jldeni

I did. Since I was cracking them open, I wanted to install new pots. I ulled out the old ceramic based wire wounds and replaced them with brand new wire wounds. They work great.

I have not had a lot of time over the past three years to do much in the way of playing with my audio toys, but a guy who works with my wife had this old set of AR2 speakers in his basement for a dozen years that came my way for $0. The cabs were in rough shape and one of the woofers seemed to have a "clicking" sound at certain frequencies. So, since they followed me home, I promised to take them in and care for them. He thought his grandfather had originally purchased them in the late 1950's. I did, in fact, find ads ranging from 1957-1959 for these systems. I am not the best at chronicling every aspect of a project, but this was pretty quick and easy - and I really like the way it turned out. So, just thought I'd share what I have... The gold nameplates were pretty classy looking - not the typical glue-on or stick on. These have a screw post welded to the back. They cleaned up nice, but I decided to leave them looking rather old instead of chancing removal of the lettering. The grills were not easy to remove. There were at least 20 tiny staples holding the frame to the plywood face. The frame was quite flimsy (likely from age) and was hot glued to the plywood. It did not come off intact - but these are readily available for all variations of AR2 cabs - already covered with decent cloth, so I ordered it ahead of time. I sanded the cabs and face down completely and finished them using minwax oil based stains - mixing 70% Gunstock and 30% Special Walnut - and cutting it 50/50 with mineral spirits. I had used this years ago on my Cornwalls and it produces a nice, original looking finish. Then, I finished them with a clear coat of Watco Danish oil. I'm very happy with the results. I had discovered where the clicking noise was coming from with bass freq's. There is a ring of foam material bonded to the woofer cone about an inch from the dust cover. A small area of it had separated from the paper cone and was flapping - creating the noise. I decided to use a rubber cement and reattach the foam ring. It would have been just as effective to remove the ring altogether - I've seen pis of these woofers without the ring but, other than the one section, they seemed to be in good shape - and these are really nice cloth-surround speakers with a heavy alnico magnet. Just wanted to save as much of the original configuration as I could. Crossover component replacement was pretty easy - I replaced the 5K wire wound pot and pulled the old can-type caps - one 6uf and one 2uf and installed a couple of similar-valued polypropylene caps from Dayton. The gasket material sealing the drivers to the cab was very much like plumbers putty except black - and even after all these years it was still soft and pliable. I did not get a pic before cleaning it off, but here is one I found from someone else's files. The tweeters are enclose in a molded plastic unit that was also sealed to the cab with putty.. So, after replacing all of the insulation, I reconnected the driver wires and sealed the cabs with putty. Trimmed the excess to clean it up... Ready for the new grills and to fire up. Finishing touch... I'll report on what I think of these little guys and how they sound in a future post.

Welcome Morgan. I hope you understand the risks of hanging around here and exposing yourself to a full-on case of OCCD.

Glad you found the site. Welcome!

There is something exotic/erotic about Kashmir. Maybe its just my era. Kashmir is my favorite...and for a change of pace I pull up Misty Mountain Hop.

I have to agree. Even the showroom where I auditioned the ML's added a subwoofer to expand bottom end. I can understand the drive to use vintage two channel. When I listen to vinyl it is, basically, through the vintage Klipsch in two channel with very little else except a C1, M-500T and VPI TT. No sub, and typically no other processing unless to adjust for a very bad recording. Sounds just like it did in the 70's. It seems that's what you're listening for. (?)

Did anyone else get their survey in email? At the end, I told them I want Audiophile grade recordings, preferably on 180gm vinyl for any records I purchase. Columbia Record Club Survey

If you can get the ML's for $1K, I would do it. I remember them going for $2500-3500. They have a very clear and transparent character. Are you using a sub (or subs) with your system? If not, it could make a world of difference. I have two M-500T's in my system- one is MKII, the other is not, as well as a Sunfire Signature sub. Not only can I "feel" the music, but my neighbors can as well. I do not play it extremely loud, but I do enjoy music that occupies the whole spectrum. One pair of speakers I have is very efficient-vintage Klipsch Cornwalls, the other set is not efficient-Tesla Sonorous. The 500T's both do a great job with them.

Great story about a very familiar piece. Gotta go listen to it on my main system!

Welcome to the site. Always glad to have another Carver-ite aboard.

I, also, was a member of Columbia record club about 40 years ago. It was a great way to bolster your record collection with lots of "free" deals. However, I also remember that the vinyl was substandard to what you could get in the stores. Recordings were sometimes distorted or the record would have a skip. Also - their customer service was not very good at responding to complaints and they could never actually bill correctly. Of course, it's a whole new world now and I would hope a whole new company - if they are, in fact, coming back.

I have dozens of hours on mine by now. When I first listened, I thought they were a bit lacking in their lower range of 100-120hz or so. However, I discovered that the more I used them the better they seemed to become in this range. Also, through trying different listening levels I decided they are much better when pushed to at least a medium-high volume. They do sound full and rich being driven at around half the power (on average) of my M4.0T, and they do match up well with the Signature sub I'm using. So, yes. I think there is a "loosening up" period as well.

The only problem I had with the mini xlr is it really didn't take much heat to move the pin in its plastic mount. I realized that after touching the first one to tin it and was very careful not to put any pressure on them while soldering. All worked ok when I buttoned them up so I'm happy. The third hand device is a great option - I have the exact unit Z pictured. I picked one up on a whim from Harbor Freight for about $5 and have found it very useful.

Welcome to the site. Good to see another upstate NY member chiming in. That C1 is one heck of a nice pre - and I was always impressed by the CV speaks. You should be able to get a good solid entry level TT in your pice range and KVE will not stear you wrong. However, beware. Hanging around here you are very likely to contract OCCD. Enjoy!

Good choice to add a sub. My main system is using a pair of Cornwalls as well. I love the sound - especially from those horns, but even with the 15" drivers these cabs are only good down to about 27-30 hz. So, I added a Sunfire True Sub "Signature"(low end is 16 hz) and, after taking care of a couple regular maintenance issues that come with a 20+ yo amp, I couldn't believe what I was previously missing from the bottom end.

Growing old is mandatory...growing up is optional. Just sayin'.

It is a very personal choice and may have a lot to do with a lot of different variables ranging from your personal preference and your ears to the type of music and type of room you are equipping. That said, I have a definite passion for horns. Klipsch Cornwalls are my current choice and I find them to be very smooth and extremely efficient. I picked up a vintage pair a few years back for $600 and still very pleased. Currently driving them with a M500 MK II or, sometimes, a M-4.0T. Sooooo much power and such a clean sound!