Stereo Times Review of the Apogee Acoustics Diva

As popular as the Apogee's were and are, I never warmed up to any of them. My original dealer carried them and set up all the speakers they carried very well, with regard to room, placement and associated gear. I've heard them at various shows. IME, they always sounded dark, rolled off at the top, too heavy on the bottom, with a disturbing lumpy frequency response. The models with conventional drivers didn't seem to mesh. They have been/are extremely popular, so perhaps it's just me. YMMV.

Hi Unsound,

I have heard the Apogee Stages (never liked the Centaurs myself which I think were hybrids as you mention). Those Stages driven by a big ML amp were amazing. But my ear then was quite different than today, and who knows...maybe it was rolled off relative to what I enjoy today.

I do recall Apogees being monsters at absorbing current...in any event, they are barely around now. But they are still part of why I have enjoyed panels...though perhaps it does say something that I have never owned one.

Melbguy1,

Unfortunately, I have not heard the TSW Diva Ultimates. I purchased my DS brand new in the 90's and remember listening to the stock Diva. I would say that the stock DS were probably giving 80-90 percent sound quality of the Diva. The Diva has better bass, distorts less than the DS and possess better power handling quality. The Diva will require a much larger room than the DS. Both speakers require beefy amps to deliver enough current to let sing those speakers.

I am totally positive that my rebuilt DS would trounce the stock Diva, just with the Xover rebuild. However, if you rebuild the Diva (ribbons + Xover), I think the Diva would get back its edge on the rebuilt DS.

My 2 cents.

Dasign, Thanks for your feedback on the DS vs Diva. It's great to hear that first hand experience. If I move into a bigger house one day & have some spare cash, it would be fun to set up a good size treated listening room & set up a pair of TSW Diva Ultimates fed by a Vitus SS-102/SL-102 combo. That is if Magico don't release a tasty model to replace the S5's in 5-7 years!

I am very pleased with my Divas. I bi-amplify them with big tubes. I modded the DAX crossover significantly. With a good recording, the sound is shockingly real, unlike any cones-in-a-box I've ever experienced (including big Wilsons and Magico Q7). YMMV...