ADVENTAGIOUS Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I need a tweeter and a mid for my AS-103a's and wondering if AR5 drivers will work? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlspeak Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 The AR-5 is an 8 ohm speaker and thus the tweeters and mids wouldn't work in your 4 ohm speaker.You may want to consider an AR3a Super-Mod kit. I have provided one already for your speaker model.Others, I'm sure, will have ideas of their own. For example, the HiVi Qr1 tweeter with an added parallel coil has been identified as a good drop in replacement tweeter.The midrange is a quite different problem and less is known about what makes a good replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyC Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I need a tweeter and a mid for my AS-103a's and wondering if AR5 drivers will work? ThanksThe AR-5 tweeter will not work in the 3a or 103a. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynaco_dan Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 I need a tweeter and a mid for my AS-103a's and wondering if AR5 drivers will work? ThanksHi thereThe drivers I would suggest as a reliable replacement, if you can buy them on ebuy is, used drivers for the AR-3A or AR-LST, both 4 ohms.On rare occasion I have even seen AS103 and AS-103A drivers or even complete speakers on ebuy.Anything else will be a compromise.Subs will not sound the same or have the same dispersion characteristics.They maybe will even disappoint you.So much has been written here about suitable substitutes.Some mods require minor mods and others with more intense work.There is no concrete answer what will make you happy, the original drivers, old, and used but compatible in every way, may be your best solution, in my opinion.There is no equal newly manufactured drivers available.A thought just popped into my head.It maybe a fuse blown.Your speaker has a fuseholder, what is the size and condition of the fuse?Also of the other speaker.Is only the one speaker cabinet lacking a mid and high?I have not checked the schematic of the speaker and maybe the woofer is not fused, maybe only the mids and highs are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADVENTAGIOUS Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Your inputs/advice is most appreciated. According to the Heathkit manual that came with the speakers, the schematic shows the black (common) terminal (back of speaker box) being fused and all driver negative terminals connect via other components to that terminal. Only one of the speakers has the open tweeter (same box which has as afermarket mid installed) and the other speaker which has all original drivers has a tweeter not working (but which measures OK----disconnected from the screw terminals on the baffle). I suspect that there may be a pot issue on this speaker. I have another pair of AR3a's which are 90% restored so will break open the Heathkits when that project is complete. Again..thanks for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynaco_dan Posted September 9, 2011 Report Share Posted September 9, 2011 Your inputs/advice is most appreciated. According to the Heathkit manual that came with the speakers, the schematic shows the black (common) terminal (back of speaker box) being fused and all driver negative terminals connect via other components to that terminal. Only one of the speakers has the open tweeter (same box which has as afermarket mid installed) and the other speaker which has all original drivers has a tweeter not working (but which measures OK----disconnected from the screw terminals on the baffle). I suspect that there may be a pot issue on this speaker. I have another pair of AR3a's which are 90% restored so will break open the Heathkits when that project is complete. Again..thanks for all your help.Hi againIf either driver has a resistance of around 3 - 5 ohms it should be ok.I believe that the pots in early AS-103's were not the 25 watt Aetna-Pollock that we are accustomed to seeing in later classic AR speakers.The manual will show you a parts drawing/schetch of the pot you may have in your cabinets.The earliest pots were only about 4 1/2 watt rated and can burn out which will cause the signal to that driver to fail.To test the mids and tweeters one side of the driver must be disconnected and only the driver leads tested.If you try to test the entire connected speaker only the woofer will respond as it has no filter inline.What did you find with the fuses?If the wiring was not followed exactly then it is possible that the woofers are not in the fuse path.Or possibly they were modified afterwards.UPDATE 20110909 4:00 PMThe 4 1/2 watt pots may have only been used in the AS-2 speaker systems.Heath suggested with the AS-2 speaker systems that before inserting anything in the enclosure that all of the inside cabinet seams be glued.The supplier of their cabinets had just 45 degree mitered the joints and they were prone to air leaks.I do not remember if the AS-103 or AS-103A were miter locked or not.If they had miter locked the cabinets then it should not be necessary to add any glue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darrell Peart Posted September 10, 2011 Report Share Posted September 10, 2011 I do not remember if the AS-103 or AS-103A were miter locked or not.If they had miter locked the cabinets then it should not be necessary to add any glue.I have a pair of AS-103a's - they are miter-locked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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