Marten Parker Duo Review. High End Sounds that WOW!
For the last several weeks I have been enjoying a set of speakers here that have truly and legitimately wowed me and even surpassed my all time favorite speakers (O Audio Icon 12) in some ways all while coming in with a smaller size and smaller price. I am talking about the Marten Parker DUO speakers from Sweden and yes, these are very high end with a price point of around $19k with stands, for the standard model. There is also a Diamond edition that brings up the price dramatically with upgrades including a real diamond tweeter. I will be discussing the standard version here and I will say now that they really blew my mind as I never heard a bookshelf sized speakers sound so freaking glorious.
I kept asking myself “how did they accomplish this kind of performance in a speaker of this size”?
First off, thank you to Unveiled Audio.
This review was organized by Unveiled Audio who is a Marten dealer and a kick butt one at that. If this review leads you down that road of purchasing a set of these, do give Unveiled Audio a call or visit as they do everything right in the world of high end audio. Sales, service, honesty, packing and shipping. Doesn’t get better than this with high end audio dealers. I truly thank Unveiled as without their help I would have never heard these speakers and it’s been a crazy unreal experience that I will always remember. Also, I have to state that I was not paid one cent for this review, as always.
The Marten Parker Duo in Piano Gloss Black
I love what I have now.
For most of this 2025 year I have been enjoying my O Audio Icon 12’s which are also quite unreal in how they sound (Review). Paired with the Devialet Astra I have never in my life heard a finer audio system, regardless of price, in this 13X18 space. Well…until now that is. Hold onto that thought as I will discuss more on this within the words here. My written reviews tend to get a bit long and well…passionate at times. The Marten speakers are indeed a speaker that brings out that passion within me because when I experience something very special, I tend to get a bit excited.
It was a few months ago that I was asked if I would like to review the Marten Parker speakers. I have never heard a set of Marten speakers so I asked if I could start out with the Parker DUO over the less pricey Oscar ($8k-ish) as there was something about the Parker model that spoke to me in the images I saw of them. Clean smooth and very classy lines, not obscenely huge and they looked very well made as well. I had a feeling about them.
It only took about 12+ weeks but they finally arrived to my space in gloss Piano Black and let me tell you this, the Parker DUO are drop dead gorgeous in the flesh. I would opt for the matte walnut version personally but the Piano black just look stunning in my room. My wife Debby was stricken by the looks as well. She still preferred the stance and finish of the Icon 12 but she said the Parker Duo were some of the nicest looking stand mounts we have had through these doors. I agree with her.
A closer look
When they arrived I unboxed them and the speakers themselves were a very easy unpack job. I opened the nice quality box they shipped in and I pulled out the two bags holding the speakers themselves. While the speakers are quite hefty and very solid I said “whoa, this is too easy”! Then I opened the box that housed the stands and man was this box large and heavy! The good news is that the stands are not hard to assemble but it could take you about 30 minutes to do so. They are truly high quality solid stands that are well worth the added cost for the speakers.
With the stands all I had to do was attach the top plate to the column as well as the ISO acoustic style feet. Once that was done the hard part started…which was attaching the speakers to the stand. This feat was pretty tricky as the speakers bolt on to the stand. My close up vision stinks and I didn’t have my readers near me so I sat the speakers on top of the plate and laid down underneath the stand, trying to line up the holes without knocking the speaker off of the plate! It’s tricky when all is black. This would have been bad. Took me a few tries and I finally lined up the holes and then screwed them into the top plate. Very secure, which is good.
After about 15 minutes I had the first speaker set up and then it was a bit easier for speaker #2. Once attached it was semi easy to move them into place but these are pretty heavy when attached to the stands and really they are as heavy as my big Icon 12 from O Audio. Once I placed them in the usual spot where almost every speaker sounds magical in my room I started to listen. They were placed about 8 feet apart and toed in slightly so the drivers merged the sounds behind my head. I sat about 8 feet from them. These were burned in before being sent to me so they were ready to go out of the box.
The Astra Display
The Wonder Amp meets the Parker DUO. The Devialet Astra.
