FS: Acoustic Research AR-3a speakers

[XP-15B]

I am selling my beloved pair of Acoustic Research AR-3a speakers that I have owned and loved for years. The woofers had new foam professionally installed by Sound Scape around four or five years ago. The level control pots were replaced with rebuilt, correct vintage units six months ago purchased from VintageAR. These speakers are operating perfectly. One of the midrange units is original, the other is one of the later, replacement mid units with the wires that come out of the rear. The cabinets have some dings and scratches. The grilles and badges look nice. Cosmetically, these are a 5 out of 10, but they sound smooth as satin...no buzzes, hums, rattles, etc. They play pristine and quiet. Here's the deal, though. I didn't like the original tweeters, so I replaced them with a pair of SEAS Excell units just like the ones found in the Harbeth Monitor 30. Trust me; this is a significant upgrade in refinement and silkiness. I do not have the original tweeters. I chose to replace the original tweeters because they did not sound as sophisticated as the Excell units, which are exceptionally smooth and even handed. They measure as close to flat as any tweeter I've ever seen. I will sell the speakers without tweeters for $325 or best offer. These particular SEAS tweeters sell for over $100 each. I'll sell the speakers with tweeters for $425. Please email me at gentletuesday@live.com if you are interested. I'm located in the San Francisco bay area, but I am also willing to ship. Thanks!

[JKent]

Interesting mod. Is it the SEAS Excel T25CF-001? Did you modify the crossover to suit the new tweeter? This could be a good discussion topic in the "mods" section of this forum. Many of us here have replaced the 3a tweeter with Hi-Vi Q1R tweeters, but Harbeth touts the off-axis dispersion of its tweeter; exactly the quality many like in the AR tweets.

Kent

[XP-15B]

Interesting mod. Is it the SEAS Excel T25CF-001? Did you modify the crossover to suit the new tweeter? This could be a good discussion topic in the "mods" section of this forum. Many of us here have replaced the 3a tweeter with Hi-Vi Q1R tweeters, but Harbeth touts the off-axis dispersion of its tweeter; exactly the quality many like in the AR tweets.

Kent

Yes, that is the exact tweeter I used. If you want to start a thread discussing this mod, I'd be happy to participate. This tweeter has incredibly impressive specifications, but aside from that...it sounds fabulous; smooth, airy, and accurate. Understand also that I had a fully functional pair of original AR-3a tweeters in these speakers when I bought them. I didn't mod the tweeter out of necessity due to blown units or otherwise. It was a carefully planned, carefully researched decision and the result of hours of listening tests. The original tweeters are not horrible, but they lack tonal accuracy; they can sound a bit synthetic and subtly nasty at times. The SEAS Excel unit takes the AR-3a into an entirely new dimension of performance. To improve matters, this is a drop-in replacement! It fits perfectly in the hole, requires no cutting or modification other than screw holes, and it's completely unnecessary to modify the crossover. In more-or-less the flat position, the T25CF-001 integrates perfectly seamlessly with regard to overall balance and the sonic character of the rest of the system.

[DON]

Yes, that is the exact tweeter I used. If you want to start a thread discussing this mod, I'd be happy to participate. This tweeter has incredibly impressive specifications, but aside from that...it sounds fabulous; smooth, airy, and accurate. Understand also that I had a fully functional pair of original AR-3a tweeters in these speakers when I bought them. I didn't mod the tweeter out of necessity due to blown units or otherwise. It was a carefully planned, carefully researched decision and the result of hours of listening tests. The original tweeters are not horrible, but they lack tonal accuracy; they can sound a bit synthetic and subtly nasty at times. The SEAS Excel unit takes the AR-3a into an entirely new dimension of performance. To improve matters, this is a drop-in replacement! It fits perfectly in the hole, requires no cutting or modification other than screw holes, and it's completely unnecessary to modify the crossover. In more-or-less the flat position, the T25CF-001 integrates perfectly seamlessly with regard to overall balance and the sonic character of the rest of the system.

Do you have photos that you could post?