AR-9's on the Bay and a Question or Two

[Retro Stereo]

Here are the Ar-9's:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3064783735&category=14993

Here's the questions directed to other AR-9 owners. I noticed the ones in the auction are missing the factory foam from around all the speakers, not the surround foam, but the dampening foam. Now here's the question; how important is that dampening foam? Also, the foam around mine is deteriorating, is there something out there to use as a replacement? If one of the woofer surrounds needs to be re-foamed, it looks like the dampening foam will be toast when I pull the woofer out.



Retro

 

[Toasted Almond]

WHAT are you talking about? Do you mean the gasket between the woofer frames and the speaker cabinet (as well as behind the mids and tweets)? If so, it is there to keep the cabinet airtight. You can use stuff available from Parts Express. It stays pliant and is kind of like caulk.

Toasted Almond

 

[Retro Stereo]

TA,
No, I'm talking about the foam that is on the out side of the all the speakers. It looks like it works as some kind of a baffle.


Retro

 

[bolly]

I've never seen a pair before but I could guess that those foam peices your talking about could be something as simple as a removable covers. Hides those nasty screw heads. You can see both tweeter and mid have what looks like pieces of velcro in the corners.

Greg.

 

[Retro Stereo]

Here are a couple of pics of mine, note the foam.

 

[Retro Stereo]

And the mid and tweet.

 

[Retro Stereo]

That is the foam I am referring to. Does it serve an acoustic function or just an aesthetic prop? Notice none of that foam is on the speakers that are on eBay right now.



Retro

 

[Toasted Almond]

Ooooh. THAT stuff. It serves two purposes. It serves as a non-reflective surface to aid in imaging. It also serves to prevent people from seeing through the grille cloth, and seeing the silver or metallic colored frame around all the speakers. Yes, once you want to, or need to replace one of the drivers, the stuff is rendered useless.

I DOUBT it really makes much of a diff with the imaging, and as far as "seeing" the individual drivers through the grille cloth, you can always paint the basket frames black.

Toasted Almond

 

[Retro Stereo]

Paint the basket frames black! Hey TA, great idea, I'll keep that in mind. There is one woofer that needs a re-foam, so I'm afraid that black spray paint will have to get tapped. I suppose the rest of that foam will fly off when I get the woofer fixed and take these bad boys for an ELP test drive. Heh, Heh.



Retro

 

[Toasted Almond]

To tell you the truth, after I had the woofs and mids re-foamed, I left everything silver. If somebody doesn't like that they can see my driver frames through the grille cloth on my 9's, they can go home and listen to what they've got, and not see what they've got. Matters not to me.

I think the Acoustic Blanket does such a fantastic job of keeping the waves from bouncing off the front baffle, that the tiny piece around the baskets doesn't mean much.

I'm not sure I'd use spray paint. Small brush and some flat black would take about ten minutes, if that.

Toasted Almond

 

[bolly]

You guys do the surrounds yourselves? :scratch2:

 

[Yamaha B-2]

To tell you the truth, after I had the woofs and mids re-foamed, I left everything silver. If somebody doesn't like that they can see my driver frames through the grille cloth on my 9's, they can go home and listen to what they've got, and not see what they've got. Matters not to me.

I think the Acoustic Blanket does such a fantastic job of keeping the waves from bouncing off the front baffle, that the tiny piece around the baskets doesn't mean much.

I'm not sure I'd use spray paint. Small brush and some flat black would take about ten minutes, if that.

Toasted Almond

I'll vouch for the great look, and especially the great sound, of TA's AR-9s. If I don't like what I hear with my NS-1000Ms I may have to find me a set of these. I was most impressed. Sorry TA, but I think they sound even better than your Amazing set-up (maybe I'm not a 'he-man').

BTW - Does anyone have a copy of the original owner's manual or a link to same? Due to their rather unique design and ability to be set along the front wall (side firing woofers) I am sure that they must have quite a bit of info on proper set-up, which would be interesting to read.

 

[bolly]

any AR9 info is good info!

I think Retro managed to D/L a 53 page file, I can't seem to find it though. I'll google again.

 

[gonzothegreat]

The auction link is broken. Sounds like somebody made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

 

[gyusher]

Damping Ring / Dispersion Ring

It depends on you. . . Some folks remove the stuff while some like it to tame a bright tweeter (L100) Personally I can not tell any difference with or without it. . .

Supposed to make your drivers smoother. . . and as George said an aid for imaging. . . So I am told. . .

 

[bolly]

AR9 info?

no luck with google.