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How Long Have You Owned AR Speakers?


frankmarsi

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About ten years here. Started with a pair of Heathkit versions of the 3a. I fell in love with the bass and dove head first into the AR speaker cult...:)....with head shaman Roy as my guide. The kindness and generosity he shared is above measure.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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My first AR speakers, a pair of late '50's AR-2,  were acquired in 1972 when I was a sophomore in high school.

I have since had at least one pair of AR in the stable, usually many more, although now I'm down to one pair of AR-2X, one pair of AR-2ax and one pair of AR-3a. All of my AR's were first gen speaks.

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  • 5 months later...

I bought my AR11's new in the spring of 1977, I believe. I've replaced all the drivers and the foam grille once, about 20 years later with all original AR replacements. I have the S1 stands. I haven't listened to them in about 10 -12 years as I need to re-foam the woofers again. I plan to do that soon. i'm very anxious to listen to them again! They've always sounded fantastic.

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I got my first pair of AR3a in the early 1970's, following KLH 17, 6, 5, and 12.  Today I have one pair of 3a in the living room,  another pair in storage. 

Additionally,  I have AR90s in the master bedroom, 2ax in a guest bedroom,  plus 92s in storage (mainly as parts backups for the AR90s).

All the ARs have been recapped and, as necessary, fitted with new surrounds. The 3as sport AR replacement tweeters intended for AR11s with minor crossover modification to suit. 

My AR90s and AR3as are both powered by Carver M1.5t power amplifiers (I shop for broken ones and fix and test them, always keeping a spare).

The only speakers I still consider adding are some Quad electrostatic speakers as, to me, their "sweet spot" listening can't be beat.   They are tough to accommodate in my mid-century-modern home/furnishing arrangement so they may never join us here. 

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I have owned AR speakers continuously since 1958.  I still have my original AR 2 from my first good Hi Fi system.  When I went stereo a year or so later I paired it with a AR 2a.  I still use this pair regularly in my exercise room.  Nothing has ever been done to them.

I do have more modern AR speakers.  I have a pair of AR 5 and a pair of AR 98LS.  The 5s have been refoamed and have replacement tweeters.  The 98LS have been refoamed.

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Holy bat guano Robin!    drumplexyou may be a senior member in terms of ownership, and that's terrific.  What I'm implying is that if you care to, you could start a thread describing when, the how's, and the why's and also include your listener perceptions about each change. Speaking for myself, I've been a dedicated AR fan/listener for many years also. I made only a single change over from 3a's to LST's and unless I make a complete upheaval of the entire set-p as I presently have it,  I'm pretty much settled-in.  If  I would make changes,  it'll require bags of money and I'd enter the bigger leagues of high priced stereo ownership and cast aside the vintage stereo hobby shackles to enjoy the loftier plains of 'High-End' audio.

I've purchased 3a's 1972 but, lately, I'm thinking it may have been actually sometime in 1971, small matter. I still have the first 3a's however, I don't use them presently due to a pressing matter called LST- itis. Though the aliment didn't stop me from buying two more pairs of 3a's. The frenzy continued afterwards when I purchased another pair of LST's in 2008 and a pair of AR-9's in 2014. Though I did buy a good looking pair of 4ax's in 2007,  I haven't listened to them, I bought them out pure AR speaker gluttony. That model was my first 'hearing' of AR speakers back in the early 1960's, and my introduction to  a 'better'  sound quality. In a fit gluttonous rage, I just had to have them. 

Audio doctors said I also have a case of 'The Old Lady in the Shoe'  syndrome because I have so many AR speakers, I just don't know what to do. I said to him; "That's preposterous!"  "I demand a second  opinion". He slowly turned to me and said; "O.K., you're ugly too"

Yes, I like the 9's and the 3a's (how could I not?) but,  I'm most enthralled with the LST's, who wouldn't be?

One doesn't know what it's like until they are set-up properly and in turn, flooded with high-power, a highly resolving front-end, quality MC cartridges and of course 'ultrasonic' cleaned vinyl.

