Serendipity
Instances of genuine serendipity are rare. Perhaps once or twice in life do we experience some unexpected and profound bit of material gain. Out of nowhere, someone will offer you a gift, and it will be exactly what you wanted, but could never have come about on your own. That just happened to me.
I listen to a lot of music, and for years I have dreamed of owning a genuinely deluxe pair of loudspeakers. Many such speakers exist, but none of the affordable ones sound as good as the JBL bookshelf speakers I already own. Those JBLs are the ideal size to fit in any room, but are simply too small to offer deep bass. If you have ever been to a concert with a full orchestra (at least a hundred players) performing nineteenth- or early twentieth century repertoire, you know that the frequency range is as large as the dynamic range. High violin pianissimi one instant make way the next for low brass and basses that shake your ribcage. Obviously, nobody would listen to music at home at volume levels you find in the concert hall. But my dream has been to own the sort of loudspeakers that can reproduce the full spectrum of sound the human ear can discern. Those sort of speakers, alas, are hilariously unaffordable.
In a remarkably serendipitous way, I have become the proud owner of a pair of vintage AR-3a loudspeakers. The 3a was the top-of-the-line speaker made by Acoustic Research of Cambridge, Massachusetts until the mid- to late 1970s. In 1969, the year my speakers were built, the AR-3a cost over $500 a pair – a huge sum of money. Expensive speakers like these were purchased primarily by studios, wealthy audiophiles, and professional musicians. In fact, contemporary AR advertising demonstrates that their flagship loudspeaker was marketed largely to classical music fans. In ad after ad, the 3a is shown in the listening rooms of the world’s most prominent conductors: Karl Böhm, Erich Leinsdorf, Seiji Ozawa, and Herbert von Karajan. In a 1972 catalog, they make a point of mentioning that Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau–my favorite musician–listens to his own recordings on AR-3a loudspeakers!
How did I come to own such wonderful speakers? I cannot say in this public forum, but it was pure luck. The best way I can describe it is this: Imagine the physical thing that you want the most. Then, imagine that somebody just gives it to you for nothing. Then, imagine that they didn’t just give you that thing, but the very best version of that thing. I could not be happier about it.
In another post, I’ll write about restoring these speakers, tell you what they look like, and how they sound.
Filed under: Music, Technology on February 13th, 2010
Congratulations, you now own an iconic piece of American technology from an era when design & manufacture were as important as the technology itself.
The AR lineup was so beloved by older folk who had my respect, that when I was finally able to get a small bit of cash together in my late teens, I immediately bought a pair of AR-2ax speakers and an AR turntable. Shortly after, with the addition of the AR integrated amplifier, my system had become complete.
Upon graduation from college, the 2ax speakers went away, and I embraced a brand-new pair of AR-3a systems, and replaced the AR integrated with McIntosh components.
Years later, I know own a minimalist system that spans nearly 40 years’ worth of product development – a restored pair of Acoustic Research AR-9 full-range systems, a McIntosh integrated amplifier, and a silent, 3TB short tower that has our entire classical, jazz, and ambient music stored as WAV and FLAC files.
I had no hand in the development of the McIntosh amp, but literally rescued the AR-9 cabinets from a flood. Purchased from the disinterested owner for $100, my son and I spent a year buying the correct drivers on eBay, restoring parts that had failed, and bringing the cabinets to their current state of “retro-mod”, as they say in the world of classic cars.
We eschewed all ornamentation, so no glued-on badges remain – the speakers are also without the unfortunate chrome trim found on still-original 9′s, but do stand about 3″ higher, on their sturdy spiked feet.
Anyway, if you’re ever interested in hearing the best from your loudspeakers, I have just a couple of pointers:
1.) Avoid sustained high frequency reproduction at louder-than-normal volume. Tweeters fail, and finding a replacement is a crap-shoot.
2.) Although the 3a is heavy, it is a bookshelf system, and sounds terrific in that environment. A bookshelf would be my location of choice in the best of circumstances.
3.) If that set-up isn’t possible, then closely observe the variety of stands that AR manufactured over the years – there were at least three different styles that range from the earliest wooden riser up to welded steel of the AR-11 era.
They are all pictured in the Library section.
4.) When time and finances permit, consider an amplifier upgrade – vintage Dynaco tube preamps and power amps are bullet-proof, utterly rebuildable, and if restored correctly, will last for generations. I’ve never heard Dyna equipment sound less than beautiful with AR speakers.
Other tried & true choices for AR are Crown (vintage is better – plenty of reliable power), McIntosh (pricey, but perhaps the best overall mate), and rugged, reliable amplifiers from Adcom or Hafler.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I intend to post about the work I did on these speakers in a day or so.
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