Scintilla

About the Scintilla

The Apogee Acoustics Scintilla is a three-way ribbon loudspeaker introduced in the mid-1980s as a smaller, more manageable alternative to the larger Full Range model. It features a large aluminum/Kapton bass panel, a 2-inch wide aluminum foil midrange ribbon, and four half-inch wide aluminum foil tweeter ribbons arranged in a cardioid pattern around the midrange. The speaker is known for its exceptional vocal reproduction, crystal-clear treble, and deep bass extending down to 20Hz. It has a nominal impedance of 1 ohm (or 1 or 4 ohms in early models), making it very difficult to drive and requiring powerful amplifiers. The Scintilla weighs approximately 180 lbs per speaker and measures about 147 cm in height and 83 cm in width at the base, tapering to 74 cm at the top. It has a sensitivity of 79 dB at 4 ohms and 85 dB at 1 ohm, with a maximum sound level of 110 dB. The crossover frequencies are approximately 500 Hz (bass to midrange) and 3 kHz (midrange to tweeter) with 6 dB/octave slopes. The speaker is visually striking with a slim 3.5-inch depth and comes in finishes such as light grey, anthracite, or taupe. The Scintilla is highly regarded for its sonic coherence, naturalness, and fast transient response, but its 1-ohm load has earned it a reputation as an 'amp killer.' It is no longer manufactured.