Полочная акустика — Marten Design PARKER DUO

Marten describes the Parker Duo as the stand speaker of its Parker series, a two-way design from the Swedish loudspeaker company based in Molndal near Gothenburg. The Parker range sits in the middle of the Marten catalogue, with the Parker Duo as its compact option below the floorstanding models. In the United States it is priced at USD 9,500 per speaker and sold only in pairs, while the matching stands cost USD 3,500 per pair.

Key specs that matter

A 1 inch pure ceramic tweeter and a 7.5 inch ceramic bass/midrange driver sit on the front baffle, and a 9 inch aluminium passive radiator is mounted at the rear. The crossover point is 2,200 Hz and the network combines first and second-order slopes, a scheme the maker labels multi-diverse. Frequency range is 36 Hz to 40 kHz within plus or minus 2 dB, sensitivity is 88 dB at 2.83 V, and impedance is 6 ohm nominal with a 3.1 ohm minimum. The power rating is 200 W. The speaker itself is 22 to 28 cm wide, 42 cm tall and 36 cm deep, and weighs 18 kg.

Engineering and use context

Marten builds the cabinet from 35 mm M-board, a multi-layered material chosen for strong resonance reduction, and the side walls taper toward the back. That non-parallel shape limits the build-up of internal standing waves. The cabinet has no port, and low-frequency extension is handled by the rear passive radiator. The standard ceramic version pairs polypropylene capacitors with inductors wound from copper foil. An upgrade to the Diamond Edition replaces the tweeter with a diamond unit, moves to copper foil capacitors, and adds better terminals and Jorma Statement internal cables, whereas the regular model is wired inside with handmade Jorma Design cable. Connection is through single-wire WBT Nextgen terminals. Buyers choose between Piano Black, Piano White, Piano Walnut and Matte Walnut. The optional Marten Isolator stand uses three rigid pillars on a steel base plate and weighs 21 kg, bringing the combined height to 75 cm.

Pairing

Since its impedance dips well below nominal, the Parker Duo is best driven by solid-state amplifiers that hold up into low loads, while its sensitivity allows moderate power to suffice in a 20 m2 room. Because the passive radiator fires backwards, the speakers need some clearance from the rear wall.

Alternatives

The Marten Oscar Duo is a more compact reflex-loaded two-way stand-mount using a 7 inch ceramic mid/woofer, rated at 150 W and weighing 13 kg.