Aperion speakers
June 21, 2004
Have any of the GoodSound! guys ever reviewed the
Aperion loudspeakers? They seem to offer incredible value and a higher level of finish
(real wood) than most of the brands at comparable prices. They are sold factory-direct, so
I've not had a chance to hear them, and I am looking for opinions. Thanks for any help you
can give me.
Darren Graf
We do not have any GoodSound! reviews
of the Aperion speakers, but I can point you to a recent review of the Intimus system on our sister site Home Theater & Sound.
As well, the company was formerly called Edge Audio, so you may find reviews by searching
for that name. Home Theater & Sound reviewed an early system from the company
when it was known by Edge Audio.
Receiver or integrated amplifier?
June 17, 2004
What a good resource your site is. I try to check in each
month, and I always learn something.
Now my question. I am looking for a power source and can't
seem to find an integrated amp with the features I need. I know receivers have more
features, but since I'm running only two channels, won't I be wasting a lot of its
potential?
Rowdy
A receiver is a fine alternative to an integrated
amplifier. There are a couple of things to consider, though. Integrateds do lack the
features that most receivers have. As such, they have always been thought of as more
"purist," in that they omit bells and whistles that to many are unnecessary. The
market for integrated amplifiers is fairly small, however, so your choices are somewhat
limited. On the other hand, the receiver market is simply huge due to home theater. A
byproduct of this is that there is a wide selection and they possess more value and better
sound quality than ever due to competition amongst the brands. For $500 you can buy a
quite nice receiver from the likes of Onkyo, JVC, or Denon. There are some fantastic deals
online, too, especially if you're willing to buy last year's model. If you need the
features, buy a receiver and don't look back.
Improved sound versus system protection
June 14, 2004
Hello from Boston. I'm assembling a new system, and to top
off my purchases I wanted to get a power conditioner. The problem I have is that some of
them tout protection as the main reason for buying, while others claim improved sound
quality. What's the deal? What should I look for?
Michael
I personally look for both benefits from
power-conditioning equipment. For a non-essential component to make sense investment-wise
(you don't have to have one to make your system work), system protection and a
sound-quality improvement are equally important. There are numerous power conditioners on
the market that fit both criteria, but the ones that comes to mind first are the newer
models from Shunyata Research For a simple system consisting of an integrated amp and a CD
player the Hydra Model-2 would be ideal. At a lower cost are the models from Monster
Power. Investigate those as a good starting point.
Assessing his home theater
June 9, 2004
First of all, I would like to mention that I really like
the articles you have written about various components. They are very helpful.
I have a very specific question. I have a home-theater
setup in a small room of nearly 11' x 14'. I will be soon moving into another house with a
big basement and I can have a room of nearly 12' x 18'. I have an old Denon AVR-4800
receiver which has been awesome so far. I have Athena AS-F2 front speakers and Definitive
Technology Pro Monitors for center and surround. I was hoping that I could use my Denon as
a preamp with the multichannel Atlantic Technology A-2000 amp. I know Atlantic makes good
speakers, but I was not sure of this amp. Is it going to make any improvement in the
sound? What do you think of the speakers I have? Can they be considered a very good
compilation for a home theater?
Raj
A separate amplifier is typically a very good upgrade to
a receiver-based system. Although I don't know much about the specific Atlantic Technology
amplifier you mention, I do know that the company provides what appears to be good value
for the asking price. As for your speakers, we've reviewed the Athenas that you have and
do recommend them highly. The Definitives should perform well as surrounds, too, so no
problems yet. However, I would have a bit of concern over using a Pro Monitor for the
center speaker. It may not match sonically with the AS-F2s, resulting in a
not-quite-seamless soundstage across the front of your room. By all means try it first,
since you already have it, but if it doesn't sound quite right to your ears you may want
to try an Athena Technologies center-channel.
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