The Apex Club

[RickyDeg]

Well, so much for trusting my "reliable" dealer :roll: He told me NAD was currently working on a new MDC module that would feature Audyssey MultEQ XT32 for the T787. Just got a reply from NAD themselves who said they have no such plans! NAD goes out the window!

No sense in even testing it not knowing if it'll ever be upgraded to the more advanced system. Apex deserve it. No point in switching to something I already have, however sweet NAD might sound in general. XT32 has been around a couple years! NAD got lazy or cheap?

 

[greedy]

RickyDeg, you may test AVR-4520, when it will be avaible..Today i got my awaited avr-4311..now preparing this beast to party..i'll write about my experience

 

[RickyDeg]

Yes, the Denon AVR-4520 is on my list 🙂

Glad to hear your receiver arrived now. Can't wait to hear your feedback and what you think it brings to the table with Apex!

 

[greedy]

So, what i can say about AVR-4311..I feel like driving Hennessey Venom GT in empty German "autoban"...First thing, i feel like i have new, different subwoofer in my room.The sound of AW-12 is much deeper, very well controlled , no distortion.in comparision, AW-12 with Pioneer sounded poor..Now AW-12 is very well integrated in all 5.1 system and its hard to detect from where low frequency comes🙂Now my Apex are more rich sounding, i feel like they produce wider frequency range, surrounds now are really working in a "team" with sub, center,fronts and now puts me really in the movie..Highs are smooth and pleasant for my ears, mids care very big amount of information, lows strikes hard and fast.. I think AVR-4311 is a very good match with Apex and maybe others MA speakers.Now i'm happy with my system..This is my first impressions, watched "Expendables" last night..Later i'll write more, if it is interesting form someone.sorry for my English, its not my language.Enjoy your APEX 🙂

 

[Chord_Freak]

Hi guys - another soon-to-be member of the Apex family! I've booked today off work and am sitting patiently waiting for the speakers to be delivered (4 x A10's, 1 x A40 and 1x AW12). I can't wait! I've never actually heard the speakers but they will be replacing my Monitor Audio Studio 20se floorstanders which I love dearly but just don't have the space for so I'm hoping they will sound just as amazing!

They will be hooked up to my Yamaha RXV3067 and from what I've heard it should be a good match.

I've just spent the last 3 nights reading every post on this thread - there's some very good info and reviews on here so thanks to everyone who has contributed!

I'll post my findings once I've got it all setup, and some pictures as I know some of you like seeing the pictures 🙂

One question I would like to ask is do you think it would be overkill to use my existing Chord Signature speaker cables with the Apex A10's? At £160 per metre and the fact the A10's will be on stands with it's own internal wiring I'm thinking I should probably sell the speaker cables with the rest of my 2 channel setup?

Heres a before pic of my setup:

As you can see I'm very limited for space, so I'm hoping the Apex will be ideal.

 

[RickyDeg]

Most excellent, greedy! :rockout:

Comes as no surprise but I share your experiences with Denon + Apex. Everything you mentioned is evident in my own system aswell (only you have the more advanced XT32 of course, which makes a difference). I agree with you that Pioneer LX-receivers don't seem to make the most of subwoofer AW-12. We probably had a similarly poor result (at least in direct comparison with Denon and Audyssey) because when I tested LX83 and LX85 there was no 'depth' or 'definition' to the bass. It was also too easily localized. The difference was subsantial. Some people like Pioneer with these speakers though. Just goes to show how much individual preferences differ. For example, What Hifi just published a review of the Anthem MRX700. Like most other reviewers they praised it, though none of the strengths they mention were evident to me while I tested it with Apex.

Question: did you run the full 8-point Audyssey calibration?

Looking forward to extended impression feedback!

Congrats again to an excellent purchase!

 

[RickyDeg]

First of all; congrats Chord_Freak to an excellent choice in speakers! Can't wait to hear more of your feedback! And yes, to see more photos! But gosh, you read every single post in this thread?

