[Vintage-Audio] Re Vintage AR-3's

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Hi All, 		
	
My new term for serious audio devotees is Audio Stylists. Offered as an
alternative to that nice term from the sixties that got bent and twisted into
the not so nice term for audio devotees now called 'Audio Fools'. Primarily
because some with more money than auditory spectrum perception paid a King's
ransom for vacuum tube integrated stereo amplifiers and drove the cost of
certain tubes, also used in Ham radio, higher than the belly button of an
Elephant! So the nice term for serious audio devotees was transmuted into this
less than complimentary term.  		
	
Now for a question on the forever historically ingrained AR-3 speakers by
Acoustic Research.	
	
I keep hearing how this particular model either outperformed or had superior
marketing trickery to convince buyers it was the best thing since the
discontinuation of manufacturing square 80 rpm records because they were easier
to store! Whatever the reason, these appear to be the speakers of choice when it
comes to the products by Acoustic Research. The question is why? What made the
AR-3 so good? How did they truthfully stack up against other quality speakrs of
that era?			
	
I was given a pair of AR-4's, which work, but need to have some snap put back in
the speaker cones, some corrosion removed from their control pots, the cabinets
refinished and then some new grill cloth. I realize these are not in the league
with the AR-3's, but do sound quite good when driven by my H.H. Scott LK-48B
integrated stereo amplifier. Which leads right into my second question. 	
	
How much are a pair of fully restored AR-4's worth? I am asking because I have
no experience with the AR speakers and do not want to invest a lot more than
they are worth.  		
	
Thank you very much for your thoughts and comments.  	
	
Duane W8DBF