You might want to try powering them with the Anthem P2 amp since low ohm loads are one of it's strong points, 675 watts at a 2 ohm load and able to go down to even 1 ohm or lower without any problems.
Apogee Scintilla’s: Buying advice and are they worth the hassle
Hi, I’m recently looking to acquire a pair of Apogee Scintillas (the later one ohm only version), and have recently auditioned for a pair.
First, my own newbie impressions: They are the first full range ribbon speakers I’ve ever heard, and I really like the insane transparency in the midrange and highs and the soundstage they create are scarily real, with the only downside being that the bass isn’t really solid, making it preform really well on jazz strings and female vocals but not so much on male vocals and symphonies. Overall though I would say while they seem to be specialist speakers for particular genres of music, in these genres they really shine, and I was pretty impressed.
For those who have owned Apogee full range ribbons and those who are familiar with planar speakers, do you find them easier to fail than speakers with traditional drivers? I know that the Scintillas are notorious for their 1 ohm loads, which would require a Krell or Mark Levinson from that era to power. Furthermore, the foam that holds the ribbons taut tend to rot if not taken care well. Has any of this been a problem that may indicate a high probability for a repair job given their age? Also, is the Krell KST-100 sufficient to power them?
Lastly, I’d like to inquire as to whether there is any advice for checking the speakers condition. During my audition, the seller was powering them with a McIntosh MC7270 I’ve played a slew of tracks, which the speakers seem to play without trouble. However, nearing the end of my audition I played Capricho Arabe preformed by Mats Bergstrom, and I noticed a distortion at the end of higher notes, and the track after that also displayed a similar behavior. I’ve noticed the power of the McIntosh reached maximum a few times during stronger attacks, so it might very well be distortion because the amplifier was clipping, but when the volume was turned down the distortion persists, only ceasing after I turned the volume to whispering levels. Curiously, this only happened for the last two tracks and not for the other tracks I’ve played during the audition.
Is there anyway I could differentiate whether the distortion was due to the amplifier clipping or physical defects of the ribbons, given that I nor the seller seems to have a sufficient amplifier to power them properly, and what other physical appearances could I check to make sure they are in good condition? I noticed there are crinkles on the ribbons (shown in the pictures), are these normal, or are they ribbon sag which might explain the distortion?
I apologize if this has been a very long post, but it is a significant purchase for me, and any advice would be very welcome. Thanks in advance!
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You can get parts from Apogee Acoustics in Australia. Graz's replacement ribbons are well-known and well-regarded, as are his Infinity replacement diaphragms: https://www.apogeeacoustics.com/repairsapogeeribbons.html Also from Clarisys in Switzerland: https://shop.clarisysaudio.ch/Apogee-Scintilla-Parts-p207672723 As far as amplification, Apogee speakers have been out for half a century so there is rather well-established consensus as to which amps can and can't drive them. Rule of thumb is, if an amp hasn't been expressly reported to work by a quorum of actual Apogee owners / users, then it doesn't work. Read specialized forums such as the aforementioned Apogee Acoustics' and others. Look to folks with lived experience. Lots of amps have amazing power specs that only exist on paper. Good luck!
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It seems like you’re hearing the notorious ribbon buzz, in which case you’re in for a fairly extensive and costly repair. Clarysis Audio do offer replacements, but you’d need to be confident of getting the process right as it’s very tricky. And yes, you’ll need a capable amp. The Scintilla was never considered bass shy, unless under-driven, in fact bass is one of its strengths. Personally I’d give them a wide berth. |
Thanks so much for the input, from what I see they sound to be quite a high risk high reward speaker. I think the lack of support might be a problem for me, I’ve asked around locally and there doesn’t seem to be anyone able to repair or provide maintenance for them, which might be the dealbreaker. If I really enjoy the transparency of the scintillas, are there any speaker options that may provide a similar experience which might be more easy to drive and more likely to have support? Thanks! |
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