AR-2AX

[ssmith3046]

I just took delivery on the most beautiful and original pair of AR speakers I have bought since I started collecting them. They are AR-2ax's complete with AR stands sold by the son of the original owners who are both deceased. They sat in the same house on those stands since they were new and they still look and sound new. The woofers were refoamed and that has been it. I'm thrilled. Just to clarify something for me because I'm not sure. What were the years of production for the AR-2ax's? Thanks.

[genek]

1969-1976

[ssmith3046]

The inspection tags on the backs of the speakers are unlike my older AR speakers so I guess these were made toward the end of production. They certainly are a pleasure to listen to.

[genek]

The inspection tags on the backs of the speakers are unlike my older AR speakers so I guess these were made toward the end of production. They certainly are a pleasure to listen to.

The telltale indications of an end-of-modelrun 2ax are foam surrounds, back-wired tweeters and grills held in place by velcro patches.

[ssmith3046]

The telltale indications of an end-of-modelrun 2ax are foam surrounds, back-wired tweeters and grills held in place by velcro patches.

OK, thanks. That would put these at the end of production. It's interesting that the cabinets were still oiled mahogany. I have a pair of AR-8's that are older but have the vinyl cabinets. I know that the 8's aren't very highly regarded in the AR community and that's the reason I bought them. I felt sorry for them!

[Steve F]

Slight correction to the manufacturing dates of the 2ax:

As has been chronicled in excruciating detail on these pages before, there were two 2ax series:

The first--1964-70, used a cloth surround 10" woofer, 3 1/2" mid, and the orange-colored 1 3/8" 'fried-egg' dome tweeter, like in the AR-3. X-o's were 2000 and 7500Hz. 'AR' square logo, and brass 'a' logo in other corner.

The 'new' 2ax was mfgr'd from 1970-76. 10" foam-surround woof (same as 5 and LST-2), 3 1/2" mid, 3/4" black hard-dome tweeter, same as 5 and LST-2. X-o's 1400 and 5000Hz. 'AR-2ax' red-lettered logo on brass field.

Later ones were back-wired and had velcro'd grilles, as Gene says. The very last ones may have had vinyl cabs, but the great majority were wood, mostly oiled walnut.

Steve F.

[genek]

The 'new' 2ax was mfgr'd from 1970-76. 10" foam-surround woof (same as 5 and LST-2), 3 1/2" mid, 3/4" black hard-dome tweeter, same as 5 and LST-2. X-o's 1400 and 5000Hz. 'AR-2ax' red-lettered logo on brass field.

Later ones were back-wired and had velcro'd grilles, as Gene says. The very last ones may have had vinyl cabs, but the great majority were wood, mostly oiled walnut.

I assumed that this series was the one the OP was asking about because he said his pair had been refoamed.

If this series started production in 1970 rather than 1969 as the history chart in the library says, I guess we need to correct that.

[Steve F]

I assumed that this series was the one the OP was asking about because he said his pair had been refoamed.

If this series started production in 1970 rather than 1969 as the history chart in the library says, I guess we need to correct that.

When did the first 'new' ones actually roll off the line? Who knows? I base my 1970 date on Larry Zide's review which starts with the line, "1970 brings us a new AR-2ax and I am nuts about it!"

That's 1970 to me. Did the first dealer shipments occur in late '69? Could be. TT may have production records.

Steve F.

[genek]

When did the first 'new' ones actually roll off the line? Who knows? I base my 1970 date on Larry Zide's review which starts with the line, "1970 brings us a new AR-2ax and I am nuts about it!"

That's 1970 to me. Did the first dealer shipments occur in late '69? Could be. TT may have production records.

Could be. OTOH, when I bought my 2ax's in late 1975, the dealer had marked them down because he was making space for his first delivery of ADD series speakers, which the timeline says started in 1977.

[Steve F]

Could be. OTOH, when I bought my 2ax's in late 1975, the dealer had marked them down because he was making space for his first delivery of ADD series speakers, which the timeline says started in 1977.

The timeline is wrong about the ADD's. The 10 Pi/11/MST were intro'd in Mar '75. The 12, 14, and 16 were '76. I remember those distinctly because they were intro'd during my senior year of college, which was '76 and I remember the 11 and 3a being demo'd side-by-side at a Boston-area hi-fi show in the spring of '76.

I also remember visiting a store in Harvard Square in the summer of '76 with my then-girlfriend and hearing the 14 absolutely wipe out the Large Advent.

Also, see in the Library "AR Letters to Steve F" an Aug '75 letter where I ask about the 10Pi, 11, 3a, etc.

Steve F.