AR LST: incredible discovery

[Giorgio AR]

Looking at the famous auction site as usual, I incredibly discovered this AR LST cabinets auction, complete with grids and some of the original packaging; also present cabinet with original black finish !!
I counted in total about 51 cabinets, I hope they end up in good hands and enthusiasts.
Below the link and finally the photos.

https://www.ebay.it/itm/143434773123

 

[Stimpy]

Wouldn't those be nice...! 

I'd want 3 pair.  One set with original drivers, one set with AR-9 drivers, and a final set with AR303 drivers.  Just because...?

[ar_pro]

This just doesn't seem possible.

51 LST cabinets at a 511 USD Buy It Now price?

The location listed is about 50 miles from London; this could be an extraordinary purchase for someone in the UK.

[Giorgio AR]

My impulse would have been the immediate purchase, but then I would have had to fly to England and bring the cabinets to my house in a container by ship: impossible !!
I hope in the purchase of an enthusiast who then resells the cabinets at a correct price, the projects that could be realized with these cabinets are numerous, Stimpy has already given 3 feasible examples, my imagination also adds: a couple with Tonegen components, a paired with AB tech components and other hybrids!

[frankmarsi]

As my curiosity would insist, I couldn't resist researching this sale in Braintree, UK.

The seller states no shipping to the USA so, rite there I'm out and must stop thinking about such a thing though I bet if I offered a nice chunk of money, we'd work out a deal. 

I actually have enough tweeters and woofers to fill about 10+ cabinets, the X-overs would be an additional expense but, who's asking.

To further expound on my fantasy thoughts I'd fill them with newly available mids but, I'd do so with-out question in a heart beat.

What a project it would be to build 10+ cabinets. Further thoughts wander to purchasing more amps and for me, nothing less than a Phase Linear PL-700 Series II for each set so, right there more expense.

This is a once in a life time situation and likely will never, ever,  ever occur again.

And, Gorgio, I've followed your posts thus far and enjoy them but, now I may have second thoughts because stuff like this actually becomes troubling for me and I know that I'll struggle to put it out of my mind. I'm left completely dumb-founded, and almost upset by this whole matter. But, thanks just the same. After-all, these are "LST's".

Somebody give me a guitar, I've gotta write a song about this.

FM

P.S. I presently have 3 pairs of LST's and I'm thinking about another pair to have another stacked system so, I'll try to be calm as collecting too many speakers can become a neurosis of which I'm displaying tendencies of having already. Listening is the prime adjective for me as it should be for us all. The enjoyment of music is more important than collecting speakers and not actually using them is anti-productive.
As most tell me when they see my already over indulged collection:  "What are you going to do with all of those speakers?" "You can only listen  to one pair at a time".   

So, in closing I better follow my own advice and return to the love of music, not hoarding wooden boxes. I have enough and will remain quite happy with what I already own. Though, lately, I must confess, I've gotten into collecting guitars, not really expensive ones, just a few that sound good to my ears, have good playability and look good to my eyes. Forgive me, I'm upset by this whole matter that's become an issue for me.

[Giorgio AR]

Frank, your three AR LST pairs plus the ones you can get from the cabinets in England could again sound the "Teatro alla Scala" of Milan as it was in the early 70s!
I agree with you that a similar situation will never happen again, however you play your guitar (it's a wonderful thing to play a musical instrument) and when you get tired I think your AR LST will be able to play the guitar the same way for hours and hours without getting tired and without tiring your ears.

[frankmarsi]

Trouble maker! 

If I stressed-out any further and called the psych-intervention department at the local hospital, they'd never understand.

[Giorgio AR]

I had not read the PS yet
You're right about not accumulating but listening, I personally have too many pairs of speakers, not just AR, but I can use and listen to almost 12 pairs of AR speakers almost every day (not all of them together).
Regarding the AR speakers, their flaw is that regardless of the model they give you all the same emotions, with different little nuances and I can listen to them for hours at all volumes without any fatigue, they are like family to me, other speakers of mine they are like strangers, except the two pairs of Philips 9710 that I love like ARs!

[frankmarsi]

Via, vai , lasciami in pace!      

 I'm kidding.

My latest acquisition.

 

[Giorgio AR]

Perfect, looks new, I don't see any fingerprints on the lacquer!
I love guitars and their sound, unfortunately I'm not able to play, but I have many virtuous friends who do it and when I can hear the sound of a live guitar, this is pure enjoyment.
The AR speakers have "the only flaw" of replicating their sound equally but fail to visually reconstruct the player, they don't just own the video, but they do imagine it!

[Steve Hoare]

Hi there Giorgio,

Just seen your post regards the AR-LST cabinets for sale on Ebay, I saw the ad. earlier today, a very good deal, I live quite close to the items for sale around 25 miles or less and thought what a great offer, only issue is the drive units for these are expensive, the LST's can sell for quite a lot, maybe 1000 GBP or more, the 12" bass unit would cost 100-150 GBP each, you would also need the tweeters, midrange and crossover and bear in mind these speakers have multiple mid & treble units.

The only use I think would be for someone who wanted to replace their cabinets, but then you would have 30 or so spare pairs.

Looking at the quantity of cabinets available I would think these are left over items from the old AR Houghton Regis site, this site was around when I bought my AR-2ax speakers in the late 70's, seems a bit odd they are for sale now 40 years later. Only an assumption though.

