Reprint from May 1995
APOGEE STUDIO GRAND LOUDSPEAKER
by Jack English
Whew! Finally. I was dog-tired and sweaty, but I was done. I had actually assembled the huge, 350-lb Studio Grand system by myself. The Studio Grand system consists of two Ribbon Arrays-each comprising a woofer ribbon (the large, trapezoidal section) and a midrange tweeter ribbon (the long, thin driver located on the inside of the mirror imaged speakers)-two dynamic Stereo Subwoofers, and the DAX, an electronic crossover. The task was doable, but it was also foolhardy. The two monoliths loomed in front of me forming a small wall each was over 6' tall and more than 2' wide, and as black as Nosferatu's soul. The five separate boxes still were strewn about the floor, and cables were running everywhere. But I was done. I now had the Apogees set up in my listening room.
Until I heard the big Studio Grands, I'd never warmed to the "Apogee sound " I have heard many Apogee speakers over the past 14 years-while some sounded glorious, many sounded dreadful Obviously, the systems, listening rooms, and source materials were all different. But when the Apogees sounded bad, the uneven frequency balances, odd soundstaging, and colorations got in the way of the music. I recalled conversations I'd had concerning Apogees. I've been told that they can't sound good because: 1) their impedance load is too complex, and most amplifiers are unable to drive them properly, if at all; 2) their sensitivity is so low that only a handful of amps have adequate power to bring them to acceptable listening levels; 3) they simply won't work with tubes; 4) they have downward tilted tonal balances, which make them sound dark and lifeless; 5) due to their idiosyncratic dispersion patterns, they're nearly impossible to position in a real room, and 6) while they don't have enough deep bass, they can't be mated effectively with subwoofers. Quite a list.
In spite of this acquired "wisdom," I still heard beautiful music through Apogee speakers on many occasions. Stereophile Hi-Fi Show attendees had given Apogee the "best sound" award on more than one occasion. Other reviewers, such as former Stereophile writers Anthony H. Cordesman and Arnis Balgalvis, had given them rave reviews. The Apogee Stage and Mini-Grand systems have been long-term denizens of "Recommended Components. " That's why I was tired and sweaty. I was determined to discover the real story by reviewing the Studio Grand, the middle model in the flagship Grand Series. I began by testing some of the many things others had told me.
WAS THE IMPEDANCE LOAD TOO COMPLEX?
Apogee Acoustics was founded in 1981. Their first loudspeaker was the Apogee Full Range, of which Steven Stone is still a proud owner. The Full Range was a technological tour de force in that it was a full frequency-range ribbon loudspeaker with a groundbreaking, patented ribbon woofer (see sidebar). This 82"-tall monster was joined by the smaller, more commercially successful Scintilla (reviewed by Tony Cordesman in Vol.8 No.3). More so than any other Apogee product, the Scintilla stigmatized Apogee speakers as being impossibly difficult impedance loads. With an ampere-sucking nominal rating of 1 ohm in its best-sounding configuration, the Scintilla needed to be driven by an amplifier capable of delivering awesome amounts of on-demand current. When the Scintilla was first demonstrated at the 1984 Chicago CES, very few amplifiers were up to the challenge, only the various Krell, Classé, and Adcom models proving suitable. In fact, the Scintilla became a test-bench hurdle for many amplifiers. (Adcom ads in the mid-'80's for the GFA-555, for example, boasted: "This high-power, high-current amplifier easily and accurately interfaces with virtually any speaker system available today - including some troublesome exotic types whose impedance falls as low as 1 ohm.")
Many of the poorer sounding Apogee demonstrations I'd heard probably suffered from severely overtaxed amplification. Subsequent Apogee speakers have featured relatively easier impedances: the Studio Grand ribbon array, for example, is rated at a nominal 6 ohms with a low point of 4.5 ohms at 1200Hz; the Studio stereo subwoofer is a nominal 4 ohms with a 3 ohm minimum at DC. Given the rapid advancements of amplifier technology, the Studio Grand's impedance rating, while still demanding, is no longer a frighteningly difficult barrier to achieving good sound.
