strong preference in favor of the 10 mf cap version, which allowed the replacement tweeter (200034-0) to shine with a brightness in the high frequencies that the 20 mf version seemed to keep severely muffled. In subsequent A-B tests against the 10 mf cap version, similar conclusions were reached when speaker B had a cap value of 6mf, 8mf, or 12 mf. In each case, the high frequency output of speaker B sounded very restrained and limited relative to speaker A with the 10 mf cap.

Based on these crude tests, I ultimately installed 10 mf caps in both speakers, and these caps (very affordable surplus caps from Madisound, per JKent's advocacy) just happen to fit very snugly within the metal strap of the original 4x compulytic can. See attached pic.

Conclusion: these little 4xa (?) speakers sound truly terrific. But, because I have my series 4 speakers hooked up to different power sources, I cannot yet claim to having conducted any sort of fully authoritative A-B-C test among my AR-4's, 4x's and new (pseudo) 4xa's. Nonetheless, my new hybrids are really fine sounding small speakers, and I feel that this experiment met my original objectives.

[xmas111]

ra.ra,

Beautiful job on those! They look brand new.

John

[RobHolt]

Hey ligs, just wondering if you've conducted any further experiments on your hybrid speaker?

I started thinking about this again when I stumbled onto the AR-4xa speakers shown in the pics attached, which are being auctioned on eBay UK. Can't say I've ever seen this particular configuration before, but it basically shows the combination of components that I discussed trying to combine in my 4x cabinets.

Aside from the point of sale (Great Britain), the only indication here that suggests to me that these are Euro products is the listing of a second factory address on the bottom of the s/n card. And, although I haven't included an image here and am no expert on wood species, the grain structure of the cabinet veneer shown in the original post almost appears that it might be English, rather than American, walnut.

Another hybrid of sorts? Pic 1 shows grille cloths with square badges more typical of 4x's rather than the rectangular 4xa badges. Pic 2 shows the expected 1-1/4" tweets (with two types of wire leads) and woofs with cloth surrounds in lieu of foam. Pic 3 is the one that surprised me, though - - - first time I've seen AR-4xa speakers with variable rheostat tweeter control.

So now I'm wondering what's inside these babies . . . and if they might be wired just like the US AR-4x, but maybe with a 10 mf cap (4xa, x-o at 1600 Hz) instead of the 20 mf cap (4x, x-o at 1200 Hz). Hmmmmm........

Thoughts, anyone?

4xa grille.jpg 4xa nude.jpg 4xa pot.jpg

Those are identical to the pair of 4xa I bought a year or so back here in the uk.

The more I read this excellent forum the more I learn that each AR model was something of a moving target

I quite like the idea of gradual evolution rather than every tweak or change giving rise to a new product. It reflects a degree of honesty on the part of the company since it's the antithesis of the 'new model, must upgrade' culture.