Dream Speakers

I'm surprised that people mention MBL speakers. I've heard them once I think it was the 101. But boy did it sound bad. The ported sub unit sounded like it was half a second out of time with the mid and tweet.

Also the amps had so much bling and looked ridiculous.

It was all form over function. It looked and sounded like it was designed for people who like a gold/diamond Rolex. Expensive but total lack of refinement and taste.
 
Big room big budget

Yamamura horns
Certain custom made horns from Germany
Henk restored Apogee Grands
Henk restored Apogee Full Ranges
Trios with bass horns

Medium room big budget
Yamamura still might go in
Henk restored Apogee Scintilla
hORNS Universum
YG Hailey/Henk or Rich Murry restored Apogee Duetta

Medium room small budget
Henk or Rich Murry restored Apogee Duetta

Very low budget
Heco

a tangent for medium rooms where it's always challenging to get speaker room acoustics right. Auro 3D Multichannel – cone based, Stenheim Alumine 5 possibly. The room correction etc helps solve many issues, especially if you like cones this is a no-brainer.
 
Big room big budget

Yamamura horns
Certain custom made horns from Germany
Henk restored Apogee Grands
Henk restored Apogee Full Ranges
Trios with bass horns

Medium room big budget
Yamamura still might go in
Henk restored Apogee Scintilla
hORNS Universum
YG Hailey/Henk or Rich Murry restored Apogee Duetta

Medium room small budget
Henk or Rich Murry restored Apogee Duetta

Very low budget
Heco

a tangent for medium rooms where it's always challenging to get speaker room acoustics right. Auro 3D Multichannel – cone based, Stenheim Alumine 5 possibly. The room correction etc helps solve many issues, especially if you like cones this is a no-brainer.

I like hORNS Universum but IMHO they are far behind Avantgardes Duo Mezzo XD and Destination Audio set.
The problem with Universum is the low bass , it' s very much limited by the design.
I have never heard the Trios in their best, even in AG HQ the Duo Mezzo G2 presentation was much more coherent and natural to me and my wife due probably to sub optimal set-up of Trios.
Based on Mike' s opinion I believe the new Trios XD with basshorns have a big potential but require a dedicated listening room .
 
I like hORNS Universum but IMHO they are far behind Avantgardes Duo Mezzo XD and Destination Audio set.
The problem with Universum is the low bass , it' s very much limited by the design.
I have never heard the Trios in their best, even in AG HQ the Duo Mezzo G2 presentation was much more coherent and natural to me and my wife due probably to sub optimal set-up of Trios.
Based on Mike' s opinion I believe the new Trios XD with basshorns have a big potential but require a dedicated listening room .

When did you last hear the Universums, because in 2015 and 2016 they improved them - if, by any chance, you are referring to the 2014 demo in Munich.

Not that they are as bassy and dynamic as trios - they are not substitutes for trios...but the flow of their music for classical, tone, soundstage and detail is excellent, more like electrostats with more bass and dynamics. Their bass is now very well integrated and comes with the music. I like them much better than duos.
 
No , I am referring to their 2015 and 2016 presentation in Warsaw.
I know that you do not like Duos:) , have you ever heard Mezzo XD with SET?
 
I like hORNS Universum but IMHO they are far behind Avantgardes Duo Mezzo XD and Destination Audio set.
The problem with Universum is the low bass , it' s very much limited by the design.
I have never heard the Trios in their best, even in AG HQ the Duo Mezzo G2 presentation was much more coherent and natural to me and my wife due probably to sub optimal set-up of Trios.
Based on Mike' s opinion I believe the new Trios XD with basshorns have a big potential but require a dedicated listening room .

Well said.

Bonzo, have you heard the new Duo Mezzo XD's properly setup with an SET? They are now ~90% of the Trio XD's and certainly in another league over every other horn speaker I've heard. The Duo Mezzo in the XD series might be the most improved of the bunch. They are quite improved over the previous generation.
 
No, I have not heard the Mezzo XD with SET. I will give that a try. Mariusz, do you have the Mezzo XD now?

But I will remain skeptical of the 90% of the trios. Last in the factory, the difference between the two was just too vast, and has been in all my dems. So if the XD has brought that closer together, great for all.

Well said.

Bonzo, have you heard the new Duo Mezzo XD's properly setup with an SET? They are now ~90% of the Trio XD's and certainly in another league over every other horn speaker I've heard. The Duo Mezzo in the XD series might be the most improved of the bunch. They are quite improved over the previous generation.
 
