The Apex Club

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys,

Some great discussion here!

I'm just about to buy a system and I'm looking at the Apex as the main contender. Problem is it leaves my budget a little short but I can buy the Sony STR-DA 5500 ES for just £800... Anyone know how this amp sounds? What about wiht the APEX?

Thanks guys!

 

[Anonymous]

Andrew Steward:
Hi Guys,

Some great discussion here!

I'm just about to buy a system and I'm looking at the Apex as the main contender. Problem is it leaves my budget a little short but I can buy the Sony STR-DA 5500 ES for just £800... Anyone know how this amp sounds? What about wiht the APEX?

Thanks guys!

As most people in this thread will tell you, the Apex is an exceptional package. I don't know too much about the sony but the Denon 3311 is similarly priced at around GBP 800-900 that is 3d ready. The Denon and Apex make a good team.

 

[Anonymous]

I auditioned the Apex today and compared to the monintor audio BX5 I felt the BX5 was leagues ahead, especially for music.

As someone who was very excited about auditioning the Apex and after all the opinions on here I have to say I was truly dissapointed. Have I missed something?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Andrew Steward:
I auditioned the Apex today and compared to the monintor audio BX5 I felt the BX5 was leagues ahead, especially for music.

As someone who was very excited about auditioning the Apex and after all the opinions on here I have to say I was truly dissapointed. Have I missed something?

Well the BX5s are full size floorstanders and the Apex are sat speakers.

 

[Anonymous]

I had been lead to believe that the latest technologies meant you didnt need big floor standers for big sound... the B&W MT-30 were, I was told, as good as any set up you could get for £1,500!

Wish I'd read somewhere that this simply is not true! Could have saved myself a lot of time! LOL

 

[Anonymous]

I demo-ed a few options and although music is not high on my list of needs these Apex do sound excellent for music. It will also depend on how long the ones you listened to had been run in. But the imaging, placement atmosphere and dialogue on the Apex for movies will be much better. I'm just sat watching transformers 2 (happens to be on sky) and I'm hearing things in the soundtrack that I'm sure weren't there before. Sooo glad I changed!

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Andrew Steward:
I auditioned the Apex today and compared to the monintor audio BX5 I felt the BX5 was leagues ahead, especially for music.

As someone who was very excited about auditioning the Apex and after all the opinions on here I have to say I was truly dissapointed. Have I missed something?

Hi Andrew Steward

I am sorry to hear of this. If you want the best the best of both worlds then at a similar price to the Apex package please also consider and if possible audition Monitor Audio's Silver RX6 AV12 speaker package.

Btw, what AV amplifer did you hear the Apex speakers with please?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Clare Newsome]

Andrew Steward:
I had been lead to believe that the latest technologies meant you didnt need big floor standers for big sound... the B&W MT-30 were, I was told, as good as any set up you could get for £1,500!

Wish I'd read somewhere that this simply is not true! Could have saved myself a lot of time! LOL

This is why we split our speaker package reviews into style speaker packages and standard set-ups

The latter typically give you more for your money, while style packages (like the B&W) carry a premium for their more room-friendly looks/size.

Not everyone has the room or tolerance for the more traditional packages, but pound-for-pound they do outperform (though not out-sell) their style cousins.

So, while we think you'd struggle to find another style package @£1500 to beat the B&W MT-30s, you could find several traditional alternatives to outperform them at that money (especially if you take music as well as movie performance into consideration).

 

[Anonymous]

What about the two upgrade options I'm considering? I currently have the B&W MT-30 and I'm considering a complete change to the Apex or keeping the PV1 and upgrading the M1s to a B&W CM5/CMC/CM1 system. I don't care about music performance, movie performance is my only consideration.

 

[Anonymous]

I would suggest you go and audition the 2 options you are looking for, if you can take your AVR with you (a hassle I know but worth it). I have not heard the B&W setup but IMO the Apex will sound excellent with the PV1 ( if you like it I don't see a point in changing).

 

[v1c]

pppp1:What about the two upgrade options I'm considering? I currently have the B&W MT-30 and I'm considering a complete change to the Apex or keeping the PV1 and upgrading the M1s to a B&W CM5/CMC/CM1 system. I don't care about music performance, movie performance is my only consideration.

If your main interest is movie performance you seriously need to consider putting Miller + Kreisel's on your upgrade option's list. Not taking anything away from the others but you need to at least check it out as you will be hard pushed to find anything that will take MK's for movie performance.

MK Sound pdf.

You will however need to make more of an effort to source them but well worth it IMO.

