Ever since I bought a projector I've been on a quest to upgrade my HTIB.  Last week I was settled on the Infinity Beta series.  So, I went out and made my first speaker purchase, the Beta C360 Center. I really like it.

But that was last week, and this is... now.  I was running around a few home theater websites and noticed people raving about the Aperion speakers.  So, now i'm thinking about aperion for my Front LR and Rear LR speakers.

I don't want to sell my C360, so do you think the 533PT (FrontLR) and 422LR (Rear LR) would be a good match?

Not only do Aperion speakers seem to be better (according to reviews) but buying from them with security beats trying to find deals on ebay.

Any help is appreciated.

zane, ideally you would want the L/C/R speakers to be timbre matched. all from the same company, preferrably with the same tweeters/drivers. i think the aperions will blow you away compared to the infinity's. i chose polk over infinity way back when upgrading my first HTIB, then found what i was missing years later with aperions. why wouldn't you want to sell/return your center? an aperion center with aperion L/R will sound better IMO. i haven't heard your particular infinity speaker, so maybe other who have can comment further....

I agree with Jim... you will want to try and get your front 3 matched up.  The sound difference between a center channel and different brand L/R would be very noticeable and in my opinion a distraction from enjoying the show.

I used to have a Klipsh Synergy setup and it was a friend's Inifinty Beta's that got me browsing for something new.  I thought the Beta's rocked pretty good, and they sound great compared to many other speakers you can purchase at retail outlets.   I took a chance on the trying the Aperions because they are around the same price point as the Beta's (when I last looked) and the return policy is a no-brainer.  After hearing Aperion I was surpised about how much better they sound than the Beta's... for about the same price!  Another thing that stands out is the build quality... the Beta's are no match for the Aperions in this regard.

Since you are seeking advice...  Go ahead and order the 533T's and try them out with your Beta center.  After you decide the center don't match up you can put the center out an ebay and regain most of your money... then you can invest in a 533VAC!   

As far as your surrounds go, it would depend on the size of your room.  I have not heard the 4 series speakers, many folks have them in their small room setups and rave about them.  If your room is larger you may want to consider the 532's... they would match nice with the 533t's.

Worse case scenario, you may try the Aperion's and decide to go with Inifinity (unlikely).  You can at least return them in 30 days without any loss of money.   That is more than you can say about your center channel you want to keep because you could not try it in your home before having to commit to the purchase (jab at every other speaker retailer ).

Good luck, let us know what you end up doing!

-James

Thanks for all the help guys! I didn't even think of the 30-day trial and comparing the two in my home.  I'll do just that!  So the 533VAC is the way to go huh? 

I have one more question, and probably a common one.  I'm debating between the 533t w/ Standalone Sub and 533pt for my front LR?  Does anyone have any suggestions?  I like the idea of having two 8" subs on each side of my room but wanted to get some input from people who have used the speakers for music and home theater (mostly home theater) use. 

Also, and this one is probably a 'new' person question.  With the 533pt's do you have a speaker AND sub cable going to each LR or does it just take one speaker wire and the unit puts the lows to the woofer and the mid/high to the driver and tweeter.  If so, does thsi sacrifice any quality compared to a stand alone sub?

Thanks again!

zane, how large is your space?

i am a huge fan of the PT's, and i highly recommend them!  i had them set up in a 9x11 alcove in a larger 435sf room and i had more than enough bass.  the great thing with aperions design of the PT's is that the bass blends so seamlessly with the rest of the presentation.  i['ve never had such seamless integration in any other HT system i've had with subs (even with 2 hsu vtf2's).  dual subs also help with issues such as localization.  i've had friends looking behind the couch, swearing i had a sub hidden somewhere beacuse they couldn't believe the bass output from the PT's!!!

the PT's only require speaker cables - the same as all other aperion speakers, but do require a power cord as well.

Hey Jim, I'm happy to hear you have like the PTs... makes me feel good about spending the extra on them. 

I have a fairly large space. Maybe 25x20.  It's a 100% Media room, so two couches (backed all the way againts the back wall (so the RearLR speakers are very close), and a console table to hold my items.

I'll measure it when i get home. 

Here is a photo from the couch, might give you and Idea of size, it's dark though, so you'll have to squint.

Here are some other photos of it, just for viewing. http://www.flickr.com/photos/zanejones/sets/72157594147786033/

I think you guys are right on the advice for the center, especially considering that most of my sound will come out of it.

damn zane, sweet screen!!!  what projector are you using?

that is a pretty large space, but i would still recommend the PT's.  if you need more bass in the future, you could always add a sub later, still gaining the benefits of multiple subs.

have you ever experiemented with pulling your couches off the back wall and into the space a little?  this will most likely give you improved acoustics in your listening position.  sitting against the back wall, you may be hearing some nasty 'nodes'?  if you have the space (and it sounds like you do with a dedicated room of this size), it might be worth a shot?

i think PT's with the VAC and 422's in the rear are a good start.  you can always upgrade the rears in the future, with a dedicated space of that size, you could even move up to a 6 series system in the future.  i think you'll be pretty darn happy with the PT's though!!!

Thanks!  I'm using a Panasonic PT-AE900U.  I love it.  Great deal too at www.visualapex.com.  They just released a new version but when i bought mine i got a $400 rebate of off $1799 plus a 40 rental blockbuster card.  I'm still using that thing.

