So Many Apogees for sale, and so few takers

Josh358,

"few areas an apogee will beat a tympani"

Depending on which Apogee you mean I doubt the Tympani could do dynamics like an apogee. The sound of rattling on bass drums would soon appear with the Tympani.

I had both apogee and maggies of all sorts. I loved them both. The Apogee with all new drivers and modern xover is hard to beat. Having said that a decent xover in a maggie is up there too, but those older maggies couldn't take dynamic swings. Although still a fabulous sound if a little constrained and woody.

Hi Josh358,

It's been a while since I heard the Tymps. I take your point. They were lovely. I cannot imagine them capable of 120db no matter how much power was used.

If only I was bright enough to do the maths! I'm guessing but 4ohm and 85db/w@ 1m sensitivity would need a lot of power for 120db. Surely into 3 or 4,000w to even get close let alone to not burn out something.

The type of startling dynamic swings I am meaning are not possible with planars unfortunately. The only reason I moved away from them to be honest.

Power only gets you so far. I tried. You can get grip and deeper bass, but never that confidence that someone hit something really hard or blew a trumpet ffff without that slight softening. Get someone to blow a trumpet loud in your room. You will jump out of your skin!

As brilliant as the planars I had were in every other area, there was always a constriction that one gets used to once you get beyond a medium to high SPL.

I used multiple subs to help pressure the room which helped to a point, but I doubt I could get much higher than 100 db peaks effortlessly with full programme music.

Try Kraftwerks minimum maximum on the maggie and measure the SPL. I reckon at 90db the bass panel will be compressing and rattling against the magnets or resonating the panel with the bass drum. Even with an arc welder as an amp and spiked braced stands with weight on them. But I completely understand your love.

Have a word with Graz re your Apogee mids... You will be sorted right out. His ribbons are excellent.

I had epic listening sessions with modified Maggies and reconditioned Apogees. Fabulous speakers.

I fell for high sensitivity horns in the form of the AG Trio with flea power amps. My final resting place! They have the naturalness and speed with dynamic freedom you can only dream of in planar land. It allows the use of extremely linear amps with single gain stages. This alone is a revelation in sonics especially for layering, naturalness and timbre.

Hi josh,

Very interesting. I wonder if maybe some of the lower perceived loudness from the panel is about phase? There can be a diffuse nature to planar sound. Lacking that initial impact you get from a big studio monitor or horn.

Placement from the rear wall and side wall with soft furnishing behind the panel always helped in my experience. Somehow focussing it and making it more coherent. Also using extremely good source and amps of course!

I had forgotten about Wisdom speakers. I have never heard them. But there was a model I admired from afar. I think it was the called the LS4. It seems to hook on the wall. I wonder how they get around that congested sound you would get it you tried that proximity to the rear wall with a maggie or Apogee?

Anyone know why Wisdom speakers are so expensive? Or is that just their wisdom?

Ptmconsulting,
I am with you, a properly set up one is one of the best playback experiences.

My Apogees where never diffuse. But definetly came to life with power. That diffuse trait was more a trait of the older stock maggies. Something that replacing the caps in the xover improved a great deal btw.

I always thought of my planars as headphones. Very large headphones!