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Stacked AR's anyone?

76.216.2.59
Posted on November 2, 2016 at 21:32:48
sberger
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As the proud owner of a pair of '64 AR 3's, and '74 AR 3a's without enough real estate to set them up in separate systems, I decided to stack them. I'd read positive comments by some AR gurus over at the AR Forums/Classic Speaker Pages so I thought what the hell it's worth a try. The recommendation over there was to stack them horizontally, woofers on the outside, rather then the traditional vertical method. Well, they were right. Amazing, powerful sound that has left me giddy. And they look pretty cool in this arrangement too.

Driving them with a McIntosh 4100 which can play 3 pairs of speakers simultaneously and drive loads down to 2 ohms. It hardly breaks a sweat.

 

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RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on October 25, 2018 at 03:19:34
veloceleste
 .

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on October 22, 2018 at 08:44:46
frankmarsi@verizon.net
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Pending Post by frankmarsi@verizon.net (A) on October 22, 2018 at 08:41:36

In Reply to: Stacked AR's anyone? posted by sberger

I think "INMATE51" said it well!
Sadly, that may already be the situation.
Additionally, unless one is using a separate amp for each set of stereo speakers it will result in distortions of an over-driven amplifier.
It was I who spoke of my stacked AR-LST on "CSP' that surely inspired many folks to attempt the same configuration of stacking. But, I use two separate stereo amplifiers of exceptionally high power and use 'stacked' AR-LST speakers that have multiples of midranges and tweeters thus allowing for a better and balanced sound.
The AR-3 and AR-3a's don't and in-turn facilitate a 'bass-heavy' response.
I tried this years ago with four AR-3a's and the sound was less than acceptable.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on October 22, 2018 at 16:20:01
Inmate51
 Thanks for the confirmation of reality.

And, I noted the Revox A77 MK IV in the photo.

:)

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on January 11, 2017 at 21:53:33
russ69
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Posts: 951
Joined: December 13, 2009
 When I was very young I had a vertically stacked pair of Infinity 1001As. That was a rocking system with 4 twelve inch woofers pounding out the bass. I don't think I ever had that much bass again until I got a pair of Infinity RS1B woofer towers. My room is HOOKED UP!

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 8, 2016 at 20:20:08
Bill the K
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Posts: 8384
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Just wondering how the stack would sound if the speakers are placed vertically with the top one upside down to get a D Appolito configuaration. Curious.

Cheers
Bill

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 9, 2016 at 20:41:21
hahax@verizon.net
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 There's no way to get the geometry of a true D'Appolito by stacking the speakers. First the midranges are too far apart and in true D'
Appolito they are as close as possible(preferably a tweeter diameter apart). Second there are two tweeters is the wrong physical relationship to the mids. A D'Appolito only has one tweeter. Without the correct geometry the D'Appolito dispersion will not occur. You'll just get unpredicted interference affects between the drivers, or as the late, great editor of Hi Fi News, John Crabbe, called it, a sonic wodge of sound when describing the imaging of the AR LST speaker.

 

Dappolita, posted on November 9, 2016 at 20:59:57
Inmate51
 Who cares about dappolita design?

Jeez. You guys need to grow a brain.

Dappolita is BS.

:)

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 8, 2016 at 20:28:29
sberger
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 I had them like that at first, since that is the way I've always stacked speakers. It sounded good. But then I read a post from a guy over at the Classic Speaker Pages/AR forums who had stacked 2 pairs of 3a's, first vertically, then horizontally, and much preferred the latter. I respect his opinion, and gave it a try, and I liked it a lot more. Better soundstage, and while it's probably my imagination, overall tonality seems better, richer. Plus, I much prefer the way it looks, and it's probably safer as well, especially in earthquake country where I'm at. These speakers were designed for both vertical and horizontal placement, so that they sound good both ways is not really a surprise.

 

Thanks (nt), posted on November 9, 2016 at 04:01:34
Bill the K
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 nt

 

The Absolute Sound recommend stacked Advents back in the 70s, posted on November 5, 2016 at 21:35:58
Mike K
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Posts: 13973
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 I never heard such a setup, but I sure did like my single Advents. Kept
those babies for a long time. Sometimes wish I still had them.

It's interesting that Henry Kloss had a big hand in design of both the
ARs and the Advents.

Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

 

Harry also tried triples, posted on November 7, 2016 at 13:03:39
E-Stat
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 using two pair side by side with the third inverted centered over the other two. He always was a power user. :)

I used double New Advents in the garage for years.

 

That's come up a couple times in the Asylum . . . ., posted on November 5, 2016 at 22:28:25
alaskahiatt
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 nt

 

Stacked , posted on November 4, 2016 at 23:46:14
hifitommy
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Posts: 15387
Location: canyon country califiornia, orig from buffalo ny
Joined: June 9, 2000
 i stacked dyna a25s horizontally, on their boxes (painted flat black) before i iknew about good stands. away from the walls though and i STILL had to use a metrotec eq with the lower two sliders down about 4-6db.

added a 1" philips clear plastic dome tweet above 10kHz. sweet.
...regards...tr

 

I think those AR stands are very hard to find., posted on November 4, 2016 at 15:25:14
jtpzenith
Audiophile

Posts: 607
Joined: November 4, 2002
 nt

 

RE: I think those AR stands are very hard to find., posted on November 4, 2016 at 15:38:31
sberger
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The originals yes. These are hardwood replicas made by Ebay seller vintage-ar. Very sturdy and true to the originals.