WAS THE SENSITIVITY TOO LOW?
In his Stereophile review of the Apogee Duetta 11 (Vol. 10 No.1, January 1987), Martin Colloms noted an "amazingly insensitive" 78dB/W/m. In the "Measurements" section of TJN's March 1994 review of the Apogee Mini-Grand (Vol.17 No.3), JA reported a nearly-as-low sensitivity of 8ldB/W/m. Since Apogee doesn't publish sensitivity measurements, it's reasonable to assume that these sensitivities are typical of Apogee designs. In support of this assertion, most reviewers have commented on the high power requirements of various Apogee speakers. The Studio Grands need a lot of power to perform anywhere near optimally. With a rated (but unpublished) sensitivity of a still-low 82dB (2.83V at 1m), they require two stereo or four monoblock amplifiers, each with a minimum rating of 100Wpc. I began my listening using two "ultra high current" Classé Audio S-1000 stereo amplifiers-rated at 600Wpc into 4 ohms single-ended - loaned to me specifically for this review. Each 1000 can be run as either a stereo or a mono unit, in single-ended or balanced Mode. ( I assume that the amplifier's name comes from the fact that it can deliver 1000 Wpc into 8 ohms in the mono mode.) I used each in the single-ended mode, with my never-will-be-offered-balanced CAT SL-1 Signature preamplifier. As expected, the Classé amps weren't fazed by either the low sensitivity or the low impedance load of the Studio Grands. Dual stereo S-1000s drove the Apogees to + 115dB peak levels with no obvious strain.
BUT COULD I USE TUBE AMPS?
I wanted to use the wonderful Conrad Johnson premier Eight monoblocks (see my review in Vol.17 No.12) to test whether or not the Studio Grands would work with tubes. The massive C-Js have a rated output power of 275Wpc into 8 ohms, which more than satisfies Apogee's minimum recommended power. The C-J monoblocks had no problem effortlessly and powerfully driving the Studio Ribbon Arrays. Using my trusty Radio Shack sound-pressure-level meter, I measured + 100dB peaks with Ace of Base, Enigma, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones-with the subwoofers disconnected!
AMPLIFIERS FOR APOGEES
The Conrad-Johnson tubed amplifiers and the behemoth Classé solid-state amps both worked well with the Studio Grands. Both had adequate power and the ability to deliver the requisite current, allowing me to quickly draw three conclusions: 1) manufacturers who have traditionally offered amps capable of driving the more onerous loads of prior Apogee speakers (such as Classé, Levinson, and Krell) are likely to have full lineups of amplifiers which will work very well with the newer, easier-to-drive Apogees; 2) the more power given the various Apogees (assuming reasonable caution in driving the speakers), the better the likely result-in spite of maximum recommended-power ratings; and 3) many modern high-power amps (the current single-ended craze excepted) both tubed and solid state-will be able to drive the Studio Grands effectively.
DID THEY HAVE A DOWNWARD-TILTED TONAL BALANCE?
