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AB Tech Services RIP


RoyC

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I just called AB-tech yesterday (7/9/2014).

What I was looking for was not in stock but the gentleman I spoke to told me they would be getting some in by September or October.

ABT has been putting off customers with that line for awhile now. Perhaps keeping options open or selling only remaining inventory.

Roy

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Hi Carl,

Larry has been ABT's best customer, as ABT is/was the only source for "new" AR replacement drivers. Vintage AR, Simply Speakers, etc, were just resellers of these items. Anyway, he has been trying to purchase various woofers and tweeters for some time now. ABT has been telling him the 12 inch woofer, for example, was "expected in" for literally years (it has been 3 or 4 years). More recently he has been trying to acquire more of the tweeters you and I recently worked with, and received the same response. When he called a few days ago he was told long time owner, Alex, was no longer with ABT and no orders would be able to be filled. Perhaps Larry was only referring to the AR end of things (?). I'll try to get more info.

Roy

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  • 3 weeks later...

AB Tech's website is gone, and the original owner is no longer involved with any remaining vestiges of the company. I received an email from Larry today saying "It looks like a long time employee is going to try and continue on with a new company name." We'll see...

Roy

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AB Tech's website is gone, and the original owner is no longer involved with any remaining vestiges of the company. I received an email from Larry today saying "It looks like a long time employee is going to try and continue on with a new company name." We'll see...

Roy

would be neat if they could work with an american supplier to build replacement drivers, like MISCO or eminence.....

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Today I helped Larry unload a trailer of AR parts, speakers, and cabinets he acquired yesterday from ABT. He was invited to visit ABT as the warehouse was being emptied of remaining inventory. In the mix were AR-9's, 90's, 3's, 3a's, 3a Limiteds, 5's and 2ax's in various states of disrepair. I also saw turntable parts and used drivers. Perhaps the best acquisition of all was a case of brand new original AR-9 tweeters, which was unearthed during the purge! These had not been available for many years.

Alex B, the former owner, discussed the costs of having the old drivers reproduced. It is a pretty safe bet we won't be seeing any of these again.

Roy

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Thanks, Roy, for all the recent breaking news and insider updates. Although I never had any direct exchange with AB Tech, I had always assumed they could be considered a reliable go-to source for parts, service and advice. With sourcing for NOS parts now diminishing like any species on the global endangered list, it is all that much more appreciated that people like yourself and Carl (and others) continue to expertly examine, test, and advocate for other available drivers as reasonably suitable replacement drivers for the classic AR speakers.

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The truth is that ABT had not provided replacement parts meeting original specifications for a long time. Fitting the cabinet hole seemed to be the best we could hope for in recent years.

As actual original drivers become increasingly difficult to find for a given model, used AR parts of similar design need to be evaluated for adequacy. For example, various 8 inch AR woofers are proving to be versatile as replacments, regardless of part number or slight physical differences.

Roy

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I sure wouldn't mind having a couple of those AR9 tweeters. I guess they will be showing up on his web site.

Harry,

Larry/Vintage AR does not have a website. You can contact him directly through Ebay, or send me a PM and I'll give you his email address. Be prepared to pay a high price. I believe he was selling used originals for $130 each (+ shipping). I would not be surprised if he lists them for $150 or more.

Roy

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IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC!

Amen.

We can all talk about how a speaker sounds, how a speaker recreates a performance in your room....

But in the end, it *is* all about the music.

The Music.

The Music.

I enjoy very much listening to the 78's that I have of old jazz (and even a few Frank Sinatra shellacs). Is the fidelity up to pace with the current recordings? Absolutely not.

Is the music up to pace with the current recordings? Yes, and probably a whole lot better, imo.

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Amen.

We can all talk about how a speaker sounds, how a speaker recreates a performance in your room....

But in the end, it *is* all about the music.

The Music.

The Music.

I enjoy very much listening to the 78's that I have of old jazz (and even a few Frank Sinatra shellacs). Is the fidelity up to pace with the current recordings? Absolutely not.

Is the music up to pace with the current recordings? Yes, and probably a whole lot better, imo.

As Roy C noted earlier, "Agreed Brother"!

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Crazy stuff. The Chinese can replicate anything on Earth. I am surprised they haven't tackled this and selling them.

Yup.

If you tell them: You have to make this yahzoo pin for a 1960 MG and it can only cost 60 cents they will build one worth 60 cents.

If you tell them: You have to make this yahzoo pin for a 1960 MG exactly like the original they will make it; and it will cost say $1.98.

If you tell them make the best vacuum tube on earth they will build the best vacuum tube on earth.

Some one just needs to ask them and pay them to make them.

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The last batch of AR drivers sold by AB Tech were manufactured in China. Larry was told that the cost for a minimum order of the replica AR 12 inch woofer was around $30,000, but the primary problem was lack of demand.

I tested one of the AB Tech Chinese 12 inch woofer clones for Larry some years ago. The woofer looked great and was well built, but the spider was the wrong part....extremely stiff. It was not even close to spec. It would be very risky to gamble that kind of dough and have something like that happen. (We ended up replacing the spiders and surrounds on the few he had purchased.)

Roy

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Thanks Roy,

He mentions them in his Ebay news letter but no pricing yet.

As far as remaking the AR 12" woofers, I have been meaning to ask my brother in law about making a die to make the basket for them. The cone, spider and magnet I can't help with.

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