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A speaker story

Interesting thread, Saratoga48

How cool those speakers are! Kind of a high-quality Bose. No forward firing speakers, though, something that would take awhile to get used to.

I've never seen a thread where the original manufacturer actually posted! That's even cooler.

Now to check out Martin speakers online.

Welcome to AK, Mike Martin. An honor to have you here.

Rick in Lutz, Fl.
 
mmartin0007 said:
Wow, How great is this!!! This proves that people that love music and sound are like family. With a common passion in life. And now thanks to AudioKarma and Grumpy we can share our views. I thank you for your comments. Yes, those Reflectors are from when I spent summers from school working for my dad. I thought we had enough on our hands with the MICRO MAX (a big seller) a 2 way unit with an 8 inch woofer, but now to build furniture! But as always my dad was right, they are of museum quality. And very few made. I will be surprised to ever see or hear of another pair. I am 99 percent sure that they are from 1969. A great year, and my love for music started then with "Whole lotta love" I could not stop turning that record. Thanks again everyone!!!! Mike
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As I said in the email Mike, if you are up this way let me know, I would love to audition them (40 years later) for you. You'll have to bring the "Whole lotta love" with you though, I don't think thats in my vinyl collection.
Jim
 
placement

Kencat said:
A question for Mike and Saratoga48. With those drivers all shooting backwards (and up), what is the preferred placement of the speakers? Must be sensitive to where the walls are. Were they designed to shoot into the corner so the reflection comes into the room well dispersed or to reflect off the back wall directly? How far out from the walls? In case I run into into one of these some day don't you know :D

Pretty cool to have you join in Mike :thmbsp: Especially to give some history and info on what looks to be a rare bird speaker.
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I haven't had a lot of time to try different positions with these speakers. To me they sounded best about 12 inches from the wall placed about 10 ft apart.
My wife has confiscated the speakers for the living room system, so placement has to take into account looks as much or more than the sound stage.
Winter is comming so I'll have more time to set these up in the best position.
 
another upstate NYer

MJKing said:
It is always neat to find something totally different. How many woofers, mids, and tweeters does each speaker have? Is it really a glass plate that is used as a refector? I have never seen anything like what you describe.
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Hey Neighbor, I just saw the Clifton Park NY on your post. I work in CP just off RT 146,
 
drknstrmyknight said:
Mike, welcome! You ought to get some HQ pics for your website.
History is a terrible thing to waste.
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drknstrmyknight,


You don't want to see me in HQ!!,
My speakers were shot with a CANNON REBEL with a foot long lens!
A far cry from my Brownie camera I had as a kid. Although I did like that little camera!
My mom always carried the little mini MINOX slide spy camera.
But I'll check it out!!

Mike
 
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Welcome to AK, MiKe! I too had a Gremlin back in the 70s. Had the big 4.0 straight line 6 cylinder. Blew away a Mustang 2.0 one night. When we got to the next light, he asked me what was in it. I said a 6 cylinder with a one barrel carburetor! :D Of course he didn't believe me, but I said I'll pop the hood and you can see for yourself. Man, that little car was fast, didn't hardly weigh anything and had a good Chrysler 5 speed automatic tranny in it.
 
Chillwolf,
Thank you for the welcome, there are some really awesome people here that are members!! I put a stereo Kraco in with a couple of fullranges but do you remember if they had a stereo or a single dash speaker for FM? Also was yours as relilable as mine as some people think I jest when I speak of it's reliability??? OH the good old days!!! I ran deliveries in the tristate area in COLD winters with the hatchback full of speakers and never had a breakdown!! Mike
 
Saratoga48 said:
No model numbers on these, on the tag where it should list MODEL_______
It has "reflector" typed in.
Thanks Jim
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Jim,

Hi Jim hope all is well! Some of your serial numbers reveal that one speaker is Speaker B the 9th Reflector built in 1969. The other one should be A00969... Very few Martin Speakers Reflectors were produced as to the difficult construction I believe.. I also wanted to thank Celt for the welcome!! Chillwolf, another one of my first records was AQUALUNG and then "Thick as a Brick"..

Mike
 

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HomerJSimpson said:
Mike, Welcome to AK

Very cool speakers! I hope to find some one day...:D
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Thanks so much Homer J, Saratoga48 is a collector of some Vintage Products that are real works of art I must say. Also I love the Homer J Simpson and the Grumpy Avitars! Yesterday my brothers wife (Challie) inquired on making speakers that are end tables so I sent her a photo of Jim's reflectors!
I told her we did that in 1969.....


Mike
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Truley AWESOME....

Great to have you here :thmbsp:
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Ditto....When are you going to introduce your Audiokarma line of speakers!??!!...:D

No Gremlin for us, '74 Vega Kammback instead. Heh, my brother's best friend borrowed that thing one night for a date after it had been wrecked one too many times. Pulled up to the girls house, pulled the driver's door handle, and the door promptly fell off onto the driveway...:stupid:

You could see that thing coming a mile away from the blue cloud of smoke generated by the innovative Teflon coated cylinders....:D

Ah the good old days...Welcome again!
 
Glad to have you here Mike! :thmbsp:

Saratoga48, sounds like you have a real archive speaker there! :yes:

Scott
 
mmartin0007 said:
Jim,

Hi Jim hope all is well! Some of your serial numbers reveal that one speaker is Speaker B the 9th Reflector built in 1969. The other one should be A00969... Very few Martin Speakers Reflectors were produced as to the difficult construction I believe.. I also wanted to thank Celt for the welcome!! Chillwolf, another one of my first records was AQUALUNG and then "Thick as a Brick"..

Mike
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Mike,
I just checked the serial numbers and one is B00969 the other is B00869.
I agree with your difficult mass production theory. These are not something that is a box with some components screwed inside. There was a lot of thought and engineering designed into these speakers. I have played around with positioning on these and they seem to really shine about 18 inches out from the wall.
 
mmartin0007 said:
Thanks so much Homer J, Saratoga48 is a collector of some Vintage Products that are real works of art I must say. Also I love the Homer J Simpson and the Grumpy Avitars! Yesterday my brothers wife (Challie) inquired on making speakers that are end tables so I sent her a photo of Jim's reflectors!
I told her we did that in 1969.....


Mike
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Mike
MY wife took possession of these speakers as soon as I brought them in the house, they have a very high WAF. (wife acceptance factor) The advents I had on her system got sold. Her only complaint is that the "dishes" rattle when she cranks up the volume.
 
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