[Vintage-Audio] Re Acoustical Research Speakers

Mon May 19 23:04:01 2003

Ed, Mark and all, 	

Did you ever stop to think what 'sub' really means? As in sub-standard. In the
days of real speakers, a woofer was a minimum of ten inches, generally twelve or
fifteen. Certainly not a four or six inch speaker! It requires X amount of cone
surface to move Y amount of air to create frequency Z. 	

The so called 'sub-woofer' is supposed to compensate for the loss of frequency
response below 300 Hz. This is where real woofers had a crossover point to
deliver the bass frequencies. I have listened to commercial sound stage speaker
systems being driven by a 1200 watt amplifier using sub-woofer systems. I was
not impressed. 	

I also listened to a different speaker system that used actual woofers and no
sub-woofers being driven by the same amplifier, in the same room, with the same
music the same day. It won easily. 		

But honestly, how many people under forty give a rodent's rump about true
frequency reproduction, audio clarity or audio depth? Most think music is
supposed to rattle the plastic silverware in the neighbor's picnic basket! Or
cause deafness by age thirty - 	

These people do not know high C from a low F. They think one is a fruit flavored
drink and the other is swear word generally preceded by a female reference. If
the music volume is not sufficient to kill flying insects from the air pressure
shock wave or blow the dust out of the drapes, or blow out the windows, so they
can save money on Spring cleaning, then they need a larger amplifier. 		

Seriously now, how many people do you know who honestly go to hear a local
symphonic orchestra, band concert in the park, or a live opera or Broadway
musical, a singer or group using acoustical instruments or a real pipe organ?
Most people today have absolutely no idea what 'Classical' music is and think
that anybody who sings opera is fat and should learn English!  	

I am still in need of a pair of vintage two or three way speakers in good
working condition to keep my H. Scott LK-72b company. A lovely LK-48b will
arrive here on Wednesday and 'might' be looking for a new home in the near
future. It is electrically refurbished, new match pairs of audio output tubes,
phase inverters and professionally calibrated. It even has a nice home built
wood cabinet. All original front panel and knobs, shiny chassis and plays
beautifully, I am told. 	

There is also a matching H. Scott LT-110 FM multiplex stereo tuner in a matching
home built wood cabinet to keep the LK-48b company. It too is completely
electrically refurbished and plays beautifully. I already have one LT-110, so
this one will be looking for a nice home in the near future. 	

If one of you has some speakers to swap, let's talk.   	

Duane W8DBF	

Real audio does not shake the house or wallet, just the soul. DBF. 	

----------
From: Ed Tanton <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Vintage-Audio] Re Acoustical Research Speakers
Date: Monday, May 19, 2003 9:04 PM

Hi Duane-yes indeed. In fact, I still own a set. My originals were AR-3AXs 
and presently I own AR-10s. I bought them-and still like them-for their 
lack of 'coloration'. All the speakers that I listened to (in the early 
70s) before buying the originals sounded tinny (eg artificially bright) to 
me-as do many of today's speakers. Only the advent of sub-woofers has made 
any improvement over them from my perspective. And I do not like 
amplified-sub-woofers... it takes an AR to sound that 'natural' at either 
end of the spectrum.

At 07:47 PM 2003-05-19, you wrote:

>
>Greetings,
>
>Did any of you ever own/use the AR speaker systems from the sixties or
>seventies? If so, how did you like them and how did they compare to
>Electro-Voice or James B. Lansing speaker systems?
>
>I rarely ever hear their name mentioned anymore. Any ideas as to why?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Duane W8DBF
>
>_______________________________________________
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73 Ed Tanton N4XY <[email protected]>

Ed Tanton N4XY
189 Pioneer Trail
Marietta, GA 30068-3466

website: http://www.n4xy.com

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