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AR 18b

DCH

DCH

Well-Known Member
Hi all, I got my office setup together today with a pair of AR 18b bookshelf speakers that my uncle gave me because they were "totally destroyed, doubt they work." That apparently means "I didn't have one of them actually hooked up, and the foam surrounds are gone."

I re-foamed them with the Simply Speakers kit, which was shockingly easy and I appreciate not having to shim them, and boy do they sing.

Had them in the office so I could play around with the re-foaming when I was overwhelmed with staring at the computer, so I decided to bring in my Hitachi receiver that was just sitting on a shelf at home, and there seems to be some nice synergy here.

Anyways, just wanted to say these little bookshelf dealies are great. Shockingly good bass for such tiny speakers. Won't fill a whole office, which is probably good for my colleagues, but damn, I didn't know I could get such good sound out of cheap-as-free tiny boxes.

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Very nice simple speaker model - - wonderful tweeter, very good woofer, and the simplest crossover. If the highs seem diminished, replacing the 5uF cap will usually make some obvious improvement. That little receiver looks like a good match for the 18b.
 
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I have the AR-38b. They were my first speaker score and first high quality speaker. I got them at the goodwill for $40 almost like 10 years ago. Most of the gear I got when I first started I have sold. But I still have these speakers. I think they are amazing for their size, and quite rare. I have read this is the first 3 way speaker with an 8" woofer that AR ever built.

I have never found any information on pricing or what these are worth because they seem to be a little rare but I've never desired to sell mine. They have been used strictly as the fronts hooked up to a computer/media streaming system for the last few years.
 
mr.muddles said:
I have the AR-38b. They were my first speaker score and first high quality speaker. I got them at the goodwill for $40 almost like 10 years ago. Most of the gear I got when I first started I have sold. But I still have these speakers. I think they are amazing for their size, and quite rare. I have read this is the first 3 way speaker with an 8" woofer that AR ever built.

I have never found any information on pricing or what these are worth because they seem to be a little rare but I've never desired to sell mine. They have been used strictly as the fronts hooked up to a computer/media streaming system for the last few years.
Click to expand...
AR-38B 1984-85
"Bookshelf or floor-standing acoustic suspension 3-way system with drive
units in vertical array for precise stereo imaging. Features 200 mm (8")
acoustic suspension woofer; 100 mm (4") acoustic suspension midrange;
19 mm (3/4") liquid-cooled dome high range. FR 52-32.000 Hz +/-3 dB: imp
6 ohms: crossover 650 Hz and 3,500 Hz; sens 87 dB SPL/W/m; power
range up to 100 W $400/pr"

The AR-94 from 1980-82 was apparently the first (single) 8" woofer 3-way.

[apologies to OP for sidetrack]
 
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RxDx said:
AR-38B 1984-85
"Bookshelf or floor-standing acoustic suspension 3-way system with drive
units in vertical array for precise stereo imaging. Features 200 mm (8")
acoustic suspension woofer; 100 mm (4") acoustic suspension midrange;
19 mm (3/4") liquid-cooled dome high range. FR 52-32.000 Hz +/-3 dB: imp
6 ohms: crossover 650 Hz and 3,500 Hz; sens 87 dB SPL/W/m; power
range up to 100 W $400/pr"

The AR-94 from 1980-82 was apparently the first (single) 8" woofer 3-way.

[apologies to OP for sidetrack]
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. Their market value is what I am unsure of as they are hardly ever up for sale and nobody knows anything about them so they rarely sell for over $100 I don't think. I would say for someone looking for the right book shelf speaker they are worth up to $200 in mint condition but that really depends on what else is available to you I guess.
 
I have run a pair of AR-18B's for years at my work place, one of my favorite speakers in that size range and play much bigger than their size.
 
I have the original 18 and like them a lot. They have stood up very well to many modern, ported bookshelf speakers over the years including some fairly expensive ones. They have a logo like the speaker pictured in the center but under the grille at the serial number it says 18J.

My AR 58s pair have been in storage for awhile awaiting some repair work but I remember them as the sweetest sounding all purpose speakers short of the big Kefs in my collection.
 
TomBig58 said:
My AR 58s pair have been in storage for awhile awaiting some repair work but I remember them as the sweetest sounding all purpose speakers short of the big Kefs in my collection.
Click to expand...

I agree totally. My AR58S speakers have been my mains since I found them. I love the bass extension, and the midbass warmth. Very visceral. Plus, with the UMR dome and tweeter, very open and detailed. Worth a recap too. But, the stock Unicon electrolytics sounded better than expected.
 
My 58s still have the wrong tweeter, not even the recommended replacement. They are HiVi K1's and as I recall they were too bright for my liking. I sure would like to come across a pair of original 58s tweeters.
 
mr.muddles said:
I have the AR-38b. They were my first speaker score and first high quality speaker. I got them at the goodwill for $40 almost like 10 years ago. Most of the gear I got when I first started I have sold. But I still have these speakers. I think they are amazing for their size, and quite rare. I have read this is the first 3 way speaker with an 8" woofer that AR ever built.

I have never found any information on pricing or what these are worth because they seem to be a little rare but I've never desired to sell mine. They have been used strictly as the fronts hooked up to a computer/media streaming system for the last few years.
Click to expand...
Why was this brand defunct and died of sars ? These look so well built !!?
Lot of top brands are extinct, and need resssurexted like Altec.
Congratulations on your find .

Hope I get a pair someday when I get out of parents house . They’ve already think I have too many speakers .
 
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TomBig58 said:
My 58s still have the wrong tweeter, not even the recommended replacement. They are HiVi K1's and as I recall they were too bright for my liking. I sure would like to come across a pair of original 58s tweeters.
Click to expand...

The 58S shares the same tweeter as the AR9, AR90, AR91, AR92, AR915, and AR925. So, the tweeter is easy to find at auction. Just a bit expensive.
 
A pair of 20029-1's on the left and some 200043-0's on the right. They are the same tweeters, just different face plates. My 58S came with the 200043-0 version. Like StimpyWan says they both will work just fine.

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larrybody said:
A pair of 20029-1's on the left and some 200043-0's on the right. They are the same tweeters, just different face plates. My 58S came with the 200043-0 version. Like StimpyWan says they both will work just fine.
Click to expand...

Tweeters from AR38B, 48B, and 58B would work too, as long as you have the correct face plate. The 38B, 48B, and 58B attach the tweeter to a dual face plate, that contains the tweeter and midrange. Same tweeter and diaphragm, just a different mounting scheme. Much cheaper to buy a 48B tweeter than a AR9 or 90 tweeter as well.

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