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I still have my AR 3a speakers from 1975. Still sound great.
Description: Mirror-image system incorporating separate direct-sound and ambience speakers in each of two cabinets. Comes with electronic control and amplification unit. Driver array, direct sound portion: two 8" acoustic-suspension subwoofers in separate sub-enclosures, two 4" acoustic-suspension midrange drivers in separate sub-enclosures, and a dual dome drive unit with a 11/2" upper midrange dome and a ¾" tweeter dome. Driver array, ambience portion: one 6" woofer, one 1" dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 220, 1100, and 5300Hz using phase-aligned filterss. Frequency response: 39Hz32kHz, 3dB (direct sound), 450Hz6kHz (ambience).
Dimensions: 52" H by 26" W by 16" D. Weight: 150 lbs (loudspeaker); 4" H by 17" W by 12" D. Weight 22 lbs (electronic control and amplification unit).
Price: $3650/pair (1985); no longer available (2015).
Manufacturer: Teledyne Acoustic Research, Canton, MA 02021 (1985); Acoustic Research division of Audiovox/VOXX International (2015). Web: www.acoustic-research.com.
I still have my AR 3a speakers from 1975. Still sound great.
Shades of the Concert Grand SI from ESP Loudspeakers? Even though those were more meant to derive from the Beveridge line source, rather than being a very low dispersion radiator with delayed ambience drivers, there are some similarities in terms of general form factor and how various drivers aim off from the central axis, imo.
I like some of the theoretical ideas at work here, and wonder what could be done with a modern implementation.
i have Ken's old pair of MGC-1's that i was able to restore with the help of a friend. i couldnt procure a working MGC-1e ambient controller, so i use an HT receiver to drive both driver arrays, using the front arrays as main speakers and the side firing array as surround speakers.
i also installed a center speaker and dedicated sub to outfit the system. this works quite well, but i do not employ a delay to the side arrays and instead rely on the receivers dsp abilities to reproduce stereo recordings in a 5.1 mode. surround recordings are reproduced in true 5.1 with glorious results.
i have yet to hear the MGC-1 as they were designed to be used, but my modern version of implementation is jaw-droppingly good.