I started listening with the Opera De Paris version of the Devialet Astra integrated amp as I still have this “Wonder Amp” here for a couple of more months as a long term loaner. I wish I could find the funds to buy it but this dream is looking less and less likely. Even so it will remain a “dream amp” for me and one I will always remember for its stunning and breathtaking performance, no matter what speaker was attached to its output jacks. Without question, this is the finest and the best integrated amp I have ever heard or used in my 35+ years of audio and I have heard so many truly great integrated amps.
This French made box is expensive, yes, but I have not heard anything that even gets close to it (in this price range) when we look at all it does. Honestly it’s a bit of a bargain in the high end realm, all in one sleek and sexy box. The Astra houses a gorgeous DAC, Class A preamp and a Class D power section. Combined together it is pure audio magic and makes most amps I have here sound less than, or degraded vs the Astra. See my review HERE.
When I started my Tidal playlist (see it here) through the Parker DUO with the Astra I was jolted, wowed and blown away from almost the first note as I had no idea what to expect from the Marten speakers. Before I get into the sound and what the eperience was like let me first talk about the specs of the Parker DUO and what makes them so special and expensive.
Marten Parker DUO Specs
Dimensions W x H x D
22-28 x 42 x 36 cm
(8.7-11 x 16.5 x 14.2″)
Net weight
18 kg (40 lbs for speakers only)
The Parker DUO Cabinets
“The cabinet features sleek, tapering sides created from M-board, a multi-layered material offering extreme resonance reduction. The Marten Parker cabinet is so resonance-free, it completely disappears within the soundstage. The newly designed cabinet balances visual appeal with low-impact on sound.”
I have to say that the cabinet looks stunning and these speakers do 100% disappear with an absolute ease. They vanish and even with eyes open I cannot pinpoint the sound as coming from the speakers. Rather, the sound appears to come from the entire front of the room wall to wall and floor to ceiling. So Marten is doing something right here.
Ceramic Drivers: Smaller scale design for bigger results.
“Ceramic drivers are custom designed by Leif Olofsson to meet the needs of a loudspeaker in this class. Each unit has a very long linear excursion and utilises the powerful Neodynium magnet system for control. Custom designed components allows a more holistic way of building a system, making the Marten Parker a super-refined speaker.”
The drivers here sound remarkable as they have a bit of an organic flair yet are not producing sound that is colored or with artificial bass bloom. In fact, these deliver bass performance that bests my mighty Icon 12, somehow. The treble is clean and airy, the mids are solidified, stable and well..magical. Voices are in the room in a spooky and realistic way. Bass, lower bass, is taught, tight and BIG without slop. I mean none. With the Astra powering these the sound was out of this world good and bested my Icon 12 in all areas besides that layer of warmth and glow the Icons deliver (which I am addicted to).
Bass and midrange: Full. Controlled. Dynamic.
“Designed for the system the 7.5” bass/midrange ceramic drivers offer a large surface area resulting in an open, precise soundstage and great dynamics, while the passive radiators give better control of the lower frequencies. A speaker of this class demands the ultimate in bass response.”
These do indeed have a quite special bass response yes, but they are very amp dependent. When I placed a Fezz Evo Titania tube amp in the system there was nearly no bass at all coming from the speakers and they sounded broken. With my Modwright LS99 pre and KWA99 mono amps the sound was much better than with the 45 WP Fezz, as in leagues better. The dynamics and bass were off the charts but again, the Devialet Astra proved to be a perfect and ultimate match for the Parker DUO, of the amps I had here during my time with the Marten speakers. I ended up just leaving the Astra hooked up for the rest of the evaluation as the sound was otherworldly and showed me the absolute best of the DUO’s from what I had on hand.
The rear of the Parker Duo have a bass radiator on the back and this is part of what makes these so great with bass. These are full range stand mounts in my room and can go pretty low, down to 37hz.
Crossover: A harder working crossover.
