Aadams

Same place you get your tweeters and Lpads? It is 3% off spec but probably close enough.

I you had not yet touched it I would say leave it but you are in deep now. I think most here would advise you to replace the 4 with a new film cap. Just in case you don't know; Be careful with those mid range drivers. They make the tweeter problem seem simple.

I noticed the clamps and wasn't going to mention that there was probably no need to remove the Spragues. The Compulytics have proven to be durable. Your meter may not be definitive in this case. Our late member Carlspeak did a lot of testing on brands of old AR caps and concluded there was no need to change Sprague Compulytics. I have 5s and 3as with Spragues and new NPEs. You can't here the difference.

Will it connect and make noise? Yes. Will anyone here tell you to use it? No. There was only one tweeter model made for the AR5 and it appears identical to an AR3a Classic tweeter but is not the same. There are other AR tweeters that will exactly fit the hole but you will be experimenting with crossover modifications. Your mods may be spot on perfect for you but they will subtract value from the speakers and few if any here will be able to help you once you have cut your own path. Regarding cost: If DIY, in the U.S., the Hivi is the least expensive way to get close to the target. Unless you get free parts, anything else will cost at least as much as getting your tweeters properly repaired. Adams

You need the parallel coil on the tweeter. Most have installed the coil on the back of the tweeter. I think the current advice is no cap changes. Here is a recent thread that talks about the front wired mod for the Hivi tweeter, Here is a very good AR5 restoration with Hivi

White paint has been removed from cabs but I don't remember it being removed from walnut veneer. I do remember it involves a lot of water, oxylic acid and time consuming hand work. Those with better knowledge will be along later. The AR5 and AR3a are very similar. If you have not read the AR3a restoration guide now would be the time to do that, before you get deeper into the project. Regarding pots and tweeters: Over the 20 year life of this forum the opinion regarding pot repair has changed. Almost everyone who has fought pots now believes it is almost never worth the effort to restore pots when it is so much easier in the long run to install Lpads and resistors. LPads give you better control, are trouble free and inexpensive. There is also a new style pot available on ebay that is more expensive than lpads. It is true your tweeter can be repaired by anyone who knows how to install a voice coil and new dome but it will not perform correctly at the crossover point when reinstalled. The only two people in the world that we know of, who have the knowledge and proprietary materials to restore your tweeter to original performance are @RoyCand @Chris1this1. Your alternative is a proven modification using a Hivi tweeter. If you are particular about the woofer surrounds there are two correct choices. Adams

Luxman Welcome. AR5s are among the very best ARs. Are you looking for information or telling us what you intend to do? Adams

The Mortite gasket is a mess. There were some small pieces of wood that stuck the the Mortite gasket. I'm assuming I just use a putty blade to to gently remove Mortite from the cabinet and the driver. When I replace the Mortite it will fill in the places where the wood lifted off. Yes. You might want to fill and sand a bit but you will use gasket tape instead of mortite. The Kempac looks in poor shape. I'm going to order the suggested Poly-Fil Low-Loft Quilt Batting. The stuffing is in bits and packed. I'm going to order new Owens Corning R-6.7 5.6-sq ft Unfaced Fiberglass Roll Insulation as suggested. Q - Do you recommend replacing the stuffing? NO that is the original glass fiber stuffing just pack it in a plastic bag and put it aside to be reused. Is there any specific way that this needs to be stuffed? No just pack in a way to prevent rubbing and rattling of wires Or just pack it so the space is will filled, but not jammed in? Yes I've found the missing L-Pad. The crossover has been rewired in an odd way. I don't see a capacitor. The capacitor is the yellow box. This might explain why the LPad has been pushed into the cabinet. Those are pots not lpads. You will replace them with Lpads. Q - Where can I get a wiring diagram? Open the other cab to see if it is intact. If it is unmolested that is your wiring diagram. There are some wiring diagrams posted in the threads that have been previously linked.

You have at least two leaks in the attenuator bore holes. If you have already done a good job of sealing, additional mortite won't extend the bass of the 2ax. You can make the two systems sound the same at at about 4 meters by judiciously using a 10 band graphic equalizer, starting with both systems set to max on the attenuator controls. But even after they sound indistinguishable at a distance, you can still hear the differences when you listen closer than say 3 meters. If you mostly listen for bass the Advent will sound better but over time, if you listen attentively, it seems many folks prefer the 2ax.

