• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

How did AR's top dogs stack up?

winters860

winters860

Super Member
The AR-3, AR-3a and AR-9 get brought up a lot because they were impressive speakers that sold a lot of units. However, there were A LOT of top dog speakers made at AR over nearly thirty years that shared a common family resemblance - a version of their 12" woofer with dome mids and tweeters. Most of the models were straightforward 3-way designs, though a few were more complex.

What are your impressions of these models? How do they stack up against each other? Did you prefer their less glamorous 10" cousins with similar mid and high arrangements?

EDIT: I've added a few worthy post-Teledyne speakers to the list.

AR 12" designs with dome mids and tweeters
AR-3 (1957-1969)
AR-3a / AR-3a Improved (1967-1976)
AR-LST (1972-1976)
AR-π/One (1974-1975, obscure UK model)
AR-11 (1977-1979)
AR-10π (1977-1979)
AR-9 (1978-1982)
AR-91 / AR-915 (1979-1982)
AR-58S (1981-1983)
AR-9LS / AR-9LSi (1982-1985)
AR-98LS / AR-98LSi (1982-1985)
AR-78LS (1982-1983)
AR-3a Limited (1989-1991, Hong Kong reissue of AR-3a using Tonegen replacement drivers)
AR-303 / AR-303a (1995-1998)

AR 10" designs with dome mids and tweeters
AR-5 / AR-5 Improved (1969-1976)
AR-LSTII (1974-1975)
AR-90 (1979-1982)
AR-92 / AR-925 (1979-1982)
AR-302 / AR-302a (1995-1998)
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
Of all the models on your list I would choose the AR-LST every time. I find them the most balanced and can be articulate at low volume as well as high volume. I've A-B virtually every speaker on your list with the LST and haven't been dissappointed with them yet. Side note: none of the x-overs have been tweaked with modern "expensive" CAPs. I replaced only those that required replacing due to age/malfunction etc. with standard caps. I do not have the AR-303 as they fall out of my collection time frame...maybe some day I'll find a pair.
 
ARguy said:
Of all the models on your list I would choose the AR-LST every time. I find them the most balanced and can be articulate at low volume as well as high volume. I've A-B virtually every speaker on your list with the LST and haven't been dissappointed with them yet. Side note: none of the x-overs have been tweaked with modern "expensive" CAPs. I replaced only those that required replacing due to age/malfunction etc. with standard caps. I do not have the AR-303 as they fall out of my collection time frame...maybe some day I'll find a pair.
Click to expand...

It's cool that you've had a chance to check out so many of these.

If you would, I'd love to hear how you thought the others shook out. You particularly don't read much about the Teledyne ARs after the AR-9 line, and I'd really love to hear more about how they stood up to the better-known models. Maybe someday I'll have a pair of LST, but they aren't exactly growing on trees around here. :D
 
I have had AR3, AR94, AR93, AR90 and heard AR9's several times. All good speakers but all ultimately went down the road. Nothing wrong with AR they just never did it for me. I was depressed the AR9/90's did not blow me out of the water liked I hoped they would. My AR90's were beautiful and very good, great bottom end but the mids were just OK and the top end was never my cup-o-tea.

389536732_jPCrv-L.jpg
 
kfa888 said:
I have had AR3, AR94, AR93, AR90 and heard AR9's several times. All good speakers but all ultimately went down the road. Nothing wrong with AR they just never did it for me. I was depressed the AR9/90's did not blow me out of the water liked I hoped they would. My AR90's were beautiful and very good, great bottom end but the mids were just OK and the top end was never my cup-o-tea.

389536732_jPCrv-L.jpg
Click to expand...

I'd be really interested to know whether you ran your 9's biamped or not. And a little more detail about what you did'nt like about the mids and HF? The reason I ask is because I'm hot on the trail of a pair that needs some TLC. I heard a pair a couple years ago at another AK'rs house and I thought that I liked them but then again I was'nt concentrating real hard.:beer:
 
I love the 9 and 90. However if I found a pair of LST, I would not hesitate to grab them. I heard a pair that had been restored and I was absolutely impressed. For their size you can't beat the sound.
 
bigstereo said:
I'd be really interested to know whether you ran your 9's biamped or not. And a little more detail about what you did'nt like about the mids and HF? The reason I ask is because I'm hot on the trail of a pair that needs some TLC. I heard a pair a couple years ago at another AK'rs house and I thought that I liked them but then again I was'nt concentrating real hard.:beer:
Click to expand...

These are an easy re-sale if you don't like them.

Too bad you weren't closer- I'd say let's spend a day together refurbishing my 9LSIs and your 90s.

In all honesty, I wish they made a smaller 9LSI, like a 90LSI- I think the 9LSIs are going to be too much for my humble room.
 
bigstereo said:
I'd be really interested to know whether you ran your 9's biamped or not. And a little more detail about what you did'nt like about the mids and HF? The reason I ask is because I'm hot on the trail of a pair that needs some TLC. I heard a pair a couple years ago at another AK'rs house and I thought that I liked them but then again I was'nt concentrating real hard.:beer:
Click to expand...