“A multi-diverse crossover technique was developed through hours of listening and testing, plus rigorous simulation, calculation and measurement. We’ve really put the work in with this crossover, using the best components and precisely tuning it to work with the system.”
Crossovers matter, big time. When manufactures use cheap parts or design in this important area, the sound suffers. The crossover is just as important as the driver selection and cabinet design and here Marten does not cheap out. This is another reason these speakers deliver the sound that they do.
Internal Wiring: Premium cables for purer sound.
“We use Jorma Design internal wiring, for its exemplary quality and performance. Handmade in Sweden, the cables use separate + and – for enhanced shielding and the highest quality Copper. This offers natural, transparent sound; the perfect choice for our speakers. Cables are integral components, so they must work harmoniously with our precision design and build. Jorma Design delivers exactly what a Marten speaker demands.”
Again, Marten has designed these to be top tier all the way, through and through. From drivers to crossover to cabinet to internal cables. What they say is true as well as with this level of speaker I would not want generic cabling thrown in. Here the cables were matched to the quality of the speaker overall and not many speaker makers do this, let alone worry about it.
Feet: A new level of isolation.
“The reduction of resonance is important to the design of our speakers – it can mean the difference between a good speaker and a great speaker. With IsoAcoustics we created Marten Isolators. This precision product allows the cabinet to be completely isolated from the floor, reducing resonance and distortion – leaving the soundstage free.”
I have become a big believer in good quality feet that absorb vibrations and keep them away from the speaker of component. Sure this sounds a bis silly to some and heck, my main speakers I owned in my 20’s didn’t have any feet at all! Even so, these feet are made in collaboration with ISO Acoustics for Marten and I believe this is another ingredient that helps make these speakers what they are.
Stand: Strong and stable.
“The optional stand is Marten designed so it works in concert with Parker Duo. Three extremely rigid pillars are mounted on a steel base plate which is weighted for stability.”
If I were Marten I would not even sell the Parker Duo’s without the stands that were made for them. The stands make a difference as well and these stands are perfect for the Parker. The speakers physically attach and this makes for superb stability and no way to knock the speakers off of the stand by accident. If you buy these, do get the stands as using generic stands will hurt the sound (I tried my basic stands) and the look/feel of the overall quality of these.
SO HOW DO THEY SOUND?
So after testing them with the Fezz EVO Titania tube integrated amp (not a good match at all), the ModWright LS99 Tubed Preamp and KWA99 Class A mono amps (wonderful) as well as the Devialet Astra it was without question that the best match was with the Devialet Astra. The Modwright stack also did a stunning job and I would not hesitate to use these to power the Parker Duo but this setup brought a touch more coloration in the mids, which I found nice. Even so, the MW separates sounded fantastic with the Marten Parker DUO but the Astra took them up a few levels further. I also pulled out the new Galion TSP75 Preamp and TSA75 power amp which also did very well with the Parker Duo sitting almost in line with the Modwright stack which was impressive. The Galion was leaner in the mids vs the MW but excellent in detail retrieval.
I listened with Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz and Vinyl using the phenomenal phono stage in the Astra.
When I first cued up my Tidal Playlist I just hit shuffle. The first song that played was “Unforgiven” from Beck off of his album titled “Morning Phase”. This album is known to be a great sounding recording and using Tidal sounded so good here. I own the Vinyl as well but I was hearing more of the music with the Tidal stream, or should I say the stream was more about the entire song and details. The vinyl was more about the flow of the music. I enjoyed both.
The Parker DUO brings forth one of the most beautiful soundstage performances I have heard in this room and sits with the Icon 12’s that cost a few grand more in this area. They are also very clean, correct and dynamic but here every sound was heard and some popped out in that 3D space while the speakers played their vanishing game of which they are pros at. I can say with confidence that I find the Parker Duo to be several levels above the Focal Diablo Eco Colour as well, and those cost more with their dedicated stands.
There is something magical about a speaker that vanishes to the point where you can not pinpoint where the sound is coming from. These do that very well. Vocals were coming out in a very separated way from everything else. It was stunning how these imaged as they were not even close to being super analytical but they were making sure I heard every sound in that recording very well. Nothing was hidden.
