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using AR3a's in home theater system


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I do not see any problem with your system as described.

For maximum enjoyment, I would recommend that you get center and surround speakers with a similar voice to you AR3a's. A similar voice will mainly come from the midrange and tweeters.

So, pick up another pair on Ebay for your surrounds, then I would build something like a LST/2 for the center channel, except maybe a 6" or 8" woofer - as it would only need to go down to 80Hz or so.

Nigel

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I have a pair of AR 3a's that I bought in 1976. they have worked great for all these years. Now I have an new HD tv and surround system, but I can not find speakers that I like as much as my AR3a's. Would it be a good idea to use these speakers in a system like this with the sounds that are produced from theatrical DVDs? Is it a good idea to incorporate these 4 ohm speakers on the same receiver as the 8 ohm center and rear speakers?

I love these speakers. AS I said I have had a hard time finding new speakers at any price that sound as good as my 3a's. I would appreciate any advice on the subject.

George Widman

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Guest rickcee

Hi nothing really technical - The AR 3 a still comes off well if maintained (new bass surrounds, maybe new level controls ) Stereo review did a test of the then new AR 303 in maybe '98 and used a pr. of 3a 's to compare - very similar ( AR 303 was a close reproduction of orig. AR 3a. I have the AR 302 which is a repro of AR 5 - 10 " bass but otherwise same. ) - - can't comment on the ohm ratings, but the volumes should be within adjustment range ? ? Rick

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The AR3a's are excellent speakers and you can find them very easy in Ebay. I would buy another 2 pairs and use one pair for surround and double up the other pair as center. In this system, you don't need subwoofer since the bass of the AR3a is very very deep. But, you need to using high current amplifier for the speakers.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Be careful to check the minimum ohm rating for the amp. Connecting 4 ohm speakers to an amp that is rated for 8ohms minimum will destroy the amp, I know, I've done it with my AR3's.

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A friend has a pair of AR 2's that he has hooked up to his A/V amp and his only complaint is the magnets causing picture problems. They are not shielded so if you place them near the TV you may run into problems. This has been discussed in past threads on this board and you would need to get bucking magnets or mu metal to solve the problem if it shows up.

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  • 2 years later...
Guest Brian_D

To answer your question:

These speakers would be excelent "main" channel speakers for your Home Theater setup. You will need to be careful about placement, as their rather powerful magnet structures will cause permanent damage to your picture tube if placed too closely. Their impedance (4-ohm) will render them 3db louder than the other chanels (assuming equal power and 8-ohm speakers) so you'll need to compensate in some way if they're too loud. The ballance between the center/mains is most critical.

Now a couple of comments about previous posts:

"I would build something like a LST/2 for the center channel, except maybe a 6" or 8" woofer - as it would only need to go down to 80Hz or so..." Nigel, the Center channel of the existing surround formats is full range. Compressed, but full range. Limiting the frequency range of this channel will cause the system to sound out of ballance. Also, the center channel is used for dialog, front-and-center sound effects and overhead sound effects. This speaker should have the tightest radiating pattern, and lowest dispersal possible. It should be truly "mono." A multi-axis (like the LST) speaker is not appropriate for a center channel speaker.

"I would buy another 2 pairs and use one pair for surround and double up the other pair as center... jcheung, two 4-ohm cabinets would yield either 2 or 8 ohms depending on how they are wired, in either case, the output of the center chanel will be much higher based on the radiating surfaces being doubled. Wing, if you want to use an AR speaker as a center, please use only one. Again, ballance between the center and mains is most important.

"In this system, you don't need subwoofer since the bass of the AR3a is very very deep..." jcheung, he WILL need a subwoofer in order to enjoy the LFE (low frequency effect) channel of the surround output. The subwoofer is a seperate channel, and is not duplicated in the mains or any of the others.

"But, you need to using high current amplifier for the speakers..." Maybe... There are very few surround amps out there that can drive a large AR cabinet to it's knees, but the few I've had experience with can drive them sufficiently for Home theater applications. With the exception of soundtracks or music scenes, HT sound isn't all that demanding when compared to pure music listening. Just make sure you're happy with the 2-channel output of your amp for music, if that's your thing.

Good luck, Wing. I'm on the HT path right now, working on a center for my system... check out the HT forums for more advice on this subject, most of us here use AR's for music, and not much else!

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Guest dogmeninreno

>An AR-4x would make a good center speaker, they would make

>good rear speakers also.

Joe, I agree. I am using the 2ea AR4x's for the center and 2 ea for the rear channels with my AR9's as nains being driven with 2 Adcom GFA 555 II's in a vertical bi-amp configuration so the amps see 8 ohms per channel I believe. Dale

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I really like the little 4x's. I use them as my portable monitors when I am recording on the road. I just had new surrounds put on mine by Bill Miller. They sound awsome now, the bass is excelent, and they really hold thier own quite well in a stereo setup, I am never dissapointed by them, just amazed at the excelent bass response. I power all of my AR speaker with Adcom amplifiers. Can’t beat them for the money. I have an Adcom 5400 which is 125wpc 8 ohms and 200wpc 4 ohms. If you like your 555II, you should have a listen to the new one, the 5500, its power output is a bit higher, its transformer is much larger, and its distortion is much lower than the 555II and it uses MOSFET output transistors which handle reactive loads better than the older bipolars. Don’t get me wrong, the 555 is a fantastic amp, one of the best ever made, but the 5500 is a very large improvement, especially in ability to drive low impedance loads with incredibly low distortion.

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