[Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info

Tue Jul 8 01:56:01 2003

Well, I have to stick my 2-cents in here...

Regarding the polarity of the entire system.  When you hear a bass drum, it
is positive in that the wave produced at the time of recording, is forward
towards the microphone.  If all the polarity in the wiring is correct from
the mic to the final medium such as a CD, and, to your speakers, the speaker
will move outward and reproduce the bass drum as it was recorded.  In some
music, this is not important.  In music that has a solid beat or groove, it
will sound mushy if the polarity is reversed.  That's one good reason to use
the correct polarity for your speakers.  (that is, a positive voltage on the
positive terminal produces an outward motion of the cone)  I'm sure there
are many others as I am sure to learn here soon.
Rudy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info

> Mark,
>
> Interesting information, thank you.
>
> I do recall some speakers in the late sixties or early seventies that
actually
> plugged into the walloutlet for power. A novel approach, but I do not
recall
> them catching on once the curios were satisfied.
>
> You are quite correct Mark, only being out of phase makes a difference. I
simply
> prefer to play it on the safe side with my stereo equipment.
>
> When I connected the AR-4 to the H.H. Scott LK-72B to test it, I tried
> connecting the wires both ways. I could hear a difference one way and
decided to
> use that as the correct polarity. I have each positive wire in my systems
marked
> on both ends for ease of identification, by the way. It turned out when I
did
> take the grill cover off so I could feel the motion of the speaker cone,
that I
> had correctly identified the polarity. There is a discernable difference.
>
> Are you suggesting there should be no difference if amp positive goes to
speaker
> negative and amp negative goes to speaker positive? If so, my ears say
> otherwise.
>
> I believe the sharing of information, even when the opinions are
contradictory,
> is healthy. It always helps to look at a situation from a different angle
or
> perspective. many times one sees something he/she never noticed before.
>
> Thank you for your insights Mark. I never realized that the speaker output
was
> in AC current before.
>
> DBF
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------
> From: AA6DX <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info
> Date: Monday, July 07, 2003 7:36 PM
>
> Hello Duane.  No, it is AC.   Direct Current would do like your battery
did,
> causing the speaker diaphragm to move in ONE direction, which may make a
> "pop", but not "audio".  It is very convenient for the audiophile to use
the
> markings as you have noted, and that is correct.  However, if you have a
> stereo set up, just try this.  REVERSE the wires to both speakers.  You
will
> not hear a difference.   REVERSE only one.  Then, you will get the KARAOKE
> effect, where parts of the song are "nulled", due to the out-of-phase
> presentation of the sound waves. You will sometimes hear this on an FM
> stereo broadcast, when the engineer mis-wired the hook ups to the board
and
> created this "null", which creates a funny sound, and if the input is
> actually MONO, will drop the audio output quite low.
> I am not trying to disagree with anybody, just sharing with this great
> group.  I hope Robert McKee understands that!  After all, I hate to think
> all my years of being in the stereo business, and then as a broadcast
> engineer, do not go to waste!    Cheers .. hope all had a happy fourth of
> july weekend, we did here, now ready for wife and I celebrating our number
> forty three anniversary, on the tenth.   Mark
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, July 07, 2003 4:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info
>
>
> > Bob,
> >
> > I would not call what he said exactly a 'flame', so let us not permit a
> > discussion to get out of hand gentleman. We can agree to disagree and
> still not
> > short circuits.
> >
> > In my mind, the positive speaker terminal on the amplifier should go to
> the
> > positive terminal on the speaker.
> >
> > Isn't it DC to the speaker not AC?
> >
> >
> >
> > ----------
> > From: Robert    J. McKee <[email protected]>
> > To: [email protected]; [email protected]
> > Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info
> > Date: Monday, July 07, 2003 5:04 PM
> >
> > Not important???  What do you think puts the punch in any sound
> > from a bass drum to a triangle... sucking or blowing?  Think about
> > that for a bit before flaming.
> > Bob McKee
> >
> >
> >
> > > [Original Message]
> > > From: AA6DX <[email protected]>
> > > To: <[email protected]>
> > > Date: 7/7/03 4:57:02 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info
> > >
> > > I now remember.  Yes, this is the way the AR speakers were put
together.
> > > There were long, narrow  staples holding the grill in place.  That is
> > > factory, Duane.
> > > As you know, but I itereate, for those reading who may not know, the
> > > polarity is not necessarily important, as long as both speakers are
the
> > > same, and hooked up the same, to keep them in phase. We are dealing
with
> > > alternating current here, but they both need to putting the oooom in
the
> > > oooom pah pah at the same time in the same direction.   In later
years,
> > when
> > > replacing the components, most shops would put velcro on the grilles
to
> > > re-mount them.  Cheers, y'all .. Mark
> > > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > > From: "Duane Fischer, W8DBF" <[email protected]>
> > > To: <[email protected]>
> > > Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 3:21 PM
> > > Subject: [Vintage-Audio] Update On AR-4 Info
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hi All,
> > > >
> > > > Ok, the old blind wonder dude got into the adventurous mood and took
a
> > > serious
> > > > squint at the AR-4's. The grill is held in place by six staples,
three
> > > down each
> > > > side. The staple is long enough to go through the grill material,
the
> > wood
> > > panel
> > > > behind it and still hit the main wood of the cabinet. I can not
state
> > that
> > > this
> > > > is factory, but it certainly appears that way.
> > > >
> > > > When the cabinet is vertical, looking at it from the back, with two
> > > speaker
> > > > terminals vertical top to bottom and tweeter pot control just to
their
> > > right,
> > > > the top terminal is negative and the bottom one is positive.
> > > >
> > > > Question: the suspension around the edge of the woofer speaker cone,
> > what
> > > is it?
> > > > Is it supposed to be somewhat soft?
> > > >
> > > > FYI: I guessed the polarity right by ear. I tested it today with a
> > battery
> > > to be
> > > > sure.
> > > >
> > > > Thanks.
> > > >
> > > > Duane W8DBF
> > >
> > >
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> >
> >
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> >
>
>
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