Great to hear from a fellow Bozak enthusiast! I'm glad the review stired up those memories. Which model changed your life...the Concert Grands? I'm assuming they must have been CGs or Symphonies. Honestly, the Symphonies do the lower octaves almost as well.

I was talking to a vintage friend last night who said that he thought the organ pedal (we played a couple organ CDs that night- one of which was the Helmut Walcha, Bach, Great Organ Works on DG) through the review pair was the most realistic low end he ever heard.

Its funny you mention KLH 9s. I just secured a pair...lets see if they are in review condition. The history and lore of these classics dwarfs even the mighty Concert Grand.

Thanks for adding to the memories.

Peter Breuninger

I just read the article and can only say that I applaud Stereophile moving forward to a new niche market by looking back. I've had no interest for years in the mag until the Fisher 500-C review was announced.

The Bozak review was interesting in that it presented 2 views of the state of the art in speaker design, construction and philosophy. All in all a well balanced point and counterpoint allowing persons to understand why for some of us mini-speakers are interesting but not delivering what we hear live.

I'd like to make 2 points about the history sidebar. 1) Actually, when N.E.A.R. bought out R.T. Bozak, production of the 302a, Symphony and Concert Grand did not stop though they were not part of the N.E.A.R. advertised product line. They had acquired the remaining NOS inventory from Bozak and offered to manufacture these models on special order. In 1992, I spoke with the President of N.E.A.R., then located in Lewiston Maine, and was told that there was still remaining inventory and they still offered the models as a custom order item (I guess similar in concept as KLH did for the KLH Nine). Production took about 60 days since the cabinets had to be manufactured. Pricing was $2,500 for the 302a, $5,500 for the Symphony and $7,500 for the Concert Grand. I still have the product brochure he sent me at the time but, have misplaced the price list. Sadly, I did not ask at the time if they had ever received an order for any of them. At the time I was considering ordering a set of the Symphonys but my wife suggested that already having a set of 302a's and a set of KLH Nines made space a little tight and possibly I should forego it.

N.E.A.R. did manufacture the full range Bozak speaker used in the outdoor speakers as manufactured by R.T. Bozak, the only driver they continued to build from the original company. When Bogen acquired them and shut the operation down, the company continued at first to make the speaker for Bogen's outdoor speaker and finally Bogen took over the production. I learned this a few years after 1992 when I looked for N.E.A.R. and finally tracked down an ex-employee then working for Bogen. At the time of the final shutdown, there was remaining inventory shipped to the Bogen warehouse so possibly there is a treasure trove of NOS Bozak drivers yet to be discovered.

About 6 years ago, my KLH Nines finally gave up 1 of the pwoer supplies and I searched for a new speaker system since I wqanted a main set somewhat bigger than the 302a's. By chance and only luck I stumbled on a set on a consignment sale at a local audio dealer as I was actually going to another dealer to order a set of new Klipsch LaScalas or Belles. They have resided with me happily ever since primarily being driven from a McIntosh MC2105. These were manufactured here in Toronto under license from Bozak in 1968 and in 1992 the owner, a Dr., heard of the closing of Bozak and had the dealer order all brand new drivers and ripped eveything out of the cabinets and installed the new drivers. Sadly he did not retain the old drivers. His thought was that they had served him that long and he was going to keep them forever. Happily for me he retired and decided to change out his system.

I just wanted to add that the very first time I heard stereo was back in the 50s at the upstairs demo room of Leonard Radio's Courtlandt Street store. Playing a two-track tape on a staggered-head Revox via two sets of McIntosh preamps and amps (MC75?), the pair of Concert Grands blew me away with the sheer size and grandeur of the sound. It's one of those events that will always be remembered for its impact but cannot ever be repeated because my perceptive mechanisms and expectations have evolved so much since then.

