Inside pictures of the Apogee Duetta Signature speaker and crossover
The first 6 pics right below are of the refurbished set. Pics of originals are further below.
Note this is a refurbished model, with the internal crossover removed
Above pictures are all of a fully refurbished Duetta Signature – the very pair that my listening buddy JW bought recently. The filter components have been taken out and are living – in upgraded form – in an external box.
It is sobering to see how simple of setup these magical-sounding speakers really are on the inside. All ribbons are around half as long when they are new and still freshly corrugated. They are attacked on one end, then attached to a weight on the other end. This will make them stretch far enough to be able to attach the other end. The tweeter ribbon is simply attached at the top and bottom and has a foam piece on 1 third from the top, making the ribbon bend backwards after that point which benefits vertical treble dispersion.
The woofer ribbon is stretched vertically (also stretched to final size by use of weights) then fixated on a bar that is itself fixed with springs. This will ensure ongoing tension.
The kapton layer and the aluminium layer are bonded together, then corrugated. You’d think that this would make for a fairly sturdy composite but trust me: it is not. I had a go at testing some of the bits that stick out on the sides and the curves are very, very easy to press flat. Ripping the foil on the other hand isn’t that easy. That will only happen if you’d use a sharp object.
Above: Naked Duettas at Toines old place
Above: standard crossover in another set of DS that I bought myself
Above: Toines self made crossovers
Above: Beware of disintegrating foam, either behind the tweeter or woofer panel. Newly made Graz ribbons don’t have this problem.
Above: this is what the foam should look like
Above: seen from the front but with the foil removed which gives clear sight on the magnets. The small strips between the magnets are spacers, used when reattaching the magnets, to prevent them from moving from their aligned place while the glue hardens.
More Duetta
Extensive Duetta Signature Review
Duetta Signature detailed info
More Apogee
Just picked a used pair of Apogee Duettas.. Looking for advice on what to do next lol.. What amp and pre? Where can I get then refurbished if needed?
Congrats! For FAQ’s see this page. For installers see this page. For amp recommendations, please see my various articles featuring Apogees.