September 2001 Reviewed by Jeff Fritz	Acoustic Research Hi-Res Home-Theater Speaker System

Description Model: AR3 speakers Price: $1250 USD per pair Dimensions: 43.7"H x 10.6"W x 19.125"D Weight: 92 pounds each Model: AR2C center-channel speaker Price: $600 USD Dimensions: 8.7"H x 19"W x 12"D Weight: 35 pounds Model: AR15 surround speakers Price: $500 USD per pair Dimensions: 14.32"H x 8.7"W x 8.125"D Weight: 36 pounds each Warranty: Five years parts and labor	Features Magalloy midrange drivers High-excursion woofers Titanium-dome tweeters Energy Control foam baffle Bob Carver/Sunfire 300W 12" powered subwoofer (AR3) Low frequency trim control centered at 30Hz (AR3) LFE input (AR3) Magnetically shielded Black ash or cherry wood-grain finish Heavy-duty dual binding posts

Acoustic Research is a company with great name recognition and a long, successful tradition. Most audio and home-theater enthusiasts can at least tell you the name of an early model or two, even if they never owned a set themselves. When I was given the opportunity to choose an AR system to evaluate for Home Theater & Sound, I was pleased to be able to choose from some rather forward-thinking designs that offered, seemingly, a ton of value and performance for a reasonable price.

Such as the Acoustic Research Hi-Res speaker system, under review here, which is priced at $2350 and provides a full 5.1 system, including powered subwoofers. This particular setup gets you a pair of AR3 towers for your mains, AR15s for the surrounds, and an AR2C center-channel speaker. Where is the subwoofer? Built in to the AR3’s side walls! A 12" 300W Bob Carver-designed powered subwoofer is built in to the lower portion of each AR3. This design feature includes a full complement of controls on the rear, including a 30Hz trim pot and RCA input facilities for the LFE output of a receiver.

This is a neat idea for several reasons. First, you don’t have to incur the additional expense of adding, in this case, two powered subwoofers to your system. Also, the floor space saved could be important in a lot of domestic environments. I’m sure a number of systems have been sold for these reasons alone. When you tell the significant other that buying these speakers will help you avoid adding a huge powered subwoofer or two in the corner, points are scored for sure! It really makes sense for the consumer because in this case the mains and subs come in at a price competitive with many manufacturers’ left and right pairs alone.

The Hi-Res speakers, although varying in size and complexity, share a number of familial traits with each other. The AR2C center-channel speaker’s driver array consists of a midrange-tweeter-midrange arrangement, as does that of the AR3. There is also an additional woofer in the AR2C, this time a bottom-mounted passive 6.25" unit. I thought this was a clever approach, since the woofer is placed between the cabinet proper and the speaker base-plate, saving space while providing additional bass extension. Moving up in frequency, each speaker has a distinctive green-colored 1" titanium-dome tweeter. Sans grilles, this gives the impression of pure hi-tech embellishment, sure to impress your friends from a visual perspective. A layer of varying-density foam, which is said to control the dispersion of the tweeter, surrounds the entire driver array.

The AR15s, used as surrounds, employ a single 6.5" midrange/woofer, making them a more conventional-looking two-way design. Two sets of large metal binding posts are provided on the back of each cabinet for secure connection of speaker wire. The entire system is finished in a vinyl veneer, which is average in appearance and quality.

At the movies

The Acoustic Research Hi-Res speaker system is as impressive when reproducing certain aspects of movie soundtracks as any system I have auditioned at the price. This all starts with substantial dynamics and an extended LFE reproduction. The two 12" subwoofers have clean response down to 25Hz in my room. This is sufficient for the vast majority of movie soundtracks and musical scores you are likely to encounter. The train scene in Unbreakable is a good example, because it has clean sustained low bass that energized the entire room. The AR3 subwoofers pumped out wave after wave of deep bass, which give the viewer a very real sense of scale. Shortchanging this scene with sub-par LFE reproduction detracts mightily from the movie. The train sounded absolutely real through the AR3 system! Bass power is exceptional and distortion seems low as the dual subs combine for a realistic, dramatic portrayal of this scene.

Transitioning from super-low rumbling to more punch and slam, the AR3 was equally impressive. The mainstay DVD U-571 is a great test here, with its depth-charge scene -- now ingrained in my memory after a year of shows where this demo material was played unendingly. The power and impact of the explosions were clearly felt and heard, showing a good blend between the AR3’s subwoofers and the midbass punch provided by the twin mid-woofers. It’s a great advantage when you don’t have to fuss much with subwoofer integration. That is exactly what you get with the AR3 anchoring the system.

