kelossus Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 (edited) Item: Apogee Centaur Minor Location: Ipswich QLD Price: $800 $700 Item Condition: Good Reason for selling: Not for me Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: These came up for sale locally so I decided to take the plunge and give these a go. I have never owned a ribbon speaker and I quite liked the unusual design of the cabinets. Very impressed with the sound coming from these small (well I consider them small) speakers. They are sound stage kings and throw an impressively tall and fleshed out centre image. I was quite taken by the treble and wasn't expecting such clarity and extension. Unfortunately they can't play as loud as I would like in my medium/large room. I started to unload some serious power into them and I feared for the woofers safety. I will say the bass that these speakers do possess is very impressive. Feeding them some horsepower with the Krell delivered a seriously full bass with decent extension and punch, they just couldn't reach the insane SPL's I'm used to. Apogee have a reputation for being very hard on amplifiers but the smaller ribbon models like the Centaur are quite efficient and tube friendly. If you have a medium/small room or don't play bass heavy music at 100db+ these speakers could be for you. I am half considering them as my PC speakers but that would mean upgrading my PC amp to do them justice. The grills are in good condition fabric wise, the frame has a slight bend in it but once mounted to the cabinet it's pulled completely straight and is a non-issue. They have a few marks on the corners here and there but nothing major and can only be seen on a very close inspection. One of the woofer dust caps has a slight crease. The dust caps are quite soft so I think you could pull it out if it really bothered you. That being said I don't see why anyone would run them without the grills. Just realised I didn't take a photo with the grills on but will include a stock photo so you get the idea. Given their modest price I believe anyone who heard these would be impressed. They weigh a considerable amount (25kg) and I have no idea why. The cabinets aren't large but they weigh a ton for their size. Specifications 1991-1994 Original Retail $1200 Height 100 cm Width 35 cm Impedance 4-6 ohms Bass driver 6½” Dynamic cone woofer Midrange/Tweeter 26″ Aluminium/Kapton ribbon (etched 6 segment) Max Sound Level 107 dB @ 4 meters with a 50 W amplifier Frequency response (-3dB @ 40Hz) to 20kHz Crossover frequency (electronic) 800Hz Suggested amp power 50W (into 8 ohms) 100W (into 4 ohms) Weight 24kg/52lbs each Finishes available Silver grey Photos: Edited November 15, 2019 by kelossus 3
SETfan Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 Nice speakers and great value for the money (I have their big brother, the Centaur Major) The reason for their weight are the heavy magnets used to suspend the aluminium/kapton ribbons in place. GLWS!
Jeffo Gee Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 I had a pair and they don’t do loud, but a good slice of Apogee magic for not much, perhaps their profile give a big sound expectation Bliss with a Classe DR8 or two GLWS
kelossus Posted November 1, 2019 Author Posted November 1, 2019 No local interest? These are the real deal and worth a demo if you are sitting on the fence. I have too many speakers in my room at the moment and need these gone before I get my 4350's back. 1
kamielcat Posted November 2, 2019 Posted November 2, 2019 I'd love a listen and might be interested. Just can't do this weekend - will have to be next weekend if that suits.
kelossus Posted November 6, 2019 Author Posted November 6, 2019 Any other locals interested? Have received a few PM's but no one has had listen.
kelossus Posted November 15, 2019 Author Posted November 15, 2019 First and only price drop on these. Now $700. Someone local grab these!
kamielcat Posted November 15, 2019 Posted November 15, 2019 Have listened to these speakers yesterday- they sound awesome. They’re in extremely good condition and you’ll be dealing with a top fellow. Good luck with the sale
Pegasus Posted November 16, 2019 Posted November 16, 2019 I know of 2 QAC members who own a pair of these speakers. There not for heavy rock, but are magnificent for jazz or vocals. Not suited to a large room. If I didn't have so much gear already crammed into my small house (as Chris can attest to) I'd give these serious consideration. I can highly recommend Chris as a trustful audiophile (even though he has an addiction to JBL speakers) GLWTS. 1
Guest Posted November 29, 2019 Posted November 29, 2019 (edited) These are a very hiend hybrid speaker.Best suited with hiend valve amplification.Loved mine when I had them & they have plenty of bass for a small woofer.Best suited for smaller rooms they sing & sound better then alot of speakers 5 times their price.GLWTS Edited November 29, 2019 by Conrad1970
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