Apogee Acoustics "Full Range" aka "The Apogee" Speakers - Spectacular

**Please click here to check out our newly launched SkyFi Audio website with additional items for sale** 

Please contact us directly if you’re interested in purchasing these unique and rare speakers via [email protected] or 201-879-0000  

Restored 10 years ago by "True Sound Works Audio" in Nevada, where they received new bass/mid/tweeters. 

Tons of upgrades are available for these speakers if you want to take it even further(!). We could arrange to have them shipped to True Sound Works prior to delivery at your home .

Possible upgrades include

Removal of wings

Larger solid steel base

Rear Metal Frames

New bass panels

The speakers work 100% perfectly. The bass is super tight and responsive and the mids/highs are silky smooth. 

We’ve never heard a better speaker in our shop, which is a very large and difficult room to cover. 

These are legendary speakers meant for the absolute top of the audiophile community. 

They are complicated to setup requiring four powerful channels of amplification, plus a sizable time investment to tune the crossovers and find the perfect listening position. However - the results are incredibly rewarding. 

This listing includes the speakers and the pictured crossover and the breakout boxes containing the transformers. 

Cosmetic condition is very good. The fabric looks brand new and the tweeters and mid ranges are perfect.  Bass panels have a few wrinkles or creases from transport but they sound perfect.  This in no way affects the sound,

We also have special shipping crates that were professionally constructed to ensure safe travels. 

From the online Apogee Acoustics History section of their website: Apogee Acoustics chronological history 1981Apogee Acoustics Incorporated founded by Jason Bloom and Leo Spiegel1982The Full Range also known as "The Apogee" is the first full ribbon speaker released

More via hifi-advice.com:
The Full Range speakers were available with 2 way passive or 2-3 way active crossovers. The speakers are divided into two separate sections: the mid/tweeter section is detachable from the bass.

Apogee Acoustics has resolved fundamental problems inherent to ribbon acoustical transducer design. For the first time clarity, speed and power are provided over the entire music spectrum with a full range ribbon speaker system.

The combined tweeter, midrange and woofer ribbon coupled with APOGEE’s own seamless crossover provide:
• Vanishing low distortion virtually flat frequency response no spurious coloration over entire music spectrum
• Rise time consistent with the fastest amplifiers
• Dynamic impact of 115 db SPL @ 4 meters on axis

Features
A virtually resonant free structural steel framework. A trapezoidal thousand square inch woofer panel designed to provide a broad non-resonant frequency response. Half inch wide tweeter ribbon and two inch wide mid-range ribbon are both eighty inches long utilizing patent filed magnetic and electromagnetic constraints that hold the ribbon within its magnetic field. This technique affords a combination of unprecedented power and clarity along with transient response and imaging. Extremely low ribbon mass permits almost instantaneous acceleration for unexcelled transient response. The FULL RANGE RIBBON SPEAKER SYSTEM is now available in a handsome architectural design.

APOGEE ACOUSTICS takes great pride in announcing a revolutionary development in loudspeaker design; the first full range ribbon speaker system. Previous sound system’s have employed ribbon-technology to provide outstanding performance in the high frequency, tweeter range. Now, with the addition of APOGEE’S midrange and woofer ribbon drivers, the excellence of the ribbon is made available from deep bass, through midrange and beyond the upper frequency limits of the acoustical range. The integration of the tweeter, midrange and woofer ribbons combined with seamless crossovers provides an outstanding clarity, resolution, spectral dispersion, depth, and dynamic range. Further, the tweeter operation as a line source reproduces the uncanny ambience of live music into your listening room.

The full range ribbon system reproduces classical music at Concert Hall sound levels but also has the dynamic range for ear splitting hard rock. The APOGEE ribbons play at a massive 115db acoustical power level at a 4 meter listening position in a 14×27 foot room using 100 watt per channel amplifiers in bi-amp configuration.

The system’s three drivers are mounted in an architectural structure that readily fits into most living room environments The speakers are sculptural in their appearance with dimensions of 80 inches in height, 35 inches width, and a depth of under 4 inches. The geometry of the three ribbons has been scaled to provide a combination of good power handling capacity, dispersion and a balanced tonal quality over the bass, midrange and upper frequencies. The woofer averages 12 inches in width covering a frequency band of below 25-400Hz, the midrange ribbon is two inches in width and covers the band from 400-3,500Hz while the tweeter covers the 3,500 to well over the 30,000Hz region.

The clarity, resolution, and wide dispersion of the midrange and tweeter are provided by the use of a ribbon element, free over its entire length except for the top and bottom mechanical support. This is the theoretically perfect-approach to sound reproduction; a limp conductor placed in a magnetic field. A force is generated uniformly across the area of the ribbon when the amplifier drives current through the ribbon. Hence, sound is reproduced without the normal structural coloration’s of speakers that do not have a pure force over area mechanization.

The midrange dipole driver consists of a two inch wide ribbon. The line source tweeter driver consists of a pair of one half inch ribbons radiating in phase acoustical power in both the forward and rear cylinders. The lime source acoustical power radiation provides impressive imaging, depth, sound stage, and live music ambience. The horizontal dispersion is essentially 360 degrees. Vertical dispersion is not an issue due to the tall line source geometry.

