Koss CM/1030 (circa 1977–1983)
Koss is the headphone company, but it also built serious loudspeakers for a short while. The CM/1030 was the flagship floor-standing model in a three-model line that also included the CM/1010 and CM/1020. Audio (May 1983, p.78) published a full Equipment Profile, and it remains the most detailed source on this speaker.
The CM/1030 is a four-way, vented design. The driver complement is unusual: a single 10-inch woofer, two 4½-inch cone midranges, and two 1-inch dome tweeters. Crossovers are at 300 Hz, 2.5 kHz, and 7 kHz. The cabinet is big - 38⅞ inches tall, 16½ inches wide, 14½ inches deep - and weighs 74 pounds. Nominal impedance is 5 ohms (4 ohms minimum), and the claimed frequency range is 26 Hz to 19.5 kHz. Koss priced the pair at $1,000 in 1983.
Koss’s own advertising language was bold, claiming that “no other 4-bandpass system even comes close in bass, midrange or high” (HiFI-Stereo, October 1979, p.156). That sort of copy is typical period hype, but it does suggest Koss was aiming high with this model. Beyond the Audio test and a few scattered ads, little else is documented — no production totals, no revision history, no collector market data. The CM/1030 remains a rarely seen speaker from a company better known for what you wear on your head.
Known Specifications (from Audio May 1983)
- System type: Four-way, vented enclosure
- Drivers: 10″ woofer, two 4½″ cone midranges, two 1″ dome tweeters
- Crossover frequencies: 300 Hz, 2.5 kHz, 7 kHz
- Impedance: 5 ohms nominal (4 ohms min.)
- Frequency range: 26 Hz – 19.5 kHz
- Dimensions: 16½″ W × 14½″ D × 38⅞″ H
- Weight: 74 lbs.
- Price (1983): $1,000 per pair
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