Hartley speakers--anyone heard/heard of?


i recently found an old pair of hartley bookshelf speakers in a thrift store, and upon doing a bit of research found that they are one of the oldest manufacturers of speakers still in existence. yes, they are currently based out of wilmington, n.c. after their beginnings near london and subsequent moves to n.y. and n.j. they still manufacture their own drivers by hand, although they do not currently build finished speakers. i have to say that the midrange on these unassuming little speakers really surprised me with it's immediacy and detail (but then again i'm easily impressed :-) but i REALLY was impressed that they are still around, quietly crafting their product for all these years.
musicdoc

Showing 1 response by jimjenjr

In the mid to late fifties the Hartley single cone 10" MS220 was placed in a modified infinite "boffle", correctly spelled as mentioned, and it was touted to have a performance between 20-20,000 Hz. They were demonstrated with a demonstration record which began with a drum roll and it was an effective sales tool. The speaker had a very good mid-range and because of this, it was a stellar performer which sold quite well. This period is also the same period where the Wharfedale W12FSAL was also promoted as a full range 12" speaker. It, too, was a remarkable speaker and I have recently purchased a pair and I am presenlty astonished as to how a 12" speaker can produce such highs. Both speakers had a foam surround and when you find them they do need to have those surrounds replaced.

These are interesting speakers which give credit to their designers for that time period in the music reproduction history. As such, there are many who are presently seeking these speakers as collectors items. They are not on a par with current speakers, but they are a credit to their designers who relied solely on their ears as their instruments for judging their merits.