Aadams

Have you swapped the left/right signal wires to see if the abnormal excursion moves to the other cab? The switch on the LST only affects the mids. The sound profiles occur by varying the midrange level in relation to fixed tweeter and woofer output. Your fuzzy midrange could be from a degraded fuse.

LST fuse condition is a big deal. The fuses degrade over time and can cause quirky behavior. You could temporarily bypass the fuses and gently test the system. The only things to cause large excursions of these woofers is a strong low frequency source signal or an air leak. The passive crossover won't amplify a signal. I would avoid 30 hz on these woofers and play music. It will be safer for the woofer.

How old are the fuses? Have you installed new fuses? Also you could swap the signal wire left and right channel to see if the problem stays in the same cab. A reminder: the push test is to assess the recovery speed of the woofer cone after it is pushed in slowly. The recovery should be sluggish not rapid. I don't have an informed opinion on the autoformer, except to say I can't recall anyone ever mentioning a faulty autoformer in their LSTs or 10pis but dirt in the switch has been an issue.

Set aside the signal generator. You might need a smoke generator but you can start with a simple woofer push test comparison between the two cabs. With all the hivis you have been installing I would not be surprised if you have a leak(s). Are you sealing with gasket tape? You could have gaps around the screw holes for example. Check around the mids as well for a good seal. Did you forget to seal the woofer?

I would check for a serious cabinet leak as first step. Typing on phone is pia.

Look at this thread, particularly the tysontom post about 3/4 way down, AR9 vs BW and KEF. Comparisons of AR3a and AR11 12 inch box style speakers to themselves or other similarly capable box speakers depends greatly on condition of the speakers, control settings , ROOM PLACEMENT and intended use. I would be skeptical of anything that said the ARs were " blown away" by something else designed for home music enjoyment. "Equaled" would not be surprising. You will spend a lot more money for the new speaker than a properly working old AR.

The 2 series tweeter is built for an 8ohm system. The 3 series tweeter is built for 4ohm. The 8 ohm tweeter can be rebuilt for 4 ohm application. The 8 ohm cannot be easily adapted to operate correctly in the 4 ohm system. OTOH the 4ohm can be adapted for 8ohm in a pinch.

It is an ebay listing for the brochure.

Label from the back of an SRT 170 on ebY From a UK brochure

The Army part makes sense. I know that UK AR product was sold in European Base "Audio Clubs" in the 1980s. In my experience, component audio products were never sold in US base exchanges.

Kent, when you posted I was gathering info with the objective of asking for a photo of the AR label on the back of the cabinets. I checked Stereo Review buyers guide for all years from 1989 to 1996, finding no listing for an AR STR xxx. Andre, Beginning in the 1980s AR speakers had a label on the back of the cabinet that looked something like these below. Perhaps you could show us the label on your SRT

Re the Tweeter video. Eventually................ he turns it into a different tweeter that is not the same mechanically as what he started with. When he demonstrates it working at the end there is too much piano playing through the tweeter. The highest fundamental note on a piano barely reaches the low range of the orange dot tweeter.

To be clear. You are asking $500 for everything posted in the photos above, four complete AR3a speakers? Is that correct? Adams

You asked for opinions. Mine is, not many here will endorse what you propose. The AR5 never had the 6 hole woofer. Will it work? Probably. Will it sound identical? Probably not. If your goal is to merely have a working speaker your solution will work. If you want your AR5 to sound mostly identical to an AR3a, as designed, make sure the mids are working, have your tweeter pair rebuilt, install lpads with resistors, probably replace the capacitors with new and install the correct woofer, which are frequently for sale on ebay and sometimes on this site.

I thought my part of this thread was done but I was reminded that I had samples of 8 count and 14 count Aida. Below you can see a comparison to 18 count linen. The linen is on the right in both images

Re thread count of Aida vs the usual Wiechelt needlework linen. Aida is constructed primarily to make it easy for cross stitching which is why every second thread has a prominent hole. Needlework linen is for traditional specialty needlework where stitches may span a single thread of fabric. Aida 14 is equivalent to 28 count linen. Aida 28 is equivalent to 56 count linen. 8 count Aida is close to 16 count linen. Adams

There is a trend among major US orchestras to favor recordings captured from live audience concerts as opposed to dedicated recording sessions. LA, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and NY all have in house labels that provide extremely high quality recordings of live performances released only for digital distribution. Of course basic youtube allows access to much of this music but the highest quality is available without interruption only as pay for play. This example, from 2016, the NY Philharmonic on the NYPHIL label, Dvorak's New World Symphony, recorded so often it is almost a cliche. The audio is stunning and the performance is difficult to fault. You hear what the audience heard. The perspective is front row center.

The change will be the same as if the resistor were installed correctly on the L pad. Not quite identical to a pot but you won't care.

Do you have them in working order?

It has been a while since I looked at my Lpad wiring but I am pretty sure your resistors are connected incorrectly. They should be attached to the posts labeled B and 2 as shown by your ink marks. Look at this thread about halfway down the page.

According to ChatGPT "The lowest pedal note in the Toccata from Widor’s Organ Symphony No. 5 is typically determined by the registration of the organ. The composer noted that to achieve a fuller sound, “16 foot” stops or couplers should be used to duplicate the same notes an octave lower. This means that if the lowest note written in the score is a C1, for example, using a 16 foot stop would produce a C0." There are at least two points in the score where a 32 Hz C1 is supported by a 16 Hz C0. There are many recordings of the Widor Toccata, which now has an identity separate from the work of which it was originally a part, but the recording venue and artist have a huge impact on what is captured. The two recordings below are the best I can find that allow you to clearly hear and somewhat feel the low Cs that occur around 1.5 minutes and again at around 3.5.

Good write up. I see why the "44" is a test track. I tried the Bolcom and couldn't make contact. There is a lot of value in a properly working AR. I am sure by now there must be new speakers at least as good as an AR9 but I am skeptical they are $10,000 or $15,000 better.

The frame looks genuine. You can't even find empty frames anymore to recone. This rest looks odd. You need a RoyC scan and opinion.

I think you are correct. Doppler distortion, though real and always present, has never been " a thing audibly", for at least three reasons: In the days when woofers were expected to play extremes between low and mid frequencies, making doppler distortion practically possible, there was no source of extreme low frequency sound except turntable rumble. Almost none of the music most of us usually listen to contains a freqeuncy below 40hz. No speaker designed for substantial output to 32hz or below has a crossover point high enough for doppler distortion to be audible. But, if one used an equalizer to push a speaker with a 1000hz woofer crossover to produce a perceptible 20hz signal, you have a setup where doppler distortion could be audible but still practically unlikely because, there is almost zero music with a sustained 20hz note set against a sustained 1000ish Hz B or C note. Perhaps a pipe organ. One could always design a lab test. Edit: Finally, even though you are not ever likely to clearly hear doppler distortion in a strong 40hz capable speaker with a crossover well into the mid-midrange frequencies, the distortion is always there and becomes more nearly audible as the difference between prominent low frequency and mid-range crossover frequency increases. You have to wonder how much subliminal fuzziness is being introduced to your music. Maybe this is why the Allison 1, a 3way, had a 350hz crossover to the midrange. From Tim Holl concerning the design of the AR9:

If you decide to dump the 91s place the first ad here at CSP, please.