Hi Earfull, sorry man I tried my darndest to find out about these for you, since running internet searches is sort of a hobby of mine. Kinda like an online detective game. Anyway, all I could come up with was that the 442 was designed by Phil Ward and was reviewed in the Stereophile March 1988 edition. Unfortunately, the Stereophile online archives don't go back that far. It was mentioned in passing as having been radical at the time by having the drivers attached yet decoupled from a central spine ala the new gallo acoustics. I tried running searches on Phil Ward and that was a bust too. The only additional info I can offer is that it was a 2-way with 6.7" woofers and a tweeter per side and came in at a heavyweight 110lbs! They apparently have also kept their value well as a german site lists a pair in rosewood for 3600 wether euro or DM unspecified down only 1/4 of it's value since 1987 almost 20 years ago.
Sorry for the let down but here's where the trail ended at least for me. You can continue if you wish. All M-S speakers made prior to 1998 are now serviced by a separate company called lockwood audio. Any information on the System 442 as well as parts can be had by posing as an owner of a pair and e-mailing
roger@lockwood-audio.co.uk. They will prob ask for a serial number though. If that fails as an ultimate last resort (of the free kind) join the uk forum zerogain and try PMing this guy named Timpy who has a pair.
Other than that I figure you'll just have to become a paid subscriber of audiogon to get the bluebook info.
I'm an insomniac and this is how I get myself sleepy. And I am really sleepy now. Hope this helps.