Marantz speaker owners???
- Thread starter Zinker
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BeerLegs
Super Member
If you look at the picture in the link that you provided of the Imperial 7s, you will see that they have gray colored cones. That article is written by Patrick Hart who worked on speakers at Marantz. Surely he wouldn't use a picture of Imperial 7s with incorrect woofers.
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rob Brandt
Active Member
I know who wrote the article. I read it more than ten years ago. i went to michigan for mine 11 years ago after reading it and hunting for a pair for more than a year. look at the pic--the speaker is damaged, unlike the 6's pic.
first of all, he has 6's, not 7's. Second, look close and he has blue tweets, not grey. Lastly, his woofers are decidedly not gray. look closely at his woofers, to me they appear to have rubber surrounds and are not grey but more black--they certainly don't look like yours. Also, being 59 these days and having a high end store in my neighborhood growing up, I never saw any imperials with gray speakers. Given the times, they were likely replaced after being blown or kicked out during a party. Or they may be early issue? My 9's are all blue--
first of all, he has 6's, not 7's. Second, look close and he has blue tweets, not grey. Lastly, his woofers are decidedly not gray. look closely at his woofers, to me they appear to have rubber surrounds and are not grey but more black--they certainly don't look like yours. Also, being 59 these days and having a high end store in my neighborhood growing up, I never saw any imperials with gray speakers. Given the times, they were likely replaced after being blown or kicked out during a party. Or they may be early issue? My 9's are all blue--
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rob Brandt
Active Member
your speakers have been redone and not too well. No offense, but look how sloppy the work is around the woofer cones. They didn't leave the factory looking lie that.
BeerLegs
Super Member
Point taken. My 6s and 9s have blue woofers also. I thought the 6s woofers had doped cloth surrounds, not rubber? Mine are. My 9s woofers are foam
I posted several examples of gray 10" Imperial 6 woofers. Notice the similarities to the blue cone version. Stamped basket, square-ish shaped magnet, the dust cover looks identical. Who knows. Maybe they were warranty replacements. IDK.
I posted several examples of gray 10" Imperial 6 woofers. Notice the similarities to the blue cone version. Stamped basket, square-ish shaped magnet, the dust cover looks identical. Who knows. Maybe they were warranty replacements. IDK.
rob Brandt
Active Member
Same speakers.
They don't look right to me. I'd have to pull mine and I may do it tomorrow to check, but I'd remember that funky magnet design.
They never issued the imperial series with cloth covers as others have asserted here in this thread--all were foam. Here is, what I consider, the definitive database on Marantz gear. http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/imp6g.html
rob Brandt
Active Member
but those aren't your speakers--you got that image from the web. Speakers can be r-coned as well, ya know. If you have the original blue paper, that makes them collectible in a very real way. It's why I waited so long to get my 9's. Most out there have been beat to death. You have to remember what the 70's and 80's were like--one non stop party from beginning to end with a lot of booze and drugs. People did some insane shit and no one thought much of it. I can remember being at parties were people blew amps up and whatnot. Some drunk would turn the dial to max volume and lookout. Beer all over everything. If they aren't blue, I don't consider them original. They may be t re-coned original drivers, but without the blue, they are no longer purely original. A person might try to paint them...................
DJAudiophile
Active Member
Seller said the woofers have a tight weave cloth.
BeerLegs
Super Member
Huh? In the article that you linked:
"Marantz Imperial 6 speakers The Marantz Imperial 6 was the first speaker Dawson had designed after Bart Locanthi had completed the lab/listening room set-up along with teaching his speaker design methodology to Dawson. We speaker novices would listen to the Imperial 6 all day long in between setting up other tests. It was a paper-cone 10" two-way with a phenolic ring (edge) cone tweeter. The woofer had a doped cloth surround and all cabinet parts where of ¾" veneered particleboard. In the lab the Imperial 6 measured ± 1.5 dB, 60Hz to 17,000Hz. It had a real walnut cabinet and retailed for $129.00 each. Guess what? It didn't sell worth beans., "
And next to that quote, you'll find the picture that you used.
rob Brandt
Active Member
I'm talking about the ones up above you posted with the mini marantz integrated amp in the back ground. I saw that pic online looking for what you were referring to and saw it. Those are not original. As I said before, I have read the article and recommended it to all of you so you could decide which of the imperial series were worth owning. I would not want a pair of 7's. Might as well have the real McCoy and get L100's--with white paper cones. Which JBL's still have, on the back side.
