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Acoustic Research 302 mid range trauma..Please Help

Hello everybody..I have had a pair of AR 302 speakers, a more modern commemorative model to the AR 3, in black that I bought while living in CO several years ago and soon found they were one of my favorite speakers, a close 2nd behind the Allison 2's which are a close 2nd behind Kappa 8's..I'm now back home in east TN and recently bought my first house ever at age 60 last Spring..then 3 mos ago a neighbor's full grown Oak tree fell over and through the roof into my bedroom where the 302's were sitting knocking one flat on it's face and pretty much destroying the mid range..With the flooding this region had a few weeks ago slowing my home owner's insurance down it's been the past few days they've been wanting me to send in everything that was damaged, so even though I haven't sent pics of the speakers yet I will add them later today to this discussion..The metal cage over the mid is pushed in quite a bit and the white foam ring is a gonner but not sure how bad the actual dome is but it's pushed in concaved and will definitely need somebody good at this kind of thing to repair the speaker, even if it can be..I've looked everywhere I know to look for a pair of replacements but these 302's and 303's were a commemorative kind of speaker to the AR 3's and pretty rare to begin with..I've pretty much settled on trying to find somebody to try repairing this mid range speaker but of course finding a pair or even a single to replace it would be my first choice..Anybody have anything useful suggestions?

128x128kenyer
elliottbnewcombjr
5,341 posts
 

I restored two pairs of AR-2ax’s, and love them, never hear 3’s or 302’s

if you prefer the allison 2’s and more prefer the kappa 8’s, what makes you want to fix the least preferred damaged ones that are very old in any case?

 

 

kenyer's avatar
kenyer OP
7 posts
 

I have a small hoard of mostly vintage high end audio and it's a passion I've had for a very long time so these being a rare model of speaker to begin with and from one of the more iconic brands and the fact they do sound very good and I've had the crossovers upgraded using expensive capacitors,  I'd much rather keep them as a pair of my regulars than spend the 5 or 6,000.00 it would take to buy anything new that would equal them..Or the close to 2,000 it would cost for something used with how everything has quadrupled in price since I bought these  : ) as one example I also have a pair of JBL 4312A's, L5's, Monitor Audio Silver 8's and they, to my own opinion, aren't as enjoyable to listen to..I'll add that I'm not in the financial class to really be into this audiophile world and what I've been able to acquire has been over at least 25 yrs and I do my best to keep everything I have in like new condition..Sorry, I didn't mean to say all that, nor am I upset at your question, but I guess I just got started and well........

elliottbnewcombjr
5,341 posts
 

well, you just need patience to find oem replacements.

any history of people substituting a different mid?

pair in Italy for 300 euros

you would need to negotiate shipping, or some sort of drop/pack ship similar to ups pack and ship whereby the seller simply drops off unpackaged item in your name, that's how I got one of my pairs of AR 2ax's. , but here in usa.

elliottbnewcombjr
5,341 posts
 

they repair ar-3 mid ranges

they seem quite involved with ar 3, 3a ...

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