Aperion S-8-APR Owners manual

Owner’s Manual

Intimus Series Loudspeakers

522D-LR Bookshelf Speakers

522D-C Center Channel

522D-VAC Vertical Array Center Channel

522D-SS Dipole/Bipole Surround Speakers

522D-PT Power Towers

S8-APR Subwoofer

S-10 Subwoofer
S-12 Subwoofer

© 2004 Aperion Audio, all rights reserved.

Revision 5008

July 2004

Aperion Audio Owner’s Manual

Table Of Contents

Thank You From Aperion Audio.......................................................................1

The Joy of Buying Direct ................................................................................1

DiAural® Crossover Technology .......................................................................1

What You’ll Need For Installation ....................................................................2

Choosing The Right Speaker Wires ..................................................................2

Placement: ................................................................................................3-8

- Stereo Placement & Installation...................................................................3

- Multichannel Music & Home Theater Placement ..........................................4

- Speaker Placement For Surround Sound.......................................................5

- Mounting Your Bookshelf Speakers ............................................................5

- Speaker Placement Diagrams For Home Theater & Multichannel Music ...........6

- Dipole/Bipole Placement & Operation...........................................................7

- Wall Mounting Your Dipole/Bipole Speakers................................................8

Connections:............................................................................................9-11

- Home Theater Connection Diagram ..............................................................9

- Making The Connection..............................................................................10

- Connecting Your Subwoofer........................................................................11

Subwoofer Setup....................................................................................12-13

- S8-APR Setup .........................................................................................12

- S-10 or S-12 Setup..................................................................................13

Power Tower Setup ......................................................................................14

Dialing In Your System............................................................................15-16

- Speaker Setup ..........................................................................................15

- Speaker Distance ......................................................................................15

- Subwoofer Setup.......................................................................................15

- Speaker Level Calibration...........................................................................15

- Speaker Break-In.......................................................................................16

- Troubleshooting.........................................................................................16

Specifications ........................................................................................16-18

Warranty.....................................................................................................19

Thank You From Aperion Audio

Thank you for purchasing Aperion Audio loudspeakers. Your new speakers
incorporate the very latest audio technology, yet they are built with old­fashioned care and craftsmanship. We designed your Aperion Audio sound
system to give you years of listening pleasure. Whether you’re enjoying music
or watching a film in your home theater, Aperion Audio speakers will deliver
pure and accurate sound. The speaker cabinets feature a real wood exterior
or high-gloss painted finish, and—like fine furniture— they will maintain
their beauty indefinitely if properly maintained. Use this manual as your
guide but feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

The Joy of Buying Direct

Because we sell direct to you, we’re not beholden to the middlemen. There
are no dealer markups, nor is there the overhead of a thousand-acre
superstore. Instead, we pour everything we have into our speakers. How
does this model of doing business benefit you?

1. You buy from a company whose focus is on building rich, full-bodied
sounding speakers with superior components and cabinetry.

2. You get speakers that are factory fresh with the latest enhancements.

3. You get a price that is as much as 50% less than the electronics retailer.

4. You can audition our speakers for 30 days in your own home with your
own equipment, then return the speakers risk-free should you have a
change of heart.

5. You get free shipping both ways.

6. You have direct contact with the manufacturer so answers to your questions
are instant and dependable.

7. You pay zero sales tax.

The DiAural® Breakthrough

The DiAural® Circuit is a new, patented crossover topology that allows for
proper communication and interaction between the transducers (woofer,
mid-range, and tweeter). This innovative process results in fewer parts, less
distortion, and renders the high frequency and mid-range drivers virtually
burn-out proof.

Aperion Audio’s 522D speaker design centers on a custom woofer/mid-range
driver that is engineered to handle a very wide frequency range, combined
with an exceptional soft-dome tweeter to produce the very high frequencies.
By using DiAural® circuitry to interconnect the drivers, your Aperion Audio
speakers reproduce music and movies with a coherent, open and natural
sound that brings the original recordings to life in your home.

1

What You’ll Need for Installation

A little planning will make your installation a breeze. You’ll want to have
all of the necessary equipment and supplies by your side before you begin.

For your convenience, Aperion Audio carries high-quality wires, cables, and
connectors. Visit our web site at www.aperionaudio.com if you need these
accessories.

For Stereo or Multichannel Installation:

· Two or more Aperion Audio speakers

· One or more Aperion Audio subwoofer(s)

· A multichannel receiver or amplifier and processor

· An audio/video source: DVD, laserdisc or VCR

· Speaker wire (16 gauge or better) with banana plugs, spade terminals,

or pin-type termination. Note: 5-way binding posts will accept bare wire
but terminated speaker wire is the preferred connection method.

· Subwoofer connection materials: RCA terminated interconnect cable or

additional speaker wire if making a speaker-level connection to your
subwoofer. Note: Low level RCA connection is the preferred connection
method.

· Source interconnects: Digital coaxial or optical interconnect and RCA

analog cables for your existing equipment.

· Video interconnects: Composite (good), S-Video (better) or Component

Video (best) depending on your TV inputs.

· Wire cutter/stripper.

Choosing The Right Speaker Wires

We recommend using speaker wire that is
at least 16 gauge. (For runs longer than 50’,
use 14 gauge or larger and for runs over
100’ use 12 gauge.) The wire should be cut
into equal lengths for each pair of speakers
and long enough to reach from the rear of
your amplifier or receiver to where the
speakers will be placed in the room, keeping
excess wire to a minimum.