The tweeters are not worth worrying about--except as "all original" for resale. that's the only reason I keep them. Their sound quality is easily bettered. Take a look at mine.
The tweeters are not worth worrying about--except as "all original" for resale. that's the only reason I keep them. Their sound quality is easily bettered. Take a look at mine.
rob Brandt
Active Member
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I'm talking about the grills and not the surrounds--surrounds are not covers. The cone itself was paper, not cloth. All of the imperials came with foam grills. It "was hip" back then. What you guys don't know is that nobody really used them as that it was believed (rightfully) that they interfered with the mids and the tweets. Probably the reason there are so few with the original speakers intact.
I'm talking about the grills and not the surrounds--surrounds are not covers. The cone itself was paper, not cloth. All of the imperials came with foam grills. It "was hip" back then. What you guys don't know is that nobody really used them as that it was believed (rightfully) that they interfered with the mids and the tweets. Probably the reason there are so few with the original speakers intact.
rob Brandt
Active Member
The cones are supposed to be paper. Mine are. the originals are. If these are not, then they are not original. it may be the original driver, but they re-coned it improperly if it is. Be patient, Grasshopper, a real, fully original set will show up eventually. I wouldn't waste my time hunting for 7's. Maybe 6's. but the money is on 8's (mini 9's) and 9's. expect to toss the tweets any way--the man who designed them recommends it.
BeerLegs
Super Member
I really don't want to get in an argument, but I'm sorry. My Imperial 6 do have the cloth weave grill cover. Some of the early ones did come with those before they switched to the foam grills
Here are mine. They are the early 6s, mafe before the 6-Gs.
And how do you know for sure the gray cones woofers are reconed speakers and they didn't come from the factory like that? I seemed to have seen more than a few examples around that would indicate otherwise.
Here are mine. They are the early 6s, mafe before the 6-Gs.
And how do you know for sure the gray cones woofers are reconed speakers and they didn't come from the factory like that? I seemed to have seen more than a few examples around that would indicate otherwise.
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DJAudiophile
Active Member
I meant the surrounds on the woofers have a tight weave cloth. I’ll ask if the cones are paper. So there are no such evidence of gray woofers for the imperial 6?
DJAudiophile
Active Member
Also check out these old listings on eBay. From the pictures it look just like the Imperial 6 that I can buy and has the same color too.
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Marantz-Impe...nd-Packaging-/192434089363?_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1
https://m.ebay.com/itm/-/192100800230?_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc
https://m.ebay.com/itm/-/263516370155?_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc
https://m.ebay.com/itm/Marantz-Impe...nd-Packaging-/192434089363?_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1
https://m.ebay.com/itm/-/192100800230?_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc
https://m.ebay.com/itm/-/263516370155?_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc
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rob Brandt
Active Member
Because I walked past this shop every day from 1971 through 1977. It was across the street from Macalester college on Snelling and grand avenue. I never saw an Imperial series speaker without blue paper cones. His examples up above of what he may buy have blue tweeters. I doubt they would have sent out speakers with blue tweeters and grey woofers.
The link I posted states your 6's came with foam and cloth grills. going through the rest, you will see that most had foam grills.
rob Brandt
Active Member
Notie the tweets and midrange are blue and the woofer is not. They would not send out a mismatched speaker from the factory.
Try these. They are original:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARANTZ-IM...m=253710827225&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850
