Aperion 533-PT Brochure
T H E E - Z I N E F O R F R U G A L A U D I O E N T H U S I A S T S
Affordable$$Audio
Issue Six: June 2006
Aperion Audio Intimus 533 PT Speakers
By Mark Marcantonio
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: 41.5" H x 9.75" W x 12.5" D
1" Audiophile-Grade Silk-Dome Tweeter
!Mineral-Filled Polypropylene 5.25” Midrange
Custom Poly 8” Subwoofer
Weight (each): 57lbs.
Sensitivity: 88dB
Minimum Impedance: 8 Ohms
Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms
Amp Power (Continuous): 150 Watts
Amp Power (Maximum): 240 Watts
Frequency Response: 30 Hz to 20 kHz
Recommended Power: 50 - 300 Watts Per Channel
Enclosure Type: Rear Ported
Warranty: 10 Years/3 Years on Subwoofer Amp
http://www.aperionaudio.com
Price $599 each
No matter where an audio affectionado lives, there is always a
sense of pride when a local manufacturer succeeds. In Portland, Oregon one such company is Aperion Audio. Started in
1998 from the simple desire of replacing a dead boom box, Winthrop Jeanfreu jumped into the 21st century direct-to-customer
model using the Internet as its delivery vehicle instead of middlemen. This allows Aperion to spend more on high quality
components and still meet price/value points in the market. This
model is not without hazard, as without a dealer network,
Aperion must stand behind its product, which it does with a 30
day in-home return policy including return shipping. A second
trick of the direct model is getting the word out without daily foot
traffic of a brick and mortar store. That involves shocking reviewers with quality, and designing a very friendly web site that
includes a forum. Needless to say, Aperion Audio has done well
on both accounts.
I became aware of Aperion speakers last summer through an acquaintance who was more than happy to show off his home theater system to me. Almost instantly I knew I was
listening to quality. I filed away the Aperion name as to one I would want to check out down the road.
Affordable$$Audio! 1
A F F O R D A B L E $ $ A U D I O
During the Christmas season last December I stopped in at Aperion Audio’s headquarters in suburban Portland. By that time I was in the beginning stages of replacing my Celestion SL6si speakers.
Being direct to customers, Aperion is very welcoming to walk-ins. I was ushering into a comfortable
audio-visual home theater room. Along the far wall were all the Aperion models connected to appropriate (not stratospheric) priced equipment including a fine and affordable Parasound Halo amplifier.
A few wall treatments assisted the sound room. The key impression for me was that Winthrop and
crew wants the customer to get a true sense of what they will hear in their own home.
In late March I made an inquiry to VP of Marketing, John Wanderscheid about reviewing a set of towers. A few days later I was given a tour of their office warehouse (the speakers themselves are
manufactured in China). At the end of my visit I left (after some careful loading into my Honda Accord) with a pair of the Intimus 533 PT’s, and a feeling that Aperion practiced what it preached on its
web site about customer service.
Once home, I unloaded the speaker boxes and placed them in the living room. I then went to check
my email, already there were two emails from Aperion Audio. Even though they were computer generated, the message was simple enough, Aperion cares. (Since then, I have received three more)
After dinner, and a few, veiled threats from my wife about hernias, I went about unboxing the 533
PT’s. The first thing one notices, is that there are no soft spots in the shipping boxes, just a solid,
tight fit. Upon sliding the cardboard boxes away, one is greeted by a virtually completely encased styrofoam shell. The only opening was for the grill covering the subwoofer. After pulling away the two
halves of foam covered in clear plastic is what appears to be a giant bottle of Crown Royal, wrapped
in its classic purple felt “sock”. The fabric isn’t just for decorative stimulation, it serves the very real
purpose of giving additional protection of the beautiful cherry veneer finish (glossy piano black is also
available).
Once unwrapped, the next step was to attach the brass-spiked feet. Once again Aperion goes the
extra mile. The brass feet are about the circumference of a quarter, with a nice textured gripping
area. Also, female brass thread nuts are imbedded in the base, making attachment perfect. The
spikes are what I consider the perfect length as they disappear into the carpet leaving a look of the
wooden base resting lightly on the carpet. A final touch to this thoughtfulness is the inclusion of brass
cup bases to hold the spike points on hard floor surfaces.
The cabinet of the Intimus 533 PT is constructed of one full inch of medium density fiberboard with a
real cherry veneer in a natural finish. The look is understated and clean. A nice touch is the molding
base rather than outboard feet that are the current rage by the big manufacturers. On the back side
from top to bottom is a round port, a single set of 5-way binding posts, the sub-woofer amplifier, and
finally at the bottom a second oval port for the sub. The 8 inch sub woofer is mounted on the side.
Listening
The Intimus 533 PT’s placement in my living room worked out to be 27 inches from the back wall, and
30 inches from the side wall. The towers measured out to be 109 inches apart and slightly towed-in.
My listening position was approximately nine feet away. As with all my reviews, each listening session involved a demo cd of various artists, plus the shuffled contents of my iPod (all recorded at AIFF
file size).
2! Affordable$$Audio
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