:O :O :O

Never heard those floorstanding Monitor Audios of yours, but I'm sure there might be similarities between those and Apex, given Monitor Audio have a 'signature' soundcharacter of sorts on all their stuff. As a pure stereo-pair the A10's may not be able to reach the same level of "pressure" or "depth" as floorstanders would, though I'm sure you don't expect them to. I never listen to any Apex speaker in isolation (stereo 2.0 or even 2.1), not even with music as I always use the full set through a DSP mode (5 Channel Stereo in my case) to surprisingly great effect. I find that a system like this absolutely needs to play together at all times to really shine. Pure preference issue.

As you've read this entire thred you might have seen some of my reviews on different amps/receivers, though I never tested any Yamaha's with Apex. I'm sure they are capable though, if you prefer their sound. And you need not worry about space - Apex seem very comfortable in most any size room it seems. Mine is quite small, but I've heard them at my dealer who have a listeningroom 3 times bigger (!) and they are equally engrossing and capable. Just make sure you place them carefully of course. They deserve that.

In terms of your Chord cable, it may he hard to justify wiring your entire system with that one but why not try it out first before selling it? The internal cable of the stands get to me a bit, to be frank. Mixing cables is seldom good.

 

[Chord_Freak]

First of all; congrats Chord_Freak to an excellent choice in speakers! Can't wait to hear more of your feedback! And yes, to see more photos! But gosh, you read every single post in this thread?

:O :O :O

Never heard those floorstanding Monitor Audios of yours, but I'm sure there might be similarities between those and Apex, given Monitor Audio have a 'signature' soundcharacter of sorts on all their stuff. As a pure stereo-pair the A10's may not be able to reach the same level of "pressure" or "depth" as floorstanders would, though I'm sure you don't expect them to. I never listen to any Apex speaker in isolation (stereo 2.0 or even 2.1), not even with music as I always use the full set through a DSP mode (5 Channel Stereo in my case) to surprisingly great effect. I find that a system like this absolutely needs to play together at all times to really shine. Pure preference issue.

As you've read this entire thred you might have seen some of my reviews on different amps/receivers, though I never tested any Yamaha's with Apex. I'm sure they are capable though, if you prefer their sound. And you need not worry about space - Apex seem very comfortable in most any size room it seems. Mine is quite small, but I've heard them at my dealer who have a listeningroom 3 times bigger (!) and they are equally engrossing and capable. Just make sure you place them carefully of course. They deserve that.

In terms of your Chord cable, it may he hard to justify wiring your entire system with that one but why not try it out first before selling it? The internal cable of the stands get to me a bit, to be frank. Mixing cables is seldom good.

Thanks RickyDeg and yes it was a bit of a mission reading every single post - but it was worth it. I have also read all the manuals for the Apex kit online so when it arrives I can set it straight up - I'm sad aren't I! 🙂

The wait is killing me, I hope it turns up soon!

 

[Julian_b]

Welcome to the club Chord_Freak! Hope you enjoy the first sound you get with the Apex - they will improve with run-in too. Don't forget to set up your Apex's with the Yamaha RX V3067 using YPAO calibration again as it makes a considerable difference IMHO.

Agree with what RickyDeg says about 5.1 music being great. In stereo pure direct, the A10's can only handle music without much bass and sounds too thin - Adele is surprisingly good. They are very nice sounding for their size, but lets not forget they are quite small. Using the on-board DAC's of the Yamaha produces a really nice musical experience when you go to 5.1 and also i found it helped find a better overall balance and integration for the AW 12 set up too - just turned the volume back a bit from what i was leaning to with volume for 'big banging' movies. I'm sure my neighbours are grateful too 😉

If you can get a good price for the speaker cables I'd sell and get cheaper cable. When I purchased my Apex's my dealer advised me to keep using the QED 79 strand cable I already had for example as it was 'more than good enough', also that with Apex's he felt copper was best too. He also pointed me towards the Yamaha/Apex combination (he doesn't sell Yamaha so felt that was honest advice).

I was grateful for that advice and really enjoy the sound signature I now have - I probably have a dealer who likes the same kind of sound signature too I guess 🙂 I first heard Apex through one spare A10 (the dealer had no complete sets in stock at the time) through a valve amplifier amplifier which sold me on the sound potential - such a sweet sounding speaker.....and then when you put them all together with the A40 and AW12 :dance:

Have fun and let us know how you're experiences.....

