DIY speakers using old cabinets

[mafia1976]

I've recently purchased a pair of AR-162 (teledyne?) speakers with all damaged drivers & would like to replace the drivers & build my own C/O
Can any one help me with the specs I might need please as google really doesn't give me much. Thanks

[mdocod]

Well...

Start taking measurements. Box dimensions, box wall thickness, vent diameter/length, speaker cutout sizes, speaker positions, pictures would be nice. A wiring diagram of the existing C/O would be a good idea as it may be possible to re-use some or all of it, we'll need a budget and where you live (country) because different products are available in different places.

Then... Accept that the outcome will probably never be as refined as the originals, but the potential for a functioning, "acceptable to most ears" result is very real.

[mafia1976]

Unfortunately I'm still waiting delivery all I know is Speakers are 93cm tall 23.5cm wide & 35cm deep. They have 2 8inch drivers a 6inch mid & tweeter!
I have no idea of any other spec & after searching several days found very little. I'm from uk & have been looking at several replacements but would like to find the exact spec. Have you heard anything about these speakers any info would be very appreciated.

[picowallspeaker]

Hi , I found very little information on an italian forum with google search , the guy had only the woofers with rotten suspension , the mid and tweeter was ok.
He replaced them with some car ( 4Ω) woofers in series connection , after making some mistakes with the C/O , like putting them in parallel .

But if you have only the cabinet and the C/O , and the speakers are not working at all ...it would be better to work from scratch .

[dabbler]

So, all drivers are dead, you've just bought a second hand pair of cabinets then?

To avoid having your design choices limited by the original driver cutouts, you may as well attach a new baffle to the front and start fresh.

What is your budget?

[mafia1976]

Apparently they still work so might be able to replace the foams & dust covers.
But worst case scenario I'd like to use the same set up if possible as this is my first attempt at building speakers & crossovers etc. Building a new baffle shouldn't be too hard it's the C/O & speaker match that im worried about. Budget is approx £300 if it's possible.

[speedie]

just out of interest how much did you shell out for the boxes?

[mafia1976]

I paid £15.99 +P&P & includes speaker cable although not sure if branded. I thought It was a good price

[mdocod]

This is an excellent place to start for simple C/O design: Introduction to designing crossovers without measurement

I would highly recommend taking it to the next step and learning how to utilize simulation software. I personally use WinISD, SPLTrace, and Speakerworkshop. There are tutorials around the web (google can find them) for how to use all of this software and it is all free.

Eric

[system7]

I always am interested in old Acoustic Research designs, here the Spirit 162 ca. 1990 @ $1200.


The foam surrounds are an essential part of the AR acoustic suspension design, but do rot after 10-20 years. Replaceable, of course:
Acoustic Research Speaker Foam Edge Repair Kit, 6.5", FSK-6.5
Surround Kit For 6-1/2" Speaker Foam 260-915

A restoration thread:
Forum - Acoustic Research - AR-142, AR SPIRIT 142
General info and a recommend to read "Restoring the AR-3A" to get a grip on the issues:
About | The Classic Speaker Pages

Hope it helps. Dried up ferrofluid in the tweeters is something that can crop up too. If you want to do something more drastic, I expect Troels Gravesen would be a good place to start:
DIY Loudspeaker Projects Troels Gravesen