meta_noia_fot Posted April 20 Report Share Posted April 20 A pair of English-made AR-9Lsi’s came my way today. The previous owner had a terrible refoam job done on the midrange and 12” woofers (but forgot the 10” woofers). They also used a brittle glue so the foam is separating easily from the cone. Before I refoam these, does anyone know if this midrange cone is correct? There is a seam split on the cone which I’ve never seen on an AR. The owner said they had been reconed but I think he meant refoamed. edit to add: The driver appears to be correct but is the cone correct? Tonegen part no. 1-2100450B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aadams Posted April 21 Report Share Posted April 21 The answer is no split cone. Check AR55s link from the library forum. The 8inchers for the AR9, ls,lsi were specifically configured to be LMRs. Read note 4 in the pdf on 8 inch drivers for that series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meta_noia_fot Posted April 21 Author Report Share Posted April 21 I see the AR part no for the Lsi LMR is 200045. Would that be related to this driver, the 1-2100450B? I ask because all of the woofers in my pair are Tonegen-made and have the longer, alternate part no. Could the English factory have been using Tonegen drivers instead of regular AR parts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meta_noia_fot Posted April 21 Author Report Share Posted April 21 Here’s a couple more photos including the seam from the back. Unlike the foam surrounds, the seam seems competently done. Nothing about the spider seems disturbed either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedeleluigi Posted April 21 Report Share Posted April 21 7 hours ago, meta_noia_fot said: Before I refoam these, does anyone know if this midrange cone is correct? Yes, the cone is correct! You can see other identical pictures of the Tonegen AR9LSI lower midrange on this thread (last images): https://community.classicspeakerpages.net/topic/10666-8-lmr-for-ar-9-and-ar-90-200027-availabilitysubstitutes/?do=findComment&comment=128245 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lance G Posted April 21 Report Share Posted April 21 4 hours ago, fedeleluigi said: Yes, the cone is correct! You can see other identical pictures of the Tonegen AR9LSI lower midrange on this thread (last images): https://community.classicspeakerpages.net/topic/10666-8-lmr-for-ar-9-and-ar-90-200027-availabilitysubstitutes/?do=findComment&comment=128245 Result, and within 7 hours the OP has the answer ! To top it all it's one he wants to hear. Hats off to fedeleluigi ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meta_noia_fot Posted April 21 Author Report Share Posted April 21 Yes, thank you @fedeleluigi! So to me it appears the 1-2100450B is the Tonegen version of AR 200045 and the Tonegen version has a factory seam split (I wonder why). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aadams Posted April 21 Report Share Posted April 21 Yes. Good job! I have an English pair of 98ls with original LMR that don't have the split. 5 hours ago, fedeleluigi said: Yes, the cone is correct! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR55 Posted April 21 Report Share Posted April 21 Although AR changed the cone spec for the 8" LMR between the AR9 (200027) and the AR9LS (200045), the 200045 cone still was specified with no split. I have had a number of AR98LS's in my possession over the years and all of them came with the American made AR 200045 LMR. None of those cones had the split. I presently own a pair of English made 98LSi's and a pair of American made 9LSi's. Both of them came with the Tongen made 2100450B LMR and all of them have the split cone. AR outsourced the manufacture of all their drivers to Tongen starting with the second generation of the Post Classic Series, which included the 9LSi & 98LSi. Interestingly, I haven't found an instance where Tongen ever used a split cone with any other driver, but the 2100450B, 8" midrange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meta_noia_fot Posted April 21 Author Report Share Posted April 21 Great info. Thanks so much @AR55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuja Posted April 23 Report Share Posted April 23 On 4/21/2024 at 1:41 AM, meta_noia_fot said: There is a seam split on the cone which I’ve never seen on an AR. For a couple of years I had a pair of English made AR98LS but with the original drivers made in USA, and they had that split on LMR drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AR55 Posted April 23 Report Share Posted April 23 You got my curiosity up, so I rechecked the 8" LMR in the three 98LS' that I've owned. My daughter has my original 98LS's that I purchased in January of 1983 and their 8" LMR's do not have a split seam. The same is true of a pair that I restored and sold to a friend. The 3rd pair, however, have US made 8" 200045 LMR's and their cones have a split seem. I also checked my AR-28B's. Their 8" woofers (model 200050), have a split seam. So, it appears that at some point during the initial production run of the Post Classic Series, AR modified the spec for the 8" midrange and woofer cones to have a split seams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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