Guest baumgrenze Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Here are some questions regarding a pair of AR-5's I would like to restore. They have S/N's 30533 and 30543.1) Were these sold with fuses on the bottom of the connection panel?30533 has an open fuse holder with a 313 3AG 3A Littlefuse in it but it is not connected to anything.30543 has a hole where the fuse holder was screwed down.2) Can I make a meaningful measurement of the resistance of the tweeter and mid-range speaker while it is connected to the crossover (but with nothing attached to the terminals?If so, I get the following readings:30533 Tweeter: 22 ohms, Midrange: 4.9 ohms30543 Tweeter: 5.7 ohms, Midrange: 2.3 ohmsWhen I took these to a local shop:http://www.abrown.comI was told that one of the tweeters was gone and that I should abandon trying to refoam the set as I would never get a replacement.I can also see that the expanded metal lath cover on the midrange in 30543 is 'dented.' I can try to post photos if it would help.Thanks for any help anyone can offer.Baumgrenze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger3834 Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 >Here are some questions regarding a pair of AR-5's I would>like to restore. They have S/N's 30533 and 30543.>>1) Were these sold with fuses on the bottom of the connection>panel?No, but fuses can be added. Vern can help with this if you need new fuses.>When I took these to a local shop:>>http://www.abrown.com>>I was told that one of the tweeters was gone and that I should>abandon trying to refoam the set as I would never get a>replacement.That's a load of crap ! any 8 ohm version of AR's 3/4" tweeter will work in the AR-5. An AR-2ax or AR-lST2 can serve as a donor. There are two AR-2ax tweeters on ebay as I write. They are the same part.Always restore AR Speakers, never give up !!>>I can also see that the expanded metal lath cover on the>midrange in 30543 is 'dented.' I can try to post photos if it>would help.If the driver works fine, don't worry about it. >>Thanks for any help anyone can offer.>>Baumgrenze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 I totally agree with Brad. The common AR-2ax woofer is also interchangeable. The difficult driver to replace would be the midrange driver, which is a higher impedance version of the AR-3a type midrange. I believe it was only used in the relatively rare AR-5. All the more reason to restore those babies!The crossover and level controls will interfere with your resistance measurements of the drivers. Disconnected, the mids should read a little over 5 ohms, the tweeters around 6 ohms, and the woofers a bit over 6 ohms.Go for it!Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynaco_dan Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 >I totally agree with Brad. The common AR-2ax woofer is also>interchangeable. The difficult driver to replace would be the>midrange driver, which is a higher impedance version of the>AR-3a type midrange. I believe it was only used in the>relatively rare AR-5. All the more reason to restore those>babies!>>The crossover and level controls will interfere with your>resistance measurements of the drivers. Disconnected, the mids>should read a little over 5 ohms, the tweeters around 6 ohms,>and the woofers a bit over 6 ohms.>>Go for it!>>RoyHi there;Just to add to this topic, the AR-LST 2 used the same mids, unfortunately, they are about as scarce as hens teeth, and unless someone is parting one, you may have a slight wait for the mids.Re-building the tweeters, is not, at this moment, practical, but it may be possible by someone who contacted this site, from, I believe Asia months ago.I believe that a chap was experimenting, there was a little discussion with Dale from Reno, regarding re-building them, I believe.I remeber Dale had a few DOA units.Same with the mids.The woofers, I am not so sure about.I don't believe that the original AR-5 woofer was the same one, as the AR-2AX's, but, in a pinch, they may be possibly interchangeable.There again, there is more than one size 10" woofer and number of bolt holes. Brad and Roy are right on the money, as always.I am sure Tom or others may have this information.Please keep us informed as to your journey, please. Good topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
draftingmonkey Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 You might check outhttp://www.oaktreeent.com/AR_Speaker_Parts.htmThey usually have a variety of AR parts from parted out speakers.James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynaco_dan Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 >You might check out>>http://www.oaktreeent.com/AR_Speaker_Parts.htm>>They usually have a variety of AR parts from parted out>speakers.>>JamesHi James;AR-5 Woofer $75 no stockAR-5 mid $55 stockAR-5 tweeter $55 stockFor the AR-5 these are an option and available now.Some items on that site appear a little dear, but if nothing else is available, beggers can't be choosers.Ebay for the AR-5 parts is a good choice, if you're not in a hurry, and there isn't a thousand bidders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Hi Vern,>The woofers, I am not so sure about.>I don't believe that the original AR-5 woofer was the same>one, as the AR-2AX's, but, in a pinch, they may be possibly>interchangeable.You are correct again as well! The original woofer is slightly different according to Tom T. I believe he said it has a slightly longer throw. The later and most common 2ax woofer with the conventional size flange (not the larger 11 inch of the earlier 2ax) works fine and is very similar. By the mid 70's both speakers used the same replacement woofer part #.The AR-5 and 2ax also shared the same cabinet dimensions and grilles.Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest baumgrenze Posted January 20, 2006 Report Share Posted January 20, 2006 Sometimes we trust 'experts' when they tell us something and we end up going down primrose paths (or perhaps those lined with thistles and nettles.)I just got out my Denon Audio Technical CD (38C39-7147) and ran track 65 (1 kHz, then 5 Hz to 22.05 kHz) through each of the AR-5's. Before doing so I adjusted the LPads to the center position. In each case I was able to hear a distinct signal (limited by my 65 year old ears) through most of the range. So much for a blown tweeter!After looking at:http://www.diyprojects.info/bb/ftopic26341.htmlI can appreciate why the amplitude of the signal was non-uniform and 'swoopy' sounding. I was in the middle of a very live 13 x 18 x 8 room so there were all kinds of reflections. Clearly the bass response would be much improved by refoaming the woofers. I did notice that the higher frequencies were not as intense as when I played the same track at the same setting through an AR-18 that I refoamed earlier this month.I bought the surrounds for the AR-18 from:http://www.wooferrepair.com/ar.htmlTheir 10" AR kit costs $24.50 with shipping.Do the experts have favorite sources and/or comments on the quality of the surrounds mentioned above?While I have everything open, are there tests I can run with my Simpson meter (Model 467E)to further evaluate these speakers?Thanks,Baumgrenze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Baumgrenze,You should take the level controls apart and clean them. The capacitors should be measured at the very least. It is likely that they should be replaced.Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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