[Disclaimer]
Initial assesment for the APEX II's based on limited listening/tweaking.
[Background]
Saw a pair of RA-8's for a great price (shipping damaged) on Audiocircle and decided to take a chance (~1 year ago).
Compared it against my current $3500 speakers (top-o-line) and fell in love.
[Prelude]
Saw the APEX II shipping damaged pair at $2000 on Audiocircle and was able to resist (Wicket Witch of no new audio stuff playing a prominate roll in my mind), although the upgrade seed was planted.
[Downfall]
Price to $1500, rationalization: sell RA-8's and a few other things, Wicket Witch lets me keep living in same house, pull trigger (better to ask forgivness).
[Actuality]
Keep RA-8's sell Definitive Technologies system. Sell (try - see ads please!) other stuff to try and achive net $0 cost (don't tell Wicket Witch about boat load of albums purchased in mean time)! Still, if all stuff is sold should be n neighborhood of net $0.
[Results]
By the time my neighbor and I moved speakers all around, it was 9:00pm. Seeing the look of "Let me hear these or I'll kill you you bas....!" on my helpful neighbors face, I decided to hook them up ASAP and get the Party started.
Well I cut up some jumpers (don't have bi-wire cables (ordered some bi-wires so the GR Research Vampire wire beauties I have are for sale)), dialed in some ambient driver output and off we were.
Let me tell you, going from 95bd to 88db eff. speakers takes some getting used to. Using Denon DL-110 to Cornet2 wasn't giving me enought output. Still sounded good (ok) but had to crank the Volume (note to self: get PICCOLO ASAP!). (Equipment Note: DODD 120w Gen 3 mono blocks with DODD battery Pre Amp).
Well plan 'B', switch to digital (SqueezeBox 3 feeding GR Research Modded DAC-60). Since I got back into Analog 2 - 3 months ago, I haven't fired this up.
Much better, but some issues with midrange on a few well known tracks. Slight worry, but figured I'd work it out with Al tomorrow...
Talking with AL the next day it was determined it was probably a room issue, and to NOT start off with any ambiance driver output (seems some people don't like this).
Well, as soon as I got home I turned the Ambiance driver down and BOOM! - the midrange issue was gone (Thank God!).
Now don't get the wrong Idea about the Ambience driver. My room is ~17' x 21' (Master Bedroom) with my listening position about 11' back from the speakers. The ceiling is where it gets interesting as it is a barrel shape! This tends to focus sound waves and cause all kinds of problems. I have some room treatments, but can only go so far with the Wicket Witch having the final say. There is definatly an echo problem so I don't fault the Ambience driver. I will try and treat the room and experiment with bringing the Ambience driver into the mix.
Well if you made it this far you probably want to know how they sound.
From what I hear so far I love them - no regrets (wonder how the full boat sonicap crossovers sound as these have the standard Solen stuff with only Sonicap GenII bypass caps).
The highs are the same silky smooth non fatiging sound of the RA-8's (love that extension!).
Mid-range is much fuller. Some tracks have me hearing things I have never noticed before (for the better).
As far as the Bass output, there is no comparison.
My goal is to just have a pair of full range speakers (getting rig of my current subwoofer is intended to be a selling point to the Wicket Witch).
In this role the APEX II excel. 4 Extremis drivers in each speaker provide plenty of bass output for my needs!
In a role where I wanted a separate subwoofer, I don't think these would be ideal.
The RA-8's integrated with my sub very well, and I expect when I build something out of the 4 AV-15's I have sitting around I'll be more than happy with my RA-8 based theater!
Anyone wanting to hear these (or the RA-8's) are welcome to drop me a PM
