July 2005 Reviewed by Anthony Di Marco	Aperion Audio Intimus 422/S-8 /S-10 Home-Theater Speaker System

Description Model: Intimus 422-LR satellite speaker Price: $100 USD each Dimensions: 7.5"H x 5"W x 6"D Weight: 6 pounds each Model: Intimus 422-C center-channel speaker Price: $120 USD each Dimensions: 12"W x 5"H x 6"D Weight: 7 pounds each Model: Intimus S-8 powered subwoofer Price: $299 USD Dimensions: 14.5"H x 10.5"W x 15"D Weight: 37.5 pounds Model: Intimus S-10 powered subwoofer Price: $499 USD Dimensions: 17.5"H x 13.5"W x 19"D Weight: 56 pounds Warranty: Ten years parts and labor on speakers, three years parts and labor on subwoofers System prices: $799 USD with S-8 subwoofer, $999 with S-10 subwoofer

Features 1" silk-dome tweeter (422-LR, 422-C) 4" custom poly midrange (422-LR, 422-C) 8" poly cone (S-8) 10" high-excursion PVA-damped cone (S-10) 0.75"-thick antiresonant cabinet (422-LR, 422-C) 1"-thick antiresonant cabinet (S-8, S-10) Magnetically shielded (422-LR, 422-C) HD-X 3 crossover technology (422-LR, 422-C) Five-way gold-plated binding posts (422-LR, 422-C) Acoustically transparent grille (all) Mountable on wall or ceiling (422-LR, 422-C) 100W amplifier (S-8) 200W amplifier (S-10) Asymmetrical internal bracing system (S-10) Detachable power cord (S-8, S-10) High-level inputs and outputs (S-10) Line-level inputs and outputs (S-8, S-10) Floor spikes and footers (S-8, S-10)

Audiophiles have never been completely sold on compact speaker systems because so many "sub/sat" systems have traded compromised sound quality for unassuming looks. Even today, many sub/sat setups are too small to produce sound that's anywhere near full range. No amount of equalization can reasonably produce a 100Hz signal from a 2" driver or a 30Hz sub-bass frequency from a 5" driver. But things are changing. Compact systems designed by Paradigm, Energy, Anthony Gallo Acoustics, and Polk Audio have made inroads into the audiophile market.

Located in Portland, Oregon, Aperion Audio began life in 1998, after its founder had failed to find an affordable, high-performance 5.1-channel speaker system. Sold strictly through the Internet, the $799 Intimus 422/S-8 ($999 with S-10) is a compact home-theater speaker system that looks and sounds fantastic.

Gorgeous!

The first thing that hit me was how stunning the Intimus speakers are -- not in any gadgety, overblown way, but in a conservative, Ethan Allen manner, with the sort of cabinetry that benefits from wood polish. The perfect fit’n’finish of the samples I received exuded quality, with a profile and appearance that my wife loved. This level of workmanship would have commanded multiples of the 422-LR’s price ($100 each) a few years ago. Aperion manufactures the speakers in China, eschewing inexpensive vinyl for rich-looking veneers of beautifully finished real wood -- my samples were clad in cherry. The cabinet walls of 0.75"-thick, high-density fiberboard (not the less expensive medium-density fiberboard) make for a very hefty enclosure that, according to Aperion, is free of unwanted resonances. Aperion takes no chances with packaging or first impressions. Each speaker comes in a crushed-velvet bag and some of the best foam packing I have seen protecting speakers at any price. While such attention to detail may not directly benefit the sound quality, it gives the consumer considerable confidence in the product.

The 422-C center-channel speaker’s ($120 each) cabinet and grille are built to the same high standards. I was especially impressed with the injection-molded baffle that supports the driver array, and the sturdy speaker grille, made of good-quality fabric and a wood frame. The LR and C use the same drivers. A 1" silk-dome tweeter delivers high frequencies, while a 4" poly midrange (the 422-C has two of these) handles frequencies down to a claimed 100Hz.

