My Vintage Journey So Far: Part 1

tmallin

WBF Technical Expert
May 19, 2010
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Chicagoland
I was excited to see Marty DeWulf's coverage of vintage audio in Bound For Sound issue 199/200. Since he asked for comments from those with experience in vintage audio, I wrote the following to him to share my current thoughts:

1. I agree that many of those now interested in vintage audio got into it as a result of wanting to acquire something we lusted after when we were young, but were denied back then due to lack of funds, parental controls, etc. That is so in my case.

I graduated high school in 1970, so I'm only about three years older than you and thus share most of the same equipment memories. I grew up in the heyday of AR--Acoustic Research--speakers. I vividly remember my older brother taking me at age 12 to the AR demonstration room ( http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/...omponents/ar_high_fidelity_components_16.html ) in Manhattan's Grand Central Station where visitors could hear the same material played first through the AR-4x, then the AR-2ax, AR-5, and finally the top-of-the-line AR-3a speakers. I could fully appreciate the gains in clarity and extension of each costlier model even then. Oh, how I yearned to own those magnificent AR 3a's! In my very early teens, even though I'd saved my allowance and other earnings and thought I could afford an AR-3a, AR Amp, AR XA turntable, and Shure V15II system, my parents thought otherwise. Thus, my first component system, purchased at age 14, was comprised of an AR XA turntable, Shure M91E cartridge, AR-4x speakers, and a Dynaco SCA-35 integrated tube amp. Not bad for my age, even so.

My older brother bought a system comprised of AR-5 speakers, AR Receiver, and the Empire 598 turntable and Empire cartridge. I loved the sound of that system. It totally put mine in the shade.

2. As a consequence, recently I've been acquiring some vintage AR equipment and restoring it, either personally or having the work done by others. I have been very pleased with all the old AR speakers.

I have my "vintage system" with AR-3as I restored myself ( http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/...ing_the_ar-3a/restoring_the_ar-3a_full_pd.pdf ), together with and AR Amplifier and AR Tuner restored for me by Larry at Vintage AR. I use a "vintage" SACD player in that system, the Marantz SA-1, which is one of the two first SACD players made (the other was the Sony SCD-1). The "Restoring the AR-3a" document I've linked to is very helpful in any kind of speaker restoration project. A lot of expert restorers contributed to this discussion.

I also have a pair of AR-5 speakers in my bedroom system. These were exquisitely restored a few years back by Greg Roberts who specializes in Klipschorn restorations and is branching out into building other horn speakers under the Volti Audio ( http://www.voltiaudio.com/ ) name, now that his custom home building business in Maine is probably not doing too well. Perhaps his focus on horn speakers is why he sold these ARs to me, but he said he quickly had "seller's remorse." These are just wonderful sounding, equal to the memory of my brother's old system. If you appreciate fine woodworking and speaker restoration eye candy, you have to take a look at Greg's projects, this one ( http://www.voltiaudio.com/flkhorn.shtml ), for example.

I have also personally restored another pair of AR-5 speakers with truly exceptional and rare dark burl-patterned cabinets, as well as most recently a pair of AR-2ax speakers. These both sound great as well.

I share the feeling of some collectors that the 2ax is in some ways the most satisfying of the bunch in terms of overall listening pleasure. The AR-3as have the deepest bass, but above the bottom octave, the AR-5 is at least a match for the 3a, with the bass integrating better into the midrange and the mids and highs otherwise identical to the 3a since basically the same dome drivers are used. The 2ax has the most wide open sound of the bunch, however, imaging and staging very well indeed, even by modern standards, and with an intoxicating blend of richness, smoothness, and just enough high frequency extension to make it all very believable.

