AR-303A Rosewood Ser. Nos. 0000-0001 For Sale

[tysontom]

This is a pair of (genuine) Rosewood AR-303As that I am currently selling on eBay.  This pair was given to me by AR for helping with the "AR 40th Birthday Party" in New York in 1994.  Very low serial numbers.  Originally, AR sent a pair of laminated black AR-303s, but the speakers were damaged in shipment.  In return, they sent another set, this time in the newer AR-303A in Rosewood veneer (only difference is the back input connections and finish availability). 

This pair is in excellent, like-new condition both physically and electro-mechanically, and the speakers have been played at moderately low volume levels in an office system since the day they were received from AR.  They have never been stressed.  The AR-303 is a excellent, accurate loudspeaker, probably unsurpassed by any speaker anywhere near its size.

eBay listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323562878508?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

eBay listing Number: 323562878508

[tysontom]

Item No. 323562878508

This pair has sold, thanks for looking! --Tom Tyson

Acoustic Research AR-303A Loudspeakers

Sale Price: $1,026.00

Item #: 323562878508

Date Sold: 11/28/2018

[genek]

Tom, was that actual wood veneer or laminate? The rosewood 303a's I remember seeing way back when were laminate.

[tysontom]

5 hours ago, genek said:

Tom, was that actual wood veneer or laminate? The rosewood 303a's I remember seeing way back when were laminate.

Kent, the black "laminate" AR-303, the first version, was a non-wood laminate.  It was a hard, "steel" Formica-type laminate, and the material was very durable but it tended to show fingerprints quite easily.  There was also a cherry-veneer version of the first 303 which was real wood and, finally, a genuine-rosewood cabinet in some of the last AR-303 original versions. 

With the AR-303a, all were made with genuine rosewood veneer.  Granted, this was not the rare, stripy Brazilian Rosewood, long banned for export, but likely Bolivian or another black rosewood species.  The AR-303a manual also states, "The AR-303a Loudspeaker System is finished in a genuine rosewood veneer on all sides, accented by a unique gold logo and serial-number plate."  

--Tom

[genek]

Interesting. The ones I saw had a decidedly "not real" look and feel to them. I wonder what the finish was.

[tysontom]

I don't know what finish was used.  I will try to find out.