Acoustic Research Bookshelf Speakers

[rwatson]

I am visiting my parents in the northeast this week and happened to stop in an electronics store that is going out of business. It had mostly old computer equipment, but as I walked out I saw a couple pairs of AR bookshelves. The model numbers on the price tags were 401 and 301. I took the grill off of one of the 401s and found a tweeter in a shallow horn, a midrange, and a 7 or 8-inch bass driver. I did not see a port. The finish and grilles look like my old college roommates AR303s. The 401s were about the same size as Polk's RT55s. The 301s slightly smaller.

Has anyone ever heard of these speakers? How do they sound? What would be a fair price? (The price they had on them seemed like a bargain.) If anyone can point me to a review of these or just some general information I would appreciate it.

[George Grand]

Around Oct 1994, for the 40th annie of the founding of the company, AR came out with a speaker line that was a commemorative line. They were using older models as targets. The AR303 was supposed to be an AR-3a, the AR302 was supposed to be a new AR-5. If they are NOT ported speakers, they MAY be part of that line, and perhaps the last sealed box speakers the company manufactured. Ironic seeing how it was the acoustic suspension speaker that put them on the map. There was also another speaker in that line, the AR338, a three way 8" sealed box. I don't know what the target for that would have been.
Prices - The 303's were going for $479/pair plus shipping recently, but I think they may all be gone. The 302's, a three way 10", IS $248-319/pair plus shipping. The 338's were selling as low as $199 pair maybe less, until they sold out. The original retails for the 303/$1300, 302/$1,000. The company that was/is selling these is www.accessories4less.com

George Grand (of the Jersey Grand's)