To handle those frequencies below 100Hz, I was sent two Intimus subwoofers. The S-8 ($299) and optional S-10 ($499) are two of the most attractive subwoofer boxes I have had the pleasure of evaluating. Each enclosure is made of solid, 1"-thick HDF wrapped in the same cherry finish and bulletproof grille construction. Aperion claims continuous power outputs of 100W for the S-8 and 200W for the S-10, and each sub is reportedly capable of sustaining healthy doses of peak power. The S-8 has an 8" cone, the S-10 a 10" cone. Both subs come with excellent-quality spikes.

A snap to set up

Aperion’s attention to detail does not stop with build quality or packaging. An excellent owner’s manual takes the user step by step through a thorough setup procedure. Everything is covered, from how to position your speakers to safely mounting them to drywall. If you have additional questions, they can be answered via Aperion’s impressive website or friendly customer support.

Each speaker comes ready to mount on walls via built-in screw taps. Instead, I used two pairs of B-Tech speaker stands for the left, right, and surround positions. Sporting all-metal construction and plenty of mounting options, the B-Techs are of very high quality. (I placed the Intimus 422-C atop my TV.) Hookup was simple, save for one annoyance: A narrow plastic pocket made it difficult to tighten the 422-LR’s and -C’s good-quality five-way binding posts. Another 0.5" of diameter would make it easier for fingers to fit.

I alternated between the Intimus S-8 and S-10 subwoofers. The biggest difference between them, after amount of power and size of driver, was hookup flexibility. The S-8 (not to be confused with the S-8-APR) offers only line-level hookups with a low-pass output (70Hz) for daisy-chaining multiple subs. The S-10 adds high-level speaker inputs and outputs for the front left and right speakers. Both subs have a three-position power switch: Off/On/Auto. Auto sensing allows the sub to wake up only when it senses a signal. Conversely, a delay shuts the sub down after a period of subwoofer inactivity. I used the line-level LFE input for all of my tests.

Not just 5.1 pretty faces

The evaluation began with Hellboy. The S-8 sub had no problem handling the bass-heavy soundtrack, its 8" cone providing plenty of impact and reaching deeper than I’d expected it to. Sound-wise, there wasn’t a huge difference between it and the S-10. In my room the S-10 produced a higher sound-pressure level by virtue of its larger driver and extra power. I also heard slightly more definition from the larger box. Chapters 1 and 22 of Hellboy have slamming bass and very delicate mid- and high-frequency detail. The whisper of background music stood out perfectly as Hellboy and FBI head honcho Tom Manning made their way into the lair of the villainous Abe Sapien. The 422s’ tweeters may not have offered as much air and shimmer as the very best tweeter I’ve heard, but without direct comparison, you’d hardly notice. Considering its price, the 422’s highs were remarkable.

The Intimus 422/S-8 system threw a solid and consistent surround image. Panning from speaker to speaker was seamless. The pervasive sound design in chapter 9 of Signs filled my living room with well-placed Foley sounds and spine-chilling atmosphere, rendering very creepy Mel Gibson’s foray into the cornstalks.

Many midrange-tweeter-midrange center-channel speakers have difficulty delivering clear output off axis. Aperion has dealt with the 422-C’s off-axis response by positioning its tweeter higher and its 4" drivers closer together. During my evaluation I noted a bit of blurring off axis, but not much. Overall, the 422-C did a nice job with dialogue. I never missed a word from either Paul Giamatti or Thomas Haden Church during Sideways.

A properly configured subwoofer makes a seamless transition to and from the main speakers. Problems occur when the listener is able to localize the sub’s position or hear a hole in the bass response between the sub and mains. And the room’s size and shape can greatly affect subwoofer performance. No matter which sub I used, I quickly found out that the Intimus 422 system required careful subwoofer placement. I initially placed the S-8 and S-10 next to my couch, where my Thiel sub usually sits. This placed it slightly forward and to the left of the front speakers. Unfortunately, this position caused an obvious hole in the frequency response between the sub and the 422-LR’s and -C’s 100Hz low-frequency cutoff. Dialogue in particular lacked weight and definition, resulting in a nasal, recessed sound. Nor did tweaking of the crossover and phase settings solve the problem.