Kal

I have owned and loved a pair of KLH 9s, the love affair coming to an end after having had to rebuild power supplies twice and replace tweeters several times. It was what's known as a "high maintenance" relationship. But they were wonderful speakers. One of my fondest memories of listening to reproduced music was in a store that had a pair of KLH 9s driven by McIntosh electronics, playing Dave Brubeck's "Take Five." I remember thinking that it sounded so much like live music.

Robert Deutsch
Contributing Editor,
Stereophile

I had written a LTE to Stereophile years ago about a spectacular audio experience by a dealer in Bel Air, MD in the early '70's.

He rented a local college auditorium and place three pairs of Bozac Concert Grands across the state in a stereo configuration powered by huge Phase Linear amps (a rage to some at the time) and played all kinds of music through them, a kind of "audiophile concert".

The huge soundstage was amazing and made me realize that the scale of the reporduced music was important as the accuracy of the playback gear. It was as if the performers were there in the hall.

I enjoyed reading the Bozak Concert Grand's review, but it does leave some questions. I have heard the Bozaks that have had the crossovers updated with the proper value components. After this length of time the parts can deteriorate from the original values and should be replaced. The set that I heard had that change and the sound was beautiful. The set then had the interior wiring replaced with new high quality wire and connectors. After listening to them again I was blown away. The highs were clear and clean and did not need a "Radio Shack" tweeter. So I have to ask if the crossovers where checked out when the wiring diagram was checked? One commment was that you wanted to keep the speakers as original as possible for the review, but you do all sorts of tweaks to most of the equipment you review from new power cords and cables to placing hocky pucks on the speakers.
One review stated that a dealer of that time said that JBL's and Klipsch outsold the Bozaks. What coast was this on as the East Coast sound was different from the West Coast sound. The east was more neutral and the west was hot treble. I have gotten rid of my two JBL systems that were given to me because they were too hot.

Good article, nice to see them reviewing Radio Shack tweeters so positively, too!

First the Lineum line, now this...way to go, Radio Shack!

Sorry, in retrospect I realize my post was not clear. My friend had (still has) the Concert Grands. He got the Bozaks from TruSound in San Jose - one of those much missed classic hifi stores. The owner, Arnold, was truly a Bozak enthusiast who had been selling them for a few decades. He also had a thing for Kenwood and obtained all sorts of obscure Japanese high-end versions. That was also the first place I heard Jamo and Tannoy speakers (never could get into the Tannoy).

One other detail - It was a good thing my friend with the Concert Grand

Quote:
One of my fondest memories of listening to reproduced music was in a store that had a pair of KLH 9s driven by McIntosh electronics, playing Dave Brubeck's "Take Five." I remember thinking that it sounded so much like live music.

Peter Breuninger is getting a pair of KLH 9s and provided their condition checks out okay, his next-but-one vintage review will be the KLH. His next report will be an EICO integrated amplifier, and there is also a pair of AR3as on deck. We are also planning a review of the original Advent loudspeaker.

John Atkinson

Editor, Stereophile

Quote:
Will the review of the Advents include a review of the "Advent Stack," where two pairs were stacked in (I think) series?

Sadly no, as we were only able to locate one pair of Advents that appear to be in full working order.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

I enjoyed the Bozak review so much that I was just rereading it again tonight. (That, and my December issue is still not here yet...)

Anyway, Mr. Abernathy's point earlier in the thread is very well made. I would not trust stock crossover parts to still provide a valid experience of what the original equipment sounds like.

A review of an antique car would allow for new belts, alternator, etc...that are required to keep a car performing at spec, so I would allow for the same with the Bozaks. Same with driver deterioration and subsequent repair. Heck, I bet the Fisher receiver was allowed to have tubes that weren't original equipment!

His point about reviewers futzing with brand new review gear is also spot on.

After going through the review several times, I would vote to make these articles a little more "what current owners may be hearing" in the above regard.

Also, I have never met Pat Tobin, but he sounds like one of those people who make this great hobby what it is. It was terrific that you mentioned him.

