Steal of a Deal.....

[frankmarsi]

If anyone in the Chicago area is looking to get a pair of AR-9 speakers at a good price check out this link:  

https://www.ebay.com/itm/166839742044?itmmeta=01J2EWAJNYN26XHQ0VCXTK38T2&hash=item26d86c6e5c:g:GqgAAOSwR7pmeZs~&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8DSGfF%2BOv%2BsYdQeN%2BfhyO8%2BsPgM3zXIMIzlP8f4ciujyF3w%2F0aQfp%2BcCSkYfGLPPL5DrYaQz%2FdFgCM0ckuiK1aZAVFb5caeVPXE%2BI8pcVfOBS8Xh5rc6YRtrnVy0HCiwJaPmVIi%2F%2BgG8EMCqkq3YhBvA8Aogxax9LKiVbNIJNVoyzzcChnocXhJ4tgLHr5%2FM7CIUTI%2B8WmTab4zz2kWpUsgHfCpLrgEq10hDKK%2Bv5pOS0Sda5kdC8TpvJkjFxMiY%2FBNVPTGHTkv6UR4Rk2ttY9FQpSgGLoxSMq7Gw4k7UhuI92xwb5qYcwZw%2FbJ%2FwfSNKw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4irqtyTZA

 

In 2014 I found a set in good.excellent condition about 45 minutes from me with a 'BIN, I jumped out of my seat and became hyper-thrilled. I made arrangements with a relative to help me and bring his pickup truck with him. Gathered-u my 'moving-blankets, dolly and hand-truck. They were listed on the bay also for only $950. and more than hard to resist.

The following day I was hooking them up and very excited until....  after a minute I realized the tweeters were not working and immediately emailed the seller.  I told the seller about the issue and that each tweet would cost in and around $100.  Luckily for me, he was solely interested in getting rid of these room dominating boxes (as he put it) and gladly refunded me the $200. for the replacement tweeters.

I cannot claim anything about these speakers now being offered on eBay, whether or not they perform properly but, the seller claims they do in his ad. If I were to buy theses, I'd go back and forth with the seller and ask any and all questions before purchasing them as I do with most on line purchases. Good luck to the happy new owner.

Mine ended up costing me $750. plus the two tweeters which I had on hand. After the transaction was done I proceeded to re-foam all of the bass and the two lower-midrange drivers, which of course I expected to do anyway. 

After all the re-foaming was complete, I hooked up two Phase Linear PL-400 amps in bi-amp configuration. With-in a few weeks I experimented with a singular PL-700II and found it more to my liking. I like the AR-9 very much and feel akin to them since I've been an AR fanboy for the past 53 years of ownership but, I'm forever partial to my double mounted set of AR-LST's as my main system and that fact has been ironclad since 1989. Nonetheless, since the AR-9 first appeared what in 1978 or so and even though I was married to my original pair of AR-3a's at the time, I felt I had to have the full TOTL AR complement of speakers from the 'Golden-Era'. I'm glad I made the correct decisions years ago. I had no idea that by 1989 I'd be the happy owner of four AR-LST's or by 2014 own AR-9. Of course throughout the years my hope was to own the big three from AR.

So, what happens after my collection has been operating for five decades now, I just keep on listening though I do take breaks so as to keep the thrill alive. I can speak comfortably these days but, back in the 1970's, '80s when these things were new and competitive, I couldn't get enough of them. Now, being settled and relaxed about the issue of ownership of the collection, I'm content and look no further. And except for being a subscriber of the two major hi-end magazines that's only done to keep abreast with any new components that I'll more than likely never purchase except for phono cartridges.

FM

[genek]

Screen grab of the listing for posterity, since it will eventually disappear from eBay:

Once the listing expires, will update with the actual sold price and move to For Sale so it can be used for reference.

[briodo]

Foam surrounds are all suspect, but those are easy to do.  Walnut is in really great shape, and from my experience, where most of the work is with these older uprights.  Appears a quick coat of Formby's would do the trick there.  Then there are the capacitors to replace.  All these items are not that expensive and can be done with a little care and review of the material from this site.

Frank's point about the 4 domes working is the real question.  No matter what, they are a great find and will not last long.

[frankmarsi]

If they were with-in 100 miles of my location I'd be there in a heart-beat. Working domes or not as I feel they're an excellent platform to restore or modify.

Couple that to the unbelievable four AR 12" woofers, these speakers are very attractive to me. Even if I chose to modify them, keeping those woofers and adding whatever fit the dome holes with an upgraded other maker mids and tweeters these cabinets have unlimited potential.

I sometimes read reviews of current top dollar vertical formant hi-end speakers many of which have low side mounted woofers (which I believe the AR-9's made popular), there's obvious similarities. I believe the AR double twelve inch woofers are hard to beat and close to if not better than anything out there. That's my opinion but, it would also take a face to face qualified comparison to be certain.

P.S. In their 'Fall-2024' speaker directory TAS magazine has a one full page with a couple of paragraphs praising the AR-3, AR3a speakers. They also high-lite the Advent later vinyl-clad speaker.  I find it very gratifying how a top publication such as it is has appreciation for what all of us do here. How could they not, AR spawned many copiers of their great designs that to this day remain sort after.

FM

 

[newandold]

On 7/12/2024 at 4:24 PM, frankmarsi said:

If they were with-in 100 miles of my location I'd be there in a heart-beat. Working domes or not as I feel they're an excellent platform to restore or modify.

