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From: case@b11.ingr.com (Bill Case)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.high-end
Subject: Advice on Apogee
Message-ID: <7697@uwm.edu>
Date: 16 Nov 90 14:38:19 GMT
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Like many others of the obsessed, I prowl old Stereophiles, AbSounds,
Audio classified, and the juicy Audiogram in search of the "right"
system, and visit the local Stereo Shoppe whenever I'm in a far
off city.  Having done all this, one system struck me as a real joy
to listen to, and now that I have a newly finished basement...., well
although I'll trust my ears, it's sometimes difficult to get combinations
of equipment to the ear.  So, I'm here to ask for devil advocacy.

The system that struck me was an Apogee Duetta Sig, powered by a
Counterpoint amp/preamp, fed my a Denon CD player, and (this seems
strange) a Velodyne SubWoofer.  Since then,  I've also heard the Stage
and the Duetta with Rowland amps.  Now I read that the Classe DR9 is
a great amp for these speakers.  My general impression was  that the Stage's
produce an absolutely phenomenal soundstage.  I could sit six feet away
from them and have no clue as to whether the music was coming from
the Stage's or the Calipers sitting next to them.  The Calipers weren't
as good as the Stage;  A kind of listening fatigue or blurring that
wasn't there in the Stage.  The Duetta's are better is differentiating
loud and soft sounds.  At one point, I played Neil Young's "Helpless",
(which can sound unpleasant on many sytems), and the difference between
the Stage and the Duetta was great (Should be for a $2000.00 delta:-).

So my dream system is a Theta Pre feeding some used (Audiogram) amp (a 
DR9?), going into the Duetta's, sitting in an 18X24 windowless basement.

So,

	o What's wrong with the Duetta's?

	o Anyone had good luck matching the amp?  Someone who should
	  definately know included the reasonable Aragon 4004 SERIES II
	  (they made a big deal over the series), in the list of great amps.
	  The others which were listed as good matches were the ML27 and Krell
	  KSA150, though the Krell may generate too much base for a basement.

	o Since the Duetta's tend to have a mellow, slightly  heavy sound
	  (not unlike a KEF?), does the DR9 have a brightness which some
	  people think "make the Apogee come alive"?
	
	o What's the  feeling on McIntosh amps, nowadays?  They almost
	  seem cheap in comparison.  No good for low impedance loads?  I 
	  remember when nothing sounded as good as a McTube.


Any suggestions or warnings are appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill  Case
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