alkermes Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 I was wondering if the recommendation for replacement of corroded pots for the 2ax is the 8-ohm l-pad with a 25 ohm resistor. I'm working on the earlier model, with the woofers with the cloth surrounds. I've seen various solutions mentioned, and it is possible that the thinking of what is the best replacement strategy may have shifted, so I thought I would ask the experts here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlspeak Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 You can pay a fortune for Ohmite 15 ohm rheostats, or go with the prevailing recommendation of an inexpensive 8 ohm L-Pad with parallel 25 ohm resistor that will accomplish the same result. The AR3a restoration document goes into detail about the available options to replace the vintage AP pots. The recommendations are independent of the vintage of the AR speaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidhead Posted March 10, 2017 Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 Hey Al, The only thing you don't want to do is bypass the pot, other options of lpads are out there for these pesky little controls. I assume you have tried to rehab the old ones and are pitted/degraded beyond being able to reuse. I have been known to buy a trashed set of ARs just for the pots if the price is right. It is often a gamble but I like rolling the dice! Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkermes Posted March 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2017 Thanks for confirming the L-pads, I will go ahead with them and the paralleled resistor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ra.ra Posted March 11, 2017 Report Share Posted March 11, 2017 One other thing......beware the 1" shaft version will be longer than desired. Shaft length of 3/8" much preferred. Pic attached from RoyC or JKent shows installation. http://www.parts-express.com/speaker-l-pad-attenuator-15w-mono-3-8-shaft-8-ohm--260-248 http://www.parts-express.com/speaker-l-pad-attenuator-15w-mono-1-shaft-8-ohm--260-250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkermes Posted March 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2017 10 hours ago, ra.ra said: One other thing......beware the 1" shaft version will be longer than desired. Shaft length of 3/8" much preferred. Pic attached from RoyC or JKent shows installation. Thanks for the tip! I remember seeing those photos once upon a time, back when I restored a set of 4x's. A visual aid helps a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkermes Posted March 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 One more question. I recall RoyC recommended not using a resistor on the l-pads for the tweeters in the 3a. Would that apply for the 2ax tweeters as well? I just finished recapping the first speaker, and the tweeter output does seem pretty low. However, that may be because of location of the only spot on the pot where I could get a signal to the tweeter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 credit where credit is due: That's Roy's photo, I just use it a lot Roy's advice to me was to only use the resistor on the mid. Those old tweeters are getting tired and their output is diminished. As an aside--I don't regret putting the Hi-Vi tweets in my 3a's. Modern design, ferrofluid protection and they can be turned down as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkermes Posted March 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 The 2ax's are coming along nicely. I finished one and am listening to the pair now. The speaker with the new caps and l-pads is definitely clearer in the mid to upper frequencies. For the crossover/l-pad rebuild I decided to solder wire extensions to the new components and tied them together to the old wires with wire nuts. The insides now look like the wiring inside a vintage British motor car (with apologies to our UK friends). It would be nice to put some knobs on the l-pads, I did some searching and didn't find any recommendations. Anyone have anything they like to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKent Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 I have some original Daka-Ware knobs that are identical to those used on the AR-3a and 5. Send me a PM if interested. -Kent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alkermes Posted April 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2021 It only took me 4 years to get the second speaker, but I finally finished them both. They sound pretty good, the recap seems to have perked them up a bit. I used pots as in the photo ra.ra posted above, but with the resistor only on the pots for the mids. One of the tweeters does not put out quite as much volume as the other. I see there are now new tweeter replacements being offered on eBay for many AR speakers originating from that hub of AR speaker knowledge and wisdom, the greater Albany NY area. My 2ax's have the earlier tweeter version. I'm thinking about buying the drop-ins, I assume they have the full imprimatur of the classic speaker buff here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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