In, his Stereophile review, AHC commented on the "ruthlessly revealing" nature of the Apogee Scintilla. JGH added a footnote commenting upon his experiences with a pair of the original Duettas at a CES. He called them "relentlessly revealing," and speculated that a soon-to-be-made-available treble-attenuation switch might solve the problem (this feature is included with the Studio Grands). These reviewers clearly found the treble of these earlier Apogees anything but downward-tilted. Things became a bit murky concerning the Duetta II. In his November 1987 review (Vol.9 No.7), Anthony H. Cordesman concluded that the Duetta's "highs arc very smooth and flat, and go on forever-or at least to well above 20kHz." Conversely, MC reported two months later (in Vol. 10 No.1) that "the treble sounded filtered, with little air or sparkle in the final audio octave:' In Dick Olsher's review of the original Apogee Stage (Vol.13 No.8), JA measured a downward-tilted tonal balance (fig. 11), which aligned with MC's conclusion of the Duetta II. ( Physically large loudspeakers will always offer a degree of tilt in their measured responses, due to the proximity effect. This is because the usual assumption that the microphone is in the speaker's farfield is no longer valid. Similarly with listening: the closer the listener sits or the smaller the room, the more tilted-down the speaker's treble becomes.) I found it much more difficult to characterize the treble balance of the Studio Grands, as they can be user-controlled to a great extent: for example, the Grands have a three-position contour switch, with high (+ 2dB), low (-2dB), and normal settings; they have a dedicated active crossover, or DAX, which offers level controls (± 3dB in 1dB steps) for both the Stereo Subwoofers and the Ribbon Arrays; and, to a lesser extent, treble balance is controllable with toe-in. Having said all that, I did find the Studio Grands to have a fundamentally downward-tilted tonal balance when the contour and DAX settings were set to be flat, when the speakers were firing directly ahead, and when I was using my reference NBS Master speaker cables. While it was easy to adjust the setup to achieve a more neutral tonal balance, doing so impacted other aspects of the speaker's performance, as described below.
COULD THEY WORK IN A REAL ROOM?
Dipoles require excruciatingly precise placement in the listening room. The Studio Grands are dipoles. Ergo...The performance of a dipole can be unpredictable, due to the cancellation/reinforcement from the rear wave. The key variables are the distance from the rear and side walls, the absorptive character of the listening-room walls (especially the rear wall), and the location of the listening position. Generally, speakers with too much treble energy benefit if they're aimed straight ahead (in essence, away from the listening position). If a speaker suffers from an inherently downward-tilted tonal balance, it would be logical to expect the manufacturer to recommend toeing-in the speakers so that they directly face the listening position as a means of optimizing the treble balance. It was with all of this firmly in mind that I began my setup. The speakers also come with all the tools and hardware needed for assembly. I can't recall ever hearing of a speaker system that comes with a plum bob, multiple-sized nut drivers, a couple of Allen wrenches, plastic cups, cone pods, and hinge plates. Apogee's instruction manual for the Studio Grand is wonderfully clear, with very effective illustrations -it offers extensive advice on room placement, which is critical for these speakers. It also includes excellent assembly tips (eg. place the first unpacked Ribbon Array on the other's packing carton while mounting it to the Stereo Subwoofer).
Like the Mini-Grands, each Studio Stereo Subwoofer doubles as a stand for the Ribbon Array. ( The use of the Stereo Subwoofers as integral stands brings the line-source drivers well up off the floor so that the tonal balance of the speaker remains relatively constant for a wide variety of sitting heights. Of course, it rules out listening while lying on the floor staring at those massive, front-firing subwoofer drivers.) Two proprietary, 10" cone, long-throw drivers are mounted on the front of a slot-loaded, heavily braced enclosure. ( The Studio Stereo Subwoofers are available separately for use with either Apogee Divas or Duettas.) The crossover between the subs and the arrays is set to 60Hz, and is handled by the DAX line-level crossover, which goes between the preamplifier and four power amplifiers. The modest-looking DAX has a separate power supply connected via an umbilical to the main unit. Four front panel controls allow the user to adjust in seven steps, from -3dB to +3dB, the levels of the left sub, the left array, the right sub, and the right array. Gone are the lighted front-panel display, the midrange/tweeter balance controls, the rake angle level contours, the 0.2dB steps, and the switch-selectable input impedance of earlier DAX units. Both single-ended and balanced inputs and outputs are offered, although in order to change the mode of operation, you have to open the unit and move jumpers. The assembled speaker's inputs, all located at the back of the subwoofer enclosures, are straightforward but atypical. There are three sets of binding posts -one for the subs, one for the ribbon woofers, and one for the ribbon midrange/tweeters. (The last two sets can be jumpered, but no cables are supplied to facilitate this.) Signals are transferred to the Ribbon Arrays via internal connections on the front of the Stereo Subs via supplied Symo speaker cable. Apogee mentions bi-wiring in their literature, but I suspect people often misunderstand this as the system inherently has to be bi-amped. One set of outputs from the DAX must go to a dedicated subwoofer amp. A second set of outputs from the DAX goes to the amp that drives the Ribbon Arrays. Here is where the confusion occurs. When Apogee suggests bi-wiring, they're referring just to the Ribbon Array -ie, two sets of speaker cables must run from the second amplifier to the binding posts for the ribbon woofer and midrange/tweeter ribbons. In total, three sets of speaker cables are connected to "biwire" each speaker. I believe few people are prepared to run three separate sets of speaker cables, and asked Jason Bloom why he didn't include a jumper from the Arrays woofer terminals to the midrange/tweeter terminals. He feels the differences in ultimate performance are sufficiently meaningful to "encourage" consumers not to use jumpers. Nonetheless, I would prefer to see a Symo jumper included. Then consumers could begin with two sets of speaker cables, and add a third at their discretion.