Specifications

Years Available
1981-1994

Original Retail 
$7000 ($20,000 in 2019 dollars)

Height 
80.5" - 6.7 Feet (204.5 cm)

Width 
35" - 2.9 Feet (88.9 cm)

Impedance 
1-4 ohms when used with transformer interface, midrange direct drive = 0.14 ohm!

Bass driver
Aluminium/Kapton panel

Midrange
2 inch wide aluminium foil

Tweeter
½ inch wide twin back to back aluminium foil

Max Sound Level
115 dB using 4 x 100W amps

Frequency response
25Hz – 25kHz

Crossover frequencies
400Hz and 3500Hz

Finishes available
Black/Brown, Grey, Taupe

Weight
300lbs each (mid/tweeter and bass assembly bolted together)

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PURCHASING FROM SKYFI:

This item will be professionally packaged and insured for safe transit to your home unless you opt for local pickup from our shop. Please note that all local pickup items are only wrapped with industrial strength clear cling stretch wrap if the original manufacturer packaging is unavailable.

Local pickup is available in Glen Rock, NJ, just a half hour drive from Midtown Manhattan, with convenient parking near our building.

And if you’re looking to ship to Canada, simply follow this link to view and purchase this item. We ship to Canada via UPS Worldwide Expedited service and you’re responsible for any applicable import duties and taxes.

If we don’t have the original manufacture’s packaging, we use heavy duty double-ply corrugated boxes with custom made to your item Instapak expanding foam custom inserts. In many cases this has proven to be better than the original packaging! We also use high quality fiber reinforced tape to seal our packages. Lightweight items will be bubble wrapped and shipped in a high-quality box. 

Click here for specifics on our specialized packing process that separates us from the rest.

NJ Residents or anyone picking up without a resale certificate will need to pay NJ Sales Tax.

Thanks for looking and be sure to call us at 201-879-0000 with any questions. 

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WHO WE ARE:

SkyFi Audio is a small startup business specializing in the purchase, reconditioning, and reselling of select high-end audio equipment. We only buy equipment the we admire and are passionate about. No mid-fi, no gimmicks, no junk.

Each piece of equipment is cosmetically restored and fully tested in our well-equipped lab by an engineer with 30+ years of experience in the HiFi world. If it does not meet or exceed the original manufactures specifications, it will not be sold. We are very selective about the equipment we purchase, focusing on mostly analog, high-build quality, American, and European built units.

Through our sister company which is an authorized dealer for McIntosh, Audio Research, Sonus Faber, ClearAudio, Pro-Ject Audio Systems, and Sony ES, we have access to OEM parts, service, and support. If you’re local and looking for new equipment from the above-mentioned manufacturers, please drop us a line as we can arrange both sales and professional installation in the tri-state area.

PURCHASING GUIDELINES:

We do not accept or review any offers that do not go through the official Audiogon system. We have too many items for sale and it’s nearly impossible to keep track of offers outside of the official system. Please don’t message, email, or text any offers. 

PAYMENTS:

We prefer working through PayPal which allows you to use a credit card, bank transfer, and their special financing to spread out payments over six months. We do not charge extra for any PayPal fees if you purchase the item at the asking price. You can also send us a personal check (which will need to clear before shipping), certified check, money order, or bank wire transfer. International clients without access to PayPal should use a bank wire transfer. 

If you’re picking up an item, we do not accept PayPal. You must pay in person with a certified check, bank check, or wire transfer. If you make a PayPal payment and are picking up the item, your PayPal payment will be returned. 

TRADE IN POLICY:

We accept trade-ins of equal or lesser value under certain conditions. Simply click here to submit your gear for full consideration. We will only consider high-end equipment from mainstream manufacturers such as McIntosh, Mark Levinson, Audio Research, Krell, etc. and will typically pass on displays, projectors, receivers, dated surround processors, and mid-fi equipment of any type. We will offer a fair value for your equipment, but keep in mind we’re running a business and will need to be able to resell the equipment at a profit after investing a great deal of time and resources in testing, certifying, repairing, cleaning, and packaging the incoming equipment. If you’re looking for top dollar, we suggest selling direct on your own.

SELL US YOUR GEAR (Working or Broken):

We’ll also purchase your used or broken gear and arrange pickup if you’re in our local market. Simply click here to submit your gear for full consideration.

SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT:                                                                                

We are currently operating from our shop inside our dedicated building in Glen Rock, NJ. You’re welcome to make an appointment if there’s a piece of equipment you’d like to see in operation before or after purchase. We have several well-equipped and dedicated listening areas, plus a dedicated listening studio with tons of equipment of all makes and models. We’re not a store, so please don’t make an appointment if you’re just curious as to how a speaker or piece of equipment sounds. In essence - no tire kickers please.

You can call or text 201-879-0000 with any questions or to schedule an appointment. We can also arrange to install, calibrate, and tune your newly purchased gear in your listening room if you’re local to our area. This is super useful when purchasing large speakers or heavy amplifiers. It’s also great for ensuring your new turntable is setup correctly in its final resting place.

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