Description
Key Features
The 4xa uses AR’s acoustic suspension principle, in which a sealed enclosure and the cushion of air trapped within it provide the woofer’s restoring force, allowing genuinely deep, low-distortion bass from a compact cabinet — the approach pioneered by AR’s founders that defined a generation of American loudspeaker design. The 8-inch woofer is carried over unchanged from the AR-4x, while the new 32mm tweeter and revised crossover were specifically intended to sharpen treble response and widen dispersion compared with the outgoing model. A front-mounted level control allows the high-frequency output to be adjusted to taste or to suit room acoustics. The cabinet is finished in oiled walnut veneer with the classic AR cloth grille.
As these are now genuinely vintage speakers, the original foam surrounds fitted to the AR-4xa are well known to perish and disintegrate with age — this is the single most common issue on this model, and is the reason refoamed pairs are so often found on the secondhand market. This pair has already had this addressed, with new surrounds fitted to both woofers.
Technical Specifications
(Source: audio-database.com — Acoustic Research AR-4xa documentation; hifi-wiki.com — AR-4xa weight specification)
- Type: Two-way, two-driver acoustic suspension bookshelf loudspeaker
- Woofer: 20cm (8-inch) acoustic suspension cone woofer
- Tweeter: 3.8cm (1½-inch) cone tweeter, wide dispersion
- Controls: High-frequency level adjustment
- Nominal impedance: 8Ω
- Recommended amplifier power: 15W minimum
- Enclosure: Sealed (acoustic suspension)
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 254 x 483 x 229mm (10 x 19 x 9 inches)
- Weight: approximately 7.8kg (each)
- Country of Origin: USA
Why Buy From Us
With over 40 years of experience in the Hi-Fi industry, we are well placed to assess and test equipment of this type. Every item we list is fully inspected and tested before sale — this pair was checked by Andrew in our workshop.
When you buy from us you can expect:
- Full inspection and testing prior to listing — not simply a visual check
- A 3-month guarantee on every item we sell
- Transparent descriptions with no omissions
- Professional packaging to ensure safe delivery
- After-sales support available by phone or email should you have any questions
Summary
A good-condition pair of American acoustic suspension classics, freshly refoamed and ready to deliver the warm, coherent sound this model has been prized for since the 1970s. This is a matched pair listed as a single lot. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions prior to purchase.
