# Acoustic Research ARS300 Subwoofer ????



## jason1234567 (Apr 11, 2014)

Hi everyone, i was hoping i can get some opinions and advice if i should buy this sub or if i should keep saving for the Outlaw LFM-1 that i was looking forward to getting once i saved enough money.

I've been doing good with my speaker addiction and haven't bought anything Since i got the Boston Acoustic VR1's and VRC center speaker.

I can get this Acoustic Research ARS300 Subwoofer for $100-$150.. He want's $150 but i think i can get it for less.

i'm going to test it out tomm at his house, I'm pretty sure from the info i found on a web search that this sub will be a pretty good upgrade to my current subs, But i'd hate to make a bad buy, so before i go test it i'd like to get some feed back if it's a good enough sub for me to pull the trigger and spend the money of if i should hold off and wait for a better deal.

Thank you,

Jason


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## theJman (Mar 3, 2012)

Were it me, I'd go for the Outlaw. Brand new + warranty = hard to beat.

That AR subwoofer is probably in the range of 10 years old, which means it's getting a bit long in the tooth. A driver is a 'wear item' so over time it will gradually lose some of it's abilities (think brakes on your car). A decade of usage will have taken a toll. In general a price around $100 might be a good deal for what was once a $700-$800 sub, but I suspect in the long run you would most likely be happier with the Outlaw.


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## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

The Acoustic Research ARS300 is a beast and $100 is a fair price, if the surrounds are intact and the voice coils do not rub. Check the slider level control, they collect dust and have a history of problems. Nothing a shot of contact cleaner couldn't fix.

I do second the recommendation to save for the Outlaw. It will outperform the AR in the low bass and last you another 10-15 years or more.


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## jamesfrazier (Jul 24, 2011)

Outlaw outlaw outlaw.


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## jason1234567 (Apr 11, 2014)

Thanks guys for the input.. I know age of the speaker plays a factor but lets say the speaker was well cared for and not abused does the age still play a big factor?

My first pair of respectable speakers i ever bought was last year and they are Polk audio Series 2 monitors.. i almost walked away and didn't buy them when the guy told me they were 20 years old. When i told him i was scared to buy speakers that were that old he said hold on and listen. So he played his new monitors that he said were $2000, idk the name, then he unplugged them and played the Polk Monitors, i couldn't pull the money out of my pocket fast enough. They sounded just as good if not better to me. I could tell this guy did not abuse these speakers because for one he was an older asian man who played mostly classical music, and two he had all high end equipment that i never even heard of the names. 

So i bought them for $60 and they were my first pair of respectable speakers and now i have the itch to keep wanting to upgrade better and better.

I'm happy with what i have so far and for what i paid for my system i don't think you can get any better.

For my Home theater i'm running a Yamaha RX-V1056 receiver ($100) Boston Acousics VR1 towers and Boston Acoustic VRC center speaker ($30 funny story i got lucky) Onkyo SKF-540F's that i was using as my mains but got bumped to the rears by the bostons. Polk Audio Psw 250 Sub ($50) Yamaha YST-SW216 Sub ($25) and an Onkyo SkW-540 Sub that came with a speaker set i got.

So for a little over $200 i have a half way decent surround sound system i'm happy with except for the subs.. So i figure to get that super duper Low fequencies that flow through your body that i'm seriously craving, i have to get a serious sub.. 

That system is just for my tv in my bedroom,

i have a Yamaha RX-V750 ($50) that i'm running those Polk Audio Series 2 monitors ($60) just for music, mostly from Vinly records and a turntable.

So you can see both my systems i got pretty good deals on so thats why i got what i got.

Now to get the bass i'm craving, i guess i'm gonna have to go brand new and get the OutLaw which i kind of got my mind set on, i like the name of it The OutLaw LFM-1..it's calling me. 

Again thaks for the advice guys.. i saved a lot of money since i joined this site buy not buying speakers that i would of bought if i never joined this site and asked for advice.

Thanks everyone, i appreciate it.


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