Couple that to the unbelievable four AR 12" woofers, these speakers are very attractive to me. Even if I chose to modify them, keeping those woofers and adding whatever fit the dome holes with an upgraded other maker mids and tweeters these cabinets have unlimited potential.

I sometimes read reviews of current top dollar vertical formant hi-end speakers many of which have low side mounted woofers (which I believe the AR-9's made popular), there's obvious similarities. I'd know the AR double twelve inch woofers are hard to beat and close to if not better than anything out there. That's my opinion but, it would also take a face to face qualified comparison to be certain.

P.S. In their 'Fall-2024' speaker directory TAS magazine has a one full page with a couple of paragraphs praising the AR-3, AR3a speakers. They also high-lite the Advent later vinyl-clad speaker.  I find it very gratifying how a top publication such as it is has appreciation for what all of us do here. How could they not, AR spawned many copiers of their great designs that to this day remain sort after.

FM

 

Another great story about hitting pay dirt on vintage loudspeakers! (I love it)

[frankmarsi]

On 7/15/2024 at 5:56 PM, newandold said:

Another great story about hitting pay dirt on vintage loudspeakers! (I love it)

Oh, so you want another good story?

In 2006 I was able to acquirer two empty AR-3a cabinets in great cosmetic condition for $89.00

While in 2005 I bought two excellent condition AR-3a’s for under $500.

In 2009 I found in a local garbage pile, two EPI 100V’s for the taking.

As I indicated in above paragraph I bought a set of AR-9’s for $750. in 2014.

Then in 1988 as if it was a miracle on one sunny day I acquired five AR-LST’s out of which I was able to make four as the extra cabinet was badly beat-up. That afforded me four extra midranges along with four tweeters and a woofer and X-over. And though the woofer was badly damaged, I kept it anyway as even in the late '80s, my affection for these speakers and the knowledge of how rare and costly they are was still alive and sharp.

I attribute my good luck in these instances because, I was patient and waited literally decades for just the right speakers to come along.  I don’t doubt my intense wishing and hoping helped. Not to mention my eagle-eyed surveillance of neighborhood areas and residential garbage piles of trash. I understood that some folks just don't know what they have and were willing to toss things. I had since an early age been on the prowl. One man's trash is another man's treasure as the saying goes.

I’m grateful that in except for the AR-9’s I was able to transport all speakers by myself with-out bodily harm. I say this because when you do it all the moving of these unwieldy boxes on your own, going through doorways was especially difficult when I on numerous occasions relocated the AR-LST’s in and out of a couple of apartments and even more different locations with my original AR-3a’s, I'm glad I'm in good shape. To me for a moment, each relocation was carried out as if I was moving a sacred item as I place much value on my AR’s. That’s a bit exaggerated I admit but, when I think about all the intense (almost every time), and concentrated listening/learning sessions I took part in you’d understand.

I’ve been a critical listener from the onset since I decided to enjoy music as an adolescent and through-out my life. In doing so it enabled me to appreciate varied and different types of music even more. For me, music can be a soul expanding experience.

FM

                    

[newandold]

29 minutes ago, frankmarsi said:

Oh, so you want another good story?

In 2006 I was able to acquirer two empty AR-3a cabinets in great cosmetic condition for $89.00

While in 2005 I bought two excellent condition AR-3a’s for under $500.

In 2009 I found in a local garbage pile, two EPI 100V’s for the taking.

As I indicated in above paragraph I bought a set of AR-9’s for $750. in 2014.

Then as if it was a miracle on one sunny day I acquired five AR-LST’s out of which I was able to make four as the extra cabinet was badly beat-up. That afforded me four extra midranges along with four tweeters and a woofer and X-over.

I attribute my good luck in these instances because I was patient and waited literally decades for just the right speakers to come along and I don’t doubt my intense wishing and hoping helped. Not to mention my eagle-eyed surveillance of neighborhood piles of trash.

I’m grateful that in except for the AR-9’s I was able to transport all speakers by myself with-out bodily harm. I say this because when you do it all the moving of these unwieldy boxes on your own, going through doorways was especially difficult when I on numerous occasions relocated the AR-LST’s in and out of a couple of apartments and even more different locations with my original AR-3a’s, I'm glad I'm in good shape. To me for a moment, each relocation was carried out as if I was moving a sacred item as I place much value on my AR’s. That’s a bit exaggerated I admit but, when I think about all the intense (almost every time), and concentrated listening/learning sessions I took part in you’d understand.

I’ve been a critical listener from the onset since I decided to enjoy music as an adolescent and through-out my life. In doing so it enabled me to appreciate different types of music even more. For me, music can be a soul expanding experience.

FM

                    

Frank, I couldn’t agree with you more!

By the way I went back and checked the ad for the nines and they are still there and available…

In 1977, I migrated over to Allison acoustics but my foundations were with AR and the family growing up. We had two AR integrated amplifiers, an AR turntable,a pair of AR 4ax, my pair of 2ax and my dad’s original AR two A’s from 1963. We had such a blast (the whole family) with all of that stuff.

The Allison:One Followed after the 2ax and I ran those for 35 years but 10 years into that is when Roy Allison introduced the IC 20 loudspeaker which I was so enamored with but at that time could no way afford it.

By 2010 I was well into eBay (wheeling and dealing), and it kept a deal search going .

It took four years from my prize to show up (at least a pair I wanted) And did all the similar stuff woofer rebuilds, and so on until they were pristine.

The vintage stuff is indeed a great way to keep the passion going, and especially when it’s integrated with contemporary electronics.

Bill