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My $10 AR-2a's

chicks

chicks

Lunatic Member
Just got these off CL ("Acoustic Reading" speakers) :)

Cosmetically a bit challenged, but nothing major. Looks like someone tried to remove the grill on one of them, unsuccessfully. From what I've been reading, it's a bear to do.

Hooked up to what I had handy in the garage - a 15Wpc T-amp and internet radio, streaming @ 320Kbps ( http://www.kdvs.org/ ). They were just finishing up a reggae set, amazing bass out of these, but no mids or highs. Played with the pots, nothing. Will have to do some surgery. (They've just started a Jazz show, Miles Davis :music: )

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Very cool! Great find. I presume these have the same pots as in the 4xs (I just rehabbed mine) and you will have to take apart the pots to see if they are the problem. Lots of deoxit and some physical repositioning of the wipers helped rehab mine pretty well.

AK member RoyC and several other AK members were a great help to me in my endeavors. Good luck with yours.
 
Excellent find! Make sure that the wire link is connected to the mid / tweeter terminal (between 2 and T) in the back and work the pots - hopefully you'll get something. If you get them working try them out with your MAC 1700 receiver - they go great together. I had AR2a speakers hooked up to my MAC 1700 for about 20 years and I never got tired of the combination
Those are the exact speakers that I grew up with - my dad bought them brand new in 1963 along with a Fisher 400 receiver.
 
perchdog said:
those must be the ones with the 9" and 6 x 9 drivers... great deal
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They've got the oddball sized 10" woofer with cloth surround and a cast aluminum frame with a large alnico magnet, twin 5" midrange drivers and a dome tweeter. Here's what the tweeter and mid setup looks like - the tweeter is behind the oval grill cutout and the mids are behind the square grill cutout.
 

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i was being a little sarcastic.... i have 1 pr 4x's, 1 pr 10 pi's, 2 pr 11's and some rough 3's
 
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PioneerGuy75 said:
We want NUDES!!!:banana:
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Careful what you ask for. They're really ugly under the covers...

Did manage to bypass the midrange pot on the one I've opened so far, and get sound from the two drivers. Also connected the tweet directly to the T-amp (at low level) to confirm that it, too, is working. Will need to attack those pots.

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Now there's a case of absolutely needing the grilles. :D They look like a great restoration project, should turn out beautiful. Nice score!
 
chicks said:
Careful what you ask for. They're really ugly under the covers...

Did manage to bypass the midrange pot on the one I've opened so far, and get sound from the two drivers. Also connected the tweet directly to the T-amp (at low level) to confirm that it, too, is working. Will need to attack those pots.

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I think they're beautiful! :D
 
The AR-2/AR-2ax restore is well documented on AK. You'll find those drivers are welded in with a black sealant. Careful prying that woofer out. I used one of those paint-can openers like they give you at the paint store, a block of wood and a pair of channel locks to create a lever-driven mechanism that pulls straight up. I think I posted a pic somewhere.

You'll find it very difficult to remove the two mids in that plastic holder. Leave them alone if possible. You should be able to do everything you need to do through the woofer opening. I assume you're going to replace the caps. That's them all together inside that wax-filled container. The values are marked on the outside.

The pots can be taken apart and cleaned, but might not turn out perfect, and will likey crap up again before long. Sometimes the wipers are shot, requiring new ones. Many folks simply wire them out. Ozmoid has a ton of experience with these.

Good luck
 
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Looks like I got half the deal you did.One for $5.I picked up one about two years ago and was amazed how good this speaker sounded.The pots went south very soon and know don't work.I am waiting for another to surface then restore them.I really did like the sound out of this one speaker.
 
superdog said:
Looks like I got half the deal you did.One for $5.I picked up one about two years ago and was amazed how good this speaker sounded.The pots went south very soon and know don't work.I am waiting for another to surface then restore them.I really did like the sound out of this one speaker.
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Ha! I got the other half of that deal. Too bad I'm all the way in Joisey or I'd give you the one I picked up. It's kind of rare in that it's got the cherry finish cabinet and it's in the original box from 1963. Wish I had the other one - must have been from a mono system.
 
Well, lo and behold, guess what I find at the Salvation Army today? A set of AR-2a's for $12.50 :banana::banana:...sold to the guy with the ailing SX-1050! Pictures are coming very soon :yes:...this afternoon.

ON EDIT: here are the pictures...beautiful finish on most of the cabinet sides....now the real test:music:! Here is some good info on these speakers and work on the pots.
 

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