I owned Duetta Signatures many years ago... Loved them.
I purchased them new, kept them for 10+ years.
Long story but they were showing signs of age, and then they got damaged..considering their age, and not many options for repair, I went with a pair of 3.6s.. never looked back.
If you could pick up a nice set of Apogees at a good price, they would be great.
I heard years ago that there were no more replacement tweeter ribbons left, but I've not kept up.
Finding a nice set of Apogees these days may be tough though. The 3.6s in my opinion are every bit as good if not better than my Apogees were, and Magnepan is there if needed for help.
Good luck! |
They don't compare IMO...even the smaller Apogee Caliper is better than the Maggie 3.6. The Maggie 20's would compare better with the Duetta Signatures. Repair (rebuild) is handled by two USA Apogee dealers, or other Apogee dealers worldwide. http://www.apogeeacoustics.com/buyingguide.htmlDave |
I have a pair of Duetta Signatures. I have heard the 3.6s and did not care for them. |
You cannot go wrong with the Apogee Duetta Signatures you can get replacement parts from Apogee Acoustics of Australia They will not sell the bass ribbon to you direct but they do have two authorized repair stations that can intall the bass panels. You can change the Tweeter Ribbon easily and that part can be purchased directly from Graz of Apogee Acoustics of Australia. The Duetta Signatures with the right amp will kill the Magnepans 3.6s. I just sold my Duetta Signatures which I have owned for 5 years to upgrade to Apogee Divas. I have not had a chance to set up the Divas yet but I will find out soon if the Divas are better in my system and room. I have listened to many planar speakers and the Apogee's are far better than any of the Magnepans. The only Magnepans I really could get into are the 20.0 or 20.1. which are huge but have the right tonal balance, image like planar speakers should and are truly amazing speakers but still no Apogee. |
I went from a modified Magnepan 3.6r (rebuilt xovers, rewired new terminals etc) to Duetta sigs which I completely refurbished and brought up to 21 century standards.
If you go for it with the 3.6r and fix the xover and stands etc, you will have a hell of a speaker. But the Apogee if updated with the latest ribbons etc will be capable better dynamics and volume although even more critical of the electronics in front. I would say the 3.6 is a little more forgiving. My Duettas were sublime and a great speaker if powered correctly. |
Agree with Dave. I owned both Caliper and Duetta.
The 3.6 are outgunned by both.
No contest.
IMO |
Hello Coxhaus,
I own Apogees (three pairs and a center) and have owned Maggies in the past. I have heard the Magnapan 3.6R's and think that they have potential. Read the North East Wisconsin Audio Society review of the 3.6R for potential upgrades, (newaudiosociety dot com) and then keep in mind that the author sold his modded 3.6's not long after writing the article.
I have heard my friend George's system (previous poster Thesoundhouse) numerous times which included stock Apogee Duetta Signatures, a Sota Star Nova and Pass Labs electronics, and have been drawn in by the Duetta's transparency and detail. The Maggies tend to lack both those qualities unless you perform some serious upgrades to the stands and the crossovers.
Apogees require a good bit of clean power to make them sing, so don't expect to get by with low power or low quality amplification.
There are a Richard Murry restored pair on Audiogon today if you have about $7900 to spend on your drug habit (I meant audio system). I heard a Richard Murry restored pair three years ago at RMAF and it was the best sounding system at the show. |
Regarding the "North East Wisconsin Audio Society review of the 3.6"...I remember him from several forums, and he did post here very often....(Rooze).
He tried very hard to get the Maggies to surpass his Apogee Calipers (the Apogee were bright yellow!)...he sold the Maggies and kept the Caliper. He did like the Maggies for the most part though.
I'm pretty sure that he moved on to some BIG HORN type speakers after a while (but still has the yellow Calipers).
Dave |
I'll be the dissenting view. I LOVE Apogees (at least, the Stage, Diva, and most of all the Scintilla) but have never warmed up to any iteration of the Duetta. If someone would give me either pair, I'd take Maggie 3.6s over Apogee Duettas any day of the week. |
I do not think Dschultz never really got hear a set of Duetta signatures the way I have. A close friend owns a local audio store in Albuquerque, and sells Magnepans and we have tried very hard to make a pair of 3.6 sound better than my old Duetta signatures. The Bass on the 3.6 is tubby at best with no dynamics. We tried many different amp set-ups and we could not get the 3.6 to match the Duetta Signatures wide open, deep sound stage. The Magnepans tonal balance was not even close to the D's. The bass on the D's is tight deep and fast, the midrange is smooth and 3 dimensional, The highs are fast, smooth, and extended. I tried for days to get the Magnepans to sound as good or better but I could not do it. I wanted to buy a new set of 3.6 because I wanted to support my friend's store, and a warranty would also be nice, but the Apogee Duetta Signatures just simply sounded significantly better. |
What speaKers do you have, and what is wrong? Also what kind of music do you like? |
I had Maggie 0.5, 1,6, and 2x 3.6's then Apogee Scintilla, DIVA, Duetta, (parents have Calipers) and i own an Apogee GRAND. The Maggie is less trouble, simpler to drive, move, mainting and easier on the pocket book. But when it comes to absolute sound, the Maggie doesnt stand a chance. But they will always hold a special place in my audio heart. |
There is NOTHING out there like a Full Range Ribbon Apogee!
Many other full range ribbons designs come close but they are not the same. The three dimensionality, RESOLUTION, Transient respond and SPEED is a one of a kind breed when it comes to Apogees. They dont do everything correctly but most of what the Apogees can do is worth living for them compared to anything else. |
I've had a pair of Duetta signature in the past and still have a pair of 3.6r . The apogees were powered with a pair of krells kma160 and now I have from class t to tube amps for the 3.6s . IMHO comparing the apogees to the 3.6s is like comparing an M5 with a Mini Cooper S . And for you not to be mistaken the M5 is the apogee . Both are good but in a different ligue . Regards
Joao |
Just got a pair of Calipers for $30... |
Good for you! Now send them to Rich Murry at True Sound Works, add $5K and you will have spkrs that out-perform most others at 2x - 3x the price... That's the potential you now have within your reach. Good Luck. |
