My system became unplugged for about 6 months and wont restart easily:
The receiver wouldn't start and just lay inactive for about three
hours Everything was dead including the whole tuner section which was
stuck at beginning of the register. No controls worked. Then
suddenly it sprang to life and started working. I am pretty sure I
didnt put any batteries in the compartment at the back to corrode but
is this starting procedure normal?

But then the AR11s (possibly about 20 years olf?) started giving
problems: One seems OK but the other only gives a thin scratchy mid-
range sound and intermittently at that. It sounds like dirty pots or
whatever those controls are behind the three position switches? Or
does this speaker just need new caps on the crossover? Does anyone
know of any instructions on line to get at the cross-over please?
(There seems to be a vintage speaker forum with lots of dead links on
it)

On 10/23/2009 7:14 PM DManzaluni spake thus:

But then the AR11s (possibly about 20 years olf?) started giving
problems: One seems OK but the other only gives a thin scratchy mid-
range sound and intermittently at that. It sounds like dirty pots or
whatever those controls are behind the three position switches? Or
does this speaker just need new caps on the crossover? Does anyone
know of any instructions on line to get at the cross-over please?
(There seems to be a vintage speaker forum with lots of dead links on
it)

I rescued a pair of AR-4xs I got realllly cheap, and both of their
treble controls were shot. I ended up just yanking them out and
disabling them (I left them in physically, just took them out of the
circuit). There's really no need for them anyhow, so far as I can tell.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

On Oct 24, 12:59*am, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 10/23/2009 7:14 PM DManzaluni spake thus:

But then the AR11s (possibly about 20 years olf?) started giving
problems: One seems OK but the other only gives a thin scratchy mid-
range sound and intermittently at that. *It sounds like dirty pots or
whatever those controls are behind the three position switches? Or
does this speaker just need new caps on the crossover? * Does anyone
know of any instructions on line to get at the cross-over please?
(There seems to be a vintage speaker forum with lots of dead links on
it)

I rescued a pair of AR-4xs I got realllly cheap, and both of their
treble controls were shot. I ended up just yanking them out and
disabling them (I left them in physically, just took them out of the
circuit). There's really no need for them anyhow, so far as I can tell.

--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

Yes, I paid $45 for this pair and they have given amazing service for
about a decade or so!! That was why I wanted to try cleaning up the
works a bit and your suggestion is an excellent one: Those switches
don't seem to DO anything. But how do you get at the crossover? Is
this a take-out-the -woofer' job?

On 10/24/2009 8:50 AM DManzaluni spake thus:

On Oct 24, 12:59 am, David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 10/23/2009 7:14 PM DManzaluni spake thus:

But then the AR11s (possibly about 20 years olf?) started giving
problems: One seems OK but the other only gives a thin scratchy mid-
range sound and intermittently at that. It sounds like dirty pots or
whatever those controls are behind the three position switches? Or
does this speaker just need new caps on the crossover? Does anyone
know of any instructions on line to get at the cross-over please?
(There seems to be a vintage speaker forum with lots of dead links on
it)

I rescued a pair of AR-4xs I got realllly cheap, and both of their
treble controls were shot. I ended up just yanking them out and
disabling them (I left them in physically, just took them out of the
circuit). There's really no need for them anyhow, so far as I can tell.

Yes, I paid $45 for this pair and they have given amazing service for
about a decade or so!! That was why I wanted to try cleaning up the
works a bit and your suggestion is an excellent one: Those switches
don't seem to DO anything. But how do you get at the crossover? Is
this a take-out-the -woofer' job?

Yes (assuming the AR-2 is similar to my AR-4x, which I think it is).
Remove the grille, take out the woofer, which gives you access to the
innards. Working on my speakers was pretty easy as I remember.

Since your amplifier undoubtedly has a treble control, you don't really
need those controls anyhow. They're kind of a conceit, I guess, for
audiophools who thought they should "tune" the speakers to their
"soundspace" or whatever.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism

Since your amplifier undoubtedly has a treble control, you don't
really need those controls anyhow.

Many modern amps do not have tone controls, and they aren't likely to be
optimized for even simple "room acoustics" adjustments.


They're kind of a conceit, I guess, for audiophools who thought
they should "tune" the speakers to their "soundspace" or whatever.

Level controls were on speakers long, long before there were "audiophools".

Some rooms are bright or dull, and require some adjustment from the
speakers. Continuously variable controls were gradually replaced with a two-
or three-position switch. Many modern speakers have no controls at all,
probably because the designers don't want the listener screwing with their
work.

My Apogee Divas have a three-position switch for the supertweeter. They're
also biamped through an electronic crossover that allows small adjustments
(no more the +/- 2dB or 3dB) to be made to the midrange drivers, and what
they call the "rake" -- the gradual rolloff of high frequencies often needed
when playing orchestral recordings. There's a also a control that adjusts
the relative output of the woofer and mid/high drivers.

These controls are extremely useful, to say the least. Don't condemn them if
you're never used them.

On 10/24/2009 12:39 PM William Sommerwerck spake thus:

Since your amplifier undoubtedly has a treble control, you don't
really need those controls anyhow.

They're kind of a conceit, I guess, for audiophools who thought
they should "tune" the speakers to their "soundspace" or whatever.

Level controls were on speakers long, long before there were "audiophools".

Some rooms are bright or dull, and require some adjustment from the
speakers. Continuously variable controls were gradually replaced with a two-
or three-position switch. Many modern speakers have no controls at all,
probably because the designers don't want the listener screwing with their
work.

These controls are extremely useful, to say the least. Don't condemn them if
you're never used them.

Well, OK, I'm not condemning them; just saying that it's not the end of
the world if one has to sacrifice their function on a pair of otherwise
very good speakers acquired cheaply.


--
Found--the gene that causes belief in genetic determinism