I have one pair of AR 3 and one of AR 3a, and have listened to neither yet because they were rescued from a recycling place and I want to rebuild-them-some-day. The AR 3 (early ones) have two salient features: AlNiCo magnets much heftier than later models, and at least very early ones had cabinets made of a Navy post-war overstock of teak wood or some wood very dense and impervious to the elements.
As for the JBLs, I recall they were great for disco music but not really suited for classical music - maybe for jazz. They were great in their days, but if one could show me a JBL Paragon system, now that was the nec plus ultra then, and perhaps even now, with all due foam and crossover rebuilds as mandated by all these dinosaurs.
Pioneer? I had a QX-949 pseudo-quadrasonic, or tetraphonic (but not quadraphonic, a misplaced, mixed-roots neologism, as marketing mavens lured us to remember the technology). I said "Meh!" and sold it. I preferred my Kenwood KA8006 and KT8007, very elegant design and I think at least equal performers to the aesthetically boring Pioneer corresponding amp and tuner. Not to speak of my unequalled Marantz 2275, or better yet my 2270 (two phono inputs awaiting my Empire 498 and B&O 4002), which are awaiting the same fate as my ARs some-day-soon.
As for the JBLs, I recall they were great for disco music but not really suited for classical music - maybe for jazz. They were great in their days, but if one could show me a JBL Paragon system, now that was the nec plus ultra then, and perhaps even now, with all due foam and crossover rebuilds as mandated by all these dinosaurs.
Pioneer? I had a QX-949 pseudo-quadrasonic, or tetraphonic (but not quadraphonic, a misplaced, mixed-roots neologism, as marketing mavens lured us to remember the technology). I said "Meh!" and sold it. I preferred my Kenwood KA8006 and KT8007, very elegant design and I think at least equal performers to the aesthetically boring Pioneer corresponding amp and tuner. Not to speak of my unequalled Marantz 2275, or better yet my 2270 (two phono inputs awaiting my Empire 498 and B&O 4002), which are awaiting the same fate as my ARs some-day-soon.