Marten Parker Trio Floorstanding Loudspeakers

Marten Parker Trio

The Marten Parker Trio is a 2.5-way floorstanding loudspeaker handcrafted in Gothenburg, Sweden. Positioned as the mid-sized model in the Parker series, the Trio combines custom ceramic drivers with dual passive radiators to deliver extended bass response and dynamic capability in a refined, room-friendly enclosure.

Position in the Marten Lineup

The Parker series replaced Marten's Heritage line in 2020 and occupies the middle tier of the company's offerings. Named after jazz legend Charlie Parker, the series sits above the entry-level Oscar range and below the Mingus and flagship Coltrane collections. Within the Parker family, the Trio bridges the stand-mount Duo and the larger Quintet floorstander. All Parker models share consistent driver technology, crossover philosophy, and cabinet construction, ensuring a unified sonic character across the range.

Driver Configuration and Bass Loading

The Parker Trio employs two 7.5-inch ceramic bass/midrange drivers on the front baffle, arranged vertically with the upper driver operating as a true midrange/bass unit while the lower driver rolls off earlier in a 2.5-way configuration. A 1-inch ceramic dome tweeter handles frequencies above 2,200Hz. On the rear panel, two 9-inch aluminum passive radiators augment low-frequency output.

Chief designer Leif Olofsson specifies the ceramic drivers through Accuton, incorporating neodymium magnet systems with extended linear excursion for controlled output across a wide dynamic range. The passive radiator loading eliminates the air turbulence and timing artifacts associated with traditional bass reflex ports, enabling the Trio to reach 26Hz at -2dB while maintaining articulate, well-defined bass.

Cabinet Construction

The enclosure is constructed from 35mm M-board, Marten's proprietary multi-layer laminate material. The cabinet features non-parallel, tapered sidewalls that narrow from back to front, dispersing internal standing waves and minimizing colorations. This geometry allows the Trio to effectively disappear into the soundstage. Available finishes include Piano Walnut, Matte Walnut, and Piano Black, each hand-finished to high-end standards.

The speaker sits on chromed stainless steel outrigger bases fitted with Marten Isolators, developed in collaboration with IsoAcoustics. These precision footers decouple the cabinet from the floor, reducing vibration transmission and freeing the soundstage.

Crossover Design

Marten developed a "multi-diverse crossover technique" for the Parker series, combining different filter slopes optimized through extensive listening, simulation, and measurement. Internal wiring is by Jorma Design, and signal connection is via WBT Nextgen single-wire binding posts.

Standard Ceramic vs. Diamond Edition

The Parker Trio is available in two configurations: the standard Ceramic edition and the Diamond edition upgrade.

Ceramic Edition

The Ceramic edition features a 1-inch pure ceramic dome tweeter manufactured by Accuton. The crossover employs polypropylene capacitors and copper-foil inductors, with Jorma Design internal wiring throughout. This configuration delivers excellent transient response and extension to 40kHz.

Diamond Edition

The Diamond edition replaces the ceramic tweeter with a diamond-dome unit. Diamond's extreme hardness pushes first breakup beyond 70kHz, resulting in lower distortion and improved high-frequency purity. The Diamond edition also incorporates copper-foil capacitors, Jorma Statement internal wiring, and upgraded binding post terminals. This upgrade delivers measurable and audible improvements in treble refinement and overall resolution.

Performance Characteristics

With 91dB sensitivity and a nominal 6-ohm impedance (minimum 3.1 ohms), the Parker Trio is moderately efficient and presents a benign load to quality amplifiers. Power handling extends to 300 watts. The frequency response of 26Hz to 40kHz (±2dB) provides genuine full-range capability without requiring a subwoofer in most applications.

Summary

The Marten Parker Trio represents Swedish high-end loudspeaker engineering in a practical floorstanding format. Custom ceramic drivers, dual passive radiator bass loading, and a resonance-optimized M-board cabinet combine to deliver performance that satisfies demanding listeners. The Diamond edition upgrade path provides access to ultimate refinement for those seeking the highest resolution, while the standard Ceramic edition offers exceptional value within the high-end segment. The Marten Parker Trio merits consideration for listeners seeking full-range performance with precise imaging in medium to large rooms.