 

[RickyDeg]

You are hardly "sad" - just a "freak", an "audiofreak" like the rest of us! 😉

I know what waiting for new kit to arrive is like. Trust me. I reckon you'll be up past midnight putting things together, having a listen for the first time. When I got my Apex I was just as anxious!

 

[ric71]

I have bitten the bullet and purchased the Anthem Statement A5 amp. It will be delivered next Wed as I am away till then.

This will push the Apex to their best and more I hope. I have every confidence the Apex will sound even more incredible. Will let you know.

 

[RickyDeg]

I have bitten the bullet and purchased the Anthem Statement A5 amp. It will be delivered next Wed as I am away till then.

This will push the Apex to their best and more I hope. I have every confidence the Apex will sound even more incredible. Will let you know.

WOW, powerhouse pleasure! I for one am very envious right now!

HAHA!

Next I suppose you'll upgrade to the Statement D2V processor!

A5 looks like a beast of an amp - 180W of true watts per channel (8 ohm). Couldn't house that thing even if I wanted to. I'm sure with your MRX 300 it'll squeeze delightful things out of the Apex for you. BTW, did you see the new WH review of the MRX 700? Still puzzled by the lackluster performance I got from that unit when I tested it. Others have been luckier with Anthem, it seems.

 

[ric71]

Hey Ricky,

Nah D2v far too expensive for me.

Yep it is a huge amp. I'm going to have to get my shelves rebuilt to accommodate it as its so deep.

Some may say over kill but for my room the Apex are phenomenal and I want to give them the best current possible and I personally think the Apex will lap it up. They said that about my Studio Sub15. Ha ha!!!

Yes I read your findings over on AVS and don't get it my self as ARC is simply stunning. It is down to personal preference obviously and I know that you like the Denon sound with Audyssey Dynamic EQ engaged. I used have a Denon 3310 but felt that Audyssey wasn't right for me. Now XT32 is an altogether better room EQ than Multi EQ.

Have you considered an Onkyo processor ie PR-SC5509 as that has XT32 and then you can add your choice of power amp?

Im going to read the review tomorrow when I go out and buy the mag.

 

[Chord_Freak]

Well, I've setup the front 3 speakers and the sub - the rears will have to wait until the weekend as I need to drill holes in the wall!

First impression is WOW, WOW, WOW and WOW again!

I bought these to replace a £7,000 stereo setup and was hoping they would be good enough to allow me to sell my stereo gear and all I can say is yes they are!!!

So far all I've been listening to is 2.1 music streaming via a wireless network and the results are astounding. The first song I listened to made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up - a good sign of quality reproduction!

I am really impressed with the build quality and the speakers look and sound stunning. I can't wait for them to be run-in.

I'm very glad I took the punt and bought these excellent speakers.

One thing I did notice though, on the back of the sub, the phono sockets to plug the sub cable into are quite recessed so I can't push the sub lead all the way on to get a good connection - has anyone else noticed this? I can only push the connector on about half way. It looks like all four phono sockets have been pushed back into the sub - is this the same on all of them?

I'll report back once I've setup the other speakers and add some pics too. 🙂

 

[RickyDeg]

Hey ric71 - you could just read the review here online:

http://www.whathifi.com/review/anthem-mrx-700

Glad ARC did wonders for you. Lots of people praise it and obviously I have no reason to doubt them. During the many calibration sessions I did I don't believe I did anything wrong, yet the result with Apex was somewhat anemic and almost 'hollow' in my case. I just sat there scratching my head. I have indeed considered the Onkyo processor, and it's bigger brother from Integra. My issue is the height of both those two as my cabinet has limited space to house a processor AND multichannel amp. They both need to be compact cause I ain't about to change my cabinet.

Can't wait for your feedback!

 

[RickyDeg]

Another happy Apex owner! Teriffic, indeed Chord_Freak! :dance: You've only scratched the surface!

Lucky you having such 'astounding' results already with just 2.1 :O I can't say I achieve that myself, as I said before I need the whole system to play in order for it to sing. 2.1 just won't do it for me. The RCA sockets on the back of AW-12 are somewhat recessed, that is normal. Fear not.