In my long-term experience of being an avid AR speaker person, when the LST's first came out in 1972 anybody who's somebody in their heart, knew they desperately wanted a pair, there was no denying that fact back then and now for any true 'AR-phile'. Back then, $1,200. for a pair was not in the make up of'John Q. public.  I certainly didn't have the wherewithal as I was only able to dream and fantasize until one day, they appeared and I made the deal to end all deals. For me,, as the expression goes; you'll have to pry them from my cold dead hands. They've been with me since '87 had to place them in temporary storage until 1989 and they'll be with me forevermore. Unless, unless, I fall into the desire of modern high-end and abandon the world of 'vintage'.

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How long have you owned AR speakers? About 26 hours.

I just bought a pair of AR-2ax speakers from the son of the original purchaser. I think it is $80 well spent. They are the early version with the cloth surrounds.

How do they sound? They sound terrible! After I clean up the pots and recap them, I will have a more informed impression, though. ?

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Hmmm. My first set were AR2xs for my second system in 1967 sold them in 1968. Next system AR2axs still have them, now along with 2 sets of AR3as another set of newer style AR2axs and a set of AR7s. And many more of other brands and not enough room to set all of them up-damn it-lol.

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Before anybody razes me, I realize that I have not been on here in forever and a moon.  Well, life happens: move, divorce, etc.  Anyway, I have owned AR9's for 15 years and a a pair of AR90's about the same length.  Just recently biamped my 9's with a Crown XLS2502 on the lower cabinet and my Sunfire receiver for the upper cabinet.  It is wonderful.  I will never part with my 9's.

System: Vizio 70" 3D LCD, Teac V900X cassette deck, Carver TX-11 tuner, Marantz TT42 turntable, Sunfire Ultimate Receiver, Crown XLS2502, Teledyne AR9, Polk LSiM706C center, Axiom QS8 surrounds, MB Quart QL A50 Balcony rear surrounds, Sony DVP-CX995V 400 DVD changer, Technics SL-MC7 110 CD changer, Denon DMD-1300 Minidisc, Monster Power HTS 5000 MKII AC power distribution.

 

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Hello, I met the Acoustic Research speakers late, about 10 years ago .. it was love at first sight, to this day I have:
AR LST, AR2, AR2a, Heathkit AS-2a, AR2ax, AR3a, AR3a improved, AR4x, AR4xa, AR6, AR7, AR10PII Replica, AR18EJ, AR48S, AR1-MS
Unable to buy the AR1 model (not even as AR1w), I'm waiting for my last 2 AR speaker pairs from my senior uncle: AR3 and AR4x, if I remember correctly bought new in the second half of the '60s in Singapore (my uncle was official on ships) and maintained in almost perfect aesthetic and operating conditions to date!
I hope then to conclude my collection with these speakers !!
Good listening to everyone,

Giorgio

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  • 1 month later...

Hello,

l bought a pair of AR-17’s new when I was in high school (1978) and still have them. I re-foamed them in the early 2000’s. They’re in good shape with just a few scratches and still sound excellent.

About 2002 I acquired a set of AR-11’s that had been restored by a collector in Ottawa. He had the work professionally done: woofers re-foamed, cross overs re-capped (with measurements to show they were still at stock specs), new dark brown grill cloth and refinished with tung oil. Those are my main listening speakers. 

Cheers

Murray 

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Hi guys, i own AR speakers since 3 years now. My first set was a pair of AR4xa's,i got these for free. one with a damaged cabinet and one with a broken tweeter. Since i was a poor student at that time.. i've put in some work to have good speakers for little money. I refoamed both woofers,replaced the caps and the broken tweeter with a original one and repaired the damaged cabinet. After that i was hooked. Now i own a set of AR5's that replaced the 4xa's in my main system. I have a set of Red Box II in my second system and a set of AR18's in my garage system. The 4xa's are in storage, never going to part with them as they are the reason i got into AR. 

I am lurking for a set of AR90's though.... :)

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I had a pair of (used) AR-4x's for three years, from 1972 - 1975, back when I was in college.  I've been "AR-less" until I bought the AR-2ax's I have last year.  Now I also own AR5's.  Where does it end???  ;)

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