So my wife was scouring the internet for another set of Acoustic Research Hi-Res speakers for fathers day, and found someone about 3hrs away selling a set in near-mint condition. These are fantastic speakers that unfortunately, are not available since Acoustic Research went out of business a couple years ago.
The price was good so we made the trek and picked them up. In the set was the following speakers:
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR11 Mains
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR17 Surrounds
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR4C Center
These are a slight step down from the existing set we have, but we have been extremely happy with the speakers, and having all the same brand makes it easier to repair any pieces that need to be fixed, since all the components are the same or similar. The primary set that we have that is going into the HT is:
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR1 Mains
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR15 Mid Surrounds
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR17 Rear Surrounds
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR2C Center
- Acoustic Research Hi-Res AR17 Extras
I am still in the market for a good sub, and am holding out in hopes of finding someone selling an Acoustic Research Hi-Res ARS500 or ARS300.
August 10th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I have a complete set: AR1s, AR2C Center, and AR17 for the rear. I’ve been trying to sell simply because I don’t have enough space anywhere. Do you have any idea what the value on these speakers would be.. they are all in mint condition.
August 10th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Where abouts are you located? I am somewhat interested in the AR1s if you would consider breaking the set.
While the exact value is very difficult to determine, they do have some value. The company went out of business a few years back and the hi-res series was not picked up by the company that acquired the audio division, so many consumers that are simply looking to purchase a set for their home or home theater will not likely be interested in paying what would be a fairly reasonable market value. Your prospective buyers are going to by mid-range enthusiast or entry-level professional, as these are fairly nice speakers, however it takes a certain love to want something like this as they aren’t the cheapest to repair when things go wrong.
Did you replace the set already with a smaller setup, or are you still looking? I have their baby brothers, the AR11 mains, AR17 surrounds, and AR4C center which are a little more space efficient.. Perhaps we can work something out.
That being said, The approximate retail on the AR1 were about 1200-1400 a pair, and while you didnt mention their age, I would estimate that they are anywhere from 8-4 years old, and in mint. I’m certainly not an expert, but I would expect that you could expect to get around 900 for the mains from somewhat that knew what they are, or about 650 from someone just looking for a set of speakers, depending on your need to sell them.
The center channel is a solid, nice sounding center. It retailed for about 400 or so, and I would expect around 250 or 200 (same buyer conditions apply).
The AR17s I don’t know exactly what the retail was, but If I recall they were around 350 a pair, and would expect about 200/150 for them. I recently bought a pair on eBay for 175. Their bigger brother, the AR15 would net a slightly larger amount, but not much.
Feel free to email me at jim@onebadpixel.com if you would like to discuss these in further detail, or discuss some possible arrangement to move them for you.
Jim