What do I need to know about receivers?
Your choice in an amp or receiver should be considered in tandem with your speaker choice. Room dimensions and the listener’s habits and preferred media heavily influence both of these choices. If you listen at higher volumes, you can expect to need a more powerful amp/receiver. If you have a small room and listen at a more modest volume, a high quality amp/receiver with a mid-level power rating will suffice.
Which receiver should I get?
Make sure the receiver has at least 50 watts per channel, and that it's a good, recognizable brand. There are a variety of great receiver manufacturers that would be wonderful for driving our speakers. Some of these brands include: Denon, Marantz, Outlaw Audio, Harman Kardon, Onkyo, Sony ES, and Pioneer Elite. If you want our feedback on a receiver you may be considering, or about compatibility with a receiver you already have, please contact us. Or take our Aperion University course on receivers.
Are your speakers THX certified?
No. THX certification is very costly and if Aperion speakers were THX certified, there certainly would be an add-on to the price. But be at peace - we have extremely high standards toward the design and manufacture of our speakers.
How many speakers should I get?
Lots and lots! Seriously though, you will get a better Cinematic Experience with more surround speakers. In this case, the more the merrier. But not all rooms are suitable for 6.1 or 7.1 configurations. If you have any questions, please contact us and we'll help you figure it all out.
What's the difference between 6.1 and 7.1?
6.1 uses one surround back speaker, and 7.1 uses two back surround speakers. They are both great for immersive home theater.
Does 7.1 make a difference?
Yes! 7.1 does make a difference by adding extra surround channels behind your seating area. The effect will add extra realism to surround sound and front-back sound panning.
Are there 7.1 movies out there?
Currently there aren't any movies that support 7.1 channels of sound. But your 7.1 channel receiver can take any 5.1 movie and enhance it by adding back surround channels (via a complicated "matrixing" algorithym). 7.1 channel movies are on the way, though. Soon, HD-DVD and Blu-Ray formats will have discrete 7.1 audio tracks!
Autocalibration. Should I use it?
Yes, no, maybe so! Clear enough? The short answer is that autocalibration is a good place to start and then tweak and adjust the settings to your personal preference. You can also use an SPL meter (for more, check out our Aperion University course on SPL use.) We have found that sometimes autocalibration works well, and other times it can negatively affect the sound of your system.
How many watts do I need?
Watts are not all created equal. One receiver rated at 100 watts per channel may have less power than one rated at 80 watts per channel. The truth is, there's not one standardized way of measuring watts. As far as our speakers are concerned, we recommend at least 50 watts per channel for good home theater performance. The Maximum wattage capability, or power handling, of our speakers varies by model. Check the speaker specifications for details on maximum power handling. Tweaky audiophile note: a lower power tube amp will work really well with our more sensitive (louder) speakers - check out any of our tower speakers.
How much power do I need for my receiver or amp?
Generally, the more power you have the better. We recommend that if you have a room larger than 20 x 20, you should have at least 100 watts per channel. Smaller rooms don't require as much power. For home theater purposes, you need at least 50 watts to power Aperion speakers, up to 150 watts max. However, some of our larger speakers - 633-T, 533-T, 533-PT, 632-LR, can handle even more power. For stereo-only, you can use less than 50 watts per channel, but keep in mind it's not going to get very loud! If you're using a low powered amp (like a tube amp) make sure you use one of our more efficient speakers like the 533-T or 633-T (check the sensitivity rating - the higher the number the more efficient). To learn more about receivers, take our Aperion University course on receivers. If you need personal assistance, please contact us. We're happy to help.
Where should I position the subwoofer for best performance?
Best performance is a little subjective, so keep that in mind with these recommendations. Generally, the sub can be put pretty much anywhere in the room. Its frequencies are so low that they are truly "omnidirectional" and can be heard from wherever the subwoofer is placed. But where it's placed in the room does affect, to a fair degree whether or not the sub will be low and boomy, or not-so-low and tight. Here are some tricks to keep in mind: If you want the biggest "bang" or "boom" for home theater and music, try putting the subwoofer in a corner. A front corner is usually best. If you prefer a tighter sound, try moving the sub farther away from corners and walls. If possible, place the sub in the room at a point where the distance between the sub and it''s two opposing room walls is not divisible by two (for instance, 1/2, 1/4/, 1/8, etc). Place it at uneven points, such as 1/3, 1/5, etc.