“Wire Tip”

Wire size is expressed by it’s American Wire Gauge
(AWG) number. The lower the AWG number, the
thicker the wire, i.e., A 12 gauge wire is larger than
a 14 gauge wire.

2

Important:

If you will be running wires
in the walls or through the
floor, use wire that meets
your local code for that
type of installation.

Stereo Placement

For two channel music listening, there are two speakers—one left and one
right. Sound consists of waves, which can be reflected, absorbed and
diffracted. Therefore, where a speaker is placed will influence the way it
sounds. You can have very little or incredible booming bass depending on
your speaker placement. Since your room acoustics will play a large role in
your system set-up, some experimentation is necessary to get the best
results.

For optimal soundstaging in a stereo set-up, the distance between the
speakers and listening position is important. Generally, the goal is to reduce
the effect of surfaces that can interfere with the sound before it reaches
the listener. Follow these simple guidelines for the best results:

· Place your bookshelf speakers on stands 28”-30” off the floor.

· Set the speakers 6-12 feet apart and 1-3 feet from the wall facing the

listening position and the walls to the sides of the speakers.

· Create a triangle consisting of the left & right speakers and the listener.

The distance between the speakers should be less than or equal to the
distance from the listener to the speaker, and a 45 to 60 degree angle
should be
created. (See
illustration)

· For best

results, the
listening

6' - 12'

1' - 3'

position should
be at least 1-3
feet from the
back wall.

· Set the

45°

speakers so
they face the
sweet spot in
the listening
room.

· Experiment

with variations
until you

1' - 3'

achieve the
sound you
desire.

3

Multi-channel Music & Home Theater Placement

Optimizing A Multi-channel Set-Up For Surround Sound

Home theater and multi-channel music has introduced a new speaker
configuration to home audio. Instead of the large floor mounted stereo
speakers of the 70’s and 80’s, your Aperion Audio sound system is comprised
of a combination of small, easy to locate speakers to carry the mid and high
frequencies and a powered subwoofer for the low bass. You may also choose
powered towers with built-in powered subwoofers. These speakers are
arranged around the listener in an array with 3 speakers in the front, two
surrounds and in some cases one or two back surround speakers.

Each room is unique and unless the room was specifically designed to be
a home theater, the acoustic properties are not perfect. You can start with
the following guidelines for setting up your speakers, but don’t be afraid to
experiment. Often a small difference in placement can yield a big improvement
in sound.

· Be aware that many bare surfaces in a room can add harshness to the

sound or muddy the dialogue. Sound absorbing surfaces like carpeting
and drapes will help.

· Perfectly square rooms, or rooms where one dimension is close to twice

another are problematic and may need more sound absorption.

· If possible, the seating area should be centered between the sidewalls.

· For the best bass, try not to place your seating area so that it is against

a wall or at a position that is 1/2 or 1/4 the room's width or length.

· A speaker’s bass output grows stronger as it is moved closer to the

corners. If a speaker is placed too close to a corner it can sound muddy
or boomy.

· Speakers can create a “soundstage”, an illusion of instuments and

voices with precise locations in 3-dimensional space between and behind
the speakers. Excess room reflections and speaker locations on or close
to walls, will compromise this effect.

4

Speaker Placement For Surround Sound

Left and Right Front Speakers: Try to place the front speakers in the same

plane as your TV (flush with the screen), separated by 45° when viewed
from the seating position. They should be positioned at the same height as
the listeners’ ears when seated. 28-30 inch stands will put your bookshelf
speakers at the correct height.

Center Speaker: A good position for the center speaker is right on top of

your TV (or just below, if your TV is mounted high). Try to place the center
speaker on the same plane, or slightly behind the plane formed by the front
left and right speakers. If it is placed low or high, you may want to aim the
speaker up or down at the listening area.

Surround Speakers: For home theater, the surround speakers should be

placed directly to each side of the listener or slightly behind them. Placing
the speakers 2 feet above the listeners’ ears can help to minimize localization
effects. For SACD & DVD-A use, it is best to position the surround speakers
at ear level. See illustration on page 6.

Back Surround Speakers (6.1 & 7.1 channel systems): If possible, the back

surround speaker(s) should be placed directly behind the listeners at the
same height as surround speakers. See illustration on page 6.

The Subwoofer: The human ear cannot localize the long wavelengths of bass

frequencies below about 100Hz. As long as your Aperion Audio Subwoofer
is set at the recommended cut-off of 80Hz or below, you will have a lot of
flexibility as to where you place it. Keep in mind that placing a subwoofer
near a corner can distort the bass response. If the distance from the sub
to the listener is significantly different (>3’) than the distance from the
front and center speakers to the listener, try using the phase reverse switch
to see if it improves the bass response. If possible, try to avoid placement
behind the listening area.

Mounting Your Speakers On A Wall, Bookshelf Or Stand

Aperion 522D bookshelf speakers can be wall mounted or stand mounted.
The dual inserts ( 1/4”-20) on the back of each speaker can be used with
a variety of industry standard speaker mounts or you may choose to use a
friction wall mount. Aperion Audio carries wall & ceiling mounts and speaker
stands designed for use with the 522D bookshelf speakers. Visit our website
or give us a call if you need help with speaker mounting options.

A single 1/4”-20 threaded insert is located on the bottom of each 522D­LR speaker, so you can secure your speaker to a bookshelf or stand. If you
are using the Aperion Audio i29 speaker stands, you can use the threaded
top post to mount your speakers to your stands.

5