CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 08/06/2004
- Updated on: 03/07/2009
Editors' note: This product has been discontinued and replaced by the very similar Aperion Intimus 533-PT.Aperion's 41-inch-tall column speakers are fabricated from extrathick, high-density fiberboard, decked out in real cherry wood or high-gloss piano-black paint. Aperion's deluxe presentation is extraordinary; when you open the cardboard shipping box, you'll find the speakers packed in cushy velvet bags. Aperion supplies a Love-Your-Speakers polishing kit to keep your pride and joy looking new. When you buy a complete Aperion speaker package, the company sends along a high-quality sound pressure meter to help you get the best sound from your system.
Around back, the amplifier is fitted with a finned heatsink, and the rear baffle has two bass-enhancing ports, one for the midrange, and near the bottom, a large slot/port for the woofer. So plan on leaving at least six inches of clearance between the back of the speaker and the wall. Each 522D-PT speaker weighs 57 pounds.
Our only design gripe: The speakers are equipped with sleek, adjustable spikes, which are a nuisance if you have hardwood floors, especially if your floors aren't totally level. You have to make sure the spikes sit correctly on the included small brass disks that are designed to protect your floors. The problem is, the spikes have a tendency to slip off the disks and dent your floor whenever you move the speakers. Of course, if you're placing the speakers on a carpet, this is not an issue.The Intimus 522D-PTs have a three-way design, featuring a 1-inch soft dome tweeter, a 5.25-inch midrange, and a side-mounted 8-inch woofer. A built-in 150-watt amplifier powers the woofer, effectively easing the load on your receiver. Aperion claims the towers will happily work with 50- to 150-watt-per-channel receivers.
As noted, the speakers come with solid brass leveling feet. Once we installed the cone-shaped feet, bass definition noticeably firmed up. And the speaker's metal binding posts provide a secure grip on speaker cable connectors. Speaking of wire, remember that the provided power cord must be plugged into an AC outlet, so you have to run two sets of wire per speaker.
Since the powered woofer is fully integrated into the design, it doesn't require any special bass management setup or a separate subwoofer cable. The level control lets you dial in just the right amount of bass to suit your taste.
Aperion is so confident that you'll love the 522D-PTs, the company sells them with a 30-day, money-back return policy.The 522D-PTs' solidly three-dimensional stereo imaging immediately grabbed our attention, making them sound a lot bigger and better than our favorite satellite/subwoofer systems. The powered woofer reached down to the deepest bass (mid-30Hz range) in our large room, and the quality of the bass was excellent, far superior to that of the Infinity Primus 360 or the JBL E90 nonpowered towers we've tested. On the other hand, Aperion doesn't claim the 522D-PT powered woofers are a substitute for standalone subwoofers, though we'd guess a good number of buyers with small listening rooms will happily do without a boomer. But if your room is larger than 300 square feet or you enjoy a steady diet of DVDs heavy on special effects and explosions, you'll probably want to add Aperion's S-10 or S-12 subwoofers. Thanks to Aperion's no-risk home trial policy, you might as well order the sub and see if you need it.
For our listening tests, we teamed the 522D-PTs with Aperion's matching center speaker, the 522D-VAC, and a pair of 522D-SS surround speakers. Together they worked their magic on our collection of Super Audio CDs. First up: the Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the Devil Remix SACD. The down-and-dirty 5.1-channel surround mix brings out more of the evil in Jagger's epic ode, and when we pumped the volume way up, the system's grip on the hip-hop beats were never less than secure. The wide-open surround panoramas we experienced from Norah Jones's Come Away With Me SACD sounded exceptionally natural.
Our home-theater sessions were no less thrilling. Returning to our old favorite, the Saving Private Ryan DVD, the power towers' visceral impact and healthy dynamic range pinned us in our seats. With smaller speakers, you always hear them straining to keep up. Even on more subtle titles such as the Fog of War documentary DVD, the 522D-PTs' brought out the nuance in Philip Glass's moody score.
Bottom line: Aperion's latest triumph sets a high standard for sound and build quality. For $1,200 a pair, the Intimus 522D-PTs are a remarkable value for discriminating listeners who will appreciate the speakers' powerful, refined sound.
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