Frazier Experts ... What Have I Got?

[Chip - HP]

This morning (after somewhat of a speaker draught), I picked a pair of Frazier speakers ... the cabinets (22"H x 26"W x 15.5"D) sit on 4.5" legs ... inside are a 6" horn shaped tweeter and an 8" woofer ... there is a cross-over control on the back of the cabinet.

There are small silver metal Frazier badges on the back ... one has the # ... 1285 ... the other has the # ... 1404.

Does this model have a name? ... any good?

 

[abpeep]

Don't recognize those but they definitely appear to be older than my Mark IVs.

pmsummer will likely chime in here soon. He seems to have become our Frazier archivist.

Alan

 

[pmsummer]

Chip,

Sorry to tell you, but those aren't the "good" Fraziers. Probably best you let me stop by and take them off your hands.

Now, for real...

I almost bought a pair like those up in Tulsa, but decided against the drive. They are from the late '50s, and may be Del Mars. I'll check my literature. I think shrinkboy has a similar pair.

As to "are they any good", well, I'm waiting for you to tell us.

Congratulations!

 

[pmsummer]

Here you go!

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

They made good use of baffle gain on that one.

 

[pmsummer]

They made good use of baffle gain on that one.

This is the consumer version of the "Black Box II". AK'er joelongwood can vouch for its sound, as he has the BB II.

 

[joelongwood]

This is the consumer version of the "Black Box II". AK'er joelongwood can vouch for its sound, as he has the BB II.

Close, but no cigar, pm! While they do share the same size drivers, the physical dimensions of the Black Box II are quite a bit smaller...........19" W X 24" H X 12" Deep. If my memory serves me (and that's a big if), the consumer version of the Black Box (not sure if it was the model 1 with a cone tweeter) was the Manhattan. Maybe you have it in your literature?
In any case, chip, I really think you'll like the sound.

 

[pmsummer]

Joe,

It's got a case built around it, hence the bigger dimensions. I had been told once that Frazier built a basic box module, and varied the line by the "case" they built around it. Most ingenious.

This is almost like what we saw last week on eBay, minus the legs and with the 12" woofer (making it the Mark III). That's why it was veneered on only three sides (and painted on the fourth).

 

[joelongwood]

Interesting. But I'm still a bit skeptical.....my Black Box II says just that......it does not say "Mark II"....also, I don't think it weighs 58 lbs. I've seen the Manhattan on eBay and on Audio.Net, a walnut veneered version of the Black Box, and it had the exact same dimensions as my speakers. I wish I had kept all the Frazier literature I picked up from Audio by Zimet back in the late 60s.........who knew? :sigh:

 

[pmsummer]

Don't forget that these are older than yours (closer to the Frazier-May era than the later product). The nomenclature (and driver placement) seems to have moved around quite a bit.

I don't mean to say that they are the exact same as yours, only that they are the same "module" (sort of like Winslow Burhoe did with early EPI speakers). The late '50s - early '60s brochure I've got also shows your BB (except it's the I, and even the brochure has some seeming contradictions), and it's dimensions and driver placement differ from HP-Chip's Capris.

As for the weight, if you look at those pictures from last week, you'll see that the case built around the BB module is 3/4" plywood. That's where the extra weight would come from.

But I'm just trying to put the puzzle pieces together. I'm no expert (Expert, n: A has-been drip under pressure).

 

[pmsummer]

 

[shrinkboy]

cool thread, guys. i'm gonna bring my camera today and shoot some pix of my mystery fraziers at the office. as to chip's question: i agree with pm summer. you should let one of us get them out of your way. they really suck, even with a trends audio tripath amp and a sony sacd player. they have no soundstage, depth, detail or dynamics.

 

[Chip - HP]

Here are some more pics ... notice the space on the sides in the pic of the rear.

 

[shrinkboy]

chip-- that space is called the helmholz resonator. part of frazier's ability to make more than the sum of the parts. these will be perfect for small tube amp, or even better, for my $$ is a quality tripath amp....ooops, wait, it'll really suck with those amps!!

 

[pmsummer]

chip-- these will be perfect for small tube amp, or even better, for my $$ is a quality tripath amp....ooops, wait, it'll really suck with those amps!!

Looks like I'll be able to let you know how they sound with a tripath this evening.

That'll teach the wife to go visit the kids/grandkids without me!

 

[shrinkboy]

mystery fraziers

quick shots of my very similar units, with cone tweeter rather than the small horn. no level control on the back. just absolutely amazing with trends audio ta-10

 

[pmsummer]

James,

Looks like the same Black Box module, but none of the literature I have shows that cabinet. What are the dimensions (excluding/including the feet)?

Those are newer than Chip's... notice his don't have Frazier badges (and the badges aren't shown on the sales sheet either).

 

[shrinkboy]

about 24" w x 18-20" h x 10" deep

 

[pmsummer]

In system (temporarily). They need refinishing (exterior), but they sound pretty sweet.

Thanks, Chip. You are a scholar and a gentleman!

 

[abpeep]

Sucker for a Frazier, huh?

Alan