Beck’s vocals were pure, full and clean yet every instrument had life and a spatial quality about it. No distortion, nothing hard or lean either. Just perfection in sound with life, body and soul included. The mids here have a slight touch of warmth.
Going over to some vinyl I cued up Eva Cassidy’s the “Fields of Gold” remake of the sting classic from the “Songbird” album. This is a case where the vinyl pressing that I own sounds richer and more realistic than the stream does. When it starts out her voice sounds angelic as she hums the first part of the music. When she starts to sing I was getting goosebumps as the midrange here is incredibly realistic and I could have sworn Eva was in my space with me.
The Parkers are not as juicy as my Icon 12’s midrange but it’s cleaner and yet just as full in sound, if not a touch fuller which is an amazing feat. It’s as if Eva is still with us and here she is singing to me in my own room. It was 2AM and I shut down all lights and listened in total darkness. While I heard some of the vinyl crackle at times I was in awe of the sound I was getting from the Marten Parker DUO with the Astra powering them.
Moving on to Spotify using CONNECT (which does not use bluetooth) and high quality settings this song popped up in a playlist I was listening to. It took me back to the 80’s when I used to go to the dance clubs and yea, I danced my rear off to this song sometimes as the video played on big screens throughout the club. Bronski Beat “Samlltown Boy” but this version is a new remix dance version and man it sounded so good on the Parker Duo so I turned it up…and up..an up until I felt as if I was back in that old dance club, young again and loving life.
The Parker Duo have a skill that allows them to sound incredible with just about any music. These are not one trick ponies but rather a master of making music that gets you excited, up and moving and these let you heart EVERYTHING yet they are never ever bright or lean. Amazing speakers. They also easily and effortlessly convey the emotion in the music much like my Icon 12 do and this for me is what makes them very very special.
The Best?
I always tell people the best does not exist within audio. Sure, you can have the “best” in build quality or even design (but this is subjective) but we can never have the best in sound for everyone. The reason for this is because we all like different presentations. Some like it loud, others soft. Some get addicted to detail like some do with high megapixel cameras while others like it a little more colored and subdued like a good 24MP camera sensor. Some like big floppy bass and others like leaner tight clean bass. While there is no perfect speakers for everyone I feel the Marten Parker get damn close to what I would call perfection in a small stand mount speaker.
I adore my Icon 12 and if I get my way they will be with me for many years to come but I do have to give credit to the Parker DUO here, big time. The Marten’s are a little more refined in sound than my Icon 12, have tighter bass and more extension in the highs. They throw an equally 3D soundstage and also have some body and soul in the mids where the vocals live. It’s amazing to me that this can be when the Parker is so much smaller. I will not say the Parker are “better” than the Icon 12 but they are really more similar in sound than different. This could be why I love them so much but overall vs the Icon 12 the DUO have more sparkle, are a but more energetic and punchy and also bring just as much bass, just a little tighter. Vocals are crisper (more real) on the Parker and smoother (more beauty) on the Icon 12.
Parker vs 100K speakers? Whoa.
It’s interesting as I was able to finally hear the $100k stand mount speakers from Borresen (The M1) even though they are now considered “older” speakers. They truly and honestly sounded no “better” than the Marten Parker DUO and in fact I feel the Marten speakers were more to my liking. I am sure some would prefer the M1 sound signature but me, I liked the Marten.
This is crazy as these are $80k less in cost (retail). Now the reason for this could have been due to where I heard those $100k speakers (was not in my home) or maybe I am just used to the sound of my room here. Either way, the Marten Parker speakers are VERY special indeed and it’s not just me saying this. Look at other reviews of these speakers and you will see rave after rave. This is for good reason as it’s true. These are out of this world good and if I had the means I would 100% buy the review units even though I do not need them.
