About the AR90

The Acoustic Research AR90 is one of the most celebrated floorstanding speakers ever produced. Designed in the late 1970s under Teledyne's stewardship of the AR brand, the AR90 was AR's flagship 4-way loudspeaker system and represented the pinnacle of their acoustic suspension engineering. Featuring a 12" woofer, a 6" lower midrange, a 2" upper midrange dome, and a 3/4" tweeter, the AR90 delivers a remarkably coherent and musical soundstage that few vintage speakers can match. Its wide frequency response, tight bass reproduction, and smooth highs made it a reference-class speaker in its day and it remains highly sought after by audiophiles who know what they're listening to.

Condition

These are working, fully functional AR90s that have been actively enjoyed in a real hi-fi system. I've been running them with a NAD preamp/amp stack and they sound absolutely phenomenal: detailed mids, tight and extended bass, and smooth highs with zero distortion or rattling.

That said, I want to be fully transparent:

• The foam surrounds on the woofers have some tears and small holes. This is extremely common on AR90s of this era as the original foam degrades over time. Despite the surround condition, both woofers are functioning and the bass response remains strong. For a buyer looking to restore these to perfect spec, surround replacement kits are widely available and affordable (~$20-30), and it's a beginner-friendly DIY job.
• Cabinets show age-appropriate cosmetic wear consistent with vintage speakers from this era.
• All drivers produce sound, tweeters and midranges are in great shape.
• Grilles are included.

What You're Getting

This is a rare opportunity to own a pair of genuine AR90s, a speaker that competes with and often beats modern speakers costing several times more. Whether you want to recap the crossovers and reseal the surrounds for a full restoration or just plug them in and enjoy the music, these deliver.

Local pickup preferred. Freight shipping available, buyer responsible for shipping costs. Sold as-is, all sales final.