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'Passive' Powered Partners ?


Kiki1

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Hi there

First post and it's a request (of course).

Many years ago I traded a foreign TV system for these speakers. They look virtually identical to the powered partners, including grills and overall colour, but they have the words Party Partners, 'Teledyne Acoustic Research', along with a Dunstable address and EM serial numbers on the rear plate.

I can't see much on the site (nothing comes up in a search except rock partners) to nail them down on specification or age, and have never seen this type before, but would love to get them performing as they were originally designed.

What sort of amplifier would best suit them if they are to be used in a rectangular living room roughly 23' x 11' with 8' ceiling ?

I will try to get a picture or two over the next couple of days once they are down from the loft..

Thanks in advance.

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In the mid 1980's, AR enjoyed tremendous success with the Powered Partner, a self-powered 4" 2-way pair, suitable for use with Walkman/Discman type players. It was a truly clever, innovative product, and it sounded great.

Like most companies, AR tried to capitalize on the success of a new product with similar follow-up products. In the late '80's, they introduced a series of passive speakers in the triangular-shaped Partner guise, and named them things like Rock Partner (an 8" 2-way using their famous 1 1/4" cone tweeter) and Environmental Partner (a 4" 2-way with a 1" dome, similar to the Powered version).

My lit doesn't show the "Party" version, although I suspect it was similar to the Environmental. The Environmental had an aluminum cabinet like the Powered and used the same mounting accessories. The Rock had a vinyl-covered MDF cabinet, but that triangular "look."

The lit for the Rock says amps rated 10 watts min, 100 max. The Environmental says amps 7 watts min, 75 watts max.

They were very nice speakers, well-designed, and good-sounding.

Steve F.

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Thanks Steve

These are the triangular design (like the rock and Environmental) and much larger than both, I think the face is getting on for 24 inches in height.

What was the model number of the environmentals ?

I will have some pictures later tonight for you, including the cone sizes, it's good to know I wasn't wasting everybody's time.

I will also dust off the Marantz amp over the weekend (and might even clean the stylus of the player).

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I can't see much on the site . . . to nail them down on specification or age

The only reference to the AR Party Partner that I recall seeing is a brief mention of their introduction, taken from the Winter 1988 "AR Today" quarterly newsletter.

Robert_S

post-101656-0-83035500-1328197348_thumb.

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They're the ones.

10 inchers eh ?.

I cant believe they work well standing vertically on the floor though.

$225 each in 1988 would seem to endorse why there aren't too many around. What would the standard shape AR units in those days have cost ?

Since I appear to be the only forum member with a pair, I'll take extra special care of them from now on.

Thanks again

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