So while the best doesn’t really exist in this hobby I can say with confidence I have never heard a two way speaker sound this good, this incredible, this immersive or this “perfect” (for my tastes). These are in no way lacking in any area but amp choice is crucial here and very important. They sound as big as taller floor standing full range speakers and yes, these are full range my friends. They sound more dynamic and punchy vs most larger speakers as well. They have energy that can make you feel that you are really within a live environment.
The feet are made in collaboration with ISO Acoustics
Listen to a live recording and you just may get swept away when you close your eyes. It’s like VR for audio.
Lately I have been getting into VR workouts with a Quest 3 (and loads of accessories) and it’s been awesome for my health and my cholesterol levels. I also use an Apple Vision Pro for FaceTime, editing and movies that I love. What these headsets can do for immersion within videos, workouts and films is similar to what the Parker DUO can do for music. I have heard many speakers that throw a wide, deep and holographic soundstage but Marten wins the prize in this area out of any speakers I have heard. I still slightly prefer my $24k Icon 12’s for the bit of organic flow and that earthiness in the mids that they bring but the Marten speakers do things with more energy, slam and impact even though they are smaller and a little harder to drive.
With that said, these are not really hard to drive at all and Marten recommends at least 50 watts of power. The Devialet pushes big watts to them (The Parkers are 6 ohm speakers) and the Modwright gear pushes 100 WPC to them. Both sound incredible with the DUO but I would recommend at least 75 high quality high current watts here for the best performance. As stated earlier on, the Galion amp at 75 WPC really sounded beautiful with the Parker as well when connected to the P75 preamp, which uses tubes. I would not recommend tubes for these though unless they are bringing higher power and current.
ROOM SIZE?
In my room which is 13X18 these are about as good as it gets for a speaker of this size. I can not say how they would do in a smaller or larger room but can say that they do well here at low volume, mid volume or “chase me out of the room” volume. Turn them up and they stay clean and clear, without distortion ever kicking in. Turn them down for the night and they will deliver an almost unreal experience if you have them powered right. They stay immersive for me at low volumes as well. I feel these would do well in a smaller room or larger room but go too large and you will need reinforcements from a sub.
- Frequency range. 36-40000 Hz +-2dB.
- Power rating. 200 W.
- Sensitivity. 88 dB/2.83 V.
- Impedance. 6 ohms (3.1 Ohms min)
- Type. 2-way.
- Drive units. 1” pure ceramic tweeter (upgradable to Diamond), Bass driver and passive bass radiator.
- Crossover frequency. Multi diverse order, 2200 Hz.
- Terminals. WBT Nextgen Single-wire.
So these go down to around 36HZ which is nice and low for a stand mount speaker. Pretty incredible as I have seen other manufactures make these kind of claims but the bass was never of this all out quality. Sure, they had the quantity of bass and all sounded great but when you spend close to $20k on a set of speakers they should absolutely deliver more than a $7k speaker does, in all areas. These do just that and the bass and midrange is of the high end level variety.
I do have a set of Buchardt E10 in the house and as good as those are in the $5k price bracket they do not even get close to the Parker Duo for all out sound quality or build quality. There is a reason these Marten speakers are close to $20k with the stands. This is another case of you do get what you pay for.
These Parker Duo speakers are a pure reference for me as I never heard a small stand mount sound like these, so after almost 40 years in this game I am still finding products that do indeed improve the experience of a 2 channel system. These are refined, beautiful, clean, dynamic, full yet transparent and with real impact. Going back and forth between my reference Icon 12 and the DUO was revealing. It showed me that the DUO can easily hang with the bigger Icon but also best it with the tightness of bass, which is more impactful and energetic vs the Icon 12 with its 12″ woofer. The Icon is no slouch and they are truly remarkable and still my fave speakers ever but the Parker’s are insanely good and cost about $4k less.
With that said, the Icon 12 bring a super refined sound and I am indeed addicted to it and will not be changing them out anytime soon. If I did though, I would try my best to acquire a set of these Marten Parker Duo speakers as they are simply remarkable in all ways. These really do put mostly all other stand mounted speakers I have heard to shame and I hate to say that but it’s true. This is a review after all and I want to really convey just how special these are. Yea, they are so worth it if you can afford them and afford the quality amp they deserve.
