samberger0357

Those 3's are beautiful and a great price. The issues are normal, and restoration not difficult if you're at all technically inclined. Lots of help can be had here, including a great guide in the library.

Welcome to the forums! Those look really nice and sounds like the restorer knows what they were doing. Can't really find any fault with what the seller has done. And the 5's are a really great classic AR speaker. The price is a little high IMO, even for a restored pair, and that's probably why they haven't sold. I probably wouldn't want to pay much more then $3-350, but I've been known to overpay as well for gear that is in as nice as condition as this. Particularly if you plan to hold onto them for a while. If they're local, I'd certainly recommend setting a time to listen to them with some of your favorite music. Sounds like he has other gear to sell so could be an interesting visit. Let us know what happens. Good luck!

Sounds like he's eager to sell. $800 is a great price for 3a's in good shape. Good luck.

He did. Mailman had perfect timing today.

Thank you, Sir! Magical accurately describes the speakers, and what I'm hearing. I've had the tuner now for about a year. One of 4 Mc pieces currently in use.

A few years ago I acquired a beautiful pair of 3's from a fellow in NJ. Unfortunately the trip to California was a rough one for them and they underwent some internal issues that I, and a few other folks, were never able to fully correct. Ended up selling them for a nice profit. Since then I've been using a nice pair of of early 3a's, but as good as they are, I still longed for a pair of 3's. And I needed them restored as my ability to do them up right is just not there. Put a wanted ad on a couple of forums and got a hit from none other then our own Chris1this1! He had an extra pair with mids and tweets that he rebuilt and was offering them for a very fair price. Most of us know Chris exemplary rep as a restorer of AR drivers, and so the prospect of owning what I imagined to be about the best pair of 3's that I would ever be able to own made me jump at the offer. Sort of. Chris lives in NJ also which meant taking another risk to get them to me. Chris told me he had shipped several pairs of AR speakers successfully and he was confident he could do it again. Still, I was hesitant. Even agreed to a deal, then backed out. But ultimately I bit the bullet and went through with it. Well, they made it to me safe and sound yesterday, and they are even better then I could've hoped for . Chris packed them well enough that I imagine the would've survived WWIII. The look great, and they sound amazing. My 3a's were restored with HiVi tweeters, but the seller provided me with the originals, and I've already sent those off to Chris to have rebuilt, and will get them in the 3a's for a good listening comparison when they return. But the 3's sound so alive(driven by a McIntosh MC2250), and so sparkling, that at at the moment they kind of put the 3a's to shame. At least a little. So this is what all the hoopla is about rebuilt original tweeters and mids. I have to jump on the dog pile and add to the chorus that if you, or anybody else, is listening to a 3 and have not had the mids and tweets restored by Chris or Roy, then you simply cannot be hearing what these speakers are capable of. And if you read about 3's being muddy or soft sounding, even after a recap, check to see if the drivers were refreshed. I'm betting they weren't. There is nothing even close to dull or muddy coming from these speakers. I'm a very happy guy at this moment. Happy and safe holidays to everybody.

Are the "3" badges still available?

Thanks! Yes, I'm really happy with the C20 and wanted to make sure if I was going to upgrade that the amp would be a good match. Going by the numbers the 2105 is a little easier to drive, but the 2250 falls within the recommended numbers for impedance matching and sound wise it's a great match. Yup. Hard to believe, but the difference between 105 and 250 watts have made a difference, and not just on volume. Also, the 2105 was last restored in 2012, while the 2250 had it's restoration in 2018. So it's a little fresher. The bass and the clarity of the amp is immediately evident with the 3a's. At some point, will throw the KLH Model Five's in there to see if they're improved.

Thanks! 80lbs. 3lbs more then the 2105. Was my workout for the day getting it up on my makeshift rack.

Thanks! That was one of the reasons I went for it. Also, it was local, and had been restored by a local tech that is highly reputable. Got a pretty good deal, and went for it.

Thanks!

Whatever would make you happy, professor.

