Q: I have a pair of AR3a speakers that I no longer need. The drivers are original, the walnut exteriors are excellent and everything works very well. I have seen some absurd prices ($800-$1,400) for these on eBay and Craigslist. What do you think would be a fair price?
A: It is one thing to ask for $1,400, it is another thing to find someone willing to pay it. I checked completed AR3a sales and auctions on eBay. Those figures represent actual transaction prices, and they're nowhere near $1,400. I'd start at $500 and set a reserve of $800, plus shipping, and be sure to mention they work perfectly.
It's important to remember that your gear is worth only what people are willing to pay for it, and checking completed transactions on eBay is a good way to monitor that. I receive lots of e-mail from readers wondering what their vintage gear would sell for. Usually what is described is unremarkable and worth maybe $20, if you can even find someone interested in buying it. You shouldn't have trouble finding a buyer for your AR3a speakers — assuming you're willing to accept a reasonable price. Or you might want to think about keeping them. The value could go up.
Product update
The Audio-Technica AT-LP60 turntable (audio-technica.com) gets a lot of press, and for good reason. Available for $99 with a cartridge, it is the only inexpensive turntable that sounds good and won't damage your records. It offers fully automatic operation, and besides being a good starter turntable, it also makes an excellent second turntable for use elsewhere in the home. On my website I feature it in a quality system that includes an amplifier and bookshelf speakers for a total cost of only $165. You can see the system at http://tinyurl.com/165vinyl.
There was a lot of buzz at the Consumer Electronics Show about Audio-Technica's unveiling of a new turntable, an AT-LP60 with integrated Bluetooth, the AT-LP60BK-BT ($179). The obvious application is pairing it with a Bluetooth speaker or Bluetooth headphones. But that was just the beginning. I found it provided much more versatility than I was anticipating. For example, my home theater room is not turntable-friendly. I have two equipment racks, and every square inch of both is filled. I have often wanted to listen to records while relaxing in this room, but I don't want to add a third rack to accommodate the turntable.
Enter the AT-LP60BK-BT. I put it on a table in an adjoining room and added a Bluetooth receiver to the home theater audio system. Not only could I now play records, I even improved the system's sound quality by isolating the turntable from the speakers. You also can feed two systems at once using a wired connection with your main stereo and pairing to Bluetooth in the next room.
The sound of the regular AT-LP60 is preserved in the Bluetooth version. It sounds clean and crisp, though it does not produce the warmth and depth of pricier turntables. Playing over Bluetooth to a Cambridge Bluetone 100 speaker and Modern Portable Super 66 headphones, it preserved the unique character associated with vinyl. This turntable is a great idea with a well-executed implementation.
Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.