FINAL SETUP
This involved setting the three-position midrange/tweeter contour switch located on the back of each subwoofer and adjusting the levels on the DAX. I began my listening with the two Classé S-1000 amps and NBS speaker cables and interconnects. I left the contour switches in the normal position, and all four level controls on the DAX at the 0dB settings. I placed the speakers one-third of the way into the room from the rear wall, and 18" from each side wall to the outer edges of the cabinets. The panels were aimed straight ahead with no toe-in. Apogee recommends that Studio Grand owners not use too much absorptive room treatments. I usually have two large Soundwall absorption panels located on each side wall to suck up reflections, but after a great deal of listening to the Studio Grands, removed both to make my room sound a bit more live. With the Soundwall panels removed, the tonal balance was more extended up top, the soundstage dimensionality more expansive. The last aspect of setup involved break-in. When they played their first notes, the Apogees sounded far from stellar: the top end was very uneven; there was audible effort on peaks; the bass was very woolly, with inadequate control and articulation; and there was a monumental lack of coherency. The Apogees sounded like this for about 25 hours. After that time I noted the following improvements: the top end smoothed out, actually becoming somewhat dull; the tonal balance evened out overall; texture and grain were significantly reduced, but detail resolution was disappointing due to an overall smoothness; the bottom end became far less wooly; dynamic performance increased dramatically; the ability to play loudly began improving by the hour, with 100-105dB peaks easily possible after 30 hours or so; and the overall coherency was far better, with greatly improved driver-to-driver integration. Several additional hours led to appreciable improvements in bass control, greater treble extension, and enhanced detail resolution. After 40 hours or so, the character of the speakers stabilized. Prior to that, it was almost as if every night I heard entirely different speakers. The changes that occurred during this trying period were the most dramatic I've heard with any speaker. If you audition Studio Grands, make sure they've been sufficiently broken-in.
