Found a good $600.00 speaker: Aperionaudio.com Intimus 632-LR Bookshelf Speaker

[Steve Hoffman]

The folks at Aperion Audio sent me a pair of these $600.00 beauties in glossy piano black after they read this thread:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/sh...ght=tone+audio

I really like the way they sound; balanced, full, punchy and classy.

They come double boxed and each speaker is covered in a velvet sheath, like a royal crown or something. Karla liked that touch. The piano black finish is flawless and the speakers look very nice with or without the grilles.

Now, at first I just plugged them into a system that has about $54,000.00 worth of electronics, propped them up on their Styrofoam inserts to get them off the ground and gave them a spin. They sounded very nice with no break-in at all. I asked my wife how much money she thought the 632's cost and she ventured $4,000.00. When I told her $299.00 each her jaw dropped. They really sounded great. Just to be fair I took them upstairs and hooked them up to my old Pioneer receiver and cheapo CD player. Great sound again. Quite a good value for the money I think. And if you don't like them, you have 30 days to return them, no questions asked, no return shipping costs and NO restocking fees, etc. A fair deal for a great sounding little speaker. An even 8 ohm load, pretty easy to drive but not for SET amps; you should give them at least 50 good watts for them to sing with proper dynamics.

Turns out that issue one of TONE AUDIO MAGAZINE has a review of these speakers on page 7. Jeff calls them "friendly" speakers; I totally agree with that!

http://www.tonepublications.com/tone-audio.htm

So you can't really go wrong with these. The price is right, the "no shipping each way" 30 day guarantee makes it very easy to audition these. You can pick the wood grain look or the piano black look, same price. Go to it! Let me know what you think, campers!

http://www.aperionaudio.com/products...erion+Speakers

From their website:

Imagine getting all the flavor, with half the fat – more sonic accuracy from top to bottom, at a price firmly in the middle. Aperion's HD-X3™ crossover technology delivers – and how. By leveling the impedance across the entire frequency range, our 632’s offer flawless performance without spending a king’s ransom on expensive speaker wire. These beauties boast thick, furniture-grade cabinetry to minimize resonance for a cleaner bass, while our custom driver technology eliminates distortion in the audible range. With their flat frequency response and excellent stand-alone bass performance, these speakers will satisfy for years to come. They're an incredible value – and that's no distortion.

632-LR Features:

1" Audiophile-Grade Silk-Dome Tweeter
Custom Designed Long-Throw Composite 6.5” Woofer
HD-X3™ Impedance Leveling Crossover Technology
Anti-Resonant Cabinet
Magnetically Shielded
5-Way Gold Plated Binding Posts
Acoustically Transparent Grille

THE SPECS:

ENCLOSURE SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions (LR)
Weight (each)
Sensitivity
Nominal Impedance
Frequency Response
Recommended Power
Enclosure Type
Warranty

15" H x 7-7/8" W x 12-3/4" D
26 lbs.
86dB
8 Ohms (view graph)
46 Hz to 20 kHz (view graph)
50 - 200 Watts Per Channel
2-Way Vented, Video Shielded
10 Years


Application
The Aperion Audio Intimus 632 bookshelf speaker was designed for both music and home theater applications. HD-X 3 crossover technology combined with top quality drivers and hand crafted cabinets results in a loudspeaker that provides a rich sound, clear detail, and refined transient response, making it a versatile speaker for music or movie soundtracks.

The 632-LR can be used for the following applications:

Front left/right main speakers (2 channel systems)
Left/right surround speakers (5.1 channel systems)
Left/right or center back surround speakers (6.1 & 7.1 channel systems)
Vertical center channel
Installation
Installation and care instructions are included with the speakers. They can also be downloaded here .

Connecting These Babies

Five-way binding posts offer the most in flexibility. They will gladly accept banana plugs (4mm), spades (3/8"), pins, or bare wire. You can also use dual banana plugs with 3/4" spacing. The most popular connection is the use of banana plugs because most receivers and speakers accept them. Before you choose one of these connection methods, be sure you have correctly identified the polarity of your speaker wire.

1" Audiophile-Grade Silk-Dome Tweeter
A silk diaphragm means that this speaker sings. Silk gives remarkable detail, but also plays smooth and natural. Our audiophile-grade 1-inch tweeter features ferrofluid cooling for high power handling and smooth response and a high quality heat sink, which means less distortion. Along with magnetic shielding, and a linear response faceplate for better horizontal dispersion, this tweeter is the high point of the speaker. Literally.

