These are the original Acoustic Research AR-2 made with the 1st incarnation of the legendary AR 10 woofer and the crossfiring paper mid/tweeters. But the best feature of these speakers are the original metal oil capacitors inside. These are highly desirable, never need replacing, and only appeared in the AR2. They add a special dimension to the sound – especially in the midrange. Male voices like Doc Watson, Neil Young, and Cat Stevens have never sounded better. Female voices and brass, not so much. But if you want honey-smooth mids – they are wonderful. Serial numbers are B33220 & B31786. This dates them from the late 1950s to the very early 1960s. All drivers are working. The potentiometer in these speakers are an earlier version that are not prone to failure like the later ceramic pots AR used. The mid/tweets have not been bypassed. I successfully removed the grill of one speaker to confirm the presence of the oil capacitors and check the status of the drivers – see photos. Since the first speaker checked out fine I did not remove the others grill. Both speakers are 100% functional. Cosmetically the cabinets show wear, some scratches, some corner damage, and missing veneer. At one point they were varnished, most of which I have sanded off. One side of each speaker was left unfinished by AR – these are made for horizontal display. The cabs themselves are sturdy and structurally intact. Definitely suitable for re-veneering. As they are now, they have a rugged patina that vintage speaker lovers grow to appreciate. Please see all photos to assess cosmetic condition. Grills are in quite good condition and the original brass badges are included. All drivers guaranteed to work. I also guarantee the oil caps are present and the pots are functional. These are historically interesting speakers, and offer performance characteristics that are unique and impressive when properly used. Thanks and enjoy the music. The item “Acoustic Research AR-2 1950s Speakers. Oil Caps. Amazing Midrange. Very Rare AR” is in sale since Thursday, March 08, 2018. This item is in the category “Consumer Electronics\Vintage Electronics\Vintage Audio & Video\Vintage Speakers”. The seller is “jaybee8421″ and is located in Plainfield, Vermont. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Russian federation, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Antigua and barbuda, Aruba, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Saint kitts and nevis, Saint lucia, Montserrat, Turks and caicos islands, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Ecuador, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Peru, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion.
- Brand: Acoustic Research
- Model: AR-2
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States