We are pleased to offer for sale an extremely rare, matched pair of the legendary Acoustic Research AR-3 Speakers with the original unfinished pine cabinets and maple grill surrounds. Unfinished pine veneer was one of the original finish options offered by Acoustic Research. As an added bonus, these fully restored speakers boast the original black plastic grill frames, the original AR-3 vinyl grill fabric and the original AR. Actually, the only parts that are not original to this pair of speakers are the Cerwin Vega12TR 15T CV 12-TR Control Potentiometer Pots that were professionally installed to replace the failed, original pots. This is a must have pair of speakers for the serious audiophile and /or the serious vintage collector. These AR-3s are considered a matched pair based on the consecutive odd number serial numbers C 25263 and C 25265. According to Acoustic Researchs serial number identification information, this pair of speakers was manufactured ca. 1968 and are considered Gen 3. Generation 3 speakers were produced from August 1965 through May 1970and include serial numbers C 19468 through C 70228. In May of 1970, Acoustic Research ran out of the original phenolic-dome mid-range drivers which then required the use of a version of the AR-3a mid-range drivers. So these Gen 3 AR-3s are the last generation to still use the original phenolic-dome mid-range drivers. This matched pair of speakers is in excellent original vintage condition and the original Guarantee and. Instructions For Use labels are fully intact (and protected) on the backs of the cabinets. The maple front, pine veneer plywood cabinets are in original condition and still exhibit the sanding marks and wood-putty fill as they came from the factory. The original vinyl grill fabric has yellowed with age but is otherwise in great vintage condition. When we acquired these speakers we noted that one of the original black plastic grill frames was broken in two places along the top edge. This part of the grill frame is notoriously fragile so we repaired the break with a 2-part epoxy glue and added an 1/8 maple plywood splint along the top edge to strengthen the frame and minimize any future damage should the grills require removal in the future. As the grill frames required removal in order to replace the potentiometers, we added the same 1/8 maple plywood splint to the top edge of the second speaker grill frame as well. Both speaker grill frames are slightly bowed in towards the centers at the top and bottom and we elected to leave this condition alone rather than risk damage to the grill frames and fabric by trying to remove and re-attach the vinyl grill fabric. We suspect this defect is a result of the vinyl grill fabric shrinking over time and bending the rather flexible plastic frame. We had this pair of AR-3s tested professionally and all systems were functioning perfectly with the exception of the original potentiometers. Hoping to keep this pair of speakers in all original condition, we had the original potentiometers removed and cleaned but they failed the testing process so we had them replaced with the modern wire-wound potentiometer as described above. The new potentiometers are an exact copy of the original (in terms of values 16Ohm / 25Watt), but much better in terms of reliability and quality. The original failed potentiometers will be included in the sale. The entire restoration process has been exhaustively documented with photographs which are available upon request. We also have a stereo audio recording of the restored speakers available upon request. SIGNATURE AND LABEL INFORMATION. Both labels on both of these speakers are fully intact and are currently protected from wear with clear plastic attached with painters tape, which can be easily removed if desired. Each speaker cabinet measures 25 in height, 14 in width and 11.5 in depth. Each speaker cabinet weighs approximately 55 pounds. The item “Acoustic Research AR-3 Speakers. Professionally Restored, Rare Matched Pair” is in sale since Friday, August 16, 2019. This item is in the category “Consumer Electronics\Vintage Electronics\Vintage Audio & Video\Vintage Speakers”. The seller is “jones_road” and is located in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Brand: Acoustic Research
- Model: AR-3
- Modified Item: Yes
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Modification Description: Original Potentiometers replaced with new Cerwin Vegas