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LST vs AR3a quadraplex speculation


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I am not a modder a tweeker or an upgrader but the Kitchen is closed and I don’t think my question is really appropriate for the AR speaker thread.

I have seen but never heard LSTs and have given up on owning a pair but have often wondered if they were really an AR3a on steroids. They have the same drivers as a 3a, the only differences being the quantity of drivers, the configuration and the associated crossover.
My question is to anyone who can provide an informed opinion is this: Would the sound of 4 pairs of AR3as be about the same as 1 pair of LSTs? Assume adequate power in whatever form you choose for the 3s and assume the 3s would be positioned to emulate the irregular semi-hexagonal shape of the LST. The reason I ask is that for me, 4 pair of 3s is much more likely to happen than a pair of LSTs. Hey I am just asking, I don’t know that I would ever actually do it.

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Other than the number of higher frequency drivers, the LST's variable transformer settings are significantly different than the 3a's simple pot adjustments. These settings affect the woofer as well as the mids and tweeters. To me, the LST is a much cleaner sounding speaker than the 3a, and multiplying the number of AR-3a's would only enhance the less desirable aspects of the 3a relative to the LST. 4 woofers vs 2 would present differences from the start...not to mention the insanely low impedance of 2 AR-3a's per side (two amps would be needed).

Roy

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Please understand I am not trying to justify or defend this but I was thinking that there would be a preamp an equalizer and 1 smallest crown amplifier per pair for a total of four power amps. From experience I already know that that many 12" ARs can create a muddy mess without some sort of control. I suppose you could do the same thing with 4 pair of AR verticals and maybe get "cleaner" sound. The objective is this: On some types of music I prefer to "flood the zone" and I almost never concern myself with "imaging", as in the positioning of individual performers in space.

It has occurred to me that this could be done with multiple pairs of small 2 ways and Subwoofers but then it becomes much more of driver or sound integration issue. The AR drivers are already integrated and I like the ease with which ARs can be dialed in.

Adams

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I'm just responding to your question "Hey I am just asking" with an opinion. Your plan could very well sound great, but based on my experience it still won't sound "like" a pair of LST's. Imo, the 3a does not sound enough like an LST to begin with, despite the similarities and your conjecture. The transformer's influence, and multiple tweeters/mids/one woofer array are simply different in character.

Roy

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Roy

Thanks. I would also be concerned about 8 woofers carrying the Middle C region of music which contains the much of the human voice. Maybe the LST transformer deals with that issue differently and with a single woofer.

Perhaps multiple pairs of nines................

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Roy

Thanks. I would also be concerned about 8 woofers carrying the Middle C region of music which contains the much of the human voice. Maybe the LST transformer deals with that issue differently and with a single woofer.

That is my primary concern. The LST is much better in this area, and generally more balanced through the entire spectrum.

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On ‎5‎/‎17‎/‎2015 at 6:18 PM, RoyC said:

I'm just responding to your question "Hey I am just asking" with an opinion. Your plan could very well sound great, but based on my experience it still won't sound "like" a pair of LST's. Imo, the 3a does not sound enough like an LST to begin with, despite the similarities and your conjecture. The transformer's influence, and multiple tweeters/mids/one woofer array are simply different in character.

I started this thread almost three years ago, at the time a little more ignorant than my current state.  I am now confident there is no practical, cost effective, way to make four pairs of AR3as perform like 2 pairs of LSTs.  This thread should be terminated and ignored.

 correction: 1 Pair of LSTs

Adams

Edited by Aadams
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On ‎25‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 5:58 AM, Aadams said:

 

 

Hi there

I thought I would  jump in here.

I have both speaker systems, AR-3A's first and LST's later.

When the opportunity to demo a pair of LST's in my house came up in the mid '70's, I jumped at it.

I had the 3A's for several years of ownership and almost constant usage, so I had in intimate opinion of their capabilities.

To add another point here is that I also had a Crown DC-300A amp and IC-150 preamp on another weekend loaner and after only a few minutes of listening again, the 3A's were outstanding reproducers on their own.

In this case the electronics made all the difference, and they also were returned.

My feeling after only a few minutes of usage with an AR amp was that the LST's were at least double the 3A's or at least considerably better.

This was a weekend test setup and I returned them after the weekend, no WAF.

I am sure I pouted for many, many weeks until in the mid 1990's when I bought a used and abused pair of LST's.

Still not having the money or brains to turn down yet another used pair, I bought another used pair a few years later.

No, I haven't stacked them, or placed Microstatic array tweeters on top of them.

If you keep your eyes open, try to find an original pair of LST's as mint as possible.

In my opinion, if you were to build your own cabinets, and be given brand new drivers and use the AR-3A crossover you would likely be happy with them, even with them being audibly less than real LST's.

The LST's are great reproducers but they are only speakers.

Vern 

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