Apogee... or something else??

[Danzilla]

Had someone send me a pic of a speaker they found. Looks like Apogee ribbon speaker of some sort, but not exactly like any of the models I could ID. I understand there are some modern 'clones' speakers of the older Apogee tech, but I'm not familiar with them.

Anyway, it's supposedly about 4.5' tall and while similar to a couple Apogee models, it doesn't match up exactly to any, even if it weren't for the frames over the tweeter ribbons that Apogee didn't use.

Just the one pic. Anyone have a clue?

 

[Hawkeye83]

I think it’s a Carver Amazing speaker

 

[Stephen300]

Agreed

 

[goodolpg]

Carver Amazing.

 

[frommerstop]

I agree, definitely a Carver. Funny you are familiar with Apogee, but not Carvers. Carver probably sold a hundred of those for every panel Apogee delivered. I’d think many more folks know Carver than Apogee. Carver Amazings were a very good speaker, arguably let down by production quality issues & cost cutting - often the case with Bob Carver’s products. Apogees were better built, but still had their share of issues.

 

[Danzilla]

Thanks for the replies. I am familiar with Carver Corp amps, but somehow missed knowing about Carver speakers. Maybe I've seen them before and just didn't realize, assuming they were Apogee. If anyone had asked me previously, the only Bob Carver connection to speakers I was aware of was the Sunfire brand.

 

[goodolpg]

Outside of the Amazing, I seem to remember Carver (I think it was Bob Carver) came out with some tall, skinny, curved speakers with several (20?) small drivers (to do the mid/bass range) and (maybe?) smaller driver for the high end a few years ago that were claimed to be the cat's meow.
I think Dayton or Parts Express made a knock off kit within a year of the Carver debut.
After the big splash never heard much more about them.
Maybe these were them, but I thought the cabinet had a noticeable curve to it.

More like the ones in this image...

 

[Tedrick]

Outside of the Amazing, I seem to remember Carver (I think it was Bob Carver) came out with some tall, skinny, curved speakers with several (20?) small drivers (to do the mid/bass range) and (maybe?) smaller driver for the high end a few years ago that were claimed to be the cat's meow.
I think Dayton or Parts Express made a knock off kit within a year of the Carver debut.
After the big splash never heard much more about them.
Maybe these were them, but I thought the cabinet had a noticeable curve to it.

More like the ones in this image...

I got to see and hear Carver's Amazing Line Source speakers at the Florida Audio Expo last February. The speaker system includes a modest-sized sub, and the towers looked to be powered by a pair of Bob's 350 wpc tube monoblocks. Unfortunately, the sound did not live up to expectations. The gear looked amazing, but very little thought was apparently given to set-up, tuning, and room treatments. It didn't help, either, that some guy in the back of the room talked, loudly, during the entire audition .

 

[jazzmans]

Outside of the Amazing, I seem to remember Carver (I think it was Bob Carver) came out with some tall, skinny, curved speakers with several (20?) small drivers (to do the mid/bass range) and (maybe?) smaller driver for the high end a few years ago that were claimed to be the cat's meow.
I think Dayton or Parts Express made a knock off kit within a year of the Carver debut.
After the big splash never heard much more about them.
Maybe these were them, but I thought the cabinet had a noticeable curve to it.

More like the ones in this image...

yeah, those were made in 2011 and going for a few years. (the top photo only) I watched the beta-testing with hope. afaik, they were never curved.

but I never got to hear them. I do have six of those planar drivers bob designed (originally for sunfire) and used in his final amazings.

fun fact, the first gen of those the base was the klingon symbol. That only lasted a year or so.

the Amazing Line Source were 11 planar drivers, and 22 3" drivers firing sideways. (I may have the numbers off, but it was something like that)

They needed a subwoofer, which was sold with them, I think it was the sub rosa sub.
They were very VERY expensive. You could have a pair of magnepan 20. for the same price iirc.

None of the parts express kits used the planar driver (bob called it a ribbon, but like his other amazings, it wasn't truly a ribbon, but a planar). The Curved line source PE sold was based on other designs, based on IIRC a guy who'd been a high muck-e-muck in navy sonar, and used his proven mathematical theories on them. they're also something I'd like to have heard.

of course talking about this reminds me that @7.62 found an absolutely pristine pair of ALS IVs, which I promptly bought, and while moving them I overbalanced and let one fall and ruined the ribbon.

****, still makes me angry as hell. they were perfect, man!

 

[baco99]

Had someone send me a pic of a speaker they found. Looks like Apogee ribbon speaker of some sort, but not exactly like any of the models I could ID. I understand there are some modern 'clones' speakers of the older Apogee tech, but I'm not familiar with them.

Anyway, it's supposedly about 4.5' tall and while similar to a couple Apogee models, it doesn't match up exactly to any, even if it weren't for the frames over the tweeter ribbons that Apogee didn't use.

Just the one pic. Anyone have a clue?
View attachment 2089545

Carver Amazing

 

[goodolpg]

yeah, those were made in 2011 and going for a few years. (the top photo only) I watched the beta-testing with hope. afaik, they were never curved.

but I never got to hear them. I do have six of those planar drivers bob designed (originally for sunfire) and used in his final amazings.

fun fact, the first gen of those the base was the klingon symbol. That only lasted a year or so.

the Amazing Line Source were 11 planar drivers, and 22 3" drivers firing sideways. (I may have the numbers off, but it was something like that)

They needed a subwoofer, which was sold with them, I think it was the sub rosa sub.
They were very VERY expensive. You could have a pair of magnepan 20. for the same price iirc.

None of the parts express kits used the planar driver (bob called it a ribbon, but like his other amazings, it wasn't truly a ribbon, but a planar). The Curved line source PE sold was based on other designs, based on IIRC a guy who'd been a high muck-e-muck in navy sonar, and used his proven mathematical theories on them. they're also something I'd like to have heard.

of course talking about this reminds me that @7.62 found an absolutely pristine pair of ALS IVs, which I promptly bought, and while moving them I overbalanced and let one fall and ruined the ribbon.

****, still makes me angry as hell. they were perfect, man!

Thanks for the info.
I remember when you had the "accident". That sucked
Ever get the ribbon replaced or did you go another direction?

 

[jazzmans]

Thanks for the info.
I remember when you had the "accident". That sucked
Ever get the ribbon replaced or did you go another direction?

I couldn't source one, and they were torturing me just sitting, broken in my spare room, so I essentially gave them to 7.62. I think? he sold them for parts.


I'll likely never get over destroying a pair of carver ALS IV