The best speaker you ever heard?

Gregm

This snip from a thread is from the very first "Synergy" owner...they don't sound like to tuff an amp load.

"The Synergy efficiency is at least 95 db/W, I actally think it could be more like 96 to 97. Impedance is around 2.5 ohms and very linear.
I was using single 70WPC Rowen monos at home, and even with constant 100db peaks for 20 mins they only got warm"

Anyone own, or heard the "Amphitryon" that can comment on their efficiency?

Dave

Hi Gregm,

Caveats apply to the specs since they're general without specifics. The Scintilla was measured close to flat down to 20 Hz (ie, real 20 Hz) if you read the originanl reviews back in the 80's, so I don't think the Synergy is any worse, maybe better. Also the bass "ribbon" in the Synergy has 1/3 less mass than the original Apogee ribbon. There's an option of getting a bass ribbon even lighter than that used in the company's most expensive Definitive (~$90k). The MRTW ribbon is "foil", without the plastic backing in the orginal Scintilla (me thinks), so much lighter also.

I don't know the technology behind the Analysis ribbons. But the guy who designed the Synergy has been THE Apogee repair guy since the company folded, and he has been steadily upgrading the ribbons with new materials and tighter tolerance with CNC cutting of the ribbons (original Apogee ribbons were hand cut).

Yes, 2.5 ohms is low, but because it's very flat much easier on amps. My understanding is that Synergy has been driven with relatively low wattage tube amps without problems, impossible feet for the Scintilla. The Ananlysis has nominal impedence of 4 ohms, but no specifics on the minimum.

I have seen the Amphityron up close at shows. Although the build quality looks good, probably better than the equivalent Apogge, I don't think it comes close to the Synergy. Personally I don't like the looks of the big Analysis. The Synergy looks more elegant and cleaner to me.

Getting 110+ dB from a pure planar speaker would be an awesome experience.

Next year I will embark on a journey auditioning these speakers among others to build an ultimate system. Proof is in the listening.

Gregm,

"The Synergies spec 95dB "in 3000 c.ft room". Hence ~90 (?) single spkr anechoic. The Amphi etc specs 86 single anechoic so, say ~90-91dB accordingly. That's ~1/2 the sensitivity this far."

I'm not sure how you made these calculations but seems like a lot of hand waving, not that my comparison wasn't either :-)

Like my grandaddy used to say......."It's a good thing we all don't like the same thing,........ cause everybody'd be after your grandma... hum.......best speaker I ever heard ... has to be Dale Carnagie seriously I've listened to the expensive ones, but I still like my ACI Sapphire II's with the Focal kevlar drivers mated with their Titan Sub

Well, I have heard a good speaker finally. One that does not have a boxy sound, that has a sharp leading edge, that has the pace of music, that images realistically, that has all frequencies arriving at the same time, and one where the speakers themselves vanish. The only problem is that the LSA Model 10 driven by the LSA/Exemplar components cost $80k.