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Hello: Does anybody own these speakers - Acoustic Research Ar302's? They are a closeout item so they are a few years old.Can anybody tell me what kind of Amp and watts you are using to power these speakers?
I bought a new pair (at a great price) but they are NOT very efficient speakers - Sensitivity: 85 dB (2.83V/M).
I have a Vintage Marantz 2245 (45 watts per channel) right now, but any thoughts on these speakers and this receiver would be helpful. I was told that I should have 50 "clean" Watts to power these. I know the older Marantz's are said to more conservatively rated. The Maratz has preout's so I could add more power...I will know for sure if I need more power on Wednesday when they arrive, but any thoughts now would be helpfull.
I did listen to these speakers about five years ago and they were very impressive.
Thanks
Geo.Kaplan
Follow Ups:
I tried the suggestions in regard to placing the felt as suggested. Results were immediate and apparent just as described by layman(Thanks layman!). I only listened for about an hour or so last night, and I'm not sure if I actually like the change or not. I have very inexpensive and old upstream equipment, and the change may just expose those weak areas more than the way the system sounded before the modification. By the way, the felt cost a whopping 28 cents. Give me some more time and I'll have a more definite opinion...Bill
Very nice speakers. I am listening to them right now. Bought them in May. They are currently connected to a Denon home theater receiver (that's 85 watts of bright, clean power).In my time with the AR 302s, I have discovered that the efficiency rating is accurate. You will need to turn the volume up some to get the same loudness as more efficient speakers. These speakers would seem an ideal candidate for mating to a big, bright, clean sounding Parasound amp (200 to 350 watts into 8-ohms). I would not mate these to a classic sounding tube amp.
The 302s sound a little restrained in the treble (thus the need for an amp that sounds bright, fast, and transparent). On a graph, the treble would begin rolling off at around 10 kHz and be 3dB down at 17 kHz, 6 dB down by 20 kHz.
The AR 302s have an overall "monitor" quality in the mid-range, which translates as a matter-of-fact, unromantic, slightly dry character, which none-the-less sounds unusually truthful and accurate with voices and instruments. On a graph, they would measure ruler flat from 300 Hz to 5 kHz with no crossover dip at 2 kHz, which gives these speakers a nice present quality.
Starting at 300 Hz, output begins to peak up. My ears say it is about 2 to 4 dB stronger between 100 Hz and 300 Hz compared to the main mid-band level. This translates as richness, which is nice because it is not overdone. To keep these speakers light on their feet avoid toeing them in. Toe-in disturbs the nice mid/treble balance and causes the upper bass to boom. Aim the speakers straight-ahead and parallel to the rear wall. Make sure the speakers are at least a few feet from the rear and sidewalls.
Bass extends (in a gentle tapering curve characteristic of an acoustic-suspension design) down to about 35 Hz (again, exactly as claimed) and provides a solid foundation for any genre of music. The bass is not quite as fast as more modern designs, but careful positioning (as outlined above) keeps these speakers sounding punchy and rhythmic.
Musically these are very satisfying transducers, which are naturally sweet and involving sounding and faithfully recreate all genres of music. The transparent mid-band gives this speaker it's musical insight and subtlety.
A couple of tweaks that I highly recommend, is to place a felt ring around the mid-range dome and to place strips of felt along the top and upper sides of the baffle (using a benign adhesive like rubber cement). This reduces diffraction effects and glare and greatly improves imaging and results in a sweet, clean, glare-free treble, presence, and upper-mid response. Also, choose 12-15 inch stands (they need to be sturdy because the speakers are 40 pounds each, which translates into difficult to move but resonance free enclosures) that bring the tweeter to seated ear-level.
One final thought on tube amps...the classic tube balance of a rich upper bass, transparent mid-band, and rolled off treble is far too much of good thing mated to the AR 302s whose frequency response mirrors that shape. Moreover, these are inefficient speakers that need some power and muscle to bring them on song. So, I think big, clean sounding solid-state amps (like the aforementioned Parasound models) might be the best matches. Of course you can get by with lower power (volume, dynamics, and SPLs) for a while.
I am pleasantly surprised at how good these speakers sound. They are capable of embarrassing some much, much more costly transducers. I'd say that you got yourself a steal.
Hello:Thanks for your post. Can the AR 302's be Bi-amped or Bi-wired?
I'm pretty sure they can, but I don't know for sure. Also, you mentioned a "felt ring" for the mid range dome. Is this something I would have to make myself or does somebody make a product like this?Thanks Again
Geo.Kaplan
The AR302s are single-wire only. I would suggest making the felt-ring (as I did) out of fabric store felt. Don't forget to place strips of felt along the upper edges of the baffle(top and both sides). The felt-ring is best used around the mid dome, as use around the tweeter would damp and subdue its output too much. Enjoy.
I forget to mention earlier that the speakers sound best with bare wire connections (even though they will take spade connections or banana plugs). Enjoy.
Hello Layman:Thanks Again For Your Post.I will try out your advice on using felt to improve the sound. Will post a note to let you know how they sound in my setup next week.
Just bought an older turntable (Thorens TD 160) so I have been listening to my record collection (600 Records) which I have not done much of in the past ten years. I have a Sony DVD 3000 which serves as my CD player. I am using a Chase HTS 1 to add rear channel speakers. It's a passive device which leaves the front speakers alone, but it add's some ambiance to the rears. I have come to like this a lot. I also have a Denon DD processor in my Home theater and I got attached to the 5 Channel stereo mode for music. However, I have a pair of Paradigm Studio 40's and with proper placement 2 channels can sound pretty wonderfull too.
Thanks
Geo.Kaplan
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