Once I was confident that the speakers had stabilized, I began experimenting with room placement. In my initial setup, I'd aimed the speakers directly ahead. The manual suggests a maximum toe-in of 3/8" It's important to point out that the Studio Grands were intended to be used in a room much larger than my 13' by 23 1/2' one. In a much larger room, the listening seat would likely be farther back than my 8, which would put the listener closer to the direct axis. After some experimentation, I settled on a 11/2" toe-in, which was still far from being directly on the speaker's axis. This gave the speakers more treble energy (which I regarded as a positive change); greater resolution of detail; enhanced dynamics, especially in the upper frequencies; a reduction in overall stage width; and a slight loss of center-stage focus, which puzzled me. Diane Schuur's and B.B. King's Heart to Heart (GRP GRD-9767) illustrated all of these changes. B.B.'s Gibson guitar, Lucille, sounded more lively and immediate, but Diane and B.B. himself moved closer together. Aiming the speakers straight ahead, the tonalities were smoother, if darker, with more sound projecting into the listening room, and much more space between and around instrumental and vocal images. On Midori's superbly recorded interpretation of Chopin's Nocturne, from Live at Carnegie Hall (Sony SK 46742), the stratospherically high notes emanating from her violin became slightly edgier sounding, the overall resolution of information was improved, and the power and dynamics of the accompanying piano were enhanced. With no toe-in, the treble was softened, the tonal balance was smoother, dynamics -especially in the treble-were restricted, and some subtle measure of information was lost. Since many other reviewers have preferred a radical toe-in with various Apogees, and since I tend to prefer such a setup with other speakers, I tried aiming the big dipoles directly at me. The results were initially very satisfying. The sound was brighter (eliminating any residual downward-tilted tonal balance), airier, and more spacious, detailed, immediate, alive, and dynamic. The performers on Pomp & Pipes (Reference RR58CD) were placed closer to me, and there was much more layering of depth. The speed was improved from top to bottom, with added bass slam and drive as well as greater excitement contributed by the treble (eg, the cymbals on Eric Clapton's From the Cradle, Reprise 457352; or the bell stick on Kitaro's Astral Voyage, Geffen 24082).
CHOICES
At this point, I assumed I was finished setting the Studio Grands up They sounded at their best aimed right at me-or did they? Although I experimented with toe-in, there were other ways to compensate for the Studio's attenuated treble. I started over by aiming the speakers straight ahead and moving the contour switch to the "High" position. As expected, there was an immediate improvement in the tonal balance. The cymbals on Dave Brubeck's Time Out (Columbia CK52860) became much more prominent, with greater energy enhanced dynamics, an improved sense of resolution and much more air. Oddly, I didn't perceive any change in hall volume or overall spaciousness -eg, Gorecki's 0 Domina Nostra (ECM New Series 1495). However, as a consequence of the enhanced treble balance I became somewhat less aware of bass lines on Liz Phair's Whip-Smart (Matador 92439). The speakers' tonal balances were similar when they were either aimed right at me with the contour switch in the "Flat" position, or aimed straight ahead with the contour set to "High." Aimed straight ahead with no contour boost, the tonal balance was downward-tilted. Aimed right at me with the contour boost, the speakers became much too aggressive. Given this either/or choice to achieve the desired tonal balance, I began listening to other aspects of performance to see how the two setups differed in overall quality. I began by focusing on soundstaging differences, using such well-recorded orchestral performances as Chesky's reissue of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade (RC4). With the Apogees aimed directly ahead (with the contour switch in the "High" position), the soundstage was at its widest, extending well beyond the outer edges of the cabinets. More sounds were projected into the listening room. There was more space, greater image focus at center stage, and I was closer to the performers. With the speakers aimed directly at the listening position (with the contour switch in the "Flat" position), the stage contracted, and developed between and behind the speakers, moving me farther from the performers (ie, the oft-labeled "audiophile" perspective). Neither of the presentations could be considered right or wrong, just different. But there was more. In my relatively small room, with my ultimately preferred toe-in of 1 7/8 " (although this will vary from room to room), both deep and midbass were tonally smoother and better articulated. In my room, the bass performance ultimately led me to settle on a specific toe-in (which was more than Apogee recommended and less than a radical on-axis configuration). The character of the bass performance was most obvious on rock and jazz especially with such great low-end cartridges as the Transfiguration. As an added bonus, I found this arrangement to provide the most precise placement of performers within the stage without either an exaggerated or attenuated upper end.
BUT COULD THE SUBWOOFERS BE MATED TO THE PANELS?
