The best speaker you ever heard?

I owned a pair of the original (read extremely large and heavy) Apogee speakers and still feel that in a number of areas (detail, transparency, speed, low level rtesolution) they are the best speaker that I have ever heard; however, I did not find them them to be conducive to long term listening enjoyment using either matcjed ML3's, 2 pairs of ML2's or the largest of the then current Krells. Perhaps, I just never found the right amps.

Fcrowder, I hear you. Frankly, the only amp eater made by Apogee is the Scintilla, my speaker. The Diva needed to be bi or even triamped. That can be expensive. The Duetta Sig is easy to drive.

The 1 ohm Scintilla is the best sounding Apogee, save maybe the FR. That's according to most opinions.

I was disappointed in the sonic results using conventional amps for all the reasons you point out.

I'm in heaven now. Amp design has finally caught up with the Apogee.

I never likes Krell and Levinson on Apogee's The best I ever heard was hybrid amps like David Berning or New York Audio Labs. Also heard Meitner amps sound good on them and an old VSP TransMos amp. Jeff Rowland isn't bad on them but could never get away from the fact the instruments always sounded like they were connected to aluminum foil.

In my opinion the Apogees, for me its first the DIVA, Scintilla, Duetta and then the Caliper. I like a completely neutral and precise speaker that can throw a tall realistic image and thats why i have the DIVA's now. But one has to junk the crossover box to really get them going and at least 6ft from the backwall, and of course Graz ribbons help a lot. Also if you junk the Krells and use Tube/SS Hybrids they will show the midrange love. Other speakers would be the Avalon Eidolon Diamond, Avantgarde TRIO and the Maggies. Its great, since my friend here own 20R's, Scintilla, Duetts and me with DIVA's. The holy grail of audio :-)

Last week, Accapella Violins. With all Halcro set-up and a turntable - I hated the rackling and pops, but the imaging was close to eerie. I loved the sound. I still asked my host to play some sax - I have still yet to hear a sax that sounds as *breathy* as in real life with a sax right in front of you..... anyone heard different?