No, I have not heard the Mezzo XD with SET. I will give that a try. Mariusz, do you have the Mezzo XD now?

But I will remain skeptical of the 90% of the trios. Last in the factory, the difference between the two was just too vast, and has been in all my dems. So if the XD has brought that closer together, great for all.
Yes, since February 2016 Mezzo Xd replaced Duo Omega G2 in my system and it' s a big leap forward.
 
Back in the day, and even now - one of, if not the best - speakers ever, IMO.

Now the ribbons are better, crossover components are better (Mundorf, Duelund, take your pick), frames are sturdier, and most importantly, the SS amps today - much more choice and quality than was better, when Krell was the only option. And best of all, not being a profit running company, there is no cost of distribution, hifi shows, marketing, etc, or requirement to sustain a company. Pure pay for sonics.
 
I agree with Jim, the Apogee Full Range was/is a pretty awesome speaker. I must admit every now and then I get pangs to resto a pair. Some of the Graz-authorized restorers like TSW do really nice work. But due to practical considerations, I couldn't accommodate them in my current listening room. They also need bucket loads of juice :afraid:.
 
I agree with Jim, the Apogee Full Range was/is a pretty awesome speaker. I must admit every now and then I get pangs to resto a pair. Some of the Graz-authorized restorers like TSW do really nice work. But due to practical considerations, I couldn't accommodate them in my current listening room. They also need bucket loads of juice :afraid:.
I saw some heavily modded Studio Grands last week. Ripole Bass. Sweet. Love the SS height, midrange and the imaging. It has a little less sparkle up top compared to my Heil AMT speaker setup.
A monster Crown amp powered the Ripoles, 750w, 80 amps and 20,000 damping factor. Lyngdorf mono blocs did the SGs. All fed with Sonore Sig Rendu. Delish!
 
I agree with Jim, the Apogee Full Range was/is a pretty awesome speaker. I must admit every now and then I get pangs to resto a pair. Some of the Graz-authorized restorers like TSW do really nice work. But due to practical considerations, I couldn't accommodate them in my current listening room. They also need bucket loads of juice :afraid:.

The duettas can work in most roomsas long as you have space from the front wall, and the wall is ideally flat. There is an excellent set up of restored duettas near NY in a 18 x 13 room, and they are driven by push pull TRL valve amps. VaC 200 will work great, as will a good class A SS.

The FR and scintilla are a different story, with the former needing biamping
 
The duettas can work in most roomsas long as you have space from the front wall, and the wall is ideally flat. There is an excellent set up of restored duettas near NY in a 18 x 13 room, and they are driven by push pull TRL valve amps. VaC 200 will work great, as will a good class A SS.

The FR and scintilla are a different story, with the former needing biamping
Yeah the Duetts Signatures are my third favorite Apogee after the Diva. I agree, much easier to integrate than the FR. I could see TRL, Vac, Triode Corporation or CJ being a good match. Alas it's a negative on your first two points. In my loft apartment, the Magico's (and my previous Marten Coltranes) seem to couple best to my room.
 
Who needs speakers, just build that dream house, with a huge dream studio/stage and since we are dreaming I'll just have the band come play while I reside in my comfy chairs after all I'm super wealthy and dreaming. :popcorn:
 
Yeah the Duetts Signatures are my third favorite Apogee after the Diva. I agree, much easier to integrate than the FR. I could see TRL, Vac, Triode Corporation or CJ being a good match. Alas it's a negative on your first two points. In my loft apartment, the Magico's (and my previous Marten Coltranes) seem to couple best to my room.

There are many, including Graz and some people who have owned both, that prefer the scintilla to the diva. That is because the Scinnies and the FR were the only ones with a pure ribbon, which had midrange far superior, imo. Also diva requires much more space, and then a FR starts becoming possible with a little bit more.
 
They both are true ribbons, the Diva has multi-traced foil diaphragms and the FR has solid direct straight foil diaphragms ...
 
They both are true ribbons, the Diva has multi-traced foil diaphragms and the FR has solid direct straight foil diaphragms ...

It's the straight foil, non kapton backed that makes a difference
 
Yes agree,

The direct drive foil is the best by far, for sonics, but very , very difficult to drive, the traced ribbon gives better jump (dynamics) , the direct foil better purity, the midrange is to die for, i do prefer Mylar backing to kapton , I find it best for midrange, to use mylar for damping, only tweeter works well with no backing and of course traced foil has to have a backing ...


Regards ..
 
IMG_4264.JPG

This could be my dream speaker. Vivid Audio G1S
Heard it last week.
Would pick another colour. :D
 
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