Vintage 3A ANDANTE Ultra Lineaire Powered Speakers

Vintage 3A ANDANTE Ultra Lineaire Powered Speakers Introduction

Applied Art and Acoustics (3A) was one of the most prolific and famous French speaker manufacturers. Starting in 1972, founder Daniel Dehay and his team created many innovative high-quality speakers. 3A has gone through several evolutions and is now based in Ontario Canada and continues to design and manufacture hi-end speakers under the leadership of Tash Goka. The most famous product made by the original 3A was the Andante series of powered "Acoustic Pressure Feedback" speakers that utilize a built-in woofer amplifier and deliver bass down to 25Hz in just a 20 litres cabinet. These speakers are the circa 1976 “Andante Ultra Lineaire” model. The internal amplifiers driving the woofers allow use of a low power amplifier to drive the midrange and tweeter. A 15-20 watt tube amplifier is more than adequate. Four woofer equalization options are provided by a switch on the back. They sound much larger than they are. The sound is smooth, dynamic, and powerful. Reference 3A continued to make speakers with the same basic design as the Andante Ultra Lineare into the late 90s and they retailed for about US$5000. Specifications ----------------- 3-way sealed “acoustic pressure feedback” design Impedance: 4 – 8 ohms Power rating 60-120 watts Build in woofer amplifier: 125 watts Overall sensitivity: 91 Db Frequency response: 25-25000 hz Crossover frequencies: 400, 6000 Woofer: 27 cm powered 3A - W100AS Midrange: dome 50 mm 3A - DS50 Tweeter: dome 19 mm ITT - LPKH90-19-145FK Speaker finish: textured dark gray DIN speaker connector (plugs included) Dimensions: 46 x 30 x 21 cm Weight: 22 kg per speaker Detailed information. including the amplifier schematic and documentation can be found at: https://3a-art-et-acoustique-appliquee.fr/catalogue_en.php?nom=Art%20et%20Acoustique%20Appliquee&serie=Andante&type=Lin%C3%A9aire https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/3a/andante_ultra_linear.shtml Condition: No grills. All original drivers. Fully tested and sounding great. Surrounds on the woofers are doped white cloth and are in good condition. DIN speaker plugs included. The previous owner told me that he had some repair work done on the internal amplifiers to eliminate hum. When plugged in, both speakers make a small “thump” as they turn on but they are silent after that (no hum). Cosmetically in good condition.