Entered CNET Catalog: 08/17/2005
SKU: 691
Manufacturer: Aperion Audio
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 06/19/2006
Standing 41.5 inches tall, 9.75 inches wide, and 12.5 inches deep and weighing in at 57 pounds, the Aperion Intimus 533-PT is an unabashedly large speaker. Its 1-inch-thick high-density fiberboard (HDF) cabinetry feels extrasolid. The Aperion speakers' luscious cherrywood veneers or piano-black finishes are superb; we'd rate the overall build quality and finish standard on a par with those of high-end models going for at least two or three times the price. Inside its shipping box, each speaker comes sheathed in a protective plush velvet cover.
The Aperion Intimus 533-PT's three-way design features a 1-inch soft dome tweeter, a 5.25-inch midrange driver, and a side-mounted 8-inch woofer powered by the tower's built-in 150-watt amplifier. The woofer and amp are derived from Aperion's S8-APR subwoofer ($399). Since your receiver drives only the 533-PT's midrange and tweeter and not the woofer, the design strategy effectively eases the load on your receiver. The downside (if you can call it that) is that each 533-PT needs a dedicated AC power cord.
The tower's backside is fitted with two bass-enhancing ports and a finned heat sink for cooling the subwoofer's power amplifier. There's also a subwoofer volume control on each speaker, and we consider the ability to easily dial in the amount of bass you want a big plus. Even in our huge home theater, we had the control set just slightly past the mid position, so there's plenty of reserve bass power for those buyers who like their beats maxed out.
Despite our large testing room, we didn't feel the lack of an outboard subwoofer. That's not to say that S-12 subwoofers wouldn't delve deeper into the bass and pack more of a wallop, but a pair of 533-PTs on their own can get the job done.
As with all its speakers, Aperion sells the 533-PT with a 30-day money-back return policy. UPS Ground shipping is free, and Aperion doesn't collect sales tax in the continental United States. Aperion even picks up the tab on return shipping and refunds your money if you're not satisfied. That makes auditioning the 533-PT towers in your own home a completely risk-free operation.
As stereo speakers, the Aperion Intimus 533-PTs are exceptional performers. Their stereo imaging extended far beyond the outside edges of the units. On well-recorded rock CDs such as Keith Richards's Main Offender, dynamic impact was remarkably powerful, and the 533-PTs proved themselves gutsy enough to fill a large room without strain. Acoustic jazz had the sort of in-the-club clarity we associate with high-end models that go for many times the 533-PTs' price. Classical music is, in some ways, the most difficult to reproduce because it can reveal a speaker's distortion more clearly than other types of music--but again, the 533-PTs' sound was refined and pure.
We next teamed the 533-PTs with the System D, or you can mix and match other speaker combinations on Aperion's Web site. Multichannel sound on a wide range of DVDs was never less than stellar. We especially enjoyed the System D's ability to deliver seemingly unlimited dynamics whenever the malevolent aliens raised hell on the War of the Worlds DVD.
Used on their own as stereo speakers or as part of a complete home-theater speaker system, the Aperion Intimus 533-PTs are highly recommended. You can spend a lot more for a pair of speakers, yet get a lot less.
User opinions
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User Rating: 
10/10
Impeccable sound quality and real value for money.
Pros: Sound quality,Appearance,value for money.
Cons: Dont know of any.
The speakers which are pretty heavy( 57 lbs) arrived in soft and shiny velvet cloth(of course,after the cardboard box was opened) and packaged well with no damage. I purchased this online on their website. I was initially hesitant to buy them, but since there was 30 day return policy I was ok.
The sound from these speakers have audiophile grade quality. It took about a month for them to break in before they could perfom well. They have never failed to impress my wife and my friends until now. I have had complaints with a neighbour across the street who is approximately about 100 feet from my house with regard to the vibration that is produced by the 8" sub in each speaker.
I have heard B and W speakers before and I can say they are comparable to a great extent, even though you are not paying through the roof like for some other high end speakers. The sound reproduced from these speakers are so clear that you feel you are in an auditorium or in front of a live performing band. I had played the same CD in several other music systems and noticed that several musical notes were not heard well that can be clearly heard in these power towers. I have not had any issues with them so far and I certainly recommend these towers to any buyer who is looking for some exquiste sound quality and stepping into the audiophile level of listening to music.
User Rating: 
9/10
Stunning sound. Great looks. Fantastic deal.
Pros: Fantastic sound. Stunning looks. Great deal.
Cons: If you have the room and the electrical circuitry, absolutely none.
I don't consider myself an audiophile, but I've spent years listening to music. What I love about these speakers is that they represent true value: sonic and visual luxury I can bask in on a Friday night after a long workweek. That's my idea of real bargain: I don't have the time or bank account to compare and contrast thousand dollar speakers. The Aperions are simply brilliant out of the box on the acoustic & vocal music I find so chilling -- Dick Gaughan's 11 minute version of the 51st Highland Brigade's Farewell to Sicily; Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli's renderings of Debussy's Images 1 & 2; The Voice Squad's I Am Stretched On Your Grave. And they're just as at home with Kronos Quartet's Pieces of Africa, with Gravikords, Whirlies & Pyrophones -- Bart Hopkins' collection of music played on recently invented instruments. They handle everything. Perhaps my sole complaint is that they lack the fuzz, distortion, muddiness and general lousy quality that I learned to love with 1960's rock & roll over a 3.5" Grundig speaker on a 1968 VW beetle. Hey--you can't have it all, can you? I'm learning to live with this downside (Huh? I never heard those lyrics before!)
And world-class customer service: helpful, courteous, willing to go the extra distance when necessary. I don't think I've ever encountered problems (not Aperion's) handled so gracefully, promptly, & with such obvious concern only that I get a chance to audition the speakers.
If you're in the market for stunning sound and a fantastic deal, these speakers will do it all. (I'd have rated them a 10, but I want to leave room for the next speakers Aperion develops. They really deserve a 9.5 on their own merit.)
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