Factory AR-2 floor model?

[Tom H.]

I saw this AR-2a pop up on Ebay recently. I've never seen any 2, 3 or 4 classic series with the floor model option. Has anyone else? It looks like it might be original.

(Scroll down to see ended auction. I don't know if you need to be signed on our not.)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Acoustic-Research-AR-2a-Speaker-Floor-model-Blonde-Finish-RARE-/280976140641?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&nma=true&si=aorEjqkt1f%2FiRAt4rtiNbGdgNp8%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[ironlake]

If you look real close you can see the floor mtg was custom built as the speaker fits into the base very nicely. This is really cool. If I wasn;t such a perfectionist original ar person I would have my woodmaker friend make a pair for my 3as.

[genek]

This was definitely not a factory model. The 2a still had the crossfired drivers and was therefore only intended by its designers to be used horizontally, and there is no way AR would have made a floor model and left one of the side faces pine.

[tysontom]

If you look real close you can see the floor mtg was custom built as the speaker fits into the base very nicely. This is really cool. If I wasn;t such a perfectionist original ar person I would have my woodmaker friend make a pair for my 3as.

This was definitely not a factory model. The 2a still had the crossfired drivers and was therefore only intended by its designers to be used horizontally, and there is no way AR would have made a floor model and left one of the side faces pine.

This early 60s AR-2a (probably 1962 or 1963) is definitely not a factory model as you guys point out: 1) it allows the woofer to get too close to the floor (the woofer should technically never be much closer than one foot off the floor)—thus causing the low-frequency balance to be on the heavy or "boomy" side; 2) the finish of the base is something like fruitwood or maple that is similar, but not the same as the speaker, which is Ponderosa Pine that has been sealed and varnished and 3) the two 5-inch midrange units are designed for maximum horizontal dispersion, and thus the cabinet was optimized for horizontal or shelf mounting—thus also the unfinished side of the cabinet (in this case all sides were delivered "unfinished").

—Tom Tyson

[quebecois59]

I wonder if there is an optimal design in speaker stands or are all designs correct as long as the speaker stands at least one foot from the floor? Is it better if the speaker is a bit tilted on its back?

[genek]

For classic era ARs with dome tweeters, height off the floor is mostly dictated by the woofer and tilt is usually unnecessary. For newer speakers with more directional tweeters, the optimum height or tilt is whatever places the axis of the tweeters in line with listeners' ears.

[quebecois59]

For classic era ARs with dome tweeters, height off the floor is mostly dictated by the woofer and tilt is usually unnecessary. For newer speakers with more directional tweeters, the optimum height or tilt is whatever places the axis of the tweeters in line with listeners' ears.

All right, thanks! I'll probably make my own, actually I'll need only one stand, because the other speaker will be put on a wall-mounted shelf at 4 feet high.