Big Picture Big Sound

Why use one subwoofer when you can use four? That is the question posed by many home speaker manufacturers, including Aperion Audio. Hey, after all, if everyone goes 7.4 (7 main channels, plus 4 subwoofers) instead of 5.1 for their surround systems, then speaker manufacturers will sell a lot more speakers.

It turns out there are actually a lot of good reasons to use multiple subwoofers in a home theater. Multiple subwoofers can flatten out the frequency response, compensating for room modes and standing waves that tend to plague single and even dual subwoofer systems. Plus multi-sub deployment can extend the effective low-end frequency response by an octave or more by allowing each subwoofer to work less hard on those difficult lowest bass frequencies.

To this end, Aperion demonstrated several systems at the Home Entertainment show in LA, including their entry level 4-series 5.1-channel system, the Intimus 422/S-8 Compact Home Theater System ($799), a midrange 5-series system, featuring a new tower speaker, the Intimus 533-T ($375), and a no-holds-barred 7.4-channel system ($5,200 for complete system) featuring their brand new 6-series center channel speaker, the Intimus 634-VAC ($495). All prices include shipping. With a Toshiba HD-DVD player spinning the HD-DVD of "U-571," the Aperion system rocked the house, or the submarine as the case may be. I didn't just hear the sound of the depth charges inundating the beleaguered seamen, I literally felt their pain, with slamatocious bass that rattled my gut. Certainly one of the more impressive home theater demos at the show.


And the 6-series system performed equally admirably with music, when we put on the SACD version of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." Deep extended bass, excellent articulation and pinpoint imaging. It was almost like being there. Stop bogarting and pass me the doobie!

Eliminating the Middleman

If you haven't heard of Aperion Audio, then you probably don't surf the Web all that much, in which case, you wouldn't be reading this article, unless some kind soul printed it out for you. Aperion's business model is to sell directly to the public, bypassing the middleman (poor guy, he seems to be getting skipped over a lot these days). This model passes the substantial savings on distribution costs directly to the consumer in the form of lower prices.


Aperion feels that the best place to audition loudspeakers is in your own home, where they're ultimately going to end up, so they offer a 30-day no-questions-asked money back guarantee. Unlike some other online retailers, Aperion even picks up the shipping costs both ways, if you do decide to return them, so there really is no risk. And apparently this offer is working out pretty well, as the return rates are extremely low - "well below 2%" according the Aperion reps with whom I spoke.


Saving the Earth, One Speaker at a Time

Aperion speakers are designed and voiced in the U.S. (their headquarters are in Portland, Oregon), but built in China for additional cost savings. The standard warranty on their speakers is a whopping 10 years, with a 3-year warranty on the electronics in their powered subwoofers. Aperion's president, Lorraine Janeway (known as "the Captain" to some of her more petulant employees), told me that Aperion's goal is not only to cut costs on manufacturing without sacrificing quality, but also to make sure that the manufacturing and packaging process is as environmentally friendly as possible.

Aperion's "green" attitude extends to the corporate offices as well, with stipends offered to all employees who purchase fuel efficient gas/electric hybrid vehicles. Ms. Janeway and CEO Win Jeanfreau were overheard playfully arguing as to whether they should go for the Toyota Prius or Camry hybrids for their daily commute. Ms. Janeway even wants to set up an on-site bio-diesel refinery, recycling organic waste into fuel, but Win hasn't been won over to that concept just yet.

Find out more about Aperion Audio on the web at www.AperionAudio.com.