Custom Designed Long-Throw Carbon Fiber 6.5” Woofer
Our custom 6.5” woofer is the heart and soul of our 632 bookshelf speaker. The woofer is made of strong and lightweight woven carbon fiber offering a super fast and accurate response. The magnetically shielded driver sports a solid metal frame, heavy rubber surround and extra-long excursion resulting in superior low bass extension.

HD-X3™ Impedance Leveling Crossover Technology
Patent pending HD-X3™ crossover technology levels the impedance load across the entire frequency range creating a remarkably flat frequency response and eliminates the detrimental effects of resistance introduced by long runs of speaker wire.

Anti-Resonant Cabinet
Each 632 speaker is made of rock solid 1" thick High Density Fiberboard (HDF) to eliminate unwanted resonances within the cabinet. Each speaker is finished in either real cherry wood or high gloss black lacquered finish. This first-rate cabinetry unites the acoustic-damping qualities of only the most expensive loudspeakers with a furniture-grade finish so handsome your coffee table will be jealous.

Magnetically Shielded
Both drivers in Aperion’s 632 speakers have been magnetically shielded for placement on or near your video monitor.

5-Way Gold-Plated Binding Posts
Each 632 bookshelf speaker comes standard with audiophile quality gold-plated five-way binding posts, giving you great flexibility in connecting your speaker wires. They will willingly accept banana plugs (4mm), spades (3/8"), pins or bare wire.

Acoustically Transparent Grille
An acoustically transparent grille is included with each speaker. We designed a grille that looks great and protects the precious drivers from inquisitive kids and pets. And since the grille cloth is sonically invisible, your speakers’ performance won’t be compromised.

[Gary]

at a price firmly in the middle

Hmmm, I'd certainly call that more on the low end of the scale, not the middle, in cost! They're a bargain!

Glad to see that they took the time and effort to make sure the grill will not affect the sound!

[SamS]

Looks like a very nice speaker! I'm impressed with their weight...26lbs each make it clear that Aperion is not skimping on cabinet build quality to save a few bucks.

So, I gotta ask you Steve. Even though they're worlds apart in design, how do they 632-RL sound vs. your old AR-3a's?

[Steve Hoffman]

The 632 has a good modern sound; punchy. One thing an AR3a isn't, that's for sure.

[Pug]

Thanks for the review, Steve.

I have one question. How is the bass on these? My problem with bookshelf speakers is that they don't deliver deep bass thus necessitating a subwoofer.

I love the sound of my Tannoy Proto J speakers but they require a sub IMO.

[Pug]

Bump.

[SamS]

I bet their tower speakers probably sound similar (given the design), and would give better bass.


http://www.aperionaudio.com/products...erion+Speakers

[Pug]

Thanks Sam!

[fjhuerta]

I'm impressed by the speaker... the finish is great, the specs are very nice, but most of all, it seems like the company sweated every little detail. I can't believe they used HDF at this price point... they definitely seem to be a bargain!

It's such a shame I don't think I'll ever get to listen to them. Such is life when living outside the US.

[Stax Fan]

Refreshing to see a thumbs-up for a product practically anyone could swing.

[ZappaSG]

Aside from this glowing review, is Aperion a well established name in the speaker world?

[bhazen]

They have a pretty well-established presence on Web-based audiophile magazines; I've often wondered about the brand. Now I know that they're at least worth consideration.

I've always thought they looked like decent speakers (I know, that's about the most lame, useless statement about an audio product you'll ever hear)...

[GP]

I've seen nice reviews of Aperion speakers before, but I'm glad to see it's not just typical internet hype. I am a little disappointed that none of the other brands mentioned in the original thread had enough confidnce in their lower priced speakers to step up to the plate however.

[Jerry]

Does Aperion make or recommend stands for these?

[Jerry]

Does Aperion make or recommend stands for these?

[apileocole]

Congratulations and compliments to Aperion Audio for successfully creating and producing this great piece of affordable musical reproduction equipment. It's always an inspiration to see quality, dedication and creativity, and this shows what can be done. They're a credit to the craft. And thanks Steve for a tip to the wise that could help many people find a satisfying component within their means

[MMM]

I remember hearing a system at the 2005 Stereophile show with Aperion speakers. I don't remember what model(s), but what I heard was quite nice. I ended up spending a little extra time in there...

[TONEPUB]

The Aperions will definitely sound better, the more rigid stands you use.
Which always makes the small bookshelf speaker a dilemma, because once you spend 2-500 on good stands, you are starting to knock on floorstander territory.

Personally, though they are very good and one of the best setups I have tried them with has been a decent solid state amp for a little slam and an older tube preamp for a little magic.

Either way, they are really good for the money.