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refurbished AR4x- a review...

ozmoid said:
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In this picture, you're looking at the "top" of the pot in the foreground.
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Why didn't you guys just clean up the pots? As OZ's pic shows, there's just a little wire spring clamp holding the back on. Take it off, carefully clean all the green grunge off the coil and wiper with DeOxit and a soft brush and reassemble.

I've done it before and posted an DIY thread on it, but the pics got killed in one of the server migrations. I have a second set out in the garage, so I'll redo the thread, or renew it with fresh pics, when I clean those up. The hardest part was re-soldering through the woofer hole, so I added some pigtails for accessibility.

Easy, 20 minute job.
 
I ended up using a cleaned up set of original pots on my 4X but I'm thinking I will have to eventually go back in and clean them again some day.

I didn't want to use my stock of Ohmites but 8 OHM L-Pds + resistors would be great way to go with these. :yes:
 
Thanks for the links and extra info archie2 and shacky!!
I forgot to check up on this thread...been very busy.
7.5 oz eh shacky? Now I need to convert to grams....

Thanks again!
 
I just picked up a set of AR-4X speakers and have been reading as much as I can find about them. Your thread looks like a foreign language to me.

Is there a list of the exact parts to use for a refurbish on these from Parts Express? I'm not sure if I'll need to bypass the pots yet but would like to know which replacement to use. The 8 OHM L-Pads come in different wattages on their site. Also which type of caps to use?

I've also seen people replace the grill cloth but haven't seen any the original color though it may have changed due to age as most lighter colors do.

Any help would be appreciated. I plan to refinish the oustides as well. Would be nice to see a how to thread on refurbishing these.
 
Awesome. Sounds like Speaker Dave started out where I am. Sam issue with the tweeters. Thanks
 
Verry odd. I read all three pages but after registering can no longer pull up the link. Was hoping to get the diagram you are working on.

I'm more into restoring them than the technical info. Doesn't make sense to me anyway.
 
Dave is listening and may also be adjusting some of the values, a design process known as "voicing."

He'll release the schematic for others to try when his design is complete.... :thmbsp:
 
That sounds great. I've been reading good reviews on the speakers for ages and always wanted to try a pair out. Even if they are lower end $59 speakers . :scratch2:
 
OK, been busy on these already. I'm reading about the woofer sealer and wonder why nobody mentions Permatex Black RTV silicon sealer. It remains flexible and does one hell of a job sealing. And it's probably easier to work with. I've also read many are using the Permatex High Tack for the surrounds.

I tried cleaning my controls but they are pitted pretty bad. They work now but some areas are dead even after bending them some for better contact. I noticed also that there is some sort of metal coating on the contacts that wore off. Looks like gold or copper.

Ordered new controls from vintage AR. Already refinished the cabinets last night with Howards Restore-A-Finish and 0000 steel wool. They look mavalous.

Removed the rock wool. Planned on using the poly filler at PE but they want too much so I want to the Walmart crafts department and picked up a square of poly foam to cut up and add with some poly stuffing from am old pillow that looks much like the poly PE is selling. Caps are on the way from PE. Pics posted in my gallery.
 
DrMux said:
OK, been busy on these already. I'm reading about the woofer sealer and wonder why nobody mentions Permatex Black RTV silicon sealer.

Removed the rock wool. Planned on using the poly filler at PE but they want too much so I want to the Walmart crafts department and picked up a square of poly foam to cut up and add with some poly stuffing from am old pillow that looks much like the poly PE is selling. Caps are on the way from PE. Pics posted in my gallery.
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Once I've wrestled an old AR driver out of its original sealer, I prefer to reseal it with something that will seal but not be as hard to take apart again.

Classic era ARs were designed to be filled with fiberglass. Rock wool was substituted for a period due to cost/availability issues, and the amounts used had to be adjusted to match the performance of fiberglass. Poly fillers used from the mid-70's on required redesigns of cabinets and crossovers to get the right performance. There are very few poly fillings available that will approach the performance of fiberglass in a classic era AR speaker, and they are all very expensive materials. If you're trying to maintain or restore original performance, you won't get it from any stuffing you can buy at the Wal Mart crafts department.
 
Only my ears will tell. If not I'll FaderLube the new control and stuff it back with the original filler or some fiberglass insulation I have left over under the house.

Thanks for the advice.
 
vanquishfist said:
+1 on fiberglass.
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I think if you guys saw this poly block you would probably try it too. I'll try to get a pic out tonight. It's much stiffer than the fluffy speaker poly fill most people use. The pillow poly is actually what looks like the high dollar PE poly fill.

I plan on keeping all the original parts so I can always go back to them if I'm not happy. Its no fun if I don't experiment.
 
gkimeng knows of what he speaks. Much has been written about fill options over at classicspeakerpages.net

Fiberglass is best. It has to do with particle size and spacing. You may not be able to fit enough other fill in there to get proper dampening and speakers will be boomy.

Are you sure what was in there was rock wool. I thought mine was too but turned out it was yellow fiberglass. New fiberglass still best - due to above parameters. I think proper weight is 11 or 11.5 oz.
 
AR2ax'Pots Restored: Before/After

I had posted some time back on a pair of AR2ax's I restored and here is what the original pots looked like before and after cleaning them up. The AR2ax's are serving duty in the master bedroom and they sound great! Mine are circa 1968 with cloth surrounds. If you can salvage the pots on any of the older AR speaks I would certainly try to do so.
 

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shacky said:
gkimeng knows of what he speaks. Much has been written about fill options over at classicspeakerpages.net

Fiberglass is best. It has to do with particle size and spacing. You may not be able to fit enough other fill in there to get proper dampening and speakers will be boomy.

Are you sure what was in there was rock wool. I thought mine was too but turned out it was yellow fiberglass. New fiberglass still best - due to above parameters. I think proper weight is 11 or 11.5 oz.
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Well I didn't test it, but from what I've seen in dozens of post online it's what people are calling rock wool. Either way I have it bagged up in case my experiments don't pan out. I've read most of the post about the AR4x here and at classicspeakerpages. Don't doubt fiberglass at all, just want to try a few things. No need for anybody to take it personal.
 
pioneervato said:
I had posted some time back on a pair of AR2ax's I restored and here is what the original pots looked like before and after cleaning them up. The AR2ax's are serving duty in the master bedroom and they sound great! Mine are circa 1968 with cloth surrounds. If you can salvage the pots on any of the older AR speaks I would certainly try to do so.
Click to expand...

Yeah I already started working on them. Like I said previously I plan on keeping all the original parts. I may opt to try some of the replacement woofers and tweeters vintage AR has. Might even try a pair of repros of these. Eventually the plan is to have everything back in these as original when I'm done experimenting with them.
 
DrMux said:
Well I didn't test it, but from what I've seen in dozens of post online it's what people are calling rock wool. Either way I have it bagged up in case my experiments don't pan out.
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If it is rock wool and not fiberglass, I wouldn't put it back in. If you play with other stuffings you might very well find some alternative whose sound you like. Just be aware that it isn't going to be the same sound that was designed to come out of the speaker when it was new.

But I would definitely advise against the RTV or anything else that is a curing adhesive if you think there's the remotest chance you'll ever want to open the box up again.
 
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