Tower Speaker Reviews

The same plusses remained as before. If anything, the midrange sounded just a little more forward than before, but still in a good way. Coloration remained very low. The highs, while still not as airy as the treble in the Revel F32 system that the Aperions replaced, were sweet, clean, and as detailed as I could wish for. Cymbals and other subtle percussive details came through clearly, but without any artificial edginess.

But the 633-Ts were not overly forgiving. Crank the volume just a little too much (and we're talking very loud here) and even slightly marginal material could bite back at you. Whether this was a power handling limitation of the small tweeters or just the speakers telling it like it is wasn't always easy to discern, but at any sane playback level the issue was a small one at worst.

That slight brightness was a bit more evident on film soundtracks, as you might imagine. I was also aware of a somewhat leaner quality through the midbass of the 633-T system than I had heard from the Revels.

More on those film soundtracks in a heartbeat. But first, how did the system fare when I changed out the Revel sub for the far cheaper (by a factor of more than five) Aperion Intimus S-12?

Surprisingly well. I did hear some boominess in the midbass, somewhere just north of an estimated 50Hz, that was not evident with the equalized Revel sub. But a later comparison with the more competitively-priced Hsu VTF-3 ($699) in the same position, playing the same material, confirmed that the problem was a room mode, not the Aperion subwoofer.

I did notice, however, that when driven full-range without the sub the 633-Ts overloaded in the bass on the most difficult music cuts in my collection in the big system. On most material this was not a problem, but it suggests that if you have a moderately large room, like mine, you'll want a subwoofer if you're a fan of loud organ music or blockbuster soundtracks played back at near-reference level. The 633-T does go respectably deep on its own, but those two 6.5-inch woofers can only move so much air before shouting uncle.

The S-12 subwoofer is also limited in its deep bass extension—in my room at my seating position it started to roll off below 40Hz. It was still producing useful output below that, but at a noticeably lower level. You aren't likely to notice this without comparison to a sub that dredges deeper into the bass, but the Hsu VTF-3 mentioned above goes audibly deeper, and sounds just a little cleaner in the bargain. The difference isn't profound, but when you hear it, you'll know it.

Fun With Films
With all 5.1 channels cranking, the Aperions sounded both spectacular and subtle—as the scene demanded—on Spielberg's remake of War of the Worlds. From shattering glass to the foghorn wail of the alien war machines, the sound was never less than compelling. It could turn harsh, but only when the soundtrack obviously demanded it. Dialogue was clear with no obvious midrange coloration or excessive, spitty sibilants. The bass was strong and extended, but not as deep or room shaking as from the more expensive Revel B15—or, more significantly, the competitively priced Hsu VTF-3.

Nevertheless, the Intimus S-12 subwoofer was no shrinking violet. Soundtracks had an appropriately gutsy grumble, from the doomsday destruction on The Day After Tomorrow to the pounding drums in the music from the new Battlestar Gallactica television series.

On Polar Express, most notably in the train sequences, it produced a powerful and convincingly deep bottom end. And from the ambience in the toy factory to the sweet music recording, the rest of the sound from the Aperions did nothing obviously wrong and a lot right. The soundstage was wide and deep, the midrange clean, and the top—despite my previous observations with two-channel playback—was open, airy, and detailed in full 5.1-channel operation.

On a wide range of other soundtrack material the Aperions showed no serious shortcomings in my system that would be obvious to listeners unfamiliar with more refined—and more expensive—speakers. At times I did sense a tendency to brightness, but it was so program dependent that it would rash to blame it entirely on the speakers. It did occur mainly at very high playback levels, so it's possible that a little distortion was starting to creep in, or perhaps some dynamic compression in the woofers. The latter would reduce their output just enough to give the treble more prominence.

And compared to the Revel F32 system, the Aperions, as noted earlier, sounded a little lean through the lower midrange, a quality that may not just have contributed to that occasional sense of brightness, but also made them a bit less less full-throated and majestic on those complex action scenes and sweeping music cues.

Nevertheless, these minor shortcomings are in comparison to a speaker system that costs four times as much. What is most impressive is not how the Aperion system falls short in comparison, but how close it comes for such a relatively small investment.

Conclusion
Aperion speakers are designed in the US but sourced from overseas. And as with more and more AV gear these days, that means they are made in China. While I have serious concerns about this trend and what it means for the industry's future as a whole, what is undeniable today is that it provides significant price advantages for the both the distributor of such products and the consumer. Combine this with direct Internet sales and fine overall performance, and there's no denying that the Aperion system reviewed here offers exceptional value.

I've had surround speaker systems in my studio that cost as much as $25,000. They've all had their strengths—and weaknesses. But apart from the deepest bass—I prefer a little more grunt in the sub 30Hz region than Aperion's Intimus S-12 could provide in my room—I could happily live with the Aperion system over the long haul. And the opportunity Aperion provides for auditioning their speakers in your own space and at your own pace is icing on the cake. If you're shopping in this price range—or even if your budget is two or three times higher—I highly recommend checking them out.

Highs and Lows

Highs
Exceptional sound for the price
Excellent fit and finish
No strings, in-home trial

Lows
A little brightness audible at high levels
Subwoofer extension could be better