Oscar Duo review in Part-time Audiophile

This may be the year of Oscar.  The series had a very good response in 2020 and that shows no signs of abating. This month, Oscar Duo has been reviewed by Marc Phillips of Part-time Audiophile.

Here are some of the great things he had to say:

“The Marten Oscar Duos might just possess the best imaging I’ve heard in a long time, no joke.”

“My first impression was wow, these do sound like big panel speakers, nice and open and lightning-quick.”

“… you’re definitely getting a small monitor that sounds much larger than it is, but the world-class imaging and soundstaging takes the Duos to another level.”

“Quickness, superb bass response and incredible soundstaging add up to much of the Duo’s essence…”

Full review here

Warming up the Marten studio

From day one, our approach to designing loudspeakers has been driven by one main defining factor – the music.

This week we are in the studio again, in preparation for a new studio album. We’ve been doing test recordings using real musicians and nearfield microphones. This is not ground-breaking in itself, but the fact that we use our own studio is. In this we are unique.

Having our own studio means our recording sessions are precise. We can control exactly how we want live music to sound and test our models in the same environment the music was recorded in. It’s the perfect feedback loop.

We use the studio to test all our products, from the top-of-the-range Coltrane Supreme 2 to the crowd-pleasing Oscar Duo.

Parker Duo wins Stereo Sound Grand Prix 2020

December is tradtionally the month of presents and great cheer. This year we have been given a great gift, from quarterly magazine Stereo Sound. The most respected audiophile magazine in Japan has bestowed Parker Duo Diamond edition with the coveted Grand Prix 2020.

Three years ago, we won the Stereo Sound Grand Prix 2017 with Mingus Quintet, so we are  honoured to receive this accolade again.

All the models in our Parker series are upgradable to Diamond Edition, featuring a Diamond tweeter, more advanced crossover components and improved terminals.

Oscar Duo on the cover of Stereophile

There are times in a company’s life when things are on the right track. This month, we’re on the cover of Stereophile – the biggest HiFi magazine in the world. This is a milestone for us, but any loudspeaker producer knows the worth of this accolade.

Marten Oscar Duo on the cover of Stereophile

Our breakout stand speaker, Oscar Duo is reviewed by Michael Fremer, one of the most respected HiFi journalists in the business. The word ‘legendary’ follows this man’s name wherever he is mentioned.

Here are some of things he had to say:

“Designer Leif Olofsson has threaded the needle, producing a small speaker that can produce prodigious bass.”

“The pair produced a generously sized stage—wide, tall, and deep—within which were presented solid images, proportionately sized and well-focused. Lights out, the Duos disappeared, producing a space-filling picture that I wouldn’t have thought possible from such small boxes.”

“Each deep, identical quarter-note shook the room. I repeated the track and cranked it up to try to get the speaker to lose its composure, but it didn’t budge. That was a lot of deep, quality bass from a very small speaker!”

“Despite the robust bass produced by this small speaker, decay was fast, clean, and close to overhang-free”

John Atkinson, who did the measurements for the review said this:

“The Marten Oscar Duo’s excellent measured performance is indicative of some equally impressive engineering.”

We’re honoured to receive the recognition of Stereophile and so happy to be on the front of their publication. Thanks guys.

Read the full review

Oscar Duo review – enjoythemusic.com

We’ve received a flattering review for Oscar Duo from industry stalwarts enjoythemusic.com 

These guys have been reporting from the world of high-end audio for 25 years and judging by the words of Ron Nagle, they really ‘get’ Oscar Duo. If great minds think-alike, do great ears hear-alike? 😉

“A breakthrough in transparent speaker design.”

“Ask yourself what should speakers sound like. The only sensible answer must be, absolutely nothing. As I began, I asked myself if the Marten Duo speakers were true to their sources. By that I mean that they let everything upfront come through without alteration, then the answer is yes.”

Read the full review

Oscar Duo review in U-Audio

Thanks to U-Audio in Taiwan for this glowing review of Oscar Duo. Not only is it complimentary and detailed on the technical side, they seem to have truly understood the essence of the speaker. With Oscar Duo, we have captured the magic of our premium models in a more accessible package.