Repositioning the sub between the fronts and under the center speaker did, however; the bass snapped into place, with a consistently smooth mix of sub and satellites. The bass-heavy effects and music in chapters 5 and 6 of Resident Evil sounded very good with the Intimus S-8, and even better with the S-10’s added headroom and punch. Effects such as the collision and subsequent destruction of starships in chapter 25 of Starship Troopers, and the concussions of depth charges in chapter 15 of U-571, felt punchy against my chest. I heard very little overhang from either sub; bass sounds started and stopped quickly. Detail was very good, though the sound expectedly became less defined as each sub reached its limit.

The Intimus 422/S-8/S-10 did a fine job with music. Particularly impressive was imaging, which stretched between, slightly to the side, and about 4’ to the rear of each speaker’s baffle. Voices and instruments were solidly placed between the speakers, with natural timbre and height. Often, lower-priced speaker systems sound artificial; the Intimus system had just enough warmth to take the edge off mediocre recordings without killing the drive and sparkle of better productions. Leonard Cohen’s Ten New Songs [Columbia 85953] sounded sweet and spry; Cohen’s raspy, close-miked vocals filled out nicely between the speakers.

Dynamic range was the only area where the Intimus speakers left me wanting. Orchestral crescendos, such as those in Leonard Bernstein’s colorful interpretation of Mahler’s Symphony 3 [CD, Deutsche Grammophon 427 328-2], didn’t raise the roof; rather, they sounded slightly restrained and compressed. Much of this is due to physics; I could not expect the diminutive 422-LR’s 4" cone to play like a 6.5" driver. Conversely, dynamics didn’t seem to be a problem for the Intimus subs; each sounded more powerful than its power rating suggested, and the S-10 never sounded as if it had reached its absolute limit. I never heard its woofer bottom out or lose control.

Quality for a price

Four years ago, I purchased a Cambridge SoundWorks Newton MC300 home-theater speaker system ($2050). This system, also built in China, sounds very good for the price. The MC300 front/center and S300 rear speakers are made of injection-molded polycarbonate, while the P1000 sub is built of MDF. Although the system was well designed, quality control on my samples had been erratic, and the overall finish, though clean, had little sex appeal.

One of the Aperion Intimus system’s most defining characteristics is its beautiful wood finish and satisfying mass. Compared to the Newton, the Intimus looks more at home in a living room -- and more expensive at less than half the price. The Intimus 422/S-8/S-10 system’s build quality is beautiful, with seamlessly finished corners and perfectly installed drivers.

The Intimus system sounded similar to the Cambridge SoundWorks. The Aperion tweeters offered a bit more air on top with a slightly forward midrange; however, both systems favored the warmer timbres, which should complement the often bright sound of inexpensive electronics. The sound of the Cambridge P1000 sub’s bass leans toward the plump; the Aperion S-8, and especially the S-10, were punchier. The P1000 offers more in the way of adjustments via its impressive outboard controller, however.

The sound quality being virtually equal, who wouldn’t go for the more attractive system at half the price? Aperion’s pretty boxes win hands down.

Conclusion

Good sound does not always come wrapped in good looks. Aperion Audio’s Intimus 422/S-8 (or S-10) system does an excellent job balancing pleasing appearance and excellent sound quality for about the same price as other popular compact systems. If you don’t have a lot of room and want to win points with your spouse, this system should be on your short list. Just make sure you take the time to correctly position the sub.

Manufacturer contact information:

Aperion Audio
18151 SW Boones Ferry Road
Portland, OR 97224
Phone: (888) 880-8992
Fax: (503) 598-8831

Website: www.aperionaudio.com

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