Mine were the little brother to the AR9, the AR90. slightly smaller cab and 10" woofers instead of 12" and not bi-ampable stock. I powered them with lots of different amps. There was nothing wrong with them, they sounded very good but in the end just did not do it for me. The mids and top end seemed semi stale to me, yes they were recapped with quality caps. Just not the voicing I am looking for. I had AR2ax's as well, may here love them, I did not. Basically they were just not voiced in a way that speaks to me, nothing wrong with them. I listen to a LOT of jazz / fusion. They did this well but other speakers i have are voiced more to my liking in the mid and top end. Diana Krall (not my favorite by a long shot but very well recorded and intimate vocals) is my test for a lot of speakers because of the quality of the recording and the intimacy of the vocals is demanding on speakers voicing. Some speakers sound amazing and some sound like crap with this material. The AR90 sounded OK with this stuff but next to my Maggies with the sub, no contest for me. The Maggies flat blow the AR90's out of the water with that matirial and IMHO. They give me goose bumps when I listen to them. I don't get that from the AR90's. All that said if i was a rocker the evaluation would be completely flipped as the AR90's can pound it out and the maggies sound kinda crappy trying to do that.

So, please don't think i am bashing these speakers. I am not. Very good speakers just not what I am looking for.
 
They're 9's Paul. Unless you can rebuild a AR9 woofer I'm going to have to send them to millersound. All four need foam, and two need reconed. So I figure on getting all four reconed if I end up with them.
 
thedelihaus said:
In all honesty, I wish they made a smaller 9LSI, like a 90LSI- I think the 9LSIs are going to be too much for my humble room.
Click to expand...

You're in luck! I believe the 98LS used the same drivers as the 9LS, but omitted the 10" woofer. I think the 78LS used the same woofer, mid, and tweeter in 3-way configuration as well. Both of them probably sound similar to the 9LSi in a smaller package.
 
bigstereo said:
I'm a rocker, so I'll probably love em.:D
Click to expand...

:thmbsp:

I used to be a big rocker as well but have mellowed. I like to rock in my truck when driving. When the wife and kids are away I still like a SLP slap in the face with some Kings-x (Gretchen goes to Nebraska) or AC/DC, zep, whatever. For that I have some JBL L100's and my impressive Marantaz Imperial 9's. Both speaker that rock hard and loud.
 
kfa888 said:
...Diana Krall (not my favorite by a long shot but very well recorded and intimate vocals) is my test for a lot of speakers because of the quality of the recording and the intimacy of the vocals is demanding on speakers voicing....
Click to expand...

Kelly,

What recording? I find sections of "Live in Paris" to be excellent for testing a speaker's vocal chops.

bigstereo said:
They're 9's Paul. Unless you can rebuild a AR9 woofer I'm going to have to send them to millersound. All four need foam, and two need reconed. So I figure on getting all four reconed if I end up with them.
Click to expand...

Past my skill level at this time. And 9s- well, that's even better. I wish you luck.

winters860 said:
You're in luck! I believe the 98LS used the same drivers as the 9LS, but omitted the 10" woofer. I think the 78LS used the same woofer, mid, and tweeter in 3-way configuration as well. Both of them probably sound similar to the 9LSi in a smaller package.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info- I'll get the 9LSIs up and running soon, then see what I think. I feel these have a much better shot of working than the 9s due to the lower-woofer configuration, but I still think they may be more than my room will tolerate.

I appreciate the info though, and thank you!:thmbsp:
 
winters860 said:
The AR-3, AR-3a and AR-9 get brought up a lot because they were impressive speakers that sold a lot of units. However, there were A LOT of top dog speakers made at AR over nearly thirty years that shared a common family resemblance - a version of their 12" woofer with dome mids and tweeters. Most of the models were straightforward 3-way designs, though a few were more complex.
Click to expand...

These are the only 12" woofer models that I have heard (all when new):

AR-3 (1957-1969)
AR-3a (1967-1976)
AR-LST (1972-1976)
AR-11 (1977-1979)
AR-10pi (1977-1979)
AR-303 (1995-1998)

They all had a definite "family resemblance," with the major changes I could discern being a trend toward stronger high frequencies, which I actually didn't care much for. If I had a choice with no constraints of cost or room, my choice would be the 3a or the LST, but I certainly wouldn't turn any of them away if someone left them on my doorstep.

My first pair of AR speakers, bought new in 1975, were the 2ax. I auditioned 3a's and 5's along with them (the dealer didn't have LST's available to demo, and they were out of my price range anyway), and chose the ones I did because I didn't hear enough of an improvement in sound to justify paying more for the others when I was living in a small apartment. If I'd had any idea that 30+ years later I'd still have the same speakers, I would have taken the 3a's (I have now gone back and done that, or at least I will have when the current project speakers are fully refurbed).
 
Does anybody know anything about Mark Levinson's early Cello speakers that used AR drivers?

I'd love to add them to this list of "better" AR offerings.

Most everything I know about them comes from a few recent ebay sales of drivers and cabinets. I can't dig up hardly anything about them, other than that they used AR-sourced drivers and were inspired by AR designs, including the LST. How did they sound compared to their AR counterparts?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom