Featured SPEAKERS

Canton Karat 40 (perforated metal grills)

Canton Karat 40

Canton Karat 40 (left photo: perforated bass port)

Canton Karat 40

Canton Karat 40 (proprietary felt material, front baffles)

(Germany, '88-'90) $750

Achtung baby!
This pair of extremely rare Canton Karat 40 speakers was obtained locally from the original owner who purchased them in West Germany during his military service in the late 80's. Fortunately for us, he took excellent care of them.
The Karat 40 is a 3-way, bass reflex design and was second to Canton's top of the Karat line when released. The Karat series is well known for its purposefully long life construction. Even after some 35+ years, they rarely suffer from sonic loss or cabinet issues.
The Canton Karat Series speakers are incredibly hard to find in North America. Especially when in such splendid condition as this pair is!!

NOTE:  The Canton Karat Series was first introduced in Europe around 1987. About a year later Canton managed to secure a small but dedicated group of specific "boutique" HiFi dealers in America. Canton's presence in the USA was destined to be a direct (but friendly) competition with their siblings, the American brand known as ADS (a/d/s). Due to their much smaller dealer network, logistics causing sparse available inventory, Canton speakers were hard to find and more expensive than the competition. See the "About Canton" section below for the back story.

In splendid cosmetic condition and sonically perfect, each bass-reflex enclosure is a hefty 28 lbs. The entire front of the baffle is covered in a luxurious black felt dampening material. This unique dampening design helps to curb unwanted tweeter diffraction. The woofers and midrange drivers have long lasting butyl rubber surrounds. The exterior of the enclosure is made of a unique satin ebony agate compound that's tough enough and thick enough to be resistant to scratches yet easy to polish.  The perforated metal grills are pristine and similar in design to ADS a/d/s speakers. Banana connections are standard.

The solid interior bracing is indicative of Canton's superior technical design characteristics of the Karat models.  The enclosures were made for some of the best high quality bass performance ever heard in anything close to their size.

Canton had a unique idea when it came to bass port design. Instead of the usual "porthole" often seen in other speakers, the Karat 40's port is, instead, a series of miniature perforations sequestered within a calculated 2" circular area on the middle-top-right hand side beneath the felt. Although the tiny perforations are hard to see they are a very effective way to have a satisfying (yet tight) bottom end.

Although it's almost too subjective to discuss, in our humble opinion, these Canton Karat 40 speakers are best described as having very detailed presentation and accuracy; never over-the-top in lows, mids and highs. One discussion on the "Audiokarma" website features the "shootout" between the Karat 40 vs the Yamaha NS-1000M.

Rated at 4 ohms with a ceiling of about 130 watts each, it's suggested to drive these with a high quality power source that's not afraid of 4 ohms.
Suffice to say the Canton Karat 40 has very high quality drivers:
~8.5" (stifflite) woofer (butyl rubber surround)
~5" (stifflite) midrange (butyl rubber surround)
~1" proprietary titanium tweeter

The Canton Karat models can sometimes fetch high prices and there are plenty of reasons why. The Karat 40s (along with most of the Karat models) are very rarely seen for sale in North America.

Specs:
Production Years: 1987-1990
Produced in: Germany
Color: Walnut
Cabinet Measurements: 12.2"W x 22.8"H x 12.2"D
Weight: 37 lbs each
Technical Data:
Woofer: 10" stifflite paper cone
Midrange: 5" stifflite paper cone
Tweeter: 1" Titanium Dome.
Load Carrying Ability: 90/130 W (RMS-/Peak)
Sensitivity: 92.6 dB
Frequency Range: 24 Hz - 30 kHz
Crossover Points: 450/4000 Hz
Impedance: 4 Ohm
MSRP: $1500/pr

About Canton...
In 1972, with the goal of producing the best speakers in their class, Canton was formed. ‘Canton’ is a combination of the Latin word "cantare" (to sing) and the German word "ton" (musical tone). They started in a vacant small town school building and house in Niederlauken Germany.Starting with 35 employees assembling speaker enclosures in January of 1973, Canton began its legacy of high quality audio reproduction in the tradition of what they called “pure music”.

Canton speakers combine innovative technologies, the highest quality materials, and a remarkably wide range of models and designs to provide a musical experience "second to none".

Canton is often compared to ADS, Braun and Visonik. Although those companies are well known, Heco (Hennel-Company), was a company founded much earlier in 1949 in Schmitten, Germany. They were the first to devise early small high quality studio monitors typical of the later models from Canton et al. The vintage Canton Karat speakers are quite often considered "better" than Braun by pure "audiophiles". Obviously that's a subjective argument. However, in terms of value, there can be no doubt that Canton Karat speakers are generally expensive and more on the rare side at this point."Karat" is loosely defined as a variation when used to describe the values of gold.

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Magnepan MMG

Magnepan MMG (powered by Carver TFM-35 amp)

('97-'01) $400

This pair of the original Magnepan MMG is in excellent cosmetic condition and fully operational. These are a matched pair of mirror-image designs (dedicated left / right placement).

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NOTE: The MMG are fuse-protected. An optional pair of 1-ohm wire-wound ceramic cement resistors @ 1 Ohm 5% 10 watts.
is available online. Currently they do not have (nor do they need to have) the resistors; in our listening area they sound just fine without them.

(From the MMG owner's manual:)
"OPTIONAL TWEETER ATTENUATION: There are several reasons for possibly needing to attenuate the tweeters in your MMGs:

Recordings typically in the “pop” or “rock” vein often exhibit a pronounced rise in the treble region.The Magneplanar Quasi ribbon tweeter is very efficient in it’s total energy dispersion. If the surrounding walls are exceptionally reflective, the overall perceived acoustical balance can be tipped toward a “hot” high end. Put A and B together and it can be unbearable.

Attenuation is accomplished by placing a resistor in the attenuation position on the connection plate . The 1 ohm resistors are for this purpose. These resistors will provide about 2dB of attenuation."
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These thin panels would not look like speakers to those not familiar with flat panel technology. They are 48” tall, 1.25” deep, and 14.5” wide, wrapped in an unobtrusive black grill cloth with solid natural oak trim down the sides. The unique design always makes a stylish statement in any room. However, be aware that the MMG can be a challenge depending on the room configuration. They need a solid amp capable of driving 4 ohms; the better the amp power, the better they sound after discovering the right placement.

Magnepan MMGs are “Quasi-Ribbon Planar” magnetic speakers, which are dipolar. As opposed to the classic (dynamic) transducers that you are used to seeing in your speakers such as cones and domes, Magnepan uses a .0005” Mylar diaphragm. This diaphragm vibrates within a magnetic field to produce sound.

While looking at the back panel, you’ll notice two other connections. A fuse, for protection of the mid/tweeter section and another pair of nuts for “Tweeter Attenuator.” (as explained above)

Bass response of 50 Hz means this speaker will perform well with music even if you do not have a subwoofer, but it won’t shake the walls. (if you pair a sub with the MMGs, you must take care to balance it properly so you don’t mess up the magical midrange and tight bass of the MMG.) If you like lots of bass, you are probably better off looking for different speakers. If transparency and naturalness are what you are after, the MMG will do the trick.

Specs:
Two-way Quasi Ribbon/Planar-Magnetic
Frequency Response: 50Hz - 26kHz
Sensitivity: 86dB, 2.83 Volts, 500Hz @1 Meter
Recommended Power: 40 to 150W @8 Ohms.
Impedance: 4 Ohms
Dimensions: 14-1/2" X 48" X 1-1/4"
Weight: 40 lbs./Pair

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KEF C40

('85-'88) $400 (stands included)

In very good cosmetic condition, completely original and operating perfectly, this pair of KEF C40 was an iconic British design from the mid 80's. They are generous in both volume and drive units.

Bass is plentiful and extended, and the design is balanced to operate clear of room boundaries (on a specific type of stands).Designed as a 2.5 way system, the twin 8" mid-bass drivers (featuring "no maintenance required" polypropylene cones) handle the lowest frequencies. They augment and extend bass output, substantially improving power handling capacity, and assisting bass damping.

To handle the high frequencies, the KEF C40 used their excellent T33 tweeters. These were actually made by the highly respected French speaker company Audax and were designed specifically to KEF's specs.

These were top of the line in the KEF C Series that was built from '85 to '88. KEF described this C40 design as a "2 & 1/2 way" speaker, in which the bottom mounted driver acts as a subwoofer to handle the very lowest frequencies. The versatile C40 can be used either as a compact floor-standing speaker (or it can be placed on the included low stands as shown in the photos.) It is built to effortlessly handle 100 watts and it has all of the exceptionally accurate, warm and musical reproduction that built KEF's reputation in the '80's.

Here's another excellent description of the C40:
The C40 (a successor to the KEF Carina) added a second B200 unit operating at low frequencies only. These two 3-ohm B200s have a free-air resonance of 40Hz. The two together, connected in series to give 6 ohms and shunted by capacitors of 10μ and 100μF respectively, produce a resonant frequency of 85Hz in this quite large box. KEF have reverted to third order loading here, with a 450μF capacitor in series and this has resulted in a nice clean bass end of apparently limitless power. A low floor-stand is suggested, but operation on the floor itself is not out of the question and was indeed preferred on some program material. The cabinet coloration is now low down and comparatively innocuous; the sibilance is still present but less obvious and, if the loudspeakers are being used on the floor, one is automatically off-axis vertically. Driven by a pair of 100-watt amplifiers, these C40s with their true sensitivity of 91dB at 8 ohms, are capable of very loud sounds indeed and they remain clear and undistorted right to the amplifier limit. This is a level at which I feel inclined to leave the room but, as KEF succinctly put it, "it will be particularly appealing to the cost-conscious rock listener.
The system can go exceedingly loud, can handle plenty of power, and, with a generous bass delivery, is particularly suited to good ol' rock n' roll...the so-called "West Coast' sound.

Basic specs:
Nominal Impedance: 8 ohms
Rated maximum power: 100 watts
Frequency response: 68Hz to 20kHz +/-3dB (-6dB at 58Hz)
Sensitivity: 91dB
Maximum output: 111dB peak under typical listening conditions
Weight: 22 lbs each
Dimensions: 25.5"H x 10"D x 9.75"W

About KEF...
It all began in 1961, as it so often does, with one man who was somewhat detail-obsessed. And in the world of hi-fi (or indeed, anything grounded in innovation, technology and perfection), that man, was Raymond Cooke, a former technical director for Wharfedale speakers (England). In the beginning, their tendency to sell raw drivers to their competitors – rather than keep them for themselves – solidified them as true leaders in this field. They went on to produce the K1 Series but with the 1962 introduction of the now world famous B139 bass driver, the Celeste was born. It proved to be a best seller but it wasn’t until the 1970s that their real breakthrough occurred. After a series of very successful commercial loudspeaker designs, 1975 saw a development which placed KEF on the hifi map. Indefinitely.

Thanks to the first implementation of computers in the design and measurement of their loudspeakers, this lead to the world famous

KRF Reference designs emerging for the first time, from the 101 all the way through to the 105.2. The first of many lines of References, each dominating its market.
Everything about what KEF has produced since day one has screamed of quality, of innovation and of style… three very memorable qualities. And when you have a company history (not to mention product range) as long and as illustrious as KEF’s, there are some seriously impressive things to remember.

About KEF...
It all began in 1961, as it so often does, with one man who was somewhat detail-obsessed. And in the world of hi-fi (or indeed, anything grounded in innovation, technology and perfection), that man was Raymond Cooke, a former technical director for Wharfedale speakers (England). In the beginning, their tendency to sell raw drivers to their competitors – rather than keep them for themselves – solidified them as true leaders in this field. They went on to produce the K1 Series but with the 1962 introduction of the now world famous B139 bass driver, the Celeste was born. It proved to be a best seller but it wasn’t until the 1970s that their real breakthrough occurred. After a series of very successful commercial loudspeaker designs, 1975 saw a development which placed KEF on the hifi map. Indefinitely.

Thanks to the first implementation of computers in the design and measurement of their loudspeakers, this lead to the world famous

KRF Reference designs emerged for the first time, from the 101 all the way through to the 105.2. The first of many lines of References, each dominating its market.
Everything about what KEF has produced since day one has screamed of quality, of innovation and of style… three very memorable qualities. And when you have a company history (not to mention product range) as long and as illustrious as KEF’s, there are some seriously impressive things to remember.

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JBL L20t

('85-'87) $300

In very good cosmetic condition, this pair of JBL L20t is completely original and the mid-bass drivers have rubber surrounds.

First introduced in 1988, it was the smallest member of the L series and were designed to be the consumer version of the professional studio JBL 4406.
It uses the exact same drivers (115H woofer and the famous 035Ti titanium tweeter). If you look at the 4406 specs you would see they are identical. They are different only in the looks of the enclosure and the port, and the 4406 has a tweeter attenuator. In fact, the L20T is also used in many professional music and recording studios.

They are definitely very well built. Although the cabinet is made of particle wood, the real wood veneer lends solidity, and they feel very sturdy. They bear a strong resemblance to the much larger 4312A, as the L20T is in the same mold as other JBL monitors - quite an even frequency response from the treble to the midrange; a slightly perceived midbass warmth allied to deep bass on the lean side. Contrary to some claims , the 035Ti tweeter is not edgy...just plays it straight.

The L20T is rated at 8 ohms and efficiency is 87 db, a full 5 db less than the 4312A. Therefore it likes a bit of power, as evidenced from other's listening experience. On the other hand, it should be noted it is an easy load (the impedance curve seen in the 4406 brochure is quite benign), so there is no need for high-current amps.

SPECS:
Type: 2 way, 2 driver loudspeaker system
Frequency Response: 50Hz to 20kHz
Recommended Amplifier: 100 watts (maximum)
Crossover Frequency: 3000Hz
Impedance: 6Ω
Sensitivity: 87dB
Bass: 6.5"polypropylene cone
Tweeter: 1" titanium dome
Enclosure: bass reflex
Finish: american walnut
Dimensions: 15"H x 9.5"W x 8.25"D
Weight: 34 lbs each

JBL 4408

near-field studio monitors ('87-'03) $650

In very good cosmetic condition, this pair of JBL 4408 studio monitors are a high quality 2-way system. They feature beautiful real timber (walnut) veneer enclosures and classic acoustically transparent speaker grills. These are 100% original.

The woofers have been refoamed and the tweeters' damping foam has been replaced. Each of the enclosures have unobtrusive corner solid brass protectors. The original grills are also in great shape and have the original JBL badges. Speaker stands shown in any of the photos are not included.

With a continuous production run of 16 years, the 4408 (and 4408A) were some of the longest continuously produced models in JBL history. The 4408 vs 4408A: the original 4408 featured a genuine walnut enclosure, 8" felted cone woofer (116H2) & titanium tweeter (035Ti), oval shaped bass port and front L-pad. The 4408A used a vinyl laminate coating, same woofer, slightly different HF driver (052Ti), round bass port and did not have an L-pad.
NOTE: titanium dome tweeters are a technology pioneered by JBL

The 4408 is described as "near field monitors" for a reason; Technically speaking, the 4408 was primarily intended for direct-field monitoring in close-in broadcast applications, where the close driver spacing creates a
coherent sound source.

However, for the rest of us, when the 4408 is in a "typical" listening room other than a HiFi recording engineer's studio, one would assume an approximate 10' x 10' (or slightly larger) critical listening area. In this environment, the 4408 are in their glory. Assuming the speakers are off the floor, (either hanging in brackets or sitting on some type of isolators) all it takes is a few tweaks on the L-pad and the listener can "tune" the soundstage to within their own particular hearing-comfort zone.

