samberger0357

Since they were restored by somebody who knew what they were doing I think they were in the best condition they could be. That said, there is a night and day difference between my current 3's that had the mids and tweets rebuilt and previous versions I've owned/heard. So it wouldn't surprise me that rebuilding the drivers on the 2ax would help improve them. But at the time I didn't feel that that highs were lacking. Just that the overall presentation seemed non musical. Wish I could be more articulate about my issues with them. I wonder also if where 2ax's are relatively easy to find, but but 5's not so much has to do with not only the difference in production numbers, but that generally people hold onto one and tend to move on from the other.

FWIW I found the 2ax dull also. Mine were restored, but everytime I put them in the system, they just let me down compared to other speakers I was using at the time, such as the KLH Model Six and Five, and of course 3's and 3a's. And they were an early pair with the cloth surrounds. I really wanted to like them, but they just never did it for me. I've never heard the 5's, but I've never seen anybody say anything bad about them.

And use the sealant very sparingly. Follow the directions and use just a very light coat to start, let it dry, test it out. You may need to retouch depending on long it's been and how it sounds, but you definitely don't want to over apply and make the surround too stiff. Ask me how I know this😏

I had the Hi-Vi tweets in a pair of 3a's before I sent the originals off for a rebuild by Chris, and for me the difference was subtle yet obvious. The originals did a better job of blending in overall with the mids making for a smoother presentation. I liked the Hi-Vi well enough but from day 1 they were just brighter then I would've preferred, even with the tone pots turned down quite a bit. The originals displayed none of that and were much more natural sounding to my ears. The same now goes for my 3's.

🤤 Amazing job!!. Enjoy! And I agree about Chris' mastery. Was able to purchase a pair of his 3's a few months ago that he restored everything on and in all my years of listening to and being a fan of various AR speakers I have never heard a pair sound as great as these do. He's an artist.

Not to nitpick, but while his original question concerned his present receiver he didn't indicate a price constraint for his followup question. He asked "What receiver could carry all 4 at the same time?". Maybe he'll be back to clarify.

The MAC 4100 is equipped to drive up to 3 pairs of 8 ohm speakers, so it can safely handle 2 ohm loads. I had one and used it often to drive a pair of AR3's stacked with a pair of 3a's without issue. It never got warm. I now use a McIntosh MC2300 which gets down to 1/2 ohm if necessary.

McIntosh MAC 4100 easily.

Very cool. Thanks.

Holy moly man! You must've built up some fantastic karma to get a haul like that. Those are beautiful and super early! Let us know how they sound when you get around to it. And that Empire is fantastic. A wonderful table and of course matches up perfectly with the 3a's. Enjoy!

Stunning does not even begin to describe how wonderful those look! Congratulations on such a fantastic job!

Man those are beautiful! Congratulations on your find.

Welcome. Pretty good price and certainly easy enough to repair/restore. Lots of folks here can direct you on what's entailed to make these speakers great again. And once restored properly, they are great.

😁 Guess I better look for a bigger AR.

Another new one. Having fun driving both the AR3's and 3a's effortlessly.

I use a 2105(same as 2100 but with meters) with my 3a's, and while rated power is 105 watts, these normally bench at closer to 150. Plenty of power and headroom for the AR's. And I agree with you about it being musically right.

Had a quick look at the manuals, and I think you can probably use the "audio out" jacks on the back of the Yamaha to use it as a preamp, but I'm not sure. Those are both home theater receiver's, and it's not clear to me if either one can be used as a preamp. Again somebody else will probably be around to add to the conversation. The Crown has it's own gain controls, so you can just plug your source component(CD player, for example)directly into it and control volume with the Crown(or the cd player, or any other source component if it has their own volume control). If you have more then one source, you can always buy a cheap input box, plug your source's into that and then output it into the Crown.

That's a really nice amp and will drive the 3's perfectly. If your receiver has "Preamp Out", you can use it as a preamp. What kind of receiver is it?

Hi, and welcome. Congratulations on acquiring your dad's 3's. Not only did you get a fantastic pair of speakers, but you have distinct knowledge of their history which makes them even more special. First thing would be to make sure the 3's are performing as they should. With speakers this old, you probably will need to consider some restoration. In the library there is an excellent guide for AR3a restoration, which can be followed for restoring the 3's as well. When determining what to drive them with, you want to make sure that anything you buy is able to drive 4 ohm speakers, which of course the 3's are. As for the power, the more the better. While certainly you can get away with listening to lower power amps(like the Naim in your list at 60 watts), I would try to look for at least 100 watts, 150-200 better. It's not to wreak havoc on your family/neighbors, but rather to take advantage of that big, 12" woofer that needs a lot of current/air pumped through it in order to really bring all the benefits of the 3's richness to the music. With more power, you won't have to turn the gain up all that much to have that happen. You'll have more headroom and better dynamics, and you won't have to worry as much about blowing out one of the sensitive tweeters by turning up the volume knob to get more bottom. Obviously, taking into consideration your listening habits, music, space you'll be listening in are important factors to consider as well. I've personally not heard any of the amps in your list, but certainly all the companies are well thought of. The integrated amps won't require a separate preamp. Only the Parasound would. And of the 4, I would rule out the Naim at 60 watts. So that would leave the Rogue's. And on paper they both look good. I don't see 4 ohm specs for either so perhaps somebody here will be able to comment on that. I'm sure others will be around that have more technical knowledge then me to provide additional guidance and suggestions. When you can, perhaps let us see some pictures of your speakers. It will help in further providing assistance in possible restoration, and besides, always nice to see another pair in the wild. Good luck! Other

Can't remember exactly but I know Mingus Ah-Um was in there somewhere. Been tossing a lot of everything at it/them(the 3a's are presently residing on top of my 3's...they're powered by a McIntosh MC2105, and the 3's by a McIntosh MC2250. Levels are matched, it goes through a McIntosh C34V pre, then that goes to a McIntosh CR7 remote system that controls the overall gain. Sounds fantastic and can create quite a racket. Also allows me to isolate either pair if I want to.

The first thing that jumped out at me was how much they didn't. Jump out at me, that is, compared to the HiVi's. Much more subtle and balanced, and yet while not as blunt, the really sparkle on the highest end. My hearing isn't what it was when I was 20, but getting my ear up close to the speaker I could really notice how they now blend in with the overall presentation of the speaker, as opposed to being the dominant presence that the Hi's seemed to be. The 3a's, while always sounding good, became that much easier to listen to, and much closer to the 3's then they were pre-op.

PM is probably best.

Yes! You can have the originals rebuilt, which is by far the best option. Both forum members RoyC and Chris1this1 rebuild them. I can speak from personal experience with Chris as he rebuilt the tweeters in both the 3's and 3a's that I own.

Never saw the ad before you referred to it in your original post. But this would provide some clue as to how long he's been waiting for a buyer: "Listed 15 weeks ago in Summerville, SC" And yes, I agree with your points about how to insure a reasonably quick sale. You see a lot of his type on Craig's List, as least I do locally. Stuff that just sits and sits, never a price reduction, questions hardly or never responded to. Scratch your head situations. Takes all kinds I suppose. "

I suppose the answer to the question as to why they haven't sold in months has now been answered.