Description
Translator Impact 30 speakers. Fully revitalized. Blue Jeans
The history of Translator and its predecessors – HB speaker systems begins with the store founded by Amnon Rafałowicz at the initiative of the designer Hans Baan in 1969 in Amsterdam. Quality sound lovers could find there all the elements needed to build high-quality speaker systems. The business was very successful mainly thanks to the professional advice Baan gave to clients. Then, based on experiments in various rooms, with the support of a large arsenal of professional measuring equipment, the designer created 3 speaker systems: HB-1, HB-10 and a little later HB-2. He paid a lot of attention to the most difficult part of any project: the crossover. The loudspeakers, apart from high quality, were distinguished primarily by the way they were sold. They could be purchased as a DIY kit with a detailed manual.
Thanks to quality products and decisions, the store developed and expanded, selling, in addition to the loudspeaker production, Dynaco amplifiers (and tuners), which was the top American audiophile brand. Baan even released a short series of upgraded version of the famous Dynaco A-25 speaker as the HB-5. Amnon thought it would be a good idea to separate HB and Dynaco as (seemingly) independent companies. Hans worked for both companies until mid-1979. During this time, the name of Dynaco Nederland changed to Acson. After leaving the company, Baan worked in a garage to develop his own speaker systems. He chose the name Translator for his brand because he considered the loudspeaker to be the exact translator of the music signal offered. The Reference model was launched in 1980 and, although it was not a commercial speaker, it managed to sell over 2,000 pieces in 19 years. Next, a new challenge for Baan was how to design cheaper speakers while keeping exactly the same philosophy of the highest quality.
This is how the Impact series was created.
In the first half of the 80s, Translator was already being supplied by about 50 dealers in the Netherlands, so the company could move to a proper office. In the 90s, the Beryl series was launched, under which the speakers were given names after particular gemstones. In 1993, a model higher than the Reference emerged: Pavane – the result of a collaboration between Baana Cees Ruijtenberg (now Metrum Acoustics).
The last Translator models were developed between 1994 and 1996, and Baan ran the company until 1998. He died in 2015 at the age of 69.
Designer Hans Baan managed to negotiate with the Vifa loudspeaker manufacture that one of the tweeters would be delivered exclusively to Translator for the first 2 years. It was this particular loudspeaker that became the basis of the Impact 30 design, which appeared in 1986 and replaced the Impact 3-II. This model is distinguished by a realistic, almost three-dimensional soundstage and a deep, strong bass. The sound is dynamic and spatial.
Old coatings have been removed and then the enclosures were painted using the automotive wet painting technique. A “Blue Jeans” colour varnish was used and protected with a colourless satin varnish. The loudspeakers are equipped with spikes to stabilize vibrations.
Included are two speaker cables with a cross section of 2 × 2.5mm and length of 2x5m
The set is 100% functional, the speakers are in perfect condition.
Technical data:
– 2-way system
– power – 60W, 200W RMS
– impedance – 8 Ohm
– frequency response: 45Hz – 25 000kHz
– dimensions – 85cm (height) x 26cm (width) x 25cm (depth)
– weight – approx. 15 kg (pcs.)
– woofer – 19 cm
– tweeter – 2,5 cm
– Dutch production from 1987/91