These reviews are a great idea, thanks for doing such an exciting project!

Now, my wish list - Michael Fremmer doing a few reviews with what people have been up to with EMT, Empire, and vintage Thorens and Gerard tables! Maybe a Grace tonearm or two?

On the speaker front, revisiting Acoustat 2+2's, DCM Time Windows, and the KLH's everyone loves would work!

The KLH Models Nines I have are about to be rebuilt. Once they are finished, reviewed and measured I'll post them for sale on Audiogon. That's the good news. The bad news is...you'll have to pick them up. They cannot be shipped.

Thanks for remembering the post.

Peter

Hi, Peter --

I owned a pair of 9's in the late '60's and early '70's (I think I bought them in 1969). I used the Marantz pre-amp/monoblocks to drive them (about 30 or 40 watts a side, as I recall). When I auditioned them (The House of Music, Salt Lake City...I wonder if they're still around!), they were set up in double pairs. There were fasteners that ennabled you to lock two of them together, so each pair formed a "V" (bird's eye view), with the panels thus slanted away from the listening position. Of course, I never could get them to sound the way I first heard them, since I almost went broke buying just the one pair. In different rooms, I tried them separated and locked together. They were probably the only speakers around, at that time, that could capture the massed violins of a symphony orchestra somewhat realistically, with a real sense of space and sheen. I became frustrated, eventually, because I couldn't get them out of a very limited dynamic range...around 80 db or so, I'm guessing. Softer than that, you heard nothing; louder, you heard strange shrieks and protests. I wish you had a second pair for your review. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but that double set-up when I first heard them surpasses anything in my memory. Acoustat had a similarly-sized electrostat, but they always sounded a bit rough and hissy compared with the KLH's -- at least, that was the case when I comparison-shopped. I can't wait for your review. What amps will you use? Cheers, Clifton

Oh Clifton, you actually heard stacked Nines? I have only heard of them. You da mang, Clifton!

Yeah, dammit. When I heard them, the best McIntosh preamp/amp provided the juice (I recall 75 watts, but that could be a mistaken memory -- I KNOW it was more power than the Marantz units I had). I assumed for the longest time it was the amplifiers that made the difference, not the doubling-up effect. I had scrimped to buy the Marantz (I could barely afford them, and only because Marantz offered a 30% discount on gear ordered from Vietnam by servicemen). My wife almost killed me when I bought just the one pair, and when I mentioned needing the McIntosh she headed for the closet where I kept the 12-gauge. Damn. If only I had gotten there first! I could have gone into hock, sold her into white slavery, and bought a second pair! The turntable was a Weathers, with a strange (at the time) flat tonearm. The pickup was European (B&O? That doesn't sound right, but maybe so...). Memories. Cheers, Clifton

I read with interest the review on Rudy Bozak

Wayne - Welcome to the Stereophile forums!

Thanks for the back story. It was an interesting read. Sorry to hear you got burned in the biz. Do you still tinker with electronics and audio? Gear has changed a lot since you were in the game. Have you had a chance to check out much of the newer equipment since your involvement in the industry? It would be interesting to know what your thoughts are in terms of the changes you may have noticed in the sound, approach to materials and philosophies.

By the way, your tuner sounds really interesting.

Back when Advents where current and popular, I used the "double Advent" system, powered by the Dyna 400/Pat5 Bi-Fet...When just 4 Advents wheren't enough, I hung on the pair of Dynaco A-25, AND a pair of AR-2aX, AND on top of the heap, some Micro Acoustics tweeters, that had like 4 tweeters in a cure to disperse some highs...This was wired (SPT-2 in BROWN, non audio grade)series/Parallel, I experimented around to which pairs go series, which in parallel...I don't recall which was optimum....But it sure did fill the house with some SOUND. Absorded the Dynaco ST-400 power with ease...it was GREAT!!! Drums where drums, pianos where pianos, I sold off the speakers over time reduced my mass...only later to revive my need for SOUND in a grand scale, where I have worked my way back to.....4200W of AVA/Hafler POWER and some Legacy WHISPERS.....more WATTS, more SPEAKER, better sound. Even at an early age, I KNEW it was WATTS and DRIVERS to more air, before Legacy even existed...I was destined to more AIR. No matter how much detail, resolving power,dynamics,"pace","rhythm" (don't know how that is an acoustic parameter?) It always takes WATTS and DRIVERS to move air for Impact, Realism and SLAM...WHISPERS do that with it all included. Real can't happen with 6 inches, woofers that is.