If you just don’t know whether you want tight or boomy, try this: Place the sub in the listening position (that’s right - on the couch or as close to it as possible) and crawl around the room while listening to familiar bass passages (i.e. your favorite CD). Find the spot where you prefer the sound, and put the sub there. If the sub is still boomy-sounding in your room, try turning down the subwoofer volume. Often times you’ll still get the level bass you want, but without extra boominess. The crossover can be adjusted as well. Turning it down (towards it’s lowest marking) will make the sub deeper and more focused. Turning it up (towards it’s highest marking) will make it fuller and slightly louder. The phase control doesn’t seem to affect boominess, so you typically just leave that at zero. If you have an SPL meter and frequency test tones, you can adjust the crossover and placement of the sub to minimize SPL peaks and valleys within the sub’s frequency range. You can also put curtains or pillows behind the sub, or in the closest corner to the sub. You might even add pillows to the other corners as well. If you want to learn more about subwoofers, take our Aperion University course on subwoofers. If you need personal assistance, please contact us.
Is more than one sub better?
Yes. Having two or more subs (up to 4) can really balance out the bass response in your room. It's not necessarily louder, but more even-keeled and balanced, no matter where you're located in the room. You see, bass waves are HUGE - some are longer than 20 feet. So with just one sub, the bass waves bounce around the room creating peaks and valleys of sound. With mulitple subs you create a matrix, or grid, of bass waves which makes the bass more musical and balanced. Try one in each corner and see how good that sounds!
What's the difference between speaker wires?
There can be subtle differences between speaker wire. Generally better quality copper (or metals like gold and silver) and a larger gauge will give a cleaner sound than something smaller. There is also in wall rated speaker wire, designed to pass electrical code for in-wall wiring.
Which is better - your SPL meter or the receiver auto calibration?
In our experience, the use of an SPL meter is the superior calibration tool. Check out our guides on using your SPL meter for a comprehensive guide! If you need help, don't hesitate to contact us.
Which is the better digital audio connection: coax or optical?
Basically, there is no inherent difference between toslink (digital optical) and coaxial. No one specification is better than the other for transferring digital audio. However, some receivers' optical and coax connections do indeed sound slightly different. For example, the Onkyo receivers have both coax and optical. From our listening tests, there is a slight audible difference between coax and optical, even though there really shouldn't be. The coax sounds a bit warmer and smoother. The optical sounds high and bright. If you need personal assistance,
Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD?
Ahh, don't you just love format wars? This one started because Sony and Toshiba didn't want to play on the same field. So they each developed their own technologies and went with it. Should you buy a player now or wait until things get nailed down? Well, that depends -- if you're willing to roll the dice and play with the latest tech toys, then by all means go out and buy one right now. Both formats are fun and the quality is amazing. For more information on this subject, please visit our Aperion University course on HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray.
What's HDMI?
HDMI stands for "High Definition Multimedia Interface." This is the cable you use to connect your HD video sources (DVD, SAT, etc) to your HDTV and/or home theater receiver. The protocols for this relatively new interface are still being standardized and developed. 1.3 is the newest version. For more visit HDMI.org
What's WAF?
WAF is an insider's term to "Wife Acceptance Factor". Visit any home theater enthusiast forum and search WAF. You'll get tons of threads and posts to read through!
What's a CD?
A CD or Compact Disc is a digital storage device for music. We hope you have seen these by now!
What's an MP3?
MP3 is a particular way of compressing a song in digital format. MP3 is very popular for massive music collections on your computer or portable music players. MP3's can also be burned onto CD's.
Will my mp3 player work with these speakers?
Yes, but you'll need an amp. That is to say that there is no built in amp to take the signal from your MP3 or Ipod and boost it for playing through the speakers. To use an MP3 player with aperion speakers, you will need an amplifier of some sort. Most use A/V receivers but there are more options for those that need something more compact or portable. Check with an Aperion Guru for options or see our using your digital media course at Aperion University!