The overall sonic success of the Martin Logan Aerius and Quest hybrids (reviewed in Stereophile in Vol. 16 Nos.6 & 10 and Vol.16 No.10, respectively) demonstrate that dipole panels and dynamic subwoofers can indeed work together with good coherence. ( Larry Greenhill has had similar success matching some subwoofers to his beloved Quad ESL-63's) Of course, seamless integration between subwoofers and speakers requires great care, and if you're not able to achieve it, a subwoofer can make any loudspeaker sound horrible. How well do Apogee speakers integrate? In his review of the Mini-Grands, TJN was equivocal. Our reviewers had been collectively bowled over by the big, price-no-object Apogee Grands ( Corey Greenberg called the Apogee Grands "awe-inspiring"; Robert Harley regarded them as a "stunning breakthrough"; and Lewis Lipnick felt they were "nothing short of stupendous.") (see the 1991 SCES report in Vol.14 No.8). Clearly, Apogee has the ability to effectively integrate subwoofers with their ribbon drivers, but were they able to do it with the less-expensive Studio Grands? Unfortunately, the ultimate answer for me was no-but hold on there for a moment. The Stereo Subs clearly didn't have the remarkable transparency of the Studio's Ribbon Arrays. Deep notes were slower, less clear, and cut from an obviously different cloth. Having gotten that off my chest, I wouldn't give the Stereo Subwoofers up. They provided essential information from the lowest reaches of many organs, big drums, and synthesizers, and also gave me much more slam, impact, power, dynamics, and spaciousness from all types of music. This latter cluster of features made big band, heavy metal, and large-scale orchestral performances sound simply more believable- For example, I just loved what the Subs added to L7's "Andres," from Hungry for Stink (Slash/Reprise 45624-2). On the other hand, recordings that themselves are balanced to have a heavy or woolly bass- eg, Anita Baker's "Sweet Love," from Rapture (Elektra EL-60444) were ill-defined and way too bottom-heavy.
Given this imperfect integration, I ended up preferring the slightly slower/ richer sound of die Premier Eights on the Studio's Ribbon Arrays, with the better controlled, slightly leaner-sounding Classé monsters on the bottom. The net result was a more coherent overall presentation, with no sacrifice in bass power and extension. Using this hybrid amplifier configuration, I had no problem driving the Studio Grands to effortless + 115dB peaks. These speakers were able to realistically reproduce the volume levels of most live rock concerts. As I've said in other reviews, my listening room is problematic in the bass. Room limitations notwithstanding, the Studio Grands were able to reproduce useful information down to 20Hz, and gave impressively strong performance as low as 30Hz with the Class& S-1000's ( The remaining bass-extension limitations I was experiencing at this point were more likely caused by a combination of my room and preamp.) In larger or better-reinforced rooms, I would expect the Studio Grands to have even more impressive deep-bass extension, The addition of the dynamic subwoofers; to the traditional ribbons had clearly eliminated any questions about the quality or amount of bass available from the Apogees. While I was able to achieve very good deep-bass extension, I never achieved a truly flat bass performance. With my preferred setup there was a mild depression around 100Hz with stronger response both above and below this point. What intrigued me more was my experiences vis-a-vis the oft-stated claim that low bass is non-directional. The synthesizer line in the middle of Heart's "Magic Man," from Dreamboat Annie (DCC GZS-1058), changes frequency, and is panned to different locations through much of the latter portions of the track. Many speakers either fail to reproduce all of the bass information, or very noticeably alter the synthesizer's level with frequency. The Studio Grands suffered from neither of these problems. However, when the bass line started at 4:05 into the track, it was located dead center. At 4: 10, it was in the right speaker, then panned across the stage to the left speaker by 4:18 before returning to center stage. When the sound was at center stage, it was at eye level; when it was at either the extreme right or left stage, it was located near the front-firing subwoofer drivers. Never before have I experienced this kind of variation in image height with a speaker.
CABLE COMPARISONS
All my listening impressions so far have been noted with the NBS cables. As the Studio Grands are internally wired with Symo, I tried an all-Symo speaker-cable setup. Three sets of 10'-long Symo speaker cable were used (one pair for the subs and two for bi-wiring the Ribbon Arrays). The Symo cables proved wonderfully synergistic with the big Apogees. The treble was slightly augmented; the deep bass was mildly attenuated, but noticeably tightened up with respect to my NBS cables, making for a more coherent match with the Ribbon Arrays. The Symo cables' added treble (which was more of an unwanted exaggeration with my reference ProAc Response Fours) complemented the slightly downward tilted tonal balance of the Ribbon Arrays, especially with the C-J amps on the top.
