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AR-4 Going Ballistic on Ebay

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It's not only in audio that serial numbers bring high prices...but I've never understood why.

Do they have the same appeal as a numbers-matching car?
 
Boy, these old AR are so ugly.
I understand they should be never seen without grills, but still.

In this respect OLA and KHL are beauty queens.

I had AR-2Ax once and I sold them instantly because of ugliness, I just cannot look at them.
And their tweeter wires were exposed outside (not protected) and so thin and fragile, that could break any minute.
 
Wow, I've had a pair out in the garage for a few years waiting for a rework. I didn't know that they commanded that kind of price on the 'Bay . . .
 
Nolasally is right. When you see fronts and backs made of real wood then you know they are the older, more collectible models.
 
EVBoy said:
Nolasally is right. When you see fronts and backs made of real wood then you know they are the older, more collectible models.
Click to expand...

The AR4 sounds quite a bit nicer than the 4x.
I believe there is an overseas following for this speaker and other ARs deemed desirable, perhaps a reaction to the desirablity of JBL overseas and the easier relative $accessibility$ of the vintage AR models.
 
Grabbed a pair of AR 4's on the cheap along with some AR 3's. Glad to hear the 4's might sound better than the 4X. I'll try to fire them up tonight to see how they sound. The cabinets are nearly perfect...grill covers pretty much shot, but frames are in good shape. Drivers are original and appear to be in good shape too. I'm hoping the tone controls work, but that might be asking too much...:idea:
 
I was following a pair of "sold as is" working AR3's on ebay yesterday. They sold for $1976.00. That was a bit shocking to me. It appears that I got very lucky finding a pair of these for very little money. Got lucky with the AR4's too. After cleaning the pots I was able to get the tweeters to operate. The 4's sound really good, but I'm afraid to crank them up too much at this point. I will buy some appropriate fabric, recover them and call it a day on the 4's. I am missing one of the badges...I'll hunt around a bit for that.

Now on to the 3's...I'd like to see what all the fuss is if they are really that good.
 
I'll have to look. I had them on "watch" and bidding ended around 10 pm eastern last night. The winning bid was listed at 1976.00.
 
Based on what I'm seeing on ebay, the AR3's seem more highly regarded / collectable than the 3a's. I'm hoping to get my pair up to speed so I can see what the interest is.

It seems to be the same story with the AR4's seeming more highly regarded / collectable than the 4x or 4xa's. I can only vouch that the 4's sound very nice for a smallish speaker. I haven't heard the 4x or 4xa's.
 
ymarko said:
Boy, these old AR are so ugly.
I understand they should be never seen without grills, but still.

In this respect OLA and KHL are beauty queens.

I had AR-2Ax once and I sold them instantly because of ugliness, I just cannot look at them.
And their tweeter wires were exposed outside (not protected) and so thin and fragile, that could break any minute.
Click to expand...

Covers attached using big globs of glue...I guess Velcro wasn't around then or they just didn't want folks to take the covers off. I have to say, they are pretty ugly. They make my KLH sixes look attractive...lol. With that said...it's not a beauty contest and I'm looking forward to some good sounds coming from my 3's eventually.
 
I am having trouble with my AR 4X speaker. Can't get the tweeter to work properly on one...no sound.

While looking into the reason why, I stumbled on the fact the the tweeter will operate when I put gentle pressure with two fingers on the outer rim. Does this indicate a bad seal?. I'd appreciate any advice.
 
Why do you think these ARs are all going for so much money while the Dynaco a25s value seems stuck at around $200? Sound quality is comparable and Dynacos are arguably prettier.

If I had a pair of ARs, I'd sell them and buy 10 pair of Dynacos.
 
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