(1) Acoustic Research AR1ms
The 4th item into the bin, early February 2009, again by way of the auction site, was my first set of AR speakers, the AR1ms. Because of the weight/shipping issue, it never was my intention to import speakers from anywhere in the world, but this pair is about the size of a shoe box, and the indicated shipping cost out of New York USA was an acceptable $53, so I bid and won another bargain at $16. But yes, once again the shipping calculator snapped a mouthful out my budget, because the fee for stamps eventually rang the till at $75. I sent another educational lecture on eBay regulations and processes to the seller, and paid the cost, because I had a faint suspicion that they were quite scarce - in fact, in a one year period I only saw one other set advertised on eBay.
I initially planned to use them as rear speakers and build my own central speaker using AR drivers, but to be honest, I was quite apprehensive about the prospects of tackling the science of central speaker dynamics and hoping to match AR characteristics. It also made more project sense to use original vintage units, rather than gluing together a unit that historically never actually existed. Using two speakers instead of the normal single center speaker also isn't uncommon and could be done, provided the wiring is done correctly. As for available space around the TV screen the AR1ms set would fit in perfectly, and as a bonus they visually looked more than just acceptable.
I started off using both at the same time, but with the Onkyo receiver's continuous protection mode antics, I removed one unit just to play it safe as far as impedance goes. Once the Denon receiver came into town, these early 1980's speakers unfortunately started showing their age and the first surround was blown to bits. I changed the bad speaker for the surviving one, immediately ordered replacement surrounds, and started praying the remaining speaker will last at least one month! Hold out it did, but when the replacement surrounds arrived, they were the wrong size, and to top it off, the 2nd speaker also collapsed with it's old surround scattered on the floor. Fortunately I was reaching the final stages of restoring another set of medium-sized speakers, so there was no stopping the action.
(2) Acoustic Research AR4x
Got a call early 2010 from Mark in the Southern Suburbs about a set of old AR's he wanted to get rid of for a measly $40, and when I took a drive out there I was very pleased to see a set which could only be described as a restorer's delight. Tweeters were fully functional, and main drivers sported the old indestructible cloth surrounds - not one note out of tune. The cabinets had the usual scrapes and dings, but overall very acceptable and easily straightened out with the customary process of sanding, filling and oiling. Once complete, the luster of the wood was only matched by that of the 3a's - a rich glow that complemented it's surroundings. The grills had already been redone when I took over the set, but in a black cloth rather than the original off-white, so in time I'll replace those with my hessian stock. So one of these went up on the wall to replace the AR1ms as center speaker, and the other one went into storage, waiting for it's partners in a different home theater set-up.
The sound was very much different from the AR1ms, partly due to a completely different frequency range, partly I believe to the different cabinet material, and partly of course to the difference in size. The AR1ms had a sharper character compared to the rich and fuller sound of the AR4x's, but then that could also have been due to the deteriorating surrounds of the former. Irrespective of what came before, I quickly grew accustomed to the AR4x, so much so that I have now settled on the AR4 range as the ideal unit for surround or center speaker duty. And the 8 inch driver was adding its weight to the low-frequency circle already occupied by the six matching drivers in the rest of the speakers in the HT setup.
I initially planned to use them as rear speakers and build my own central speaker using AR drivers, but to be honest, I was quite apprehensive about the prospects of tackling the science of central speaker dynamics and hoping to match AR characteristics. It also made more project sense to use original vintage units, rather than gluing together a unit that historically never actually existed. Using two speakers instead of the normal single center speaker also isn't uncommon and could be done, provided the wiring is done correctly. As for available space around the TV screen the AR1ms set would fit in perfectly, and as a bonus they visually looked more than just acceptable.
I started off using both at the same time, but with the Onkyo receiver's continuous protection mode antics, I removed one unit just to play it safe as far as impedance goes. Once the Denon receiver came into town, these early 1980's speakers unfortunately started showing their age and the first surround was blown to bits. I changed the bad speaker for the surviving one, immediately ordered replacement surrounds, and started praying the remaining speaker will last at least one month! Hold out it did, but when the replacement surrounds arrived, they were the wrong size, and to top it off, the 2nd speaker also collapsed with it's old surround scattered on the floor. Fortunately I was reaching the final stages of restoring another set of medium-sized speakers, so there was no stopping the action.
(2) Acoustic Research AR4x
Got a call early 2010 from Mark in the Southern Suburbs about a set of old AR's he wanted to get rid of for a measly $40, and when I took a drive out there I was very pleased to see a set which could only be described as a restorer's delight. Tweeters were fully functional, and main drivers sported the old indestructible cloth surrounds - not one note out of tune. The cabinets had the usual scrapes and dings, but overall very acceptable and easily straightened out with the customary process of sanding, filling and oiling. Once complete, the luster of the wood was only matched by that of the 3a's - a rich glow that complemented it's surroundings. The grills had already been redone when I took over the set, but in a black cloth rather than the original off-white, so in time I'll replace those with my hessian stock. So one of these went up on the wall to replace the AR1ms as center speaker, and the other one went into storage, waiting for it's partners in a different home theater set-up.
The sound was very much different from the AR1ms, partly due to a completely different frequency range, partly I believe to the different cabinet material, and partly of course to the difference in size. The AR1ms had a sharper character compared to the rich and fuller sound of the AR4x's, but then that could also have been due to the deteriorating surrounds of the former. Irrespective of what came before, I quickly grew accustomed to the AR4x, so much so that I have now settled on the AR4 range as the ideal unit for surround or center speaker duty. And the 8 inch driver was adding its weight to the low-frequency circle already occupied by the six matching drivers in the rest of the speakers in the HT setup.
