This auctions for a pair of ar 3 speakers. Both speakers have been tested and are in good working. All drivers are original all appear to be in good working condition. The l pads are going to need to be replace they work but they are not functioning correctly. They spent their life on a shelf the last pictures are the bottoms. One of the grills have a little damage i did not want remove the grills for risk of damaging them. The cabinets are in beautiful condition they show very light wear and tear there are a few nicks here as there as can be seen in the pictures. There is a stain on one of the grills. Serial numbers are c50022 c50014. If you have any questions please contact me. Acoustic Research AR-3 Speaker. No loudspeaker by Acoustic Research has been more influential than the original Acoustic Research AR-3 acoustic suspension speaker. The AR-1 had set a new benchmark for loudspeaker technology, but the AR-3 was so outstandingly accurate that experts had trouble identifying whether a recording or a live concert was playing in front of them. Let´s note here, that this is not the AR-3a speaker from 1967. But its prior version from 1958. Edgar Villchur didnt set out to start a speaker company; he just wanted to license his acoustic suspension designs to other speaker companies. In the early 50s, he shopped the concept to the biggest names in the business, but not a single one was interested. So Villchur started Acoustic Research in 1952, and his very first speaker, the AR-1, was an immediate hit. Villchurs design strategy used the elasticity of air within a sealed cabinet to provide the restoring force for the driver, which allowed his relatively small speakers to produce deep, low-distortion bass. Villchurs AR-3 was an even greater departure. The look was pure and clean, just a plain, wood-veneered box, but lurking behind the knit-cloth grille was the worlds first production dome tweeter and dome midrange drivers, and a 12-inch cone woofer. By todays standards, the AR-3 wasnt all that smallit came in at 25 inches tall, 14 inches wide, and 11.5 inches deep, and weighed 47 pounds. The plywood cabinets, crossover networks, and drivers were all made at the companys factory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. What made the AR-3 a sensation was the sound. In the early 60s, Villchur conducted a series of live-versus-recorded demonstrations in which the sound of a live string quartet was compared with the recorded quartet played through a pair of AR-3s. Most listeners couldnt tell the difference between the speakers and the musicians, a testament to the AR-3s quality. Eventually, the AR-3 was replaced by the AR-3a, a modified version that used the same woofer but offered improved dome midrange and tweeter drivers that created even wider dispersion. Like the AR-3, it was regarded as the best speaker of its day and was wildly popular. Villchur had a hand in designing ARs ads, which were understated and clean, with minimal copy and just an unadorned shot of the speakers. By 1966, the company claimed 32 percent of the U. Today, a pair resides in the Smithsonian. Type: 3 way, 3 driver loudspeaker system. Recommended Amplifier: 25W (minimum). Bass: 1 x 12 cone. Tweeter: 1 x 2″, 1 x 1-38″ dome. Finish: mahogany, natural birch, pine, walnut, cherry, korina, teak. Dimensions: 14 x 25 x 11-3/8 inches. The item “Ar 3 acoustic research ar3 speakers beautiful condition” is in sale since Sunday, January 21, 2018. This item is in the category “Consumer Electronics\Vintage Electronics\Vintage Audio & Video\Vintage Speakers”. The seller is “jtre2650″ and is located in Mesa, Arizona. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Brand: Acoustic Research
- Model: ar3