I am loving my stages so much that I am inclined to say they are most fantastic stock Apogee. I also have a pair of Duettas but too bad one of them is broken. I am curious to know which of the two you prefer in your room. I bet the Stages have better midrange but would like to know your opinion.
Dave: Stereo subs are always better than one. In my case, I had a REL Stadium III, which blended very well the Apogees. I simply loved its sound for audio but I also use my system for home theater and I needed a bit more punch in bass. Now I've got a pair of HSU Research TN 1225s. The pair together beats the single REL. However, they are quite obstrusive because of their size.
Cool system! I am an Apogee lover as well (my system is also on audiogon), with the Divas as my current main speakers. I also own a pair of Centaur Majors.
I have bi-amped, and tri-amped my Divas, and done many other experiments
I am curious how your sub mixes with Duettas (I mean for two channel audio only). My experience is that straight firing subs do not really mix with the Apogees.