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AR91 replacement drivers?


Frosti

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I have acquired a pair of ar91, with out any of the drivers :blink: But surely someone here must have a good list of drivers that can replace them :D

There are no new drivers available for your cabinets. Used originals are your only choice. It will not be an inexpensive project.

Roy

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There are a lot of things that piss me off and one of them is when people pull drivers from some great vintage speakers to make a few more dollars on fleaBay. Geez, people!

Good Luck. A few mids and tweets on fleaBay. One woofer. (Did they leave you the crossover?)

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This is becoming more & more common.

Parting out an AR-9 for example, could easily bring twice as much money as selling a working pair, and with no concern over having to ship those behemoths.

And there would be plenty of incentive to do this, because the parts are all extinct & sought-after, and the street value of a working AR-9 is preposterously low.

The AR-90 and 91 also fit into this category of worth-more-dead-than-alive, because they have so many drivers & parts in common with the AR-9.

Anyway, if you're looking for parts for these systems, I wouldn't advise limiting your search to sellers who are pure of heart...you might be waiting awhile. ^_^

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This has pissed me off too, but there is little we can do about this...business is business. If we are prepared to pay twice as much money for working AR9 pair, would it double prices of drive units? Maybe buying alive speakers makes more sense?

Best Regards

Kimmo

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This has pissed me off too, but there is little we can do about this...business is business. If we are prepared to pay twice as much money for working AR9 pair, would it double prices of drive units? Maybe buying alive speakers makes more sense?

Best Regards

Kimmo

A good question.

The value of extinct speakers is certainly affected by more than the quality of their actual performance, otherwise people would prefer the AR-91 to say, the AR-3a.

Something other than performance has driven the street value of the 3a beyond even that of the AR-9, let alone the 91; but a working AR-3a is still worth much more than the sum of its parts, while a functioning AR-9 is a goldmine for anyone with a screwdriver.

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We should also remember that most working vintage speakers are sensibly priced compared to good new speakers. One can question if vintage JBL Paragon or Goodman´s Axiom 80 prices are sensible... but new Wilson Audio Grand SLAM´s and Tannoy Westminsters are not cheap either.

Good thing with these vintage models is that there is usually much to do to make them sing... unfortunately when this has been done, at least I have to find new project. With new speakers or other audio gear you would probably concentrate more to listening music. I do not know which way is the best way...

Best Regards

Kimmo

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is true for large speakers in general. Primary reason is shipping cost.

A complete AR9 pr can be purchased for $500-$700...this price range is repeatable. However shipping of these speakers would easiliy cost another $500+, giving a total cost that is more in line with their perceived value.

Certain "collector" speakers seem to defy this cost-shipping relationship. AR1 (with WE driver included), AR3 and 3a obviously, but also older JBL and Altecs.

On the other hand, parting out a less valuable speaker can be profitable and can be accomplished at a greatly reduced shipping cost.

Best,

Ross

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  • 3 weeks later...

I got the crossovers with the speakers and a couple of parts his dad used to ,,fix'' his AR-9's. The guy bought these 91's to fix the 9's. I renewed the grill cloth and next on schedule is fixing up the box. I have a marantz tweeter and an unknown midrange that fit in like a glove but I have to make a bracket so I don't have to damage the box for the 12inch jamo's :P . Hopefully these drivers will be a adequate replacement until I get my hands on original spec drivers. :rolleyes:

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Many of Larry's items are listed on Ebay as "Vintage AR". I see him weekly and I'm certain he has a number of used mids and woofers, as well as some new old stock tweeters for the AR-91. (The items he acquired were from AB Tech Services, not Simply Speakers.) Cost will be around $325 per AR-91 cabinet.

Frosti, even if you are able to get the drivers you mentioned to fit the cabinets, there is no chance you will end up with speakers that sound like AR-91's. If you are interested in talking to Larry, send me a PM and I can put you in direct contact with him.

Roy

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  • 1 month later...

I was offered to buy pair of AR9 speakers that most likely were mine in mid 80´s. This pair is supposed to be now in good working condition, maybe condition 8 on scale of 10. Veneer is supposed to be in good condition, with usual flower pot marks on top of the cabs.

If anyone interested in Finland or near... I will gladly give contact information anyone who is not parting this original pair and is going to use them alive.

Best Regards

Kimmo

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Hi Kimmo,

Nice of you to let other know about this speaker. It will be a shame to butcher it for parts. Hopefully, someone close to you will read your post.

All the best,

André

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