Buying these will not be a cheap ordeal. Remember you will need a quality amp, dac, streamer, phono stage, turntable and cables to get the most from them. If starting from scratch, get a Devialet Astra and thank me later ; ) Throw in some nice speaker cables and you are done, possibly for life. Yep, that Devialet Astra is $20k but houses a top world class amp section, streamer, DAC and phono stage. I have to stress….
The Amp Is VERY Important HERE.
I have to stress this as with the Fezz Evo Titania integrated that puts out 45 watts of tube power, they fell flat but so did other speakers I attached that amp to. I think there may have been something wrong with the Fezz, at least I hope so. I put off that review for now until I can find out and it is on its way back to the distributor and they will test it out. I do feel it had an issue, at least I hope so as that amp was sounding great with acoustic instruments but anything with bass..no go.
With the $15k combo of Modwright LS99 pre and KWA 99 Mono amps the Marten Parker DUO sounded flipping fantastic and had plenty of power for the speakers. Even so, they were not sounding quite as magical as they did with the Devialet Astra. I believe this is due to the way the Astra is designed with the DAC and Preanp perfectly mated to the amp section. Class D power is not what it used to be my friends and when you hear how good Class D can sound (like with the Astra) everything else starts to sound compromised in some way. That has been my experience over the last several months as I have had the Astra here, testing it in all ways.
Another amp that would sound flat out amazing with these is the Luxman 509Z as that amp is also quite incredible and $13k. That one does not house a DAC but does have a decent phono stage. The pre and amp section of the 509Z is the big start of that show.
So yes, the Marten Parker DUO deserves a high quality amp to fully deliver what they are capable of. These speakers are for those who want a semi clean sound that has transparency yet also offers big clean bass impact and a magical midrange with some body and warmth, but just a little. The highs are also quite fanatic and present and makes that soundstage very three dimensional while reverb trails are so easily heard as they float into the room.
I have heard some mighty fine stand mount speakers in my lifetime in all price ranges and some of them I felt would be tough to improve upon. The Marten’s just blew them all out of the water but I guess they should at this kind of price. If you just go with the speakers themselves without the stands then the retail price is $15k and if you can afford it then yes… the stands are so worth the cost as well if music and sound reproduction is high on your life list.
For me, I listen daily to music whether it is in my car, my reference room, a 2nd system room or even with my new KEF XIO sound bar I recently reviewed. I believe music can keep our metal state in a good space. I feel it can heal us in some ways. I feel music can reduce stress as well. As I sit in my comfy chair and cue up some of my faves it always puts a smile on my face.
I do not “need” a high end system to enjoy music but I will say that having a nice system is something I could not be without. It’s been like this for me since I was a teenager and now (at 55 years of age) I still have not tired of listening to 2 channel music on a high quality system. Not everyone is like me and some of you may just want a casual listening room, for casual and occasional listening. If that is you, then speakers of this caliber are not required. Yet, on the other side of the coin, if you want the all out quality, refinement, soundstage perfection and like to sit and listen for some time then you will have to spend some cash to get there.
The Marten Parker DUO speakers are one of the good ones…no the GREAT ones, They are very special and not all speakers are. I hear a lot of subpar gear that seems to be made to make a quick buck but sometimes I get to hear something that surprises me and makes me sit up and take notice. Marten is one of those brands that did this for me and I have to say it will be tough to see these go but that’s the life of an audio reviewer.
We get to hear the really great stuff and even get discounts at times if we want to buy the review units but even with discounts things like this still cost a lot of money. I can not complain though as I am rich in love, in life, in family and friends and also rich in peace with my life and everything around me. Even getting a taste of this level of audio quality is good for my soul. I want to thank Unveiled Audio again for setting up this review so I could give these a spin in my space. I will never forget them.
I can state with authority that the Marten Parker DUO are indeed the finest stand mounted speakers I have ever heard. I can only imagine what their upper tier speakers do for music.
You can learn more about these or buy them from Unveiled Audio HERE.