Just got this McIntosh MC2250 to throw some added muscle at my 3a's. The 2250 is a very limited version of the popular and highly regarded 2255. They only made only 499 of them between '82-88 generally designed for the commercial market. At 250+ watts, he's a brute. The 3a's love him. I was using a McIntosh MC2105, which, with it's rated power of 105 watts , was fine with the 3a's, but the added wattage of the 2250 was immediately noticeable in more bottom, and more overall clarity and separation. Also using a McIntosh C20 preamp to have some tubes in the chain.

I have mine about a foot from the back wall , and about 3 feet from the side walls. They are vertical, on stands about 2 feet off the floor. No toe in. I've tried them pretty much every way possible in my room(higher and lower off the floor, closer and further from walls, toed and not, horizontally and vertically) and have found the present set up to sound best. That said, they have never sounded anything but great, and the differences with placement in my smallish room have been minimal. Ultimately experimenting is your best friend. There is no wrong or right, only what sounds best to you.

I bet that sounds great! I've tried a 500C and other low powered tube amps with AR3's and 3a's and very much enjoyed the experience. I finally decided that for full time listening I preferred a bigger amp for my 3a's(which is the speaker I listen to the most, although I do enjoy my KLH Model Five's as well) so am using a a McIntosh MC2105. But I didn't want to give up tubes entirely so have a McIntosh C20 preamp driving the 2105, and the combination is just right for me.

The MA"s can usually be found for what I would consider a reasonable sum plus they're less prone to failure then the much more expensive 1-30's.

I believe CSP member Sonnar has done some changes to his AR2's of the type that Ken is considering. Perhaps he will see this thread and comment. I have used both JansZen 1-30 's electrostats and Micro Acoustic microstatic tweeters with my AR2's, and both additions were worthwhile. I presume some Realistic bullet super tweeters would works well also.

I would suggest experimenting as much as possible. I've done that with my 3a's, and have found that they sound excellent no matter where I place them. I've had them on traditional 11" stands, both close to the walls, and pulled out further into the room. I've experimented with heights, placing them first about 3 feet up, then about 4 1/2 feet off the ground. With this placement, I have them lying horizontally, pushed back against the walls(actually, curtains that are in front of the walls). and the result is an excellent soundstage and deep bass. I suppose I'm trying to replicate the placement that people back in the day used when they would place them in bookshelves high off the ground, lying horizontally. For me, they sound best this way.

Beautiful 2's, Nes! Congratulations on your great find. Looks like you're the right guy to do the restoration job, too. And thank you Tom for again providing such great and interesting history. I got my set of 2's (serial # 61825 & 61932)a couple years ago and have been rotating into the system with my 3a's ever since. I was fortunate enough to find a minty pair of JansZen 1-30 external tweeters not long after, and together with the 2's it's hard to believe such amazing sounds coming from a speaker set that is as old as I am(Also March '57). All original, too!

I have a 2 motor, earlier "TA" version of the XA. It's been restored by Marc Morin, and it's a wonderful sounding and looking table. I rotate it with my other belt drive manual, a Fairchild 412. I have trouble deciding which one I like more. They're both great! I also have 3 automatic idlers that get a lot of time, particularly when I'm lazy. Hard to determine which table I could live with forever if I had to choose just one. Luckily, I don't(at least for now...).

I'm envious of Giorgio's collection, too! I like the 73. It needs some restoration, but as I said for what I use it for it meets my needs. Yes, it's a ZX-7.

Giorgio you have a good memory. I do have a pair of 2's and still use them occasionally. They are completeley original, and I use them with a pair of JanZen 1-30 tweeter arrays. If I didnt have my 3a's I would use them a lot more. They presently sit under the 3a's so that when I want to use them, I simply remove the 3a's, put the 1-30's on top, and I'm ready for action. That is a 2105, but alas the tuner is only a lowly MR 73. But it meets my needs and does sound good.

Hey let's not completely crazy here.

You've inspired me to turn 'em on their sides!

Beautiful job! How do you like them horizontally? I've tried mine both ways, and I think I like them vertically just a bit more. Seems like a I get a little better bottom end. But it's negligible and I could easily live with them horizontally if I had to.