Acoustic Research: AR-5 vs. AR-2ax vs. AR-12 vs. AR-48

[crunkarelli]

Well, I decided to go for it on the AR-2ax speakers for sale.
The speakers were in great condition (new pots, new grill cloth, refinished cabinet, refoamed woofers) but they have not been recapped.

I picked them up late last night so haven't done lots of listening on them yet. Initial impression is that they are a bit laid back and need the treble boosted to keep from sounding overly recessive. The mids and vocal spaciousness seem a bit better than my AR-38s but on the other hand they are less bright.

More to follow as I compare the two. I'll also do a side-by-side with my EPI 120Bs and Advent 4002s while I'm at it.

 

[Kenlr]

Ar ???

Can anyone tell me which AR has all the appearance and specs of an AR 18 except it has a slightly sloping front and the base is 1 1/2" longer front to back than the top. The top and the base seem to be 3/4" thick natural colored oak and the rest of the cabinet appear to be black fibreboard or whatever that material is that most cabinets are now. There is an AR logo on the grills and one inside next to the high frequency driver, which is surrounded by a soft acoustic absorbing material 1/2" thick. I got them real cheap, refoamed them and am tickled pink how good they sound but despite all the AR literature in my files, haven't been able to find a photo or description that matches them. There is no model identification anywhere on them.

I started with a Jensen JP 52 or JAP 60 not sure which back in the late 40s, upgraded to Jim Lansing speakers (D130, 175 DLH) back in the 50s but gave that up when AR developed the acoustic suspension design that gave good bass in a small enclosure. Started with AR2AXs, replaced them in 1969 with AR3As, added AR98LSs in the 80s and recently got some AR5s that looked like new but needed new foams that were easy to do. Also had some AR4Xs at one time before I knew about refoaming. When the foams disintegrated I junked the drivers and replaced them with something from Radio Shack and gave them away to someone who says they are the best sound ever heard.

My appraisal of the ARs---The 2AXs didn't sound as good to me as their reputation. Consumer Reports rated them very high. Dealers didn't like them because they were a lot cheaper than the big Electro Voice and Lansings that were more profitable, so they set the high frequency pots to max that made them shrill compared to the preferred speakers that they placed on the floor or in corners for more bass which, in those days, was how consumers judged speakers. Consumer Reports gave the 3As top billing and started a controversy with Bose when they wrote that the Bose 901s rear reflection system was very good but it was distracting to hear a solo violin wandering all over the room. The 3As sounded much better to me than the 2Axs.

I was a little disappointed with the 98LSs. I thought that the bass was cleaner than the 3As but the mids and highs seemed more harsh. The 98s were made without pots to adjust the high frequency level. I installed an L-pad in them to reduce the treble harshness which it did but even a slight reduction took the life out of the music. I finally removed the L-pads. I think that the 98s have the most musical sound and cleanest bass but on some music there is a harshness there that is distracting. A few years ago the 98s just didn't sound good anymore so I removed the grill to look at the drivers. The foam was tattered and torn. That's when I learned about refoaming which I did and they sounded like new.

The AR5s that I recently refoamed sound like the 3As but a little lighter bass which I like. In the used speaker market, I think that they are a great buy.

Getting back to my first paragraph. Who knows what model these speakers are?

 

[Nat]

I think you have one of the TSW series. Apparently the moniker stands for titanium solid wood, refering to the tweeter and the top and bottom panel. No wonder they have little cachet -- rather ugly, and a dumb name. But not bad sounding at all. My 610s came from the dump and are worth every penny.

 

[gkimeng]

Well, I decided to go for it on the AR-2ax speakers for sale. The speakers were in great condition (new pots, new grill cloth, refinished cabinet, refoamed woofers) but they have not been recapped.

Are the tweeters red or black? Early 2ax's had the same hard, red phenolic dome tweeter as the AR-3, later ones had an 8 ohm version of the 3a's 3/4" soft dome front wired, and the very last year's had a back-wired 3/4" dome. The first two versions used caps that may or may not need replacement, while the last version's caps will probably still be ok.

 

[veloceleste]

I was a little disappointed with the 98LSs. I thought that the bass was cleaner than the 3As but the mids and highs seemed more harsh. The 98s were made without pots to adjust the high frequency level. I installed an L-pad in them to reduce the treble harshness which it did but even a slight reduction took the life out of the music. I finally removed the L-pads. I think that the 98s have the most musical sound and cleanest bass but on some music there is a harshness there that is distracting. A few years ago the 98s just didn't sound good anymore so I removed the grill to look at the drivers. The foam was tattered and torn. That's when I learned about refoaming which I did and they sounded like new.

If you can, do the LSi mod to the 98LS. It will smooth out the midrange peak and make a significant improvement IMO. It is the addition of two resistors, one at the upper midrange and one at the lower midrange. I forget the values but if you search for the AR9LS threads it is in there because I did it to my 9LS's when I had them. You can put the resistors in-line at the drivers so you don't have to fool with the actual crossovers. If you don't like the, simply remove the resistors. The 98LS is basically a 3/4 AR9LS. It has a smaller cabinet and no 10" down firing woofer.

 

[Kenlr]

Thanks, I'll give that a try.