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jnolan5784

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Everything posted by jnolan5784

  1. Wondering about the utility of rebuilding the midranges of my 3a and LST. In my 3a's, the tweeters were working "fine" but I had them rebuilt on the recommendation of this forum and couldn't believe the difference it made. Just wondering about the midranges since I see that service is available from vintage AR. 10 midranges from a pair of 3a's and LST's would be an investment. Thanks to everyone.
  2. No, they are not spring loaded, the knob has a set screw that allows for them to be removed. Sometimes this set screw has loosened and the whole movement seems a bit "mushy". A tiny flat screwdriver can usually fix this.
  3. My father bought his pair of AR-3a's in January of 1969. Throughout my entire childhood that sound became my reference point in audio. The setup in those days was anything but optimal - Pioneer 25 wpc receiver, speakers against the wall on carpeted floor, lamp cord for speaker wire, Dual turntable with who knows what cartridge, etc. He eventually put them up in the original boxes due the pots being so bad. A couple of years ago I was putting together a surround sound system and needed two more speakers. I went to get them and only one was functional. I had the one speaker playing in the background as I was working on the other parts of the system. As I was walking away, I heard something unbelievable that stopped me in my tracks. The one speaker sounded really, really good. I realized that they needed saving because of their potential. At that point, I knew little to nothing about AR or acoustic suspension. Through this forum, I was able to learn and eventually restore those speakers (caps, rebuilt tweeters, and Kent's potentiometers). They sound amazing and was able to give them back to my father with a more capable amp that does them justice. I now have a set of LST's that I am currently working on and acquiring the appropriate components to power those beasts. In response to the original question - I vote for the vintage because they have a sound I haven't been able to find new, but that may be because I grew up on them.
  4. I haven't done a set of 3's (only 3a's), but what are the gold terminals adjacent to terminal 1 and 2? I highly recommend Kent's ceramic pots.
  5. Just curious about the amplification strategy especially on the double stacked LSTs.
  6. I have LST 2705 and 2708 and they do not have a removable backs for the crossover. I haven't started working on my set and have many of the same questions about recapping. I was planning on having all of the tweeters rebuilt. When I restored my 3a's (recap and potentiometer replacement), the difference after having the tweeters rebuilt was substantial. I thought the 3a's sounded good before tweeter rebuild, but was really surprised how much it helped. The LST's are worth the expense, and really only want to have them apart once.
  7. I like the JBL L100 stands currently available new. They fit the cabinet perfectly and are metal.
  8. There are a lot of good options for amps. Units from the 80-90's are great - adcom, krell, crown, hafler, levinson, mac, and even some of the NAD stuff would be great with these. Just make sure they can deliver the power and the current. These can dip down to 2ohms in areas of the curve.
  9. The tweeter rebuild was about 75 - 80 per unit. Well worth it, even though I thought they sounded great before. My own opinion, but the amp selection for these is one of the most important choices. I think the reason these models are under appreciated is that the amps of that time frame were not up to the speaker's potential. A good, restored set with proper modern amplification and room placement will hold there own with anything new under 10k.
  10. Also the other thing that is really important for these is a good higher power amp. I would recommend at least 150wpc of good power. You will be amazed how much they open up with higher power. This design is extremely inefficient but with good power they come alive and sound like nothing else.
  11. I would also recommend having both tweeters rebuilt by Chris (contact info is on this site). I have a pair of 68 3a's that I did the restoration using the Dayton caps and new correct potentiometers (CLS with ceramic housing). After re-assembly, they sounded amazing - so I thought. I had the tweeters rebuilt and am totally amazed - didn't realize what I wasn't hearing. If you do the caps, new potentiometers, and rebuild the tweeters -they will be good for another 30 years. This particular woofer and the mids rarely if ever have issues. I didn't reseal the cloth on the woofer as per Roy on this site.
  12. This may have been covered elsewhere, but what are correlations between LST serial numbers versus year manufactured/variations in components. I have LST #2705 and #2708 and they have rear wired tweeters, no access point on the back, and a sticker above the fuse stating LST-1. Also, anyone know how many LST's were produced? Thanks
  13. Wonderful, what kind of amp are you running?
  14. I just recently restored a pair of early cloth woofer 3a's, and while there are unique differences between the models I would suggest these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/255474786581 - they are correct 16ohm 25 watt potentiometers - heavy ceramic insulated (engraved CLS) and no need to add any resistors. New capacitors - Parts Express - Dayton precision audio grade. Also, the tweeter's and the mid's need rebuilding - RoyC at vintage AR on eBay. I had Chris rebuild my tweeters and it made a huge difference, although I don't know if he does the 3 tweeters. Don't forget the putty from vintage AR on eBay, solder/solder gun, and maybe new grills from vintage AR. I went into it as a newbie and am thrilled with the results - well worth the expense. Good luck.
  15. Thanks, I have some of Roy's sealant, but Roy himself said that 12 AR inch woofers rarely needed it, so I didn't apply it. Anyone have any other thoughts or experience on the cloth surround 12 in woofers of 3's or early 3a's?
  16. Two videos to demonstrate the acoustic suspension seal. I had the tweeters out of my early AR-3a's for rebuild, so I thought it would be a good demonstration of what a seal should look like. The first video does not have the tweeter installed therefore there is no seal. The second video is after installation of the tweeter with a properly sealed cabinet. IMG_7785.MOV IMG_7788.MOV
  17. Thanks so much FrankMarsi. Been reading a few prior posts - how did the capacitor replacement go with the LST's? Did you end up changing tweeters? If you did replace the capacitors, can you share what you replaced and how that changed the sound. I have replaced the fuses, and am now contemplating having all the tweeters rebuilt by Chris. While I am in them, I thought that the caps should be done as well. They sound really good now, and I can't detect any drivers that aren't working - but they are 40+ yrs old.
  18. I am relatively new to this, and have been searching for a pair of LSTs for some time. This is the first pair of LST's I have seen much less heard. I restored my father's pair of early 3a's, and have been so impressed with the results that I wanted to get into it more. This pair came from the estate of the original owner. The foam has been recently replaced. The best I can figure from the serial numbers (2700's), these were likely 74-75 vintage, although they might be later than that due to the rear wiring. It's my desire to keep these all original and do everything I can to make them sound the best that they can. A couple of questions: 1. Given that I do not want to go with external tweeters, what is a good amp wattage that will let them shine, without jeopardizing the integrity of the original tweeters. I know this depends on a lot of things, but I listen to classical, vocal, etc and am conservative on the volume. I tend toward McIntosh, but am not afraid to spend what is necessary to get good results. 2. Placement is always key, and against the short wall firing down the long axis is where I plan to put them, but are there any plans for stands available out there, and what is an optimal height off the floor. I am handy with woodworking, and was planning on building my own. 3. Any other advise on such things as fuses, settings (1-6, I think most people have them at 5 or 6), banana plugs/spades, wire gauge, or any impressions on this pair. Thanks so much, I have really learned a lot from everyone's comments.
  19. Does anyone have any experience with the cloth surround sealant kit for AR-3a woofers? Does it make a difference? They sound good now and am not sure I should do this or if it's worth it. The cloth surround sealant kit is from Vintage AR on eBay. Below is the picture, it may look like the cloth is split in one area but it isn't - that area is black sealant. Just wondering if this made any audible difference.
  20. In the past, you kindly responded to my question about amplifier wattage for the AR-3a (last Sept - Nov). Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed answers. I ended up not buying a new amp for the 3a, because I was searching for a pair of LSTs. Yesterday, I purchased them and would like your opinion and advice about the LSTs. I am relatively new to this, and this is the first pair of LST's I have seen much less heard. I restored my father's pair of early 3a's, and have been so impressed with the results that I wanted to get into it more. 

