“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. Yea, they are $3500 but so worth it if you are investing in the speakers.

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), the Galion P75 and A75 separates as well as the Devialet Astra it was without question that the all out balls to the wall 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. The new Galion TSP75 Preamp and TSA75 power amp 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, speed and also had a very nice body to the mids. I would be happy with any of these powering the Parker Duo but again, that Astra..,wow.
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 but the stream was so clean and sounded beautiful.
Soundstage
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, transparent 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 much more pricey Focal Diablo Evo Colour as well, and those cost more with their dedicated stands. The Focal lack with bass big time when compared to the Marten.
There is something magical about a speaker that vanishes to the point where you can not pinpoint where the sound is coming from. These Parker Duo’s 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 warm and juicy as my Icon 12’s midrange but they are cleaner and yet just as full in sound, if not a touch fuller in the midrange 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. That phono stage in the Astra is something else.

Moving on to Spotify using CONNECT (which does not use bluetooth) and high quality settings a song popped up in a playlist I was listening to. It took me back to the 1980’s when I used to go to the dance clubs and yea, I danced my rear off to this song “at the club” sometimes as the video played on big screens throughout the club. This song is by Bronski Beat and called “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.
Wether you listen to classical, chamber, choral, jazz, vocal jazz, EDM, Pop, Bluegrass, Rock or even Death Metal the Parker Duo can deliver what is on the recording and deliver it all in a way that at times stuns. These are beautiful truly end game speakers that deliver not only all of the music, but also the emotion in the music. I have experienced some products in the past that I felt had a soul, but these Parker Duo have what I would call a light filled soul. Truly gorgeous in every single way and I can not stress that enough. Yea, these ignited my passion and excitement.

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 for you (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 speaker for everyone I feel the Marten Parker get damn close to what I would call perfection in a small stand mount speaker, at least for me and my tastes.
I adore my big O Audio 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 also more extension in the highs. They throw an equally large 3D soundstage and also bring that body and soul in the mids where the vocals live but the Duo’s disappear with ease in the room.
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 bit 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 and the Duo have slightly more transparency.

Parker vs 100K speakers? Whoa.
It’s interesting as I was able to finally hear the $100k stand mount speakers from Borresen (The M1) not that long ago 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 as they were a touch more alive. 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. Then again,
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. At a recent doc visit with bloodwork my “bad’ cholesterol levels were very high even though my weight and fat are low. I spent a few weeks with Supernatural and Fir XR within the Quest 3 and not only am I feeling so much better my levels went back to mid normal in a matter of about 10 weeks. Love this thing and the VR experience sucks you right into the workouts, immersing you within them and this makes them fun. The Parker Duo also suck me into the music with an immersive quality that allows me to close my eyes and be one with the music.
I also use an Apple Vision Pro for FaceTime, editing and movies that I love and this headset is also pretty awesome but I love tech! 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 Icon 12’s for the extra bit of organic flow and that bit of earthiness in the mids that they bring but the Marten speakers do things with more energy, slam, clarity and excel with spatial renderings of the music even though they are smaller and a little harder to drive. Then again, maybe I am just saying that I still prefer my Icon 12 to please myself as I know I cannot afford the Parker Duo, lol. In any case, both are tremendously stunning speakers in the high end realm.
With that said, these Martens 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 a full one tube amp 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.
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 Preamp 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.