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AR5 woofer problem


SeanM

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A198F387-8E82-4D1A-B3DB-5F350604A0B7.thumb.jpeg.dcd778f0136237b1d03d2edd4227f6e4.jpegB4C96E03-2521-4F3A-8E23-88894FBD152D.thumb.jpeg.a478c18d5f7fb128d4237db3cd749f65.jpeg

 

i've been using AR4Xs for last 15 years or so. i recently acquired AR5s(euro version, teak finish) to try bigger scale, but woofer response was much less than i expected. 

i have never auditioned AR5s of good condition before, so here are some questions. 

 

1. its bass is not quite edgy and tight compared to my existing 4X's. is this normal(under the same setup, scott 355 pre&krell ksa-50 power)?

2. is 50wpc enough to drive 5's 10" woofer?

3. i checked polarity, but it turned out that it's fine. what else could cause the weak bass of the 5s? (sealing condition, old capacitors... but i was told they were recapped recently)

4. at low volume, one of the woofers seems not working at all, but when i increase volume, it starts making bass sound. 

 

any advice to address the current issues would be welcomed. 

 

 

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7 hours ago, SeanM said:

1. its bass is not quite edgy and tight compared to my existing 4X's. is this normal(under same set up, scott 355 pre&krell ksa-50 power)?

2. is 50wpc enough to drive 5's 10" woofer?

3. i checked polarity, but it turned out that it's fine. what else could cause the weak bass of the 5s? (sealing condition, capacitor... but i was told they were recapped recently)

4. at low volume, one of the woofers seems not working at all, but when i increase volume, it starts making bass sound. 

 

any advice to address current issues would be welcomed. 

1.  In Addition to DavidR's gasket advice from above.

Assuming both speakers are operating correctly, there will not be a startling difference in bass on most recordings.  To best compare both models, they should  be placed identically in relation to the listening position and reflective boundaries.

2. 50 Watts at 8 ohms is plenty

3. Did you check polarity by looking at the wires or with a D cell battery?  D cell is more accurate if the speakers were repaired by someone else.

4.  Are the woofers identical AR woofers?  AR they even AR woofers?  Post images of the speakers with grills off.

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"at low volume, one of the woofers seems not working at all, but when i increase volume, it starts making bass sound."

This should be the first issue to dig into. It sounds more like a malfunction than anything else. Pull the woofers, test them, and/or reinstall them in opposite cabinets.

Roy

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6 hours ago, RoyC said:

"at low volume, one of the woofers seems not working at all, but when i increase volume, it starts making bass sound."

This should be the first issue to dig into. It sounds more like a malfunction than anything else. Pull the woofers, test them, and/or reinstall them in opposite cabinets.

Roy

Thank you very much for your comment. One woofer stopped working today. Will pull out the woofer to see what is going on.    

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On 3/9/2022 at 5:32 AM, RoyC said:

"at low volume, one of the woofers seems not working at all, but when i increase volume, it starts making bass sound."

This should be the first issue to dig into. It sounds more like a malfunction than anything else. Pull the woofers, test them, and/or reinstall them in opposite cabinets.

Roy

I removed the woofer in question and put it in the other cabinet and it is working. What should I check next? A striking fact is that one woofer is marked as 3903-3 and the other 3903-2(AR2AX). Are they identical or slightly different?

787DFA98-3DB9-44FF-A641-B1E014B8CBF4.jpeg

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10 hours ago, RoyC said:

The woofers should be close enough, both being later generation versions of the AR 8 ohm 10 inch woofer. Are the dust caps the same? Did you check polarity and dcr before installation?

Roy

both are flat, but their color is slightly different. one is dark gray and the other has slight purple tone. Silly me,  it turned out that the terminal connector which connects "T" and "2" was loose.  but still, i have to figure out about weak bass. stuffing looks different than usual yellowish one. typical for euro models?

AR5 insulation.jpg

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On 3/12/2022 at 3:25 PM, RoyC said:

The stuffing in your photo is typical for the Euro model.

Thank you very much for your comment. i resealed the woofer using duct putty and bass response is much better.  i guess a gasket alone is not enough sometimes. :)

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