I now have a pair of AR-3a Improved speakers, they need recapping and cosmetics done to the cabinets, nice speakers though.

Regards

Steve Hoare

[ra.ra]

3 hours ago, Steve Hoare said:

....I live quite close to the items for sale...

Hi Steve, and welcome to the forum. I suspect you are correct, and the anticipated demand for LST's was obviously overestimated for the Euro market - - - they have always been a very expensive purchase targeted for a particular niche clientele, but it is very surprising to see this large lot of cabinets appear on the market after so many years. Also, you are correct that it would be quite a challenge to locate and obtain sufficient quantities of original drivers to outfit even one matching pair.... let alone 25 pairs. Nonetheless, this is a remarkable cache of original parts that we all hope will find the proper buyer-distributor.

Thanks for posting, Giorgio.     

[Giorgio AR]

Hi Steve, I hope as well as other enthusiasts that the cabinets will find new owners who use them as substitutes for damaged cabinets or for new projects or replicas, if I lived like you near the place of sale, I would have already filled my cellar!
I add more photos found on the announcement and a further one with the labels removed from my AR18 EJ pair: in addition to the label identifying the model that was originally placed on the front baffle of the cabinets, there is also a small label removed from the inside of the cabinet (it was attached near the crossover plate) that reads Ingham Mirefold.
My curiosity is that I suppose you identify the English manufacturer of the cabinets and ask you if the location of this plant is near the warehouse containing the AR LST cabinets.
I searched both maps on Google maps (both Ingham and Miterfold), and both correspond to locations in Essex, I hope you find an answer to my question!

Giorgio

 

 

PS: I add to the completeness the labels of another pair of English AR18s, about 4000 before they show numerous differences: material, on the right plastic on the left aluminum - execution, on the right rounded corners on the left right angles - finally the different printing characters

[Stimpy]

Some one needs to alert Mark Levinson!  Cello LST's would bring a fortune.

I also have to wonder, how well the Simply Speakers dome mid would work for these?  They're from Ken Kantor's final series at AR.  They were used in the 303's and 302's.

[GD70]

I'm almost speechless! Unbelieveable find!

Maybe a few AKers across the pond would be willing to go pick some up, and ship the the U.S. 

Just wow!

[newandold]

That is extraordinary and fun to look at for sure.

A number of things come to mind as an experienced Ebayer buyer and seller.

A bulk sale such as that is a bust unless the buyer “steals” them (relatively speaking) an resells them individually over time.....either way, a daunting task....putting cabs like that together with individuals who have ALL the drivers, parts and the necessary skills to replicate (as advertised) working systems.

Yeah, a few guys (mostly here) could pull it off but a pipe dream essentially.

 

Bill

[FYI]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AR-Acoustic-Research-LST-Speaker-Cabinets-listing-for-all-the-cabinets-together/143434773123?hash=item216560f283:g:QFgAAOSw2XtdxyxC

[Giorgio AR]

Thanks, views and open already post:
If I were in England, the cabinets would already be at my house, if you live there, buy them and distribute them to us enthusiasts at the right price!
Ciao  Giorgio,

Under the post

 

[frankmarsi]

Great Caesar's ghost!

Well, I can only imagine the fate of these cabinets.

Either way, I can and will revel in the knowledge that four operating cabinets reside in my main system with plans of another system using only two cabinets sometime in the future.

E' lei Giorgio,  vuoi comprare, si o no?  

If I were you, being not so far away would buy at least four empty cabinets and get started having major fun. Buy all and sell the rest. At 400 pounds for the lot, it's almost free.

FM

[Giorgio AR]

Hi Frank, it was a dream, the purchase of the cabinets, in which I saw myself sitting on a throne formed by 6 or 8 cabinets! Then 20 others remained erected to the wall as a defense of my house.
I live in an old two-story 1860 house, but they are about 50 square meters per floor and having 18 pairs of Acoustic Research speakers I have already erected more than one wall composed of speakers.
I have to stop with my collection (composed not only of AR, but also of other 12 pairs of speakers and various electronics).
You have two or three pairs of AR LST and AR90 and AR3a if I'm not mistaken, but I saw a listening room with an eye wall of about 10 meters and I think that only that room is as big as my whole house, you said of have several 12 "spare woofers and as many tweeters! That's right, I too have collected many spare speakers that are now in my closet to rest (last purchase yesterday, a 12" early ceramic woofer from AR3a that I liked because his way is particular and I am attaching the photos); let us return to the dreams of the beginning of the post, but this is more concrete and it is the desire to build me some replicas of AR3a (the shape of a parallelepiped lends itself to being stacked occupying the least possible space), perhaps even AR11.
This is achievable (I would have also tried to buy AR3a cabinets in the USA, now there are some nice cabinets for sale, but to have a pair at my house, the purchase burdened with shipping, customs and taxes is often too expensive for me), clearly not in the short term, but you'll see that within a few years, I'll succeed in the enterprise.
I think you know that I have a pair of AR LST (I have to change the surround foam for two years), but once they are operational I wouldn't find a proper placement for them in my house, or I would have to revolutionize a wall in my house by building a solid shelving on more plans to be able to insert as many AR speakers as in a bookstore!
We will see over time what I will do ...

 

 

I would have bought this too, very early ceramic woofer, but then I should have found the brother: very difficult and I decided to buy only the woofer above

 

Frank, I wish you good listening in your splendid and great hall

Giorgio