AR-3a Question

[Faintstar]

Hello all, this is my first post.
I picked these possible AR3(a)s recently and when I popped the grills off, I found a roughly 10-inch woofer with only 4 screws, so I'm fairly certain these are not original, but then again, I don't see any old holes. I was curious if these are simply cheap replacements as I haven't seen any images of other AR-3(a) speakers with these same woofers, any input would be appreciated.

 

[Dswankey]

Hello all, this is my first post.
I picked these possible AR3(a)s recently and when I popped the grills off, I found a roughly 10-inch woofer with only 4 screws, .... I was curious if these are simply cheap replacements

I can't comment on if they were cheap or not but definitely looks to be a replacement.

Sit tight as I'm sure some of the more AR knowledgeable will stop by and offer their assement.

Welcome to AK!!!

 

[StimpyWan]

Those look like AR woofers. Since they're a 10" woofer, they may have been from AR-5s. Regardless, the AR 12" woofer has a truncated frame, which makes the 12" driver easily identifiable.

 

[homebrew]

Those don't look like 3a's at all. More like AR-5's.

 

[Dswankey]

I think @homebrew might be on to something, the OP does mention "I picked these possible AR3(a)s"

 

[Dswankey]

@RxDx what say ye with regards to what speaker the OP actually has?

 

[Faintstar]

I believe you are correct @homebrew, thanks for the correction, I believe they are AR-5's I didn't know what I was getting but I got them for next to nothing so I figured I'd take the chance.

 

[homebrew]

AR-5's were a combination of the AR-2ax woofers and cabinets, and the AR3a mid-range and tweeter.

 

[Faintstar]

This is all good information, I’m hoping they’re original. I had no idea what they were as the badges were missing and only one had the paperwork stapled to the back. Looking forward to bringing them back to life.

 

[homebrew]

Good info for you here:

http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/acoustic_research/

 

[Dswankey]

Looking forward to bringing them back to life.

What is your level of expertise with regards to speaker repair?

I ask because the woofers will obviously need to be refoamed which in the hands of a novice can be a tricky thing.

You'll want to replace the 50+ years old capacitors and more the likely the pots will need to be assessed too.

 

[RxDx]

@RxDx what say ye with regards to what speaker the OP actually has?

Agree that they look like 5s. No other classic era 10" with the
dome midrange.

 

[gkimeng]

These are definitely 5s. They don't have the extra wide face frames that the 3 series speakers had.

 

[hornbostel]

The OPs speakers aremost certainly AR5’s. Here’s a pic of mine before restoration.

 

[Faintstar]

What is your level of expertise with regards to speaker repair?

I ask because the woofers will obviously need to be refoamed which in the hands of a novice can be a tricky thing.

You'll want to replace the 50+ years old capacitors and more the likely the pots will need to be assessed too.

I haven't repaired any speakers before, yet I have re-capped and refurbished my slightly later period Pioneer 980 receiver.
This will be my first go at speaker restoration. It seems I should test and verify all the electronics, replace the original Pots with L-Pads (this appears to be the go-to consensus) 3 of my pots are scratchy and one of them is wobbly and loose, so, although I'd rather simply swap them out instead of cleaning them up.

 

[larrybody]

AR 5's are almost everything AR3a's are, but remember they are 8 ohm speakers so AR3a tweeters and midranges wont work. Go over to Classic Speaker Pages and read the AR3a restoration guide, a lot of good information in there that will apply to your AR5's. Good Luck

 

[RxDx]

I haven't repaired any speakers before, yet I have re-capped and refurbished my slightly later period Pioneer 980 receiver.
This will be my first go at speaker restoration. It seems I should test and verify all the electronics, replace the original Pots with L-Pads (this appears to be the go-to consensus) 3 of my pots are scratchy and one of them is wobbly and loose, so, although I'd rather simply swap them out instead of cleaning them up.

L-pads was (were?) a go-to when there weren't suitable pot replacements.
search "acoustic research potentiometers" on ebay

 

[larrybody]

L-pads was (were?) a go-to when there weren't suitable pot replacements.
search "acoustic research potentiometers" on ebay

The Ohmite on the left are real expensive. The white ceramic Potentiometers are a perfect match and much more affordable. I highly recommend these.

 

[Bill S]

The Ohmite on the left are real expensive. The white ceramic Potentiometers are a perfect match and much more affordable. I highly recommend these.

Where are the white ones sourced??

 

[gkimeng]

Check the "for sale" section in classicspeakerpages.net. One of our member has them for half the price they're being sold for on eBay.
https://community.classicspeakerpages.net/topic/13225-potentiometers-for-ar/