AR2Ax beginning year?

[Mexicomike]

I see in the chronological list of speakers that AR2axs came out in 1969. When I was in college (U of Texas) in 1965 I bought a set of AR2AXs in Austin Texas with the money I was supposed to be using for tuition. (Yes, I was a huge disappointment to my parents but that's a long and dull story).

I am 99.999% positive they were 2AXs - one went back to AR for a blown midrange so there was correspondence that I remember pretty well. Unfortunately, I have no proof - no receipts or pics from that period. Is it possible that the posted chronology is wrong or is my "I'm absolutely positive they were ax's" memory in error?

I really, Really, REALLY believe I am correct!

but I have been wrong before...

[Guest matty g]

I see in the chronological list of speakers that AR2axs came out in 1969. When I was in college (U of Texas) in 1965 I bought a set of AR2AXs in Austin Texas with the money I was supposed to be using for tuition. (Yes, I was a huge disappointment to my parents but that's a long and dull story).

I am 99.999% positive they were 2AXs - one went back to AR for a blown midrange so there was correspondence that I remember pretty well. Unfortunately, I have no proof - no receipts or pics from that period. Is it possible that the posted chronology is wrong or is my "I'm absolutely positive they were ax's" memory in error?

I really, Really, REALLY believe I am correct!

but I have been wrong before...

Mike -

You are quite correct - the 2ax's first year was 1964. It was basically the 2a but the dual midrange setup was replaced with the CTS single mid. Some of the early versions still have the cutout for the dual mids in the baffle board , but they have the single driver mounted on a plywood filler board. Money well spent on your part, IMO!

[dynaco_dan]

Mike -

You are quite correct - the 2ax's first year was 1964. It was basically the 2a but the dual midrange setup was replaced with the CTS single mid. Some of the early versions still have the cutout for the dual mids in the baffle board , but they have the single driver mounted on a plywood filler board. Money well spent on your part, IMO!

Hi there;

Just read a comment from around 1970.

"The new AR-2AX's are better".

The transition from the older version, to the newer version, must have been around this time period.

[dynaco_dan]

Hi there;

Just read a comment from around 1970.

"The new AR-2AX's are better".

The transition from the older version, to the newer version, must have been around this time period.

Hi there;

My comment was taken from the recently posted, undated, old AR ad, titled "If you understand the excellence of speakers, you deserve to have one".

American Record Guide said, "1970 brings us a better than ever 2AX and I am nuts about it".

That 1970 is the only reference to a year it may have been written.

The AR-LST's were listed at $1,795.00 a pair in that ad.

I am certain that the old AR factory had a record of serial numbers, internal of course, of when they transitioned to the newer tweeter, mids, woofer and crossover changes.

It might have made life a little simpler if they had added a digit or something when they made any changes to the cartons and on the internal packing certificates.

At least the end user could be certain of getting mated products in the identical cartons.

I am certain that if you had bought a mismatched pair, you might have gone back to the store and tried to exchange one for either the more durable older version, or the supposedly better, newer version.

This would also include the AR-2AX's, AR-3's, AR-3A's, AR-4X's, and others that had any driver or crossover changes in production, without any identity change, as we know know it.

We see the ocassional mismatched pair for sale on ebay.

This is also the same with some of the Dynaco classic speakers.

I had thought of re-doing the AR Chronolgical list but I gave up after I found it was going to be too much work and be too complex.

I am not well enough or knowledgeable enough to complete such a task myself anymore.

One example was, the AR-3A speaker system, there was the orginal Alnico woofer, changed later to at least two different woofer designs, front and rear wired tweeters, mid range changes and capacitor type changes.

I was going to try to gather serial number ranges, possibly dates as well, so the in that the chronolgical list there might be six different AR-3A's listed, rather than just lumping one.

It would be updated every few months or so as new information came in.

For the collector, that information would help find speaker mates with that little extra knowledge.

I lost contact with Jeff who was trying to update the list.

[Shacky]

I ave a pair of 2AX from '65 just like you as well as post '70 pair. I prefer the older model myself.

[dxho]

dynaco_dan said:

I had thought of re-doing the AR Chronolgical list but I gave up after I found it was going to be too much work and be too complex.

I just transferred the data to a Word file (and Corel Ventura, too, but I doubt anyone else could read it). I filled in a few blanks for the first models, though I'm sure there are corrections needed for different versions.

Here 'tis.

updated 12-20-2016. Much more complete now.

AR Speakers.doc

[dxho]

Bump for the update.