Here are a few excerpts taken from the review (translated by Google).

“The piano sound is mellow and warm… it perfectly tells the beauty of the analog recording of that era.”

“When the piano and the drum set were quiet, and Bass was solo, it even showed the power of Oscar Duo. Suddenly, with a strong bang, the piano and drum set returned to the team. Anyone who likes jazz should listen to Marten’s speakers. Wonderful, really wonderful!”

“As soon as the first track of Corcovado’s music came out, it surprised me: this Oscar Duo, a small bookshelf speaker, has such a full and rich low frequency. At the beginning, there is a piano string, and then the rhythm group is started. The drum set on the left and the bass on the right are paved with rhythm, so that Peterson piano can step on the dance steps. Ray Brown’s bass is really plump and full, and the vibration of Ed Thigpen’s foot drum on the left is passed straight through, and I can feel it on the seat. I’m afraid that some small floor speakers can’t produce such bass. The piano sound is mellow and warm, the sound particles are clear and distinct, and with a little flexibility, it perfectly tells the beauty of the analog recording of that era.”

“Oscar Duo’s speed responded quickly, without procrastination at all, and brought out these strengths, speeds, and colors. If you like this clear picture, you should find a pair of bookshelf speakers like this.”

“Oscar Duo can perform jazz and rock in such a wonderful way, returning to the classical music that I am most familiar with, it also shows its ability.”

“If you always want to have a pair of Marten speakers, but because of budget, Oscar Duo can be a good starting point. If you want to find a pair of high-quality bookshelf speakers that are clear, transparent and comprehensive, Oscar Duo can provide you great listening pleasure among the 200,000-level speakers.”

Full review here.

Parker series launch

On 14th May we launched our new Parker series.

This was to be the first day of Munich High End 2020, but as we all know all, the world changed so dramatically to make this impossible. In the time since the last show, we have been working hard on our new series and we were due to launch three new loudspeakers in Munich.

This year’s launch party was a more humble affair. At our HQ in Gothenburg, Sweden we had a  social-distance get-together for Marten and a few close collaborators.  Champagne punctuated the evening of Jazz and Blues and our good friend Calle Bergström captured the night.

Mingus Orchestra film

Mingus Orchestra

Our founder and chief designer Leif Olofsson talks about Mingus Orchestra. The flagship of the Mingus series is an exercise in refinement, power and control. It’s a prestige model that gives Coltrane a run for its money.

Over the last few months our values have shifted and most of us have re-grouped; our homes becoming a focal point. Luxuries are being reconsidered as essential and vice-versa.

Our philosophy of ‘bringing true musical experiences to people’ is as important as ever. We continue to do that through innovation, immaculate craft and high quality components.

At Marten, it’s business as usual.

Oscar Duo review – Audio Review #415

Oscar Duo gets a complimentary and technologically in-depth write up by Audio Review.

“If one made a direct comparison of this two-way with the best-known brands, he would probably win the challenge without excessive effort. The designer seems to be a little ahead of the others for the design vision and for how the speaker emission is controlled in the space of the listening room. Combined with the dedicated stands, it has provided a remarkable performance, showing that when science follows the right path, it achieves results that some call “magic”.”

Gian Piero Matarazzo | Audio Review

Read the magazine

Duke 2 review – StereoNET

Reviews can be good, bad and sometimes ugly. But when a reviewer really hears what we are trying to achieve, it makes our work worthwhile.

Duke 2 was reviewed by StereoNET this week and we think they have experienced what our Heritage stand speaker can truly do – provoke a deep emotional response to the music.

“The outstanding quality of the Duke 2 is its exceptionally open and natural midband. This combines with an incredibly able tweeter to impart a wealth of musical detail that becomes quite transfixing. I actually found myself leaning forward while listening – not to attempt to discern more detail, but because I was so enthralled by the Marten’s musical presentation.”

Jay Garrett | StereoNET

Thanks to Jay for a well written piece.

Read the full review