Guest Lorne Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Hi, I recently inherited a pair of AR-9s that had been sitting in my mother's place for years. The woofers and mid-range cones needed new foam and I took care of that (thanks, Newfoam) but these speakers are old and the sound is nowhere where it ought to be. There's distortion at every level and while they don't sound so bad as to be useless, it's a shame from what I've read that they don't come anywhere near their potential. Does anyone know a good speaker refurb place near Washington DC? If I choose to refurb these guys, I would want it to be someplace to which I could drive since, as you know, they're 130 pounds each and shipping them is something I'd prefer to avoid. I am toying with the idea of trying to do any refurbing on my own, but I'm not particularly handy, I have no real idea what the problems might be, and I don't have much experience doing this. Anyone have any suggestions?LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Absolutely. Call Bill Miller at (215) 412-7700. He's located in suburban Philadelphia (1422 Taylor Rd. Lansdale, PA) and is an absolute wizard with the AR-9. Spend a couple of minutes chatting with him, and you'll immediately understand why many on this forum hold him in such high regard. Definitely worth a two hour drive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninohernes Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Bill Miller is amazing! He has done a ton of work on AR woofers for me, over the years. He knows so much!Lorne, great to see you over here! Its a bit quieter than the SH forums, but there is a ton of knoledge here. Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninohernes Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 double post, oops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lorne Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 Thanks, you guys are great. These speakers are in decent shape, considering the age. No ripped cones, no original foam, of course, but the cabinets are fine. Any idea what a general refurb to overcome general age would cost? I fully understand that this could vary widely, but I'm just curious about a general idea. Thanks again.LT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundminded Posted August 20, 2004 Report Share Posted August 20, 2004 What it costs will of course depend on what is wrong with them. Expect to pay anywhere from about $60 to $80 per hour for labor (that's reasonable) plus parts. Before you go to the cost and trouble of seeking professional help, there are several simple things you can try. A thorough cleaning of the switch contacts on the three front program controls with de-oxit would be worth a try. Oxidized switch contact can have an effect and this would cost you next to nothing. Also check that the connections to all of the drivers are secure and not oxidized too. Download a copy of the wiring diagram from this site and be sure that the wires are connected to the proper terminals. They are color coded. If you are not experienced at working with this kind of equipment, get the help of someone who is to avoid unintential damage.Several months ago, we discussed the experience that some people had where capacitor values drifted over time. If this happened in your case, it is possible that one or more drivers were damaged. The upper midrange domes and tweeters are particularly vulnerable. I'd expect to pay about $75 to $150 per replacement driver for these units. It is also possible that defective capacitors are causing your problem. Depending on the type you replace them with and their values, they can run probably up to $30 to $50 each. As an owner of AR9s myself, all I can say is that after it's done, I think you will agree that the repair is worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.