Hartley speakers--anyone heard/heard of?


i recently found an old pair of hartley bookshelf speakers in a thrift store, and upon doing a bit of research found that they are one of the oldest manufacturers of speakers still in existence. yes, they are currently based out of wilmington, n.c. after their beginnings near london and subsequent moves to n.y. and n.j. they still manufacture their own drivers by hand, although they do not currently build finished speakers. i have to say that the midrange on these unassuming little speakers really surprised me with it's immediacy and detail (but then again i'm easily impressed :-) but i REALLY was impressed that they are still around, quietly crafting their product for all these years.
musicdoc
I did not know that they still manufactured speakers. One of my close friends acquired a pair from an ex-boyfriend of hers years ago and is still using them in her living room. The sound is impressive given the fact that they are over 10 years old. If you like what you hear and can get a decent deal on them, by all means go for it!
Back in the 1950's, the 24 inch Hartley woofer was the ultimate. Only competition was the 30 inch Electrovoice.
Hartley was still quite active up until the mid 70's with the concert master and other models. I never got a chance to hear one.