STUDIO SOUND
While I realized I had probably only scratched the surface on the number of ways the Studio Grands could be set up, I had a review to finish. But I didn't give up so much as push ahead. While I never overcame the feeling of being physically and visually overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Studio Grands, I was often startled by the beauty and delicacy of the sounds they reproduced. I often listen to the system while I work at my desk, my back facing the speakers.
On a host of occasions, I forgot about my work and sat and listened to the music emanating from the Apogees, often with my Magnum Etude FM tuner as the source. This is telling, because I don't use my tuner to listen critically-I use it to audition new music, of which I then buy the LP or CD to audition more seriously. The Magnum/Apogee combination, however, often stopped me in my tracks.
I had similarly surprising evenings with many of the cartridge/preamp combinations Jonathan Scull and I auditioned for our recent cartridge survey (Vol. 18 Nos. 1 & 2). The Studio Grands, like so many dipoles (and bipoles), created voluminous sonic spaces, spaces that were particularly captivating with the Symphonic Line RG-8 Gold cartridge on such diverse sources as Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral warhorses to Kitaro's trance-ambient collections. My room was literally filled with sound. While my Response Fours produced more precisely defined soundstages, with tightly focused image localization, the Studio Grands were better able to convey the larger, less-precise soundstages and images of live concerts. Even more captivating was the remarkable delicacy of which these huge speakers were capable. This was especially true with the high-frequency information from triangles on the Rimsky-Korsakov, the bells on the Kitaro recording, the brushed cymbals on Brubeck's album, and the upper harmonics of violins on the Midori. Fragile voices, such as those of Suzanne Vega or the Everly Brothers, paralyzed me in my seat. I not only sat and listened to recordings from beginning to end, but played many over and over. The midrange and treble reproduction of the Studio Grand ribbons was remarkably transparent, pristinely clean, and as quick as lightning. Once properly set up, these speakers were truly state-of-the-art in this regard.
While the Studio Grand's performance at both frequency extremes was widely variable, depending on room placement, ancillary equipment, and the DAX settings, the speaker's midrange remained relatively constant, sounding consistently clean, clear, and quick, even on the ever-so-slightly lean side of neutral. This was effectively illustrated by Bill Evans' lovely piano work on Waltz for Debby (Riverside 9399), and Laurie Anderson's fragile vocalizations on United States Live (Warner Bros. 25192). No matter what else went on, the Studio Grand's middle frequency reproduction was consistently satisfying.
CONCLUSION
With their idiosyncratic drive-units, their multiple wiring configurations, their dedicated line-level crossover and need for two stereo amplifiers, and their bevy of controls, the high-tech Studio Grands could intimidate a potential purchaser. And never have I used a speaker that was as sensitive to room placement and the other equipment in the system. If you're into set 'em and forget 'em, make sure your dealer knows how to get the most out of these extremely demanding speakers. If you have the time to experiment -or just love to tinker-with your system, the Studio Grands will give you years of opportunity to experiment with positioning, settings, wires, equipment, all of which will make a difference. With immense attention to break-in, setup, and system-matching, the Apogee Studio Grand is a true Class A performer. Once I found the setup that gave me the soundstaging and in-room bass performance I desired, I was able to make any number of changes to achieve a neutral treble performance. While the integration of the subwoofers and the panels was never seamless, it could be optimized by using Apogee-recommended Symo speaker cables and different amplifiers on the top and bottom. The added bass extension more than offset the lack of overall coherency. I'm left with a great deal of admiration for the marvelous sonic capabilities of the Apogee Studio Grand. If you can live with their idiosyncrasies, you may just love 'em.
Sidebar - Once a ribbon....
