Bozak info for history freaks...

The Bozak thread started earlier reminded me that Vacuum Tube Valley magazine #18 has a nice history of Rudy Bozak and the speakers that bore his name - great stuff for you speaker lovers. Borders and Books a Million carry this neat-o magazine. Anybody out there have a pair of Concert Grands???

 

No, but I had a pair of 302A's and a later pair from the Listening Series -- before I gutted them (still have the B-450C drivers for the latter though).

 

How'd those Bozax sound??? I kinda imagine a really warm sounding midrange and big bass. Were they power hogs that needed a hefty dose of current to make 'em sing?

 

Surprisingly, despite their size, in my opinion the 302's sounded best when driven by a cheap Dynaco tube amp I had. The original literature, as I recall, recommended at least 30 watts (these were designed in the late 60's after-all). The tube combination gave up some low end control/extension -- but it yielded a midrange and top that could bring tears to my eyes.

When I hooked up a high current, modern solid-state beast to it....more extension, but the magic was gone, IMO.

The latter Listening Series speakers I had -- I, personally, didn't care for as much. This was Bozak's attempt to take the large drivers that they utilized in their older infinite baffle speakers (it still used the big Bozak, Alnico woofer) and stick them in a small cabinet with a switchable (yuck) crossover.

 

Thanks for the tip on Vacuum Tube Valley magazine. It was so long ago ('74) I saw the concert grands, I dont remember much except being awed by their hugeness. I went to a party at this wealthy dude's house, Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal was on the turntable, and it sounded like a live rock band in person.
I looked for a picture on the internet of them, but i couldnt find nothing. but there was this description:
over 300 lbs. each, Approx. 50 in high X 36 in wide X 28 inch deep (big as a line backer) Giant 4 woofer 3 way system.

 

Had a pair of B-4000's (the "Symphony," w/ two woofers, one 8" mid, eight mirror-image line-array tweeters) that pushed big symphonic and jazz very nicely in a 20'x12' living room with a Mac 240 in the late '60's-early '70's. A lot easier to move around than the Grands.

 

Oh, I guess I could post a link to VTV www.vacuumtube.com Don't blame me if you get lost looking at all the cool stuff there!

 

I have a pair of mint Bozak B-301A's that I got for $10 at a rummage sale. They have a beautiful sound and I've found that they work equally well with tube and solid state amps. These are a pretty simple 3-way design, not quite as impressive as a pair of Concert Grands, but very very nice nonetheless.

 

Great snag - I'll bet those pups weigh a ton! You could probably buy the fiberglass fill for those boxes with $10 now; you got a helluva deal on those!