Heathkit AS-2 (1959)

The Heathkit AS-2 is a two-way passive speaker system issued in 1959. It's a compact box, roughly 14 x 10 x 8 inches and 8 pounds, built around an electrodynamic driver, and it needs no external power. Beyond that, the record is thin. The exact impedance, driver complement, crossover point, and cabinet material aren't documented in the available sources.

Heathkit's positioning is clear enough. The company ran a sustained advertising campaign in late 1959 and early 1960 calling the AS-2 a "revolutionary principle in speaker design," licensed exclusively to Heathkit, with "superlative praise by hi-fi authorities and experts." The ad copy never names those authorities. High Fidelity (January 1960, p.38) carried the announcement and listed three cabinet options: the AS-2U unfinished at $69.95, and the AS-2M (mahogany) and AS-2B (birch) at $79.95 each. The ads also promoted a $7.00 down / $7.00 monthly payment plan.

These were preassembled, prefinished cabinets, which was unusual for Heathkit, whose name was built on kits. The AS-2 appears to have been a fully built speaker rather than a build-it-yourself project. That may explain why it's overshadowed by the company's more famous kit components.

Known specs, such as they are:

- Two-way passive speaker box ("Zweiwege-Lautsprecherbox")

- Electrodynamic loudspeaker, no power required

- Dimensions: 14 x 10 x 8 inches

- Weight: 8 lb

- 1959 issue year

- Original prices: $69.95 (unfinished), $79.95 (mahogany or birch)

No reviews, owner reports, or current market values have surfaced in the available record. If you own an AS-2 and can add impedance or driver details, the archive would welcome the correction.