stever88 Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 Hi All! I am a 'NEWB' and not a sophisticated listener. I inherited my Dad's pair of AR-91 Speakers that were 1-owner, bought New in 1981. The Enclosures/Cabinets are pristine, they just need Woofers re-foamed and to be professionally gone-through. I am planning to take them to Miller's Audio in PA. I have been googling but am unable to find any For Sale - are they not worth having or are they just not popular? Thank you for reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 7 minutes ago, stever88 said: I have been googling but am unable to find any For Sale - are they not worth having or are they just not popular? Welcome to CSP Yes they are worth having. You don't see many for sale because they are sought after. Excellent three way speakers. If you are talking about Millersound in Lansdale you are on the right track. Bill LeGall can make them like new again. There is a ton of information about 91's here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever88 Posted September 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 9 minutes ago, lARrybody said: There is a ton of information about 91's here. Thanks for Reply IAR. Is the "here" a Link" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 Hi stever, I think what Larry means is that there are many threads on this site about the AR-91 that will tell you everything you need to know. Some people regard the 91 as among the very best three-way speaker models ever conceived by AR, so you should read up a bit before you do anything. For an intro to this topic, just copy the line below and plug it into your favorite web browser for a number of excellent online threads. site:classicspeakerpages.net "AR-91" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever88 Posted September 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 Thank you Ra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 I have a pair of 91s and think they are a wonderful 3-way speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever88 Posted September 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 Thank you David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar_pro Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 The AR-91 is an excellent speaker - you should be very happy when they're fixed up. Millersound is the place to go, and Bill's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Not that many AR-91 speakers appear on the used market, but the eBay selling price for the individual drivers has been rising for awhile, since the woofer, tweeter & midrange drivers can also be used in the AR-9, which was the top of the line system from that series. Just as a point of reference, the midrange and tweeter often sell between $75 - $125 individually, and the original woofers can range from around $75 to $150 each, depending on condition. This is very inexpensive insurance for guys who own the big AR-9 or smaller AR-90. Please post photos when you're able! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arken Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 Ar_pro hit the nail on the head. I bought a set of 91's to have spare parts for my 90's. They wanted a 100 bucks for one tweeter and i got the set of 91's for 250. What i didn't really expect is that the 91's are a great speaker. You can't go wrong , a great speaker that has sentimental value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever88 Posted September 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 ar & arken, Thank you for your Replies. I need to do some chores before taking photos late today and will Post them when they are ready. Thanks for the the good info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimpy Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 I use AR58S speakers, which use essentially the exact same drivers, as the 91's, in a large bookshelf design. Beautiful sounding speakers, which lead me to believe your 91's deserve some love. And Bill LeGall, at Millersound, is a great place to start. Bill is a speaker genius, who will treat you right. Oh, I have AR-1MS, AR92 and AR90 speakers too. So, a bit of AR bias involved in my comments. Good luck, and glad to hear you're saving those speakers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted September 7, 2019 Report Share Posted September 7, 2019 16 hours ago, lARrybody said: Bill LeGall can make them like new again. 15 hours ago, DavidR said: I have a pair of 91s and think they are a wonderful 3-way speaker. 13 hours ago, ar_pro said: The AR-91 is an excellent speaker - you should be very happy when they're fixed up. Millersound is the place to go, and Bill's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. 3 hours ago, arken said: the 91's are a great speaker. You can't go wrong 1 hour ago, Stimpy said: Beautiful sounding speakers, which lead me to believe your 91's deserve some love. And Bill LeGal, at Millersound, is a great place to start. DITTO to all of the above. I have a pair in my shop (because unfortunately there's not room for floor standers in my living room). Had Bill LeGall do the re-foam and I replaced all the caps. Beautiful sounding speakers. Here's the story of my restoration: http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/IP.Board/index.php?/topic/6565-ar91-restoration-project/&tab=comments#comment-88955 btw, be sure to use a powerful amp (the higher the better) that is rated for 4 ohm loads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever88 Posted September 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 Thanks to All for you considered Input and suggestions.The Foam surrounds for the Tweeters and Kids 'Fell-Out' and are dry rotted/ falling apart. I finally (after 5 hrs.) got the photos off my Phone and into my computer. This is only one of them , but they both look like this. Thanks again for looking. AR-91_1_-_Copy.doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lARrybody Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 Those are beautiful. The foam inserts around the tweeters and mid ranges never survive. Not that critical. Re foam those woofers and listen to them. Not that hard to do if your are patient enough. These are the type of speakers us AR guys like to see. One owner untouched with great cabinets. Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 Very nice condition. While you're restoring them be sure to replace the speaker binding posts. Parts Express has a nice set for about $10 and fit well. https://www.parts-express.com/mini-gold-plated-insulated-5-way-binding-post-banana-jack-set-2-red-2-black--320-3375 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 56 minutes ago, DavidR said: be sure to replace the speaker binding posts IMHO that's not necessary. I've restored 2 pair of 91s and both had perfectly good binding posts that accept bare wires or standard dual banana jacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidR Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 I totally disagree. The original binding posts do not accept a banana plug all the way in. They are really cheap quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 I plucked these pics from stever's attachment so that other readers won't have to open up a 21MB document. I agree with Kent - - no need to switch binding posts - - those look perfectly fine to me. These speakers do appear to be in very nice condition. However, the rust on the driver screws suggests that these may have been stored in a humid environment, and it would be worth taking a look inside at all components for any further signs of corrosion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimpy Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 1 hour ago, DavidR said: Very nice condition. While you're restoring them be sure to replace the speaker binding posts. Parts Express has a nice set for about $10 and fit well. https://www.parts-express.com/mini-gold-plated-insulated-5-way-binding-post-banana-jack-set-2-red-2-black--320-3375 I used those same binding posts on my AR90's. The correct length and the same thread pitch. A perfect fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio AR Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 I agree with Kent on the original binding posts: they are made of quality metal made in the USA, probably those sold by part-express, very beautiful to look at, they have a lamination perhaps in gold on a support not so noble (it is not said that electrical contact is better as Tunedguy57 says on another site) and production should be Chinese! Stever your speakers are very beautiful and when they are in perfect order they will give you many years of pleasant listening, here you have already had many tips from collectors and experts of AR speakers! Good work and update your progress on the site Giorgio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR surround Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 Regarding the binding posts, I always find the OEM posts on the 9 series to be a bit of a nuisance with either bare wire or banana plugs. With bare wire of reasonable gauge, I find that the nuts on the original binding posts are a bit narrow for adequate tightening of the wire...even with pliers. And as DavidR said, I found that banana plugs only go half way in. If you want to keep the original binding posts, may I suggest attaching spade lugs to the wire? It is much easier to tighten them down to the posts. I prefer the Parts Express binding posts because they accept standard banana plugs properly. And I can simply remove the plugs when I want to move the speakers for cleaning. Your speakers, so you do whatever you want. (Finally, as @Giorgio AR says, production of the Parts Express binding posts is probably Chinese...but you should be OK as long as you don't eat them.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio AR Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 Wonderful answer AR surround, I really liked the advice not to eat the binding posts!!!! Good listening, Giorgio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 But let's get back to the original question: Repair or sell? stever88: You can see by the consensus here that these are definitely keepers, IF you will listen and appreciate them. You may be surprised how good they sound. So if you do decide to keep them, Here are some thoughts: I don't want to get into a disagreement with David and AR surround. Make up your own mind. In any case, the binding posts will not have an effect on the sound. If you do keep them, bear in mind they are fairly power hungry. You CAN use a 50 watt amp but 100 or 200 or more is better. The important thing is the amp MUST be rated for 4 ohms. Most popular receivers are only rated for 8 ohms and they are NOT suitable for these speakers. You run the risk of doing damage. You are having the surrounds repaired by the best in the business if you are using Bill LeGall and this will serve you well AND will be a good selling point. Those foam or felt pieces around the mid and tweet are not really necessary. Replace them if you want, or don't. Now: Have you ever rebuilt a crossover? Are you handy with a soldering iron? The crossovers have some big metal can caps that may still be good but they also have black & red Callins (or Temple or Whale) caps that are notorious for going out of spec. We can advise you on replacement. Each speaker has one 100uF, one 40uF, one 24uF one 8uF and one 4uF capacitor. The 1st photo shows the old crossover with values labeled. The 2nd pic is sort of a "Typical" rebuild, using electrolytics (the white and blue caps in the lower left) for higher values and film caps (yellow) for smaller values. The metal cans are "probably" still good (but new electrolytics are cheap). The black caps are either bad now or soon will be. Kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimpy Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 If one wants to recap these speakers, it's not difficult or expensive, and at their age, an owner should. With the AR91's, only the 4.0uF and 24.0uF capacitors are series capacitors, in line with the tweeter and UMR dome. Those 2 caps will have the greatest impact on sound. Personally, I always use poly/film capacitors for them. NPE electrolytic are also fine, if the restoration budget is a concern. Up to the owner. But, for the series caps, it's not too expensive to try a decent poly. NPE for the rest. Parts Express, Parts Connexion, Madisound, and Sonic Craft are all good sources for capacitors. Dayton 1% and 5%, Audyn Q4, Jantzen Cross-Caps, ClarityCap PX, SA, or CSA, Mundorf MKP or EVO, and SoniCap are all fairly affordable poly caps, that sound good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arken Posted September 8, 2019 Report Share Posted September 8, 2019 The is a set of the foam inserts on eBay. Not sure if your interested just thought i'd tell you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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