Even though they are rated at an "easy-to-drive" 8 ohms and 89dB sensitivity, the 4408 (in our humble opinion) will really come alive when driven by high quality amplifier power. Generally speaking, because the loudness of a speaker does not always equate to sonic perfection, the pure build quality of the amp allows the speaker to also perform better at lower volumes.The 4408 is right up there with the best of the 80's & 90's JBL monitor designs. Of course the limitations of a 2-way speaker design vs 3-way leaves room for a lot of chatter about what's best for each listener's needs or budget.

The bottom line?
Let YOUR ears decide; that's all that matters...

SPECS:
Frequency Response: 50Hz to 20kHz /
Power: 100 watts /
Crossover: 2500Hz /
Impedance: 8 ohms /
Sensitivity: 89dB /
Bass: 8" felted cone
Tweeter: 0.25" pure titanium dome /
Finish: real walnut /
Dimensions: 17.2"H x 12"D x 11.5"W /
Weight: 26 lbs each

About JBL...
In 1927, one of the original pro-audio companies, Western Electric, pioneered cinema sound with 'The Jazz Singer'. In the Wall Street crash of 1929, Western Electric was split up. From the ashes, came Westrex (who are today still involved in the movie/video side of the business) and Altec, short for 'All technicians', because the new company's bosses and founders were the technical people from Western Electric. Most notable of these was James Buoloh Lansing, and when he became president, Altec took on his surname, thus Altec-Lansing. Like Western Electric, Altec-Lansing's main business was in cinema sound, but along with RCA, this is where high-power, large-scale sound reinforcement was pioneered, horn speakers being their forte.

In 1940, Lansing sold his shares and later set up his own, competing company, with an emphasis on speakers. Unfortunately, Lansing committed suicide and his partner was killed in a plane crash in the late 40s, but the company he founded - James B. Lansing Inc. - or 'JBL' as it's better known, has gone from strength to strength.

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Axiom surround sound system

Axiom system (complete w/ original boxes)

M60 V2 / VP150-V2 / QS8-V2 ('06-'10) $600

(complete set with original shipping containers)

Obtained from the original owner and in absolutely perfect cosmetic and operating condition, this Axiom set includes the M60-V2 main towers, QS8-V2 rear speakers and the VP150-V2 center channel. They are all finished in Boston Cherry veneer. The stands, brackets, original factory boxes and documentation are included. Since we specialize in vintage stereo and rarely offer surround components, this price on this set is generously discounted. Rather than write a lot of copy, it's probably easier to go to the following links for information on these components.

M60-V2
https://www.goodsound.com/equipment/axiom_m60v2.htm

VP150-V2
https://www.axiomaudio.com/vp150-center-channel-speaker

QS8-V2
https://www.axiomaudio.com/qs8-surround-sound-speakers

About Axiom...
Scientifically proven superior performance. For over 30 years Axiom has been a research leader in establishing the science behind sound so you get the absolute best performance possible.The Axiom Research Laboratory, located in Dwight, Muskoka, Canada is one of the finest acoustic research facilities in the world and in many aspects replicates the acoustical laboratory at the NRC (National Research Council) in Ottawa, Canada where Axiom’s founder Ian Colquhoun spent many years. Following the original research conducted in the laboratory, all Axiom product designs are tested using the most rigorous real world double-blind listening tests which establish the connection between technical measurements and real listeners’ impressions of the products.

Axiom’s world class research facilities are equipped with the state of the art psychoacoustical testing equipment, including a power test room, an environment test chamber, a fully equipped electronics laboratory, and of course a full sized certified anechoic chamber—literally, a room with no echoes (pictured above). But it’s no ordinary room—lining all six walls of the chamber are large fiberglass wedges that absorb all reflections from the loudspeaker. These wedges are mounted to layered walls and the entire chamber sits on hundreds of springs. Pictured inside the chamber is an Axiom M22 bookshelf speaker, supported on a pedestal that can rotate to either side as well the microphone can move up and down. All these movements can be controlled automatically from the control room. This is where the initial design and frequency response of the M22 (which has received glowing reviews from a variety of critics and reviewers), was refined, measured, and fine-tuned by its designer, Axiom founder Ian Colquhoun.

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