I know a person that has Bozak Concert Grands in the box new from the factory that they were made in. Bozak ended business in the building and another speaker company took the warehouse over. These concert grands are Bozak originals. Possibly of his newer construction. In walnut cabinets. He also has a couple of symphony. And of coarse he has the woofers, tweeters. If you know anyone that is interested email me at trishpompeii@sbcglobal.net
Happy New Year.

Hey Guy,
I know someone that has the Bozak speakers that are brand new in the box. They aren't the 65 design, the newer 70's design I soppose with black faces on the walnut cabinets and they are three way speakers with woofers, tweeters, and double thick front baffles, and bi-wirable, five-way, gold plated connection blocks.
The Symphony. The Grand is only one in lot and we know it is the most historic one. Write me at trishpompeii@sbcglobal.net if you have any interest or know of anyone that does.

Pardone the mistake. I stand corrected and the proof is on the way back here. I believe those woofer and tweeters are not the product we have as the extra components. I am told that they are mid range speaker components. I will post when corrected product is delivered. Need photos? just reply and I will send them out to you.

Greetings from Seattle. Sorry to not have seen this thread a long time ago, but I stumbled on it while searching for KLH 9 repair info. Am curious to know if you actually did have your pair repaired, if so, how you did it and what you thought about them? I've enjoyed a double pair since 1978 (and still do). I don't recall seeing them mentioned in The Stereophile lately. Thanks, Phillip Chance

Hi Phillip,

"Sigh" I ended the KLH saga last month. I could not do the repair myself (after several attempts). Many people offered online guidance but I needed an actual person to help me.

I posted them last month on Audiogon, unrepaired, and took the obligatory $$ bath. I have a pair of ARs that I've been testing but I want to compare them to the (big)Advents before I report my findings. The big Advents are a very popular vintage loudspeaker.

Thanks for writing!

Peter

Hi Peter,

Back when I had KLH Nines, I had problems with the power supplies, and I remember driving from from Toronto to Boston to see the fellow who had worked for KLH in its heyday and was the "Model Nine" technician. He fixed the power supply, which involved first heating the potted unit with heat lamps to drain the paraffin. The tweeters were replaced at least once, too. The last time one of the speakers malfunctioned, it was just too much trouble to try to get it fixed, and I sold the pair locally (this was before Ebay) for, I think, CN$500. But when they worked, they were wonderful.

Bob

hi mr wayne chou. like your article on rudy bozak. just got my bozak symphony a month ago and i am enjoying its big realistic sound. can you tell me more about the symphony ? its characteristic from a technical point of view and design ? i have my own opinion on its sound but others like you who are experts have their own ideas which i am curious of. talked to an audiophile long time ago and he said he can tweak my crossovers to make the symphony sound better ? thanks and more power to you.Cesar

I just read the review of the Bozak Concert Grands on streophile, I googled it to get some info on them. I can say without question the accuracy of the review, written in 2005. I have owned a pair for about 25 years and have come to love the accurate range of sound they can produce. I can listen to them at a barely audible level and enjoy them or I can rattle the walls and enjoy them. The only reason I am looking at this is to determine what it will take to replace them. I am moving into a space which can't accomodate the large cabinets. I don't look forward to parting with them as I am only the second owner and the former owner was a college advisor to me. They can be driven by as little as 60 watts and sound wonderful.

Lance B