 

[ric71]

Cheers Ricky,

I did read it on line and a pretty good review although not particularly in depth. They skimmed over ARC which is IMO and many others one of its main if not most important features. I know they said their room is treated and I have actually visited their testing room and know that they have good room treatments but most people don't and this is where Anthem plays its trump card. I suppose it does show how good the MRX is without any EQ engaged.

 

[greedy]

RickyDeg> I run 6 points Audyssey calibration, i think its enough for my room(small).Maybe i'm wrong?Does 8 points measuring gives better results?

 

[greedy]

Hello Ricky, thanks for explanation..I'll do calibration in 8 points and maybe something will change.I used tripod 🙂

 

[RickyDeg]

RickyDeg> I run 6 points Audyssey calibration, i think its enough for my room(small).Maybe i'm wrong?Does 8 points measuring gives better results?

Denon (and more importantly Audyssey themselves) recommend running the total of 8 measuring points, and for reasons I tend to agree with. Although in your case those additional 2 points may not offer huge differences the whole idea is to let Audyssey gather as much information about your speakers and your room as possible. Hence a full calibration in carefully selected spots is ideal.

Just like you I also have a small room but the difference between making 3/6 or 8 measuringpoints is noticeable. Simply try it for yourself and listen. Try keep each placement of the mic about 60-70 cm apart, but preferably not too close to room boundaries (walls). Each room is of course different so giving exact recommendations is difficult. You may find yourself learning more about how Audyssey works and continue to experiment with multiple calibrations down the road. I do that myself, especially after changing something in the room. I'm also considering having Audyssey Pro calibration done, although I'm gonna wait til I get something with XT32 until I jump on that.

BTW, may I ask if you used a tripod?

 

[RickyDeg]

Great greedy - looking forward to more feedback! 🙂

What do you think of music so far? Have you had a chance to listen, and if so; what listeningmode in the AVR-4311 do you think Apex sound best with for music in your case?

 

[greedy]

Ricky, yes i listened to music with Apex+Denon combination.Apex sound more warm and relaxing, not so sterile like with Pioneer, and squeeze a lot of detail from good source.I always use multichannel stereo mode for music, because this is sub-sat system.In music listening i feel much better sub integration and timing, than LX-83.I think Apex sound as good as sat-sub system can sound.Big, good quality floorstanders can blow Apex away in music, but my room is not big.When i spend little more time with Apex+Denon, i'll tell more 🙂

 

[sunil4]

Morning guys and girls

My first post here so be gentle lol.

I am considering buying the apex 5.1 setup for my converted garage projector setup

The front set up is planned to go under my fixed frame projection screen with originally;

2 x Apex 10s L & R fronts and 1 x Apex 40 centre. The Apex 10s on the left and right will sit at the bottom edges of the screen rather than to the sides due to lack of room and being at ear level underneath rather than to the side.

But last night I was dreaming and measured that he total width I have to play with under the screen is around 2m, so would it be a waste to stick 3 x Apex 40s underneath horizontally for L, R and Centre given there wont be much space between the left/ right and the centre channel?

Thanks

Sunil

 

[RickyDeg]

Hello Sunil :wave: Welcome! Exciting!

I don't think it would be a waste to use 3 x A40 all in the front under your projector because; 1) you will be guaranteed a completely unified front soundfield 2) will look nicer than mixing A10 and A40

Just my two cents. If I had the choice I'd go for A40's all round, without doubt!

Do you plan on wallmounting these? In my experience, though Apex are suppose to be ideal for that purpose, I think they sound best a bit away from the wall for more air and openness to the sound.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Ive just purchased the Apex 5.1 and will be driving them with a denon 4311, which I also just purchased.

Im moving from 2 channel stereo set up to surround sound.

I can't wait to get this all set up in about 2-3weelks after decorating the living room. I'll be wall mounting the A10's with the A40 under the tv and the sub next to the tv.

Do you guys have any tips on products for hiding the wires when wall mounting? And any on general set up of the Denon?

Thanks Joe