First introduction to Apogee!

[Graz]

I am lucky enough to get more than a few people tell me of their very first introduction to Apogee's, some going back a great many years. I figured this would be a good place to tell our tales!

My own first introduction to Apogee was a strange one, at the Penta Hotel near London Airport, in England - way back in 1986 I believe!

The system was an insane combination, priced at a staggering £54,000, which could buy a house on the or a couple of small flats on the edge of London at the time. I was amazed at both the price and performance, for the very first time I actually realised the goals of my hobby, hearing believable sonic illusions that were so good as to be convincing. Back then, that was an absolute revelation! The system was the sota Krell transport/dac plus Oracle/AirTangent/Koetsu, Krell active crossover, and a pile of Krell KMA160 amplifiers, speakers were Apogee Scintillas. The sound? I can remember much of the program - and the sound was convincingly realistic through all of it, regardless of vinyl or digital source. The demo was actually ran as more of a ritual - most (including me) had never experienced equipment of this level and there was a n atmosphere of quiet respect and anticipation. People trooped in silently, took their seat, the room was sealed. The performance began, running for about 30 minutes. After - people trooped out, some excitedly whispering expletives! I knew that day I had experienced something special, and at the end stood up, and walked out via the nearest (left) Scintilla. I reached out and touched the speaker on the slant edge (nobody else was getting anywhere near these scary "things"!). The imported shot me a glance. My old friend (Carlos) said "don't bother, you will NEVER be able to afford them". I replied "no, I know. BUT, there is something about these - not now, but later in the future..." .

We left to work our way through the rest of the show, from that moment all other audio statements were decidedly bland...

I can remember that day as clear as if yesterday.


Take care - Graz

[User211]

My first encounter with planar magnetic technology was the Analysis Omega at the London show. Instantly I knew they sounded excellent. Driven by some Levinson amps.

I still think they are great, but they are expensive new. I figured the cheapest way to get close was by getting some Duettas refurbished, When Jon turned up with them, after some 17 years of Martin Logans, I knew the Logans had been bettered by a margin. Whilst different to the Omegas, I felt they were very much in the same class.

After a ribbon change from KLM2 to KLM5 and a crossover tweak, I really thought they were head and shoulders above speakers costing WAY more.

Then I started thinking about how they could be bettered along with Jon and we built the Interstellas... well, Jon did the real work of actually making them.

Got a superb set of ribbons from Graz for these. Visually and sonically absolutely top notch. Keep it up Graz:)

[gilles13]

The first time I listened to planar speakers was around 1980 at a hifi show in Paris,sound lab renaissance.
I have never heard such a sound and was amazed but I was beginning to work and have no money at that time.
A few years later, Absolut Sound, the english high end hifi distributor made a demo in Paris of the "Apogee" with all the big krell amps,goldmund table...I was (and others people too) stunned ,it was an other world, no comparisons with all the other systems.
After I have listened to Magnepan, but never got hooked , I began to listen to more affordable apogee.
In 1990 I found a demo pair of calliper signature in a shop, I had the money ready for a second hand classe DR9 and it was the beginning of a love relation with this company product.
Since that I have kept the calliper and ameliorated all the equipment and today am totally satisfied .

[Vansloneker]

My very first encounter with an Apogee was I think it was in the eighties, I liked to hang around in Amsterdam, and walk in the now legendary RAF audio store. There were these panels parked up against a wall. I knew about electrostatics, but had never seen those weird things. The corrugate foils, the ribbons, all new to me. I concluded they had to be speakers, what else? I think they were maybe Scintilla's. No sales person was available to enlighten me on the subject!

Many years later I visited another now gone and legendary audio store, Staffhorst in Utrecht. They had several floors, the higher the floor, the more expensive the audio gear. On the top floor were the goodies like Quad. From there was a narrow passage with an entry to a sort of attic. In this room were two huge things that had the aura of a historic Greek temple. Really I thought 'Oh my god, what is this?' I walked around them and the temple things were enormous flat panels on a big console almost the size of a washing machine. I concluded they only could be speakers, what else? I was shocked and intimidated and silently sneaked my way out of the store.

[AllenO]

I heard my first set in the early 90's. I remember the listening experience vividly to this day. I was still a snot nosed punk at the time, having just started college, in my very late teenage years. I had dabbled to no end in car audio, and had been exposed to what I believed was hi-fi as far as "home" stereos were concerned. A newly found friend took a listen to my car stereo, and said he had a home system he thought I'd enjoy hearing. He was into fast cars, and stereos, I was young, and was very impressed by those things, and still am. I was studying engineering too, and figured this guy has an engineering degree so must know what he was talking about. Went over to his home and was mesmerized to say the least. Brought in a stack of CD's, and he had endless vinyl to listen to. A set of Stages driven by a Counterpoint hybrid front end. It was all there, soundstage, imaging, depth, and realism. It's what I'd always wanted to hear. I told myself walking out, one day, I'll have a system like that. Several years later, I heard a set of Divas driven by the latest Krell gear. Was once again, blown away. It was the same as I'd heard from the Stages, but in spades. I swore that day that I'd have those speakers, or similar if I could find something that sounded any better. Some 20+ years later, I have not one, but two sets of Divas. Audio-wise, those were days that made an early impression that has stuck with me throughout my days. And to this day, if I find anything that I can afford, that sounds any better, I will have it. But to this day, that simply hasn't happened. I will most likely own my Divas until the bitter end. I have since, in 20+ years, got back in touch with the first gentleman that let me hear his stages, and properly thanked him for doing so. He moved away from this area years ago. We recently rekindled a friendship that has always been there, and although we haven't spoke in years, we picked up the conversation exactly where we left off, talking about Apogees. Note that he still listens to his Stages and is perfectly content.

[converse320]

Gosh haven't been here for a year or so.

First Apogee system I heard, when I still could, was mid 80s?? comin Brighton at some large hi fi event. As I remember it, though memory is slightly vague, system was something like.....

Oracle
PU3
Dynavector Diamond
com
SP something pre
Threshold Amps

Scintillas

Maybe someone else who was there can correct me. I remember hearing Kate Bush Hounds of Love and being completely amazed. So amazed I bought a pair of MG1bs not that long after. Scintillas much after that.

[converse320]

No, not Hounds of Love, the Dreaming - bang goes a Kanga etc. I think this was the absolute sounds room?

[TinyTim]

The first time i heard Apogees, i was picking up a Krell KSA-150 from a man near New York i believe, or maybe it was Rochester Anyway, up until then i had Magnepan 0.5, Magnepan 1.6 and 2 pairs of Magnepan 3.6 speakers. The sound from those Apogee Duettas was so fast detailed, fast and clear it was really something else. He played it through a radio which picked up the live transmission from a orchestra hall in New York i think. That was the first time i heard or seen Apogees, and in a quite fast pace i bought/traded Apogee Scintillas, Calipers, DIVAs, Stages, Fullranges and my current speaker Grand. My panel love startet with Magnepans and i still have a soft spot for them. Sure, they can't touch a restored and properly placed and driven Apogee but they are easy, forgiving and reliable. Still, the best bang for the buck in my book.