Acoustic Research AR-3a Vintage Speakers, Very Good Condition and Fully Tested

Acoustic Research AR3a Speakers

One of the most sough after and best speaker AR made in this era.  Second only to the AR3 

Gorgeous wood finish and grill fabric combination makes this the best looking package.  

All driver are in perfect working condition and have been thoroughly tested though the frequency range in our lab. 

The woofers have been re-foamed in order to ensure another 20 years of reliable use.  the potentiometers were cleaned and are super quiet. 

The cabinets are simply stunning.  No deep or noticeable scratches anywhere which is pretty rare for a speaker this age.   The labels in the back are mostly intact although look a bit rough.  

The item will be professionally packaged and insured for safe transit to your home. 

Available for pickup in Ridgewood, NJ or Union Square NYC.

NJ Residents will need to pay NJ Sales Tax

Use the buy it now button and we will cover the PayPal fees.

Thanks for looking and be sure to call 646 852 2073 with any questions. 

Please visit our Audiogon e-store to see the rest of the items we have for sale www.audiogon.com/stores/skyfi

Some background on the AR3a

Acoustic Research AR-3a

The AR-3a is a three-way speaker and measures approximately 25” x 14” x 11½ ” inches and weigh about 46lbs each. It´s cabinet is made of real walnut veneer, grills are mostly cream colored. Each speaker has a 12 inch woofer, a dome midrange and a ¾ inch dome tweeter. High and mid-frequencies can be additionally adjusted at the back of each speaker. I can recommend to place the AR-3a´s on small stands, in this case solely to keep them a little cleaner and safer.

The sound of the AR-3a´s is very warm, but clear. Considering the fact that the speakers are nearly 50 years old, their bass is strong too. However, not rock or heavy bass music, but music with classical instruments or in general classical music lets these speakers shine. A big pro for these speakers is the huge variety of replacement parts available. 

R-3a Quote from 1970

A quote from the original Acoustic Research owner´s manual: The Ar-3a is the best home speaker system we know how to make. It has been designed to reproduce music as accurately as present day knowledge of acoustics and electronics permits. In addition to incorporating the 305mm (12in) bass driver with which AR introduced its acoustic suspension systems to home listeners, the AR-3a was the first speaker system to use two miniature hemispherical speakers developed by AR to give better midrange and high-frequency response. The new miniature speakers offer an unprecedented degree of accuracy in their respective ranges. 

The design of such small speakers – one is only 19mm (3/4 in) in diameter – although technically difficult, allows the laws of physics to operate to the listener´s advantage. While larger speakers must beam high frequencies straight forward, AR´s hemispheres instead spread these frequencies through a wide angle, considerably improving the realism of music reproduction for listeners in all parts of the room." (Quote out of my old AR-Manual, 1970ies)

Acoustic Research AR-3a Specifications:

Drive Units: 305 mm (12 in) acoustic suspension woofer, 38 mm (1 1/2 in) midrange hemispherical dome, 199 mm (3/4 in) high-frequency hemispherical dome.

Crossover: 575 Hz, 5000 Hz

Impedance: 4 ohms nominal

Controls: Midrange and high-frequency driver level controls

Amplifier: Up to 100 watts per channel

Size: 356 x 636 x 289 mm deep ( 14 x 25 x 11 3/8 in)

Weight: 24 kg (53 lb)

Woofer resonance: Free air 18 Hz, in enclosure 42 Hz

Volume of enclosure: 48.2 litres (1.7 cu ft)

WHO WE ARE 

Skyfi.nyc is a small startup business specializing in the purchase, reconditioning and reselling of select high end audio equipment.  We only buy equipment the we admire and are passionate about.  No mid-fi, no gimmicks and no junk.  

Each piece of equipment is cosmetically restored and fully tested in our well-equipped lab by an engineer with 30+ years of experience in the Hifi world.  If it does not meet or exceed the original manufactures specifications, it will not be sold.  We are select about the equipment we purchase, focusing on mostly analog, high-build quality, American and European built units.

Through our sister company, which is an authorized dealer for McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, ClearAudio, Project and Sony ES, we have access to OEM parts and service support.  If you are local and are looking for any new equipment for the above mentioned manufacturers, please drop us a line as we can arrange both sales and professional installation in the tri-state area

PURCHASING GUIDELINES

If you would like to make an offer, please don't email or message us unless you are looking to trade something in.  

If we are accepting offers, you will see a button on the listing page to do so.  Please use it, as it is very hard to track offers through email or messaging.  This way, we are all also better protected.   If you don’t see a “offer” button its because we are not taking offers on this item.  Please don’t bother to make one.  

PAYMENTS

We prefer working through PayPal, which allows you to use a credit card or bank transfer.  We do not charge extra for any payment fees.  You can also send us a personal check (which will need to clear before shipping), certified check, money order or wire transfer.  International clients without access to PayPal should use a bank wire transfer. 

If you are picking up an item, we don not accept PayPal, you must pay in person with cash, certified or bank check or wire transfer.  If you make a PayPal payment it will be returned. 

TRADE IN POLICY 

We accept trade-ins of equal or lesser value under certain conditions.  Simply ask and let us know the exact model, condition and what accessories are included such as a box, remote, manual, etc.  We will only consider high-end equipment from mainstream manufacturers such as McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Krell, etc. and will typically pass on displays, projectors, receivers, dated processors and mid-fi equipment of any type.  We will offer a fair value for your equipment, but keep in mind we are running a business and will need to be able to sell the equipment at a profit after investing a great deal of time and resources in testing, certifying, repairing, cleaning and packaging the incoming equipment.  If you are looking for top dollar we suggest attempting to sell it directly to an end user.  

SELL US YOUR GEAR (Working or Broken)

We will also purchase your used or broken gear and arrange pickup if you are in our local market.  Just drop us a note for a quote, but be sure to include the condition and what is included.  

HOW TO VISIT US

We are currently operating from a residence in Ridgewood, NJ.  You are welcome to make an appointment if there is a piece of equipment you would like to see in operation before or after purchase.  We have a well-equipped, dedicated listening room with tons of equipment of all makes and models.  We are not a store, so please don’t make an appointment if you are just curious as to how a speaker or piece of equipment sounds.  In essence, no tire kickers please.  

If you are in NYC and cannot make it out to Ridgewood, we can arrange pickup in Union Square (14th Street) after the purchase.   You can call or text  (646) 852-2073 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.  We can also arrange to install, calibrate and tune the gear in your listening room if you are in the local area.  This is super useful when purchasing large speakers or heavy amplifiers.  It is also great for ensuring your new turntable is setup correctly in its final resting place.  

Thanks for looking and please send us your email address if you would like to receive a list of the equipment we receive from time to time.  We promise not to bombard you with junk email.