If you used new mortite on all the drivers, including the mids, your speakers are probably sufficiently sealed. The difference in bass between the 2 systems is real though what you hear could also be influenced by different room positions. A fairer comparison would be to place the systems in the same spot and listen. If both are operating properly, you will hear deeper bass notes from the Advent but the overall presentation of the 2ax will be smoother, cleaner and better balanced once you get the lpads adjusted to taste. And yes, lowering the mid output can appear to increase the upper bass output. I had OLA and 2ax at the same time and remember the OLA as exciting but the 2ax was easier to live with. The OLAs would make great TV speakers. I regret selling them. Happy Holidays Aadams

Following

Good news on the Crown. Have you used its crossover yet? The system looks like it could be a good one. Is this it below? Looks like a 4 way with 5 drivers.

The stereo sound stage of the AR9 begins to break down when the listening position nears 45 degrees off axis. Modern orchestral recordings develop a “hole” in the center and the orchestra becomes perceivable as left and right halves. Live performance recordings of Jazz Orchestras, in which the configuration and placement of the musicians is known from video or photo, exhibit extreme displacement of the instrument sections, even from a front row center recording perspective. My solution is to move the speakers closer together (4 ft) to get a 30 ish degree off axis listening angle at 6 to 8 ft, a setup in which everything comes together. The AR3a + 1w hybrids were moved outside the AR9s, are now 6ft apart and do not suffer from the move except for one problem associated with solo grand piano recordings. When a piano is recorded from the perspective of the performer, with low notes on the left and high notes on right, the piano will sound as wide as the speakers are separated and will be wrong if they are greater than 4 feet apart. The result for me is, some pianos sound unrealistically large on the 3a whereas on the AR9 they do not.

Are the tweeters rebuilt. It's hard to tell from the images

Still nice with the grills off. Provide images of the inside. Things to keep in mind. 1. Don't remove the tweeters unless you must, the flanges can be delicate. 2. Be patient in removing the woofer, the old putty can be stubborn. 3. Use adhesive gasket tape instead of putty when reinstalling the removed drivers.

You made be look at my 98s and they are sequential; U011016 and U011017. I know the were purchased new in Keflavik, Iceland but I don't know if they are UK origin.

The AR 17 was manufactured between 1977 -79. Sequential serial numbered pairs have never been important with ARs and are almost non-existent among the larger systems but did happen in smaller speakers that were shipped and sold as boxed sets. I think the AR17 was in that category. Aadams

Brian The AR4x is a two way and does not have a separate mid range. The "under performing mids" could be rotted foam surround on the woofers Playing them loud with rotten foam could damage the woofers but if they are cloth surround this is not the source of the problem. It could be dead tweeters or more likely dead pots. The grills are attached with either glue or staples. The restoration guide tells you how to approach grill removal. Once the grills are off post images of the drivers in the baffle.

Hello Brian. Those are some nice 4xs. Download and read the AR3a restoration guide to get an idea of how to approach this project. Don't touch anything until you have a better idea of what is inside the box and how to open it. I am sure some 4x experienced members will be along to advise. I have attached two threads about AR4x restorations.

I think @RoyC restored a set of British LST tweeters sometime last year. Click on the link and send him a message.

You have installed these in an AR Classic without crossover modifications and hear no difference?

Yes and @RoyC

All of your tweeters can be rebuilt whether or not they are operating. There are no replacements that do not require modifications. Rebuild which preserves originality is also probably your least expensive route unless you are willing to mod and do the work yourself. Mods will lower resale value and will not restore the original sound.

Compared to an AR9,AR98Lsi and modern two ways, an AR 3a or 5 with properly working mids, rebuilt tweeters and lpads does not exhibit depressed highs as long as the listening space has moderately reflective walls, floors and ceilings. There is a perceivable on-axis difference but the ear must be very near to whatever is being compared and the speakers volume and frequency equalized. There is no practical difference. I agree with Giorgio. The only tweeter that maintains the Classic power response beyond 5k is the original tweeter. That said, the inexpensive HiVi, correctly installed, provides such a startling improvement over a moribund or dead original tweeter that most listeners will tend to be satisfied and have no interest in hearing the original Villchur/Allison sound. Adams

Some AR3 mids can be repaired. No one offers a service to rebuild later AR dome mids and there are no new drop in replacements. Tweeters from classic era ARs are repairable by experts using proprietary methods. New replacement tweeters for ADD series through Verticals (AR9 series) are available from Midwest Speaker.