[Rectilinear Mini III]

The Mini IIIs are coming along nicely. Had to do some patching of the veneer as shown in the pics. Replaced the small caps but left the large ones. Tried cleaning the grille cloth while it was still on the frame but that did not work out too well—it’s 2 layers, like vintage KLH, with sheer black backing. Finally removed it, washed by hand, pressed it and reglued both layers. We’ll see how it turns out. I may have to go with new linen although that’s not really authentic for these.

You can see where I had to cut out damaged veneer and replace/patch it. I've also noticed one speaker cabinet is quite a bit darker than the other, so I'm using "natural" Watco oil on the dark one and "dark walnut" Watco oil on the lighter one. In the photos, the more finished one is the lighter speaker in the bottom right photo. The one with the patch (not yet oiled) is the darker one on the bottom left.

Will post finished pictures eventually, but getting closer!

Kent

Beautiful job, Kent.........as usual. You make me feel guilty for playing mine "as-is." But since they're in my man-cave, the WAF is not an issue, and I can live with just about anything as long as it sounds good. And, to my ears, the Mini IIIs sound damned good.............I'm anxious to hear what you think.

[Rectilinear Mini III]

Picked up a pair of Rectilinear Mini III speakers today. Circa 1969. They seem nice—close in size to AR 7 maybe? Real walnut veneer, although it is kind of beat up on these and will need a lot of patching. Nice grille cloth (kind of dirty), 2-layer like the KLH with a sheer black backing. Three-way system with level controls for mid and high. Nice binding posts.

Some peculiarities: The grilles are NAILED on with what appear to be 6d finishing nails, cut off so they are about 1” long. The whizzer-cone mid (Philips, I assume—there is a number embossed on the cone--2376) is enclosed in what appears to be a 1 qt container like they put egg salad in at the deli (these were made in Brooklyn. Probably a lot of delis ). The woofer has a nice cloth surround. Tweeter is tiny. The stuffing is not fiberglass or rock wool—looks like something used in furniture (?). The cross over has 2 caps of unknown values, but I have asked a friend to measure them and give an opinion. They are marked “XMC” (larger one) and “XTC-M”.

Kent

Congratulations, Kent, nice score! Having not been able to get into mine (the grill is REALLY on there), it's nice to finally see what's inside. My grill is a dark brown, quite thick material. The mid appears to be similar to the Philips mid used in the larger III (both Highboy and Lowboy). The dustcap is different, as it's flat rather than convex, and the surround is slightly different as well. The tweeter appears to be the same as the super tweeters used in those models as well. The deli container is another thing that the Mini III has in common with its larger brethren, as it serves to isolate the midrange driver in them as well.

Be aware though, that unlike the larger IIIs, the Mini is a 4 ohm system.

I'm anxious to hear what you think of the sound. I spent a good portion of the day listening to the Mini IIIs driven by a Harman Kardon 730 Receiver. The sound, to my ears, is a bit laid back, but very smooth and non-fatiguing. It's a speaker you could listen to all day.............and I did.

[AR dual tweeters AR-2 & AR-2A]

No problem, Vern.......even I get confused sometimes as to what my name is.

In any case, I was given the name joelongwood by my school principal (I was a history teacher in the Longwood Junior High School) because I was so heavily involved in all the student activities (talent shows, dances, student government elections, etc). So he started calling me joe longwood. When I got an e-mail address, I figured I would use that.

But my real name is Bob................I think.

BTW.....this is one helluva nice place to hang out, and you're a major part of that Vern. Judging by your thoughtful, reasoned, and informative posts, you are a true gentleman.

Bob

[AR dual tweeters AR-2 & AR-2A]

Hi Vern,

Yes, I now have a pair (I previously had just one....unfinished pine serial #230) that I just acquired and have been listening to on and off for a few days now. I also have the 2a's...and the 2ax's (both pre and post 1970), and two pair of 5's (one with the European style sleeker cabinet), and a pair of 3a's (also the European style cabinet), and a pair of 4's and 4x's, and of course the 3's. I love all of them, as they are each similar in their sonic signature, yet different as well. The things they have in common which have captured my ears since I bought my first pair of 4x's back in 1968 (still have 'em!) are great bass for such a small cabinet, and that smoooooth non-fatiguing New England sound.

I have a lot of other speakers as well, and I do listen to them on occasion, but I always seem to come home to AR. I'll try and post some pics of my listening room if I can get the camera from my lovely, extremely understanding and tolerant wife of 36 years.

Bob ..........(it's not Joe). It's a long story.

[AR dual tweeters AR-2 & AR-2A]

Interesting that you should post this now, Vern, as I just picked up a pair of original AR2 speakers. Maybe it's my old ears, but I don't find them lacking too much in the high end. The AR2a's that I have are certainly more extended, but there's something about the smooth, mellow sound of the AR2 that I find most enjoyable. Or maybe the fact that I'm a retired history teacher plays a part in my enjoyment of a 50 year old pair of speakers.

Thanks for the post and the pics.

Bob