I also have a pair of KLH Model 12 ( http://www.classicspeakerpages.net/library/klh/klh_12_klh_model_twelve/klh_model_12_ad_later/ ) speakers. These I bought because I so admired the pair a music student friend of mine in college had. Physically these were in excellent-plus shape when I bought them, but they sounded a bit lumpy in the bass and quite rolled off on top compared to my long-ago memory. A couple of weeks ago I re-capped the outboard crossovers myself. Now they sound fine indeed, a viable alternative or competitor to any of the AR speakers I have, and with probably the most extended and detailed bass of any of the vintage speakers I have. Generally, they are now a bit brighter and more forward sounding than the ARs, with a bit more audible detail, but never any nastiness. The KLHs are a bit better in terms of realism of detail, while the ARs are better in terms of realistic tonal balance when the standard is what one hears from the audience at a live unamplified classical music concert in a good hall.

Finally, I have a superb example of the Sansui TU-X1 tuner ( http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/TU-X1.jpg ) from the 1970s, which has been fully restored by Mark Wilson of Absolute Sound Labs. I'd use this tuner all the time in my "big rig," except that I also have an excellent modern tuner, the DaySequerra M4.2R which also receives HD signals. Say what you want about HD FM, but from my distance of 30 miles from the Chicago transmitter and limited as I am by real estate covenants to an attic antenna, HD signals often sound better overall than the analog ones even with tuners at this level. WFMT in Chicago is the only reason I insist on fine FM tuners these days since it's the only station I can receive which makes a fine FM tuner really worth the money, and that's only because I'm a classical music fan.

3. I used a product called XL49 ( http://www.speakerrepair.com/mm5/me...enem&Product_Code=XL49&Category_Code= ) from Orange County Speakers (in California) to re-seal the cloth surrounds on my KLH Model 12s. I debated about doing this for quite awhile. There is some discussion of this product and other fluids, including Elmer's glue over on the Classic Speaker Pages KLH discussion pages about re-sealing surrounds. Not all experience is positive. I finally decided to do it since the cones returned to resting position very quickly when pressed inwards, despite this being an acoustic suspension design, so I figured the cloth surrounds must be leaking air.

My measurements and listening tell me that the low and midbass response were affected for sure, but I'm not really sure if it is for better or for worse. The 20 Hz bass dropped in level by about 6 dB and a peak at 85 Hz was increased by a similar amount. Used against a wall on the floor, the bass response measures better after treatment and excessive before, but mounted out in the room on short stands the bass measured and sounded a bit better before treatment.

However, this change may slowly be going away as the newly coated surrounds "break in." I would urge caution in using such products. If you don't see visible rips in the surround, I would not use such techniques.

4. I have to wonder what kind of wire you were trying to use in replacing the wire in the Jensen crossovers. No such hook-up wire should be insulated with aluminum foil or have multiple layers of insulation. That sounds like some sort of shielded cable.

Most restorers find that only capacitors need replacing in order to restore crossovers to "like new" condition. The exception would be power resistors that show visible evidence of burning, charring, or other indication of excessive heat. Wires which show no signs of suffering from bad soldering or other defective assembly or damage shouldn't need replacing. Of course, if you are after "better than new," be my guest.

5. I use non-polarized electrolytic capacitors from Parts Express in crossover re-capping since that is usually what was originally used and since they are cheap, small, and thus fit in the originally intended space. KLH Model 12 restorers have used film, mylar, and electrolytics and have not heard much difference among the types in this application. You can avoid hot-glue heat problems by just using silicone or acrylic caulk instead. You can also use stapled down wire ties to anchor caps. Or, if they are light, they need not be anchored at all since the wire leads hold them in place.

6. Whenever you work on a speaker, you save and re-use all the original batting. Sure, you can change the sound with more or less or different batting. But if you are after the original sound, you use what was in there--assuming, of course, that a previous owner hasn't already mucked around with the batting.
 

Fred

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2010
296
5
365
Covington, LA
My brother had a pair of AR speakers back in the late 70's. I always thought they sounded very good.

As for vintage gear McIntosh has long been my white whale. I aim to have one of their fine amps in my audio room in the near future.
 

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