Fried A-3 speakers

Jperry,

I have owned 2 pair of A3s now for almost 10 years and can tell you quite a bit. First, they are superbly balanced IMO, being neither too forward, bright, dark, etc. The extend to 38Hz on paper but don't sound that low, more like 45-50 to me. Their midrange is extremely uncolored, they have superb transient response, and their treble is non fatiguing and extended. Bass is very good but not quite the same caliber as their miss/highs. My only criticism is that compared to my Spendor 1/2Es, frequencies below 100Hz sound a bit thick, and some air is lost. They use a PhaseTech tweeter no longer made and Carbonneau woofers. 90db sensitivity. Mine image great, and they have superb rhythm. They are speakers that always make me smile when I listen to them...I paid $130 for the first pair and $450 for the second because I was going to have pair #2 even if I had to pay a fortune. If you can find a pair, GET them!

I also had a pair of A6s and would have them to this day had I room in my collection. I also sent my A6 crossovers to someone in Charlotte, NC who was to build new ones (previous owner had modified them). He kept them and the $250 worth of crossover components I sent him, never to hear from him again (he's lucky I didn't find out where he lived). The A6s are similar but have a higher crossover point (2800Hz), different tweeter type (same brand), and different woofers and surrounds (Gefco). The A6s, though, have the best bass transients I have ever heard in a dynamic speaker, and they have AWESOME bass.

Trelja,
I appreciate the schematic offer but no longer have the A6s. I actually have the schematic, and I sold them to a friend who made his own. In retrospect, I should have kept them but had lost my job and moving to an appt that had no room for them...ahh, such is life! I

Jperry,

Good job on getting them, and I have used my 19" VTI stands to good effect, putting the tweeter at ear level. For years, though, I used slightly higher stands, and they still sounded good. BTW, I bought my first pair from a Fried dealer who had used A3s as his personal speaker since the 80s. He had them hooked up to a pretty cheap Yamaha received, and they sounded great at his home. They're 90dB efficient with a benign load, so they sound good on anything from 25W on up...post an update when you get these puppies up and running. I think you are going to like them.