Specific AR-1W Item Description. This AR-1W, woofer-only loudspeaker in lacquered-walnut finish, serial number 09697, is in excellent overall condition with virtually no cabinet scratches or marks of any kind. The woofer works fine with. Clean, undistorted deep-bass output, precisely as one would expect of this unsurpassed low-frequency reproducer. The lacquered-walnut finish is very smooth without blemishes, but lacquer finishes are fragile and must be treated with care. This specific AR-1W has been boxed in its original box since 1962. The saran grill cloth with gold thread has some stains that have been on the speaker since it was acquired in the early 1960s. It is possible that the stains can be easily removed, but in any event, the stains are not nearly as noticeable in “real life” as noted from the images taken of the speaker under lights. The grill has not been removed, and the speaker is 100% original and unmolested. The woofer picture at the end of the sequence is for reference purposes, and is an AR-1W woofer on a speaker with a serial number in the low 7000 range, nearly the identical time-period in which this speaker was manufactured. This adds to the collectability of this rare old AR speaker. The input connections are nearly like new, quite unusual for a speaker that is fifty-seven or fifty-eight years old. The serial number and product label on the back is also nearly like new as well. Acoustic Research AR-1/AR-1W Technical History. To knowledgeable audiophiles and historians, the Acoustic Research AR-1 and AR-1W need no detailed introduction. From its commercial introduction in October 1954 at the New York Audio Fair, and. Throughout the next fifty years, it was considered to be one the finest and most accurate low-frequency reproducers commercially available at. Certainly, any loudspeaker which might match the low-frequency capability of the AR woofer down at the lowest frequencies could not be easily lifted and would be at least ten-times its size and weight. At its introduction, the AR-1 and AR-1W immediately became the ultimate “reference standard” in the high-fidelity industry with regard to low-distortion, low-frequency bass reproduction, and the AR-1 woofer has never been surpassed with regard to distortion, smoothness and natural reproduction within its operating range. The AR-1 quickly gained fame during a test comparison between this woofer and the famous Klipsch. Corner loudspeaker, a behemoth that dwarfs the AR-1 in size and weight, but whichsurprisinglycannot match the low-frequency performance of the diminutive AR-1W woofer at frequencies of 30Hz and below. Julian Hirsch made this discovery in 1956 in his report for the New York Audio League Report. At the risk of getting a little ahead of ourselves, we can point out that at 25 cycles (Hz), and below, the’1% efficient’ AR-1 is actually more efficient than the 50% efficient Klipschorn. The latter gives up rather abruptly in the vicinity of 30 Hz and produces little fundamental energy, while the AR-1 can generate relatively undistorted fundamentals down to 20Hz and below. This is a remarkable achievement, considering that the Klipschorn was originally designed as a corner bass horn. The AR-1/1W was used in the famous Mt. Kisco, New York Live. Recorded organ demonstration, in which the large Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ was compared with four AR-1/W loudspeakers. Listeners could detect no differences in the deep-bass portion of the comparison. Physically, the AR 12-inch acoustic-suspension woofer is mounted with eight machine screws into a sealed (acoustically) and braced enclosure, the size which is exactly optimal for the 43 Hz resonance frequency, and the restoring force ratio is approximately 85% acoustic and 15% mechanical, far greater than the bulk of current consumer loudspeakers using the a/s design. This is one reason why the AR-1 has much lower harmonic distortion than nearly any current-design loudspeaker in a comparable size. This woofer has a large 9.6 lb Alnico-5 magnet assembly, cast-aluminum frame and a long-throw, 2-inch heavy copper voice coil with a linear excursion of 5/8-inch and a maximum excursion of nearly 1 inch. The speaker is approximately 0.7% efficient, meaning that an amplifier capable of at least 25-50 watts-per-channel is the. The AR-1 dimensions are 14 x 25 x 11-3/8. Overall Description covered by. Reproduction or copying of any of this material without the express permission of the writer is unlawful and prohibited. The item “Acoustic Research AR-1W Loudspeaker, Single, Lacquered-Walnut Finish, SN 09697″ is in sale since Monday, October 03, 2016. This item is in the category “Consumer Electronics\Vintage Electronics\Vintage Audio & Video\Vintage Speakers”. The seller is “acoustic-research-inc” and is located in High Point, North Carolina. This item can be shipped worldwide.