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Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
Ken.C #395925 08/08/13 04:54 PM
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KenC is correct.

Axiom had a contract with Radio Shack Canada to build the Merak line for sale in Canadian Radio Shack stores for some years. The Merak brand name goes back a long time to a Canadian manufacturer that went out of business in the early 1980s, if memory serves. I think that's when Ian picked up the brand name.

The Merak speakers that Axiom built were not nearly as neutral or refined as Axiom's upmarket line, but were very good value for the money. Sort of like the Sound Dynamics line that Audio Products International produced (the parent of Mirage, Energy, and one other I can't recall.

Regards,
Alan


Alan Lofft,
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Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
Gr8_White_North #395931 08/08/13 05:38 PM
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Athena?


Half of communication is listening. You can't listen with your mouth.
Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
Adrian #395969 08/09/13 02:41 AM
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Right, Adrian; API made both Athena and Sound Dynamics speakers.


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Enjoy the music, not the equipment.


Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
JohnK #395981 08/09/13 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted By: JohnK
Right, Adrian; API made both Athena and Sound Dynamics speakers.


I once had a huge pair of Sound Dynamics speakers that I bought at a pawn shop. I believe they were part of the "white van" series! laugh

Probably not the same speakers, but I swear that was the brand name.

Last edited by sonicfox; 08/09/13 04:16 PM.

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Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
sonicfox #396001 08/09/13 09:45 PM
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Alan, I think Ian Paisley was part of API for a while.

Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
BBIBH #396016 08/11/13 11:33 AM
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BBIBH, Yes, Ian Paisley was vice-president of engineering of API for many years. He assumed that title when API's owner, Howard Heiber, acquired Paisley Loudspeakers.
I was referring to Ian Colquhoun when I was discussing Merak.

Alan


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Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
alan #396028 08/12/13 11:56 AM
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Hi Alan,

no sorry, I was referring to your comment "...and one other I can't recall", and that Paisley may be the name you forgot.

Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
BBIBH #396032 08/12/13 02:17 PM
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Just confusion, Mike (not all that unusual at my age, ha!) Athena was the brand I was trying to think of. I think Adrian got it. And Sonic Fox may well have bought those Sound Dynamics speakers because API at one time had a big network of US and Canadian brick and mortar retailers. Now that I think of it, I think API added another short-lived brand called SPL.

Cheers,
Alan


Alan Lofft,
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Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
Gr8_White_North #396033 08/12/13 03:28 PM
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Sound Dynamics speakers...
Alan, my brother used to have a pair, in the 80s, a model with a 15 inch woofer. I can't remember the rest of the details (not all that unusual at my age, ha!) ;-).

i listened to one album with them and found the SQ good enough to give nice staging and realism, after i'd moved the speakers a bit around for better imaging.

my brother loved them because "they can play very loud", he said.

Re: Merak Speakers Who Knew
alan #396035 08/12/13 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted By: alan
Just confusion, Mike (not all that unusual at my age, ha!) Athena was the brand I was trying to think of. I think Adrian got it. And Sonic Fox may well have bought those Sound Dynamics speakers because API at one time had a big network of US and Canadian brick and mortar retailers. Now that I think of it, I think API added another short-lived brand called SPL.

Cheers,
Alan


It seems from time to time, API comes up in the conversation with their various speaker brands that they developed over the years and I suppose this is somewhat off topic but Alan, I always wondered why API decided to sell out in the first place?

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