Lest you think the Acoustic Research speaker system is a one-trick pony with its powerful bass, let me assure you that it does have other endearing qualities as well. The use of similar, if not identical, drivers in the midrange and high frequencies is at least partially responsible for a rather seamless surround presentation. As the blades of the helicopters in Vertical Limit "whupp-whupped" over our heads, my wife and I couldn't detect any hesitation or drop out. Most impressive was the sense of the helicopter's immense mass, which is reflected in the soundtrack for dramatic effect. The scale was nearly the same in each vector of the room as the 360-degree pan took place -- the helicopter appears to occupy the entire ceiling. It would be interesting to hear four AR3s just to see how much better this overwhelming image could be reproduced with equal-power speakers in the front and at the rear positions of the room. I can’t imagine it being improved upon greatly, which is a testament to the chunky AR15 surrounds' ability to keep pace with their larger brethren.

Dialogue intelligibility was quite good too. In Unbreakable, Samuel L. Jackson’s trademark voice, which most movie lovers know by heart, was reproduced in a wholly believable fashion. The AR2C has good weight in the lower midrange, which lent itself to good vocal projection into the room and the guttural reproduction of male vocals. Again, a pan from right to left yielded no dropouts in sound or miniaturization of the image. The center-channel speaker is not just used for vocals though, which is why larger speakers are increasingly being recruited for this duty. When the center channel is called on to produce a wallop, the AR2C delivers without compression or audible distortion. This is very important for blending with the main speakers, and is accomplished successfully with the AR Hi-Res system. The AR3s imaged accurately by themselves when running in phantom mode or with conventional stereo material too. For those of you who utilize your system without the center channel, this will be a welcome attribute.

I have a couple of minor criticisms, but I had to look hard to find them. The upper treble is missing that last bit of fine detail. Listening to the Fleetwood Mac DVD The Dance, it was apparent that the finely shaded "Silver Springs" was missing that last ounce of detail; the system yielded a less than transparent sound in absolute terms. This is picking nits: The problem won’t be audible with most of the program material out there, especially movies. This minor criticism aside, the movie performance with almost all the program material I encountered was nothing short of exceptional, especially at the price.

Comparison

A good comparison to the Acoustic Research Hi-Res system is the EdgeAudio (henceforth Aperion Audio) system reviewed back in January. That ensemble retails for approximately two-thirds the cost of the AR system assembled here, and is available direct from the manufacturer. The Aperion system includes five small two-way satellites and a powered 12" subwoofer. The Acoustic Research system, by comparison, has an additional 12" subwoofer since there is one built in to each AR3 cabinet. The surrounds are two-way bookshelf designs in each system. The AR center channel, though, is much larger and the mains are more substantial floorstanding designs.

Sonically, both systems offer a seamless surround presentation with timbre-matched speakers all around. This yields excellent surround envelopment with either array, creating the type of soundfield that makes watching movies fun. The AR system distinguishes itself by extending lower in the bass with substantially more overall output capability. The center channel specifically has more heft and body, which makes vocals more realistic, not to mention center-channel effects, when present, more believable. Large-scale sound effects and musical passages are more accurately reproduced as well. The listener gets a feeling of unrestrained dynamics with the AR system. For example, the score on the Gladiator soundtrack simply sounds larger and more expansive.

The Aperion system holds its own in some respects, though; its treble range is detailed and refined, which makes somewhat bright soundtracks just a touch easier on the ear. The Aperion satellites also present acoustic music with finely textured precision, as evidenced on The Eagles' Hell Freezes Over DVD. The Aperion system is a little easier on the eye too, with a real-wood finish that will fit some decors that the hi-tech AR system won’t. When someone steps up to the AR array from the Aperion package, they are primarily getting more low-end extension, improved overall loudness capability, and a center channel worthy of a large-scale presentation. Both systems imaged about equally, and were snaps to set up and use.

Conclusion

The Acoustic Research Hi-Res home-theater speaker system has a set of attributes sure to endear it to many home-theater enthusiasts. It is truly full range, will play loud with ease, and each speaker is well matched to the others. It offers a lot of value when you consider you are really buying two powered subwoofers along with the mains, surrounds, and a center channel. It may give up a bit of refinement in both appearance and high-frequency purity to some of its competition, but these seem like easy tradeoffs to live with. If you are looking for a system that will fill a medium-to-large space with a home-theater sonic extravaganza, the hi-tech Acoustic Research Hi-Res system may just be the choice for you. 

Manufacturer contact information:

E-mail: available through website
Website: www.acoustic-research.com

• Go Back