Based on a recommendation, I'm pricing having some metal stands made similar to the type that was sold for the AR 10pi as an even sturdier alternative. A stand that would be stronger and wider to better accommodate the speakers. We shall see.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 14:18:19
Gary
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Posts: 1294
Location: New York, NY
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 You've hidden the speaker cabling on the left side really well. I can't see it at all.

 

Explains why his amp hardly breaks a sweat. ;) -nt, posted on November 3, 2016 at 19:48:19
Bry
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 nt

 

RE: Explains why his amp hardly breaks a sweat. ;) -nt, posted on November 3, 2016 at 20:16:43
sberger
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 I figured it was safer to only run 1 channel at a time since each channel has 2 speakers. Pretty smart, eh?

 

RE: Explains why his amp hardly breaks a sweat. ;) -nt, posted on November 3, 2016 at 20:32:52
Bry
Manufacturer

Posts: 5610
Location: S. Florida
Joined: July 21, 2005
 Yep, and you can experience those hard-panned stereo albums twice!

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 16:19:02
John Elison
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  Since: January 29, 2004
 I can see it. It goes through the middle break in the curtains and up and out the right side of the curtains across the fire place mantel.

 

yeah, butt......., posted on November 4, 2016 at 04:24:51
vinnie2
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 I don't see it against the left wall. Do you?

 

RE: yeah, butt......., posted on November 4, 2016 at 15:45:27
Inmate51
 It's hard to see 'cause he's not using 12 gauge jacketed twisted pair.

:)

 

RE: yeah, butt......., posted on November 4, 2016 at 12:59:31
John Elison
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 I'm not sure what you mean. His cables come out the back of his stacked AR speakers and go through the center break in the curtains. They exit the curtains at the fireplace mantel and go across the top of the mantle to the power amplifier.

 

RE: yeah, butt......., posted on November 4, 2016 at 10:13:31
Inmate51

John Elison isn't exactly the king of hiding cables. lol

(Just givin' ya a hard time, John.)

:)

 

RE: yeah, butt......., posted on November 4, 2016 at 11:12:23
sberger
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 I was actually going to write the same thing but held my tongue in respect of John's legacy here. Not that a little humor injected into the conversation between 2 long standing Asylum members should ever be taken in anything other then the humor for which it is intended.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 14:25:13
sberger
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 Yeah harder to do on right side. It is what it is.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 18:14:34
painter27
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 Yea, that right side is a mess, but i'am sure your working on it.

; )

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 20:15:46
sberger
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 That's what my wife says.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 11:30:09
Inmate51
 Don't tell anyone that you're placing two tweeters a foot apart, and two midranges a foot apart, and that they sound great. You'll be the laughing stock of audiophiland.

;)

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 11:35:53
sberger
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 I stopped worrying about that stuff a long time ago.

It was Tom Tyson, a long time AR expert over at the Classic Speaker Pages with this post, that had me deciding to try stacking these. I respect him a great deal when it comes to AR.



 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 08:02:43
Mick Wolfe
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 Yep.....but on a smaller scale. I vertically stacked AR4x's back in the day.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 07:30:39
George S. Roland
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Posts: 1470
Location: N W Pennsylvania
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 Handsome-looking setup! Congratulations!

I auditioned AR 11s back in the 70s, but never bought a pair. They were very good speakers.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 07:39:42
sberger
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 Handsome is a perfect description.

I've heard 11's but never owned. Very nice speaker.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 02:37:31
SgreenP@MSN.com
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 I had the same setup....they were very power hungry....I used Phase Linear with smiles.

 

RE: Stacked AR's anyone?, posted on November 3, 2016 at 07:43:43
sberger
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 Yes they are, but the Mac 4100 does a great job driving them. I'm in a fairly small space, and if I get over 10 watts on the power meter, which is about 10 o'clock on the gain, that is LOUD. So my listening habits are quite conservative. I'm nearly 60. This probably wouldn't have been a safe arrangement for me, the amp or the speakers 40 years ago.

 

Nice floor!, posted on November 2, 2016 at 22:19:19
MannyE
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Posts: 2088
Location: Miami Beach
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Smae guy made your floor in California came all the way to Miami Beach...made the same floor...

1938ish build date?

 

Why are the table and chairs in the way? nt, posted on November 3, 2016 at 09:05:14
oldmkvi
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 /

 

RE: Nice floor!, posted on November 2, 2016 at 23:02:50
sberger
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Joined: October 25, 2002
Contributor
  Since: April 3, 2008
 '39. Impressive.

 

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