To the Apex club i think you have made a great choice happy listening.

 

[Anonymous]

v1c:

If your main interest is movie performance you seriously need to consider putting MK's on your upgrade option's list. Not taking anything away from the others but you need to at least check it out as you will be hard pushed to find anything that will take MK's for movie performance.

MK Sound pdf.

You will however need to make more of an effort to source them but well worth it IMO.

I have to agree here Carl, nothing else compares pound for pound with MK..........nothing

and the new models being released soon will be mightily good as well, I can`t wait

 

[Anonymous]

albriscoe:v1c:

If your main interest is movie performance you seriously need to consider putting MK's on your upgrade option's list. Not taking anything away from the others but you need to at least check it out as you will be hard pushed to find anything that will take MK's for movie performance.

MK Sound pdf.

You will however need to make more of an effort to source them but well worth it IMO.

I have to agree here Carl, nothing else compares pound for pound with MK..........nothing

and the new models being released soon will be mightily good as well, I can`t wait

Where can I read about these new models?

 

[michael hoy]

albriscoe:
I have to agree here Carl, nothing else compares pound for pound with MK..........nothing

and the new models being released soon will be mightily good as well, I can`t wait

They need to improve the styling, I agree great speakers but need to be in a dedicated room, not on show in the living room.

The wife would go

if I had them in her line of sight.

 

[Anonymous]

michael hoy:albriscoe:
I have to agree here Carl, nothing else compares pound for pound with MK..........nothing

and the new models being released soon will be mightily good as well, I can`t wait

They need to improve the styling, I agree great speakers but need to be in a dedicated room, not on show in the living room.

The wife would go

if I had them in her line of sight.

Spot on the aesthetics where the only reason I did not put those on my list.

 

[Frank Harvey]

pppp1:What about the two upgrade options I'm considering? I currently have the B&W MT-30 and I'm considering a complete change to the Apex or keeping the PV1 and upgrading the M1s to a B&W CM5/CMC/CM1 system. I don't care about music performance, movie performance is my only consideration.

If I were you, I'd add a KEF Q package to the audition list. I've replaced a top MK system with a much cheaper Q300 package, and I have to say, as far as detail is concerned, they're far better value. Their UniQ driver array is perfect for movies, as with each speaker you get a single point source rather than treble and mid coming from separate locations. Because of this you can sit as close as you like to them without any phasing problems, and without their sound changing tone like most other speakers. Because of his UniQ driver, I find effects placement is far more accurately placed too. This system would work out around £1200 plus sub for a Q300 system, or around £1000 for the smaller Q100 system plus sub (a sub should always be chosen to suit the room).

 

[Anonymous]

pppp1:What about the two upgrade options I'm considering? I currently have the B&W MT-30 and I'm considering a complete change to the Apex or keeping the PV1 and upgrading the M1s to a B&W CM5/CMC/CM1 system. I don't care about music performance, movie performance is my only consideration.

I had a PV1 but no M1's. When was finally in market for new sat's listened to a few (Kef's, B&W's etc) but settled on MA APEX's. PV1 works a treat with APEX sat's (and going that route will save you the cost of the APEX sub). Point worth mentioning is that the APEX sat's are as about as big a speaker as I can accommodate and that limited the options I had. If you can accommodate larger speakers worlds your oyster.

 

[v1c]

michael hoy:albriscoe:
I have to agree here Carl, nothing else compares pound for pound with MK..........nothing

and the new models being released soon will be mightily good as well, I can`t wait

They need to improve the styling, I agree great speakers but need to be in a dedicated room, not on show in the living room.

The wife would go

if I had them in her line of sight.

Thanks Micheal at least i would know what you would think about my living room then

I'm not really offended. I just don't get what is to dislike about the MK's aesthetically they are speakers after all. I've never had one derogatory comment about them from visitors to my abode and the wife has never complained once about the looks. My main concern when choosing them was performance over aesthetics but i do genuinely like the look of them as well. I only have a small house and i don't even notice they are there that's how well they blend in , but that's just my opinion.

 

[michael hoy]

v1c:michael hoy:albriscoe:
I have to agree here Carl, nothing else compares pound for pound with MK..........nothing

and the new models being released soon will be mightily good as well, I can`t wait

They need to improve the styling, I agree great speakers but need to be in a dedicated room, not on show in the living room.

The wife would go

if I had them in her line of sight.