The projector was really the catalyst for this whole surround system.  I'm in the process of painting the room, building my own screen, and of course upgrading the surround system.   

Moving the couches is a tricky thing.  the entry to my basement is in the middle of the room, and my two couches take up the width of it, so if i moved them foreward I would really just be making a bunch of useless space behind my couches.  Also, with the projector being so large, if i moved any closer i might get motion sickness when i play video games (i'm not kidding).  I'll give it a go, I've been meaning to get rid of one couch, so that might be in the works.

the 533 PT and VAC plus some 4 series surrounds sounds like a winner, guess my beast of a center speaker is going back on ebay depending on the in home test results.

here is a review by ultimate av mag on both the beta and the aperion audio

http://www.ultimateavmag.com/buyersguides/speakersystems/

 

hope this helps

Thanks for spending your first post on my issue, Nick.  I read both of the reviews and they really helped. 

I'm starting to put together my HT.  I constructed a projector frame this weekend 130" diag. and ordered my receiver (JVC RX-D702B).  Soon I will be calling Aperion to bring in the goods.  But before then I need to paint.

Glad I could help Zane...

Please post some picks when you have a chance of the projection frame. I would like to convert a room into a dedicate home theater projection room and I am starting the research...would like to see another do it yourself's results.

Nick

Just a quick update.  I purchased my Aperion Setup from Caleb (sp?) last week.  It should be arriving this Wednesday.  I bought the 533-PTs, 533VAC, and 422LRs.  I'm hoping the PTs will have enough bass.  I'm not a huge bass freak, I just want something with power that is clean and even. 

My new receiver, the JVC D702B came last week and the room is already wired and waiting for the aperion's. 

Also, my wife and I finished up the projection screen last week.  16:9 10ft 10inches diag.  Basically, wood planks wrapped in black cloth create the frame.  The screen itself is Drapery Blackout Cloth ordered from rosebrand.com. Here's a photo.

Lights on!

Lights off!

More Here.

Whoa that's a big screen!  Nice job on the frame (I still need to build mine ).

I noticed your current center is down low in a cabinet (well glass stand anyway).  Have you thought about what you're going to do with the 533VAC?  It definitely helps to tilt it up to point at your ears (you can tell a big difference). 

Can't wait to hear your initial response to the Aperions -- don't forget to pop a movie or some music in (multi-channel DSP setting like Dolby Digital PLIIX Music or something will do it) and let them break in for at least 50 hours (100 is better still) before you do any comparing (they are tight out of the box and won't sound good at all).

Mike (Master of Parenthesis)

Yeah, right now my center is pretty low.  and the cabinet is such that there is a steel beam in front of my tweeter.   I don't know much about home audio but I'm sure that can't help the sound.  It looks like the 533VAC is a bit shorter so hopefully that won't be a problem.  I do plan on putting something under the speaker to tilt it up.  We're about 20 feet from the speaker so I don't think I should have to tilt it too much. 

I'll begin warming them up once I get them.  I really don't have that much experience when it comes to tuning in a sound system.  Any suggestions?  What sort of sound am I looking for?  I'm sure it will all sound good to me! 

Does anyone have a DVD to suggest when it comes to testing out my system?  I was thinking of some chase scenes in Ronin, or the beach assault in Saving Private Ryan. 

Tuning in a sound system:

1. Play some music (or a movie or whatever) through all of your new speakers for at least 50 hours before you do any critical listening or tuning.
• When you first start playing the music you'll notice it sounds awful.  The sound will be small (sometimes it sounds like it's coming out of a tin can or something) and even possibly raspy or scratchy.  Don't let that bother you.
• As the speakers break in you'll begin to notice things start to clear up and get more detailed (you'll notice small sounds within the "big sounds" like a triangle being lightly tapped with all the guitars, drums, etc also playing).  The soundstage will also widen -- the sound just sounds bigger, like it's coming from a larger area than before.
2. Once the speakers are properly broken in, make sure you have them at the appropriate height if they're not towers (ear height is best) and location (e.g. back, to the side, etc).  The front speakers will need to be toed in a bit (some people create an imaginary triangle between the front speakers and behind the main sitting position or directly in front of it, etc -- experiment with this).
3. Once placement is ideal (and you may go through these steps multiple times) then you can move on to the "tuning" part.  This includes channel levels, EQ settings (if applicable for room mode response stuff), fade, speaker distance, etc.  It would take me all day to write that up, you should be able to find a decent description on it somewhere on the web (maybe try Home Theater Mag's website for a good starting point).

As for DVD suggestions there are quite a few out there.  You could try downloading and burning one of the demo discs on the AVSForum (just a collection of clips really on each disc, there are over 10 discs available now).  Just be warned that they're slightly compressed so the sound isn't quite as good as the original nor is the picture.

My suggestions are:

LFE:  Master & Commander battle scenes, The Incredibles, Return of the King (the final battle).

Surround:  Master & Commander opening scene, The Incredibles (when "The Dash" is being chased by the spinning glider things), The Matrix.

Detail:  Bourne Iden****y (any of the scenes with automatic gun fire, the shells dropping are so clear and the guns just punch you in the face compared to everything else -- well recorded), The Matrix, The Fellowship of the Ring.

Music:  Diana Krall, Nora Jones, Gladiator Sound Track.

 

Mike