While Apogee has always described its panel woofer as a true ribbon drive unit, many others have disagreed. I posed the question to Apogee's Jason Bloom, who provided the following explanation: "Apogee considers its full range of loudspeakers to be ribbon speakers. The basis for this statement is the commonly held definition for a ribbon speaker. A ribbon speaker consists of a flat, thin, aluminum conductive element that is contained within a magnetic field. The current flow within the conductive element is orthogonal to the direction of the magnetic field. (According to this definition, Apogee's midrange and tweeter units are clearly ribbon speakers. The conducting diaphragm, which is suspended top and bottom, carries a vertical-oriented current and is located within a horizontal magnetic field created by arrays of permanent magnets to its sides.-Ed.) "Apogee's ribbon woofer design conforms to the basic definition of a ribbon speaker. The conductive element is a flat, thin, aluminum conductor, which lies in a magnetic field ... similar to Stanley Kelly's early1950 designs. Apogee's construction is unique in that the conductor is corrugated, and is the primary structure for the acoustical drive element. The vertical ribbon tension is established by mechanical springs. "It's important to note that the structure is fundamentally the flat, thin, corrugated-aluminum ribbon. The horizontal ribbon tension is set and maintained by a patented spring loading, as opposed to designs that stretch a plastic diaphragm. The plastic diaphragm relaxes with use and time, and will introduce significant structural variations-as opposed to a spring-tensioned ribbon structure. "The magnetic field is created by a classical planar configuration of magnets utilized by Stanley Kelly in the early 1950s. For this configuration, the magnets are in a plane parallel to the woofer panel. "Stretched sheets exhibit a complex set of structural resonance's. The phenomenon was mathematically examined by an English mathematician in the 17th century. Apogee selected the corrugated, trapezoidal, spring tensioned ribbon to minimize the effect of these structural issues. The trapezoidal shape of the woofer ribbon, achieved by varying the width of the woofer from top to bottom, provides improved performance over a rectangular geometry. This results in higher natural [resonant] frequencies at the top, and a gradual decrease in the panel's [resonant] frequency as we move toward the bottom of the woofer. "The Studio Grand ribbon woofer is tuned over a frequency range of approximately 34-45Hz from the bottom to the top of the panel. These frequencies will show up as minor blips in the electrical impedance tests of the speaker. Proper selection of the woofer-panel frequencies provides for an overall smoother response than is achievable with a rectangular woofer panel having one primary resonance".
Jack English
SPECIFICATIONS
Studio Grand loudspeaker system:
Ribbon array: 2 two-way panels with midrange/tweeter ribbon and woofer ribbon.
Frequency range: < 30Hz-20kHz.
Crossover slopes: 6dB/octave, gradually increasing to 12dB/octave.
Impedance: 6 ohms nominal; 4.5 ohms minimum at 1200Hz.
Sensitivity: not specified.
Recommended amplifier power. 100W minimum.
Dimensions: 55" H by 28 1/2" W by 3" D.
Weight: 95 lbs/panel.
Colors: light oak, black oak, mahogany (other colors optionally available).
Warranty: 3-year, limited.
Studio Grand stereo subwoofer.
Drive-units: two slot-loaded, 10"-cone, long-throw, mass-loaded subwoofers per side.
Frequency range: < 20Hz-70Hz
Impedance: nominal 4 ohms; 3 ohms minimum at DC.
Recommended amplifier power: l00W minimum, 250W maximum.
Crossover frequency and slopes: 70Hz, 6dB/octave, gradually increasing to 12dB/octave.
Colors: granite black with black grille cloth (optional finishes available).
Dimensions: 17" H by 28 1/2" W by 25" D.
Weight: 85 lbs/subwoofer.
DAX dedicated active crossover.
Inputs and outputs: single-ended and balanced.
Subwoofer adjustment: -3dB/+3dB.
Ribbon-array adjustment: -3dB/+3dB.
Common to all:
Price: $12,595/system in standard finishes; $15,595/system in gloss black finish.