    This pair came from the estate of the original owner who ordered them. The foam has been recently replaced by a speaker shop in Tulsa OK. The best I can figure from the serial numbers, these were likely 74-75 vintage, although they might be later than that due to the rear wiring. It's my desire to keep these all original and do everything I can to make them sound the best that they can. A couple of questions:

    1. Given that I do not want to go with external tweeters, what is a good amp wattage that will let them shine, without jeopardizing the integrity of the original tweeters. I know this depends on a lot of things, but I listen to classical, vocal, etc and am conservative on the volume. I tend toward McIntosh, but am not afraid to spend what is necessary to get good results. I know you have had Phase Linear 400 and 700, but it looks like external tweeters are involved. 

    2. Placement is always key, and against the front wall is where I plan to put them, but are there any plans for stands available out there, and what is an optimal height off the floor. I am handy with woodworking, and was planning on building my own. 

    3. Any other advise on such things as fuses, settings (1-6, I think most people have them at 5 or 6), banana plugs, or any impressions on this pair. 

    Thanks so much for you posts, not only mine, but to all. I have learned a lot from your comments. 

    jnolan5784

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  21. I know this a long shot and they are needles in haystacks, but are there good places to look for LST's for sale? Ebay and Hifishark aren't much help. Thanks
  22. Thanks so much frankmarsi. I have a couple of questions about your insights on high power amps with AR inefficient speakers. After some thinking about it, the tube amp route may not be the best way with the 3a's. Am now looking at McIntosh MC312 (300W per channel) or a MC462 (450W per channel). A couple of questions: Will the 450W be a risk to the original tweeters? Any thoughts on double stacking the 3a's and how would you wire them? I would love to have a pair of LST's but realize that finding a pair is going to be really difficult, so wondering if double stacking 3a's would be close. Where and how would you place the fuses? I listen to classical, vocal, etc in a large room (16x30x10).
  23. Thank you so much for the thoughtful and experienced perspective. I have always wanted a tube amplifier, but I may need to re-examine this desire. I have seen a major increase in quality in the 3a's by applying more quality wattage, but tubes can only get you so far in terms of wattage. I just didn't want to damage by applying 300 - 450 watts of solid state power.
  24. Thank you so much. Aside from tube amplifiers, any solid state wattage that is a favorite?
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