MA speakers ?
- Thread starter Stephen J
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
eThink
Well-Known Member
Are you referring to "Micro-Acoustics" speakers?
Are you referring to "Micro-Acoustics" speakers?
Thanks !
eThink
Well-Known Member
Micro Acoustic Tweeter Array
Micro Acoustics offered these add-on tweeter arrays for the then popular Large Advents and KLH 5 and 6. They were supposed to improve the high-frequency response for these acoustic suspension speakers.
Price was between $125 and $160.
I tried a pair with my large Advents but I was unimpressed with the results.
They look like miniature Bose 901s.
Micro Acoustics offered these add-on tweeter arrays for the then popular Large Advents and KLH 5 and 6. They were supposed to improve the high-frequency response for these acoustic suspension speakers.
Price was between $125 and $160.
I tried a pair with my large Advents but I was unimpressed with the results.
They look like miniature Bose 901s.
Attachments
MA made speakers and phono cartridges. IIRC, they got more respect for the latter.
My first speaker purchase was a pair of the entry level MAs sometime around '77. It was a 2-way, 8 inch, bass-reflex. The tweeter was mounted on a swivel. I traded them back to the dealer for some 3-way Jensen acoustic suspension speakers. New England old-timers have probably figured out I was shopping at Tech HiFi.
My first speaker purchase was a pair of the entry level MAs sometime around '77. It was a 2-way, 8 inch, bass-reflex. The tweeter was mounted on a swivel. I traded them back to the dealer for some 3-way Jensen acoustic suspension speakers. New England old-timers have probably figured out I was shopping at Tech HiFi.
eThink
Well-Known Member
Micro Acoustic Cartridges
Go here for a summary about MA cartridges: http://www.audiotools.com/dead_m.html#ma
I was also a Tech HiFi customer in the 1970s (Syracuse, NY; White Plains, NY) and early 1980s (Stamford, CT). I purchased a MA 282e cartridge for my Philips GA-212 in 1978.
Great cartridge! :thmbsp: Unfortunately MA went out of business in the mid-1980s. Replacement stylii for MA cartridges have characterized as "unobtainium" :tears:
Go here for a summary about MA cartridges: http://www.audiotools.com/dead_m.html#ma
I was also a Tech HiFi customer in the 1970s (Syracuse, NY; White Plains, NY) and early 1980s (Stamford, CT). I purchased a MA 282e cartridge for my Philips GA-212 in 1978.
Great cartridge! :thmbsp: Unfortunately MA went out of business in the mid-1980s. Replacement stylii for MA cartridges have characterized as "unobtainium" :tears:
gkimeng
Forum Mod, ClassicSpeakerPages.net
A lot of people bought these expecting them to increase HF levels, but they're actually designed to increase HF dispersion. On a speaker system with fairly "beamy" cone tweeters they can widen the listening "sweet spot," but MA typically showed them sitting on top of AR-3's and 3a's, which really didn't benefit all that much from them.
butch4695
Super Member
gkimeng
Forum Mod, ClassicSpeakerPages.net
The original inspiration for the tweeter arrays was the 1955 JansZen 130 electrostatic tweeter (hence the name "Micro-Static" for the MA MS-1), which was often paired with the AR-1. Mounting the arrays on cabinets with woofers was the next step in the evolution of the concept, but I think it didn't work out because by then dome tweeters were delivering enough dispersion to satisfy most people from a single driver.
I suspect that Dr. Bose saw this one as well...
Attachments
eThink
Well-Known Member
What if: Double Advents + MA MS-1
I had the original Large Advents and tried the MA MS-1 with them; I was unimpressed with the sonic improvement and I returned the MA MS-1.
Twenty-five years later, I discovered ads speakers with the famous silk dome tweeters. A pair of ads L810s replaced my large Advents.
The stacked Large Advents are famous for their impressive performance. Stacked large Advents provide a similar configuration to the ads L910s, at least in terms of woofer capabilities (e.g. 2 x ~9" Woofers).
I wonder if anyone tried the MA MS-1 with stacked large Advents? Has anyone heard of this combination? :scratch2:
I had the original Large Advents and tried the MA MS-1 with them; I was unimpressed with the sonic improvement and I returned the MA MS-1.
Twenty-five years later, I discovered ads speakers with the famous silk dome tweeters. A pair of ads L810s replaced my large Advents.
The stacked Large Advents are famous for their impressive performance. Stacked large Advents provide a similar configuration to the ads L910s, at least in terms of woofer capabilities (e.g. 2 x ~9" Woofers).
I wonder if anyone tried the MA MS-1 with stacked large Advents? Has anyone heard of this combination? :scratch2:
thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
I owned MA speakers. I really liked them, but the key to good performance was feeding them lots of power. The woofer looks unimpressive, and sounds it, but add power and it awakens and sounds quite nice.
As for the comment on the Bose comparison, Bose had actually sued MA for infringement regarding their smaller speakers (ie, especially the "directional vane" design).
Rumors say this put the last fistful of nails in the MA coffin.
The phono cartridges are highly admired.
As for the comment on the Bose comparison, Bose had actually sued MA for infringement regarding their smaller speakers (ie, especially the "directional vane" design).
Rumors say this put the last fistful of nails in the MA coffin.
The phono cartridges are highly admired.
gkimeng
Forum Mod, ClassicSpeakerPages.net
I actually have two pairs of MS-1s from a garage sale years ago. Their best use is in situations where you are unable to place the main speaker high enough to get the tweeter to ear level. Having a second HF driver that you can locate separately from the main speaker and aim in different directions from the mains can come in handy. But anyone hooking these up expecting to get more HFs will definitely be disappointed
marantz1156
Active Member
i believe i have exact same model as the OP. woofer surrounds were toast so i dropped in replacement woofers. not really a great sounding speaker, but i've never thrown any power at them. i might dig them out and give that a try.
i thank tomt for those pictures as i have one speaker with the logo at the bottom of the speaker and the other with the logo at the top. i always thought it fit at the top better, but most speakers have their logos at the bottom.
i thank tomt for those pictures as i have one speaker with the logo at the bottom of the speaker and the other with the logo at the top. i always thought it fit at the top better, but most speakers have their logos at the bottom.