Thanks Micheal at least i would know what you would think about my living room then

I'm not really offended. I just don't get what is to dislike about the MK's aesthetically they are speakers after all. I've never had one derogatory comment about them from visitors to my abode and the wife has never complained once about the looks. My main concern when choosing them was performance over aesthetics but i do genuinely like the look of them as well. I only have a small house and i don't even notice they are there that's how well they blend in , but that's just my opinion.

No offence meant

, they are very good speakers and if you enjoy listening to them that's all that matters.

 

[Anonymous]

the newer range of MK`s such as the M series and the 950`s/95`s are available in a really nice satin black and a beautifully finished piano gloss black.

and lets face it, to be honest MK`s are really all about performance which they excell in, and afterall all, you buy speakers to listen to and not look at or at least I do.

Personally i`ve never been a wooden finished cabinet designed speaker myself, they usually go with nothing else in the room anyway, whereas a nice satin or gloss black goes with everything because it doesn`t have to cosmetically match your sideboard

Gone are the days when I used to be in our retail shop and the bloke wanted his certain speakers (and rightly so as they fitted in with his requirements) and his missus wanted something to match the coffee table, and guess who won evertime

(sorry Claire)

MK take away that choice thank god and give you a speaker which once heard you very rarely change them for anything else

and if black is good enough for the Steinway model D`s then MK certainly must have it right

Al

 

[Anonymous]

pppp1:Where can I read about these new models?

as yet you can`t, there is no literature released to date but rest assured they are coming

 

[Anonymous]

albriscoe:
the newer range of MK`s such as the M series and the 950`s/95`s are available in a really nice satin black and a beautifully finished piano gloss black.

and lets face it, to be honest MK`s are really all about performance which they excell in, and afterall all, you buy speakers to listen to and not look at or at least I do.

Personally i`ve never been a wooden finished cabinet designed speaker myself, they usually go with nothing else in the room anyway, whereas a nice satin or gloss black goes with everything because it doesn`t have to cosmetically match your sideboard

Gone are the days when I used to be in our retail shop and the bloke wanted his certain speakers (and rightly so as they fitted in with his requirements) and his missus wanted something to match the coffee table, and guess who won evertime

(sorry Claire)

MK take away that choice thank god and give you a speaker which once heard you very rarely change them for anything else

and if black is good enough for the Steinway model D`s then MK certainly must have it right

Al

Don't agree Al, most of us don't have the luxury of a separate room where aesthetics don't matter and I do buy my speakers to look at as well as listen too. OK sonics are important, but I've heard plenty of MKs systems and yes they sound great but IMO (probably some of the best if your just after movie sub/sat systems)but there's no denying they are ugly.

And brownie points from the other half for picking something attractive (especially when there are 5 or even 7 of them) should not be underrated, like it or not, it's now a factor in our decession making when buying AV products.

I also think this is why MA are so popular, not only do their speakers sound great, but they look nice too. If MK produced anything as remotely as pretty as MA and some others I'm sure they souls sell more.

 

[Anonymous]

Behold a thing of beauty LOL

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[RickyDeg]

Newbie to What HiFi and the forums here. Passionate a/v enthusiast from Stockholm, Sweden

Read my very first review of the Apex system online right here and became highly interested. Last month I finally had time to demo them at two different retailers using my personal favorite receiverbrand DENON (AVR-3808 and AVR-4311) and I was honestly mermerized by their performance. This was my first experience with MONITOR AUDIO speakers, so I'm glad it was positive. This week I've ordered my APEX system in a 5.2 set-up. They arrive here on friday. Can't wait. This will also be the first time for me using two subwoofers, so I'm pretty much drooling already, as you can imagine.

Thanks to all the great posts in the forum about the APEX, it's been an interesting read. I'll be posting some photos of my set-up when installed. Now if only friday was tomorrow already...

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Newbie to What HiFi and the forums here. Passionate a/v enthusiast from Stockholm, Sweden

Read my very first review of the Apex system online right here and became highly interested. Last month I finally had time to demo them at two different retailers using my personal favorite receiverbrand DENON (AVR-3808 and AVR-4311) and I was honestly mermerized by their performance. This was my first experience with MONITOR AUDIO speakers, so I'm glad it was positive. This week I've ordered my APEX system in a 5.2 set-up. They arrive here on friday. Can't wait. This will also be the first time for me using two subwoofers, so I'm pretty much drooling already, as you can imagine.

Thanks to all the great posts in the forum about the APEX, it's been an interesting read. I'll be posting some photos of my set-up when installed. Now if only friday was tomorrow already...

Hi RickyDeg

Nice one

and i hope you enjoy the performance of your new Apex speakers for many years to come :bigsmile:

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft