Aperion Connect

Last week I talked about how crucial speaker placement is and how it will largely affect overall sound performance, sound stage and imaging.  The same rules apply for portable or tabletop speakers as well; however this poses a bit of a design challenge.  With placing stereo speakers, we’re using placement and separation of each speaker to create a great sound stage, however with our ARIS speaker system we built everything into one solid cabinet, so our goal was to make the sound of ARIS project outward to create a sound stage much larger than the ARIS unit itself.

At Aperion our strengths lie in making speakers that sound great, and so that’s what we focused on with the ARIS speaker.  It’s built differently than almost all other speakers out there.  Its cabinet is a single piece of extruded aluminum and we packed it with high quality audio components all around.   First, we have two 4” woven fiberglass woofers, paired up on the back with two 4” woven fiberglass passive radiators.  This is partially how we can achieve such a clear and tight bass response.   In addition to the woofers, we have two silk dome tweeters for smooth, detailed highs.  We designed the cabinet internally into 3 sections.  Each woofer and tweeter or left and right channel is enclosed in a separate compartment internally.  Think of it as each side of the ARIS system is a separate speaker.   In the middle section we housed all of the electronics.  Inside we’re using a high quality class D amplifier that delivers 4 separate channels with 10 watts to each tweeter and 40 watts to each woofer.

The combination is a potent mix of high quality components inside a beautifully designed cabinet.    With all of the sound coming out of these drivers, our goal was to make the ARIS speaker sound clear, accurate and loud, but additionally to sound much larger than its small size would suggest.    So, in adding to all of the quality audio components inside, we voiced this speaker with 3 listening presets using DSP.  The first, being the most overall accurate sound reproduction.  Second, adding more bass if needed.  (Depending on placement), and third adding a stereo widening and bass adjustment that really brings the sound projected from this speaker the ability to fill quite a large space.   As a result, a single ARIS speaker has almost the same bass response as our larger, award winning Verus Grand Bookshelf speakers!  That’s important to take into account as the ARIS unit is powered as well so it’s all you need to bring high end sound to different locations where traditional speakers or space is just not going to cut it.

Change, death and taxes are the certainties of life. We instinctively fear or suffer the anticipation of all three. How nice it would be to live in a world where the things we were certain of supported feelings of excitement, hope and joy.

I believe that’s why religious institutions, in all their varied flavors, exist… to promote a paradigm of faith in something more ennobling than simply waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.

Aperion is not a religious institution, but it is founded on principles of more ennobling natures. Aperion’s purpose is to connect us to our sources of Joy. Translated into the business of selling speakers, Aperion designs, manufacture and sell the instruments that produce the music of our lives.

Through music, we connect with our emotions, reconnect with our memories and find the language of our souls.

The business of making all this happen is full of challenges like what to make, who to make it for, and how best to strike the value balance of performance vs cost. These challenges, like exercise and proper nutrition are good for the body and are good for our intellectual and emotional growth. They stretch us in sometimes painful, but ultimately good ways.

One of the more interesting and compelling insights we’ve had, more like a golden egg dropped in our lap kind of insight, is that we are not as brilliant as our collective wisdom… we as brilliant as the collective wisdom, insights and instincts of those with whom we associate.

The most recent addition of ALLAIRE as the name for our current and future wireless products is an example of our collective wisdom. That experience opened our eyes to our future. We would love to partner with those of you inclined to join us in identifying, developing and refining the future offerings of Aperion.

Whether it is wireless outdoor speaker, speakers for your computer, laptop, iPhone, Android, or iPod we would love your input. Powered monitors, speakers for a home recording studio, white, black, or cherry finish… we’re all ears.

If the opportunity to weigh in on our direction is of interest, let us know. We’ll be formalizing the process, but our early thinking includes the creation of a product development committee joined by expressed interest and then invitation.

Members of the committee would be given voice to offer direction to our product roadmap, create feature sets and product definitions, vote on the myriad options and enjoy some meaningful perks, also identified by the committee rather than by us. If this invitation strikes your fancy, feel free to email me with your request to join. My email is win.jeanfreau@aperionaudio.com.

Regardless of your interest to join our committee, we feel that relationship is simply good for us, and we’ll seek it where ever it is offered. It ennobles that which is best in our creature. Through this evolution of the brand, we will benefit from being in contact with you and seeing ourselves through your lenses.

Through that process our vision is expanded as we learn to become better listeners. It’s an essential element for our proper growth. Little by little we’re evolving. You’re invited to evolve right along with us.

Win Jeanfreau
Founder

Getting into downloading music can be intimidating with all of the different formats that are out there, which is why we’ve put together this handy guide to help familiarize you with some of the options.   We’ll take you through the best format to download digital music as well as the pros and cons of each.

What Does Bit Rate Mean?

Mp3 is still the most popular format for digital music.  When we talk about downloading music in the mp3, it’s all about the bit rate.    You probably know that computers use zeroes and ones to represent data, and a bit is a single zero or one.  The bit rate of an mp3 refers to how many of those zeroes and ones per unit time are processed both when the track was encoded and when it’s decoded or played back.  The more bits per unit time, or the higher the bit rate, the closer the mp3 will sound to the original wave form that it represents.  When the bit rate is too low, the mp3 will have what is called artifacts, that is it will introduce noise that wasn’t present in the source material and basically ends up sounding like your music is coming out of a digital toilet instead of a speaker, and that’s not good.

The highest bit rate that is available for mp3 is 320,000 bits per second, or 320 kbps for short.    By comparison, CD quality is about 1400 kbps.   While a higher bit rate mp3 will give you superior sound quality, the interesting thing is that most people can’t tell the difference between a 256 kbps mp3 and CD quality, and practically no one can with a 320 kbps file in a double blind test.

For fun, you can try comparing different bit rates or formats of the same track at home to see if you can tell the difference.  Although if you really want to nerd out, you should have someone play them back for you so you don’t know which you are hearing.

Constant vs. Variable Bit Rate

In addition to a constant bit rate, like the ones we have been discussing where the bit rate stays the same, there are also variable bit rates. With a variable bit rate,  the bit rate changes depending upon the complexity of the source material.  If you imagine a full orchestra all playing at once versus a solo acoustic guitar, the orchestra is going to require a higher bit rate to sound faithful to the source because the waveform is more complex and contains more sonic information.   So with variable bit rates the bit rate decreases when less information is required to give an accurate representation of the wave form.  The highest bit rate variable files are sometimes called V0 for short.  Typically a V0 file will have an average bit rate somewhere around 225 kbps, but as you might guessed from the name, it varies.

Lossless and Lossy Formats

Mp3 is what is called a “lossy” format, which means that as the waveform is compressed some of the information is omitted as the mp3 is encoded.  As I mentioned this isn’t so much of an issue with 256 and 320 kbps bit rates because the mp3 is close enough to the original waveform that our ears have trouble picking out the missing frequencies.  That said, there are lossless formats where the file will be an exact copy of the source.  One popular lossless format is FLAC.  Even though FLAC is lossless and you don’t lose any fidelity from the original source it is still compressed.  The way it works is that the file is uncompressed as it is played by the software you use for playback.  Since it is compressed, the file is about two thirds of the size of an uncompressed wave file.  However FLAC files are still quite large.  A typical album in mp3 at 320 kbps will take up around 120 MB of space, whereas an album in FLAC will be in the vicinity of 400 MB.   The drastic difference in size is because the FLAC files are at a much higher bit rate, which means more data per unit time.

So one advantage to mp3 is that they will take up less space on your computer, ipod, phone or wherever you store your music.   Another drawback to FLAC is that it is not supported by iTunes, however Apple has their own version which is called ALAC.  There are a couple popular media player software options that do support FLAC are Foobar2000 and Winamp and both are free.   Checkout the user interface of Foobar2000 below:

These days storage is not as much as an issue as it was before with hard drive sizes becoming larger and larger.  Basically you want to download the file the highest available bit rate that you have space for and that will be compatible with your playback method whether it’s a physical media player like an ipod or software like itunes or windows media player.   If you do go with mp3 we recommend a bit rate of 256 kbps or 320 kbps.

AAC is another lossy format like mp3 and it actually offers better sound than mp3 at the same bit rate.   AAC is used by iTunes and is also what you are listening to when you watch Youtube videos or play games on a Nintendo DS or Play Station 3.  The quality of a 256 kbps AAC file should be close to that of a 320 kbps mp3 file but it will take up less space, so if you go with a lossy format, AAC is a great option.   AAC also supports bit rates up to 320 kbps just like mp3.

Ogg Vorbis is yet another lossy compression scheme that is supposed to have better sound than both mp3 and AAC.    Ogg has been around since the 90s but it’s never really caught on, probably because of its awful name, which kind of makes it the Beta-max of digital music.    Since it’s not that popular, it isn’t supported by iTunes or Windows Media Player, but it is supported by apps built on the Android platform.

That wraps up our look at the different formats available for downloading music, we hope you enjoyed it.  In the next blog, we will tackle some of the different sites and places where you can download music legally.    Thanks for reading and as always, trust your ears!

Speaker Placement, Imaging and Soundstage (2 Channel)

Hey everyone, today we’re going to quickly talk about speaker set up and listening.   It’s important to realize that other than your speakers, the most important thing determining musical quality is where you place your speakers, and your seating position in relation to those speakers.  Sadly, with little commercial interest to defend the crucial role speaker placement plays, this subject is often neglected… So, with that being said, let’s talk about it a bit!

If you have a newer receiver with some type of auto room set up and calibration setting, you are off to a good start, but correct speaker placement will only further enhance that for the best performance.

Speaker Placement and Bass Response

Room placement will have quite an impact on the bass performance of your speakers, but this not only depends on the type of speaker you have, but also how close to the rear and side walls they are.  Generally speaking, when thinking about placing your speakers, try and keep the tweeters around the same height as your ears will be when you’re seated.  So, for bookshelf speakers, try and place them on a stand if you can.

 (Notice the height of the bookshelf speaker compared to the tower. The tweeter height is almost identical.)

With tower speakers, ideally you’d want those at least 2 feet off the rear wall if you have the room as this will help tighten up the bass performance.  Also, try and avoid corner placement if you can, unless your speakers are specifically designed for this (which is rare).  Corner placement is ok for subwoofers, but that’s another discussion all together.

Now, what I’d recommend is to play a good quality recording that has a steady bass line.  When the music is playing, walk around your room and you may be surprised in just how uneven the bass response can sound in different areas.  You’ll find that as you move the speakers closer to the wall there will be more bass, and less as you move them further away.  What you’re listening for is even bass that is fairly even, but also clear and strong, but tight- not boomy or droning.  This will take some critical listening on your part, but be patient and you’ll find a sound that is most accurate and to your liking.  Trust your ears!

SOUNDSTAGE

A worthy pair of speakers can perform an amazing illusion reminiscent of watching a 3-D movie.  When correctly placed, a three-dimensional sound stage magically appears between your speakers. Instruments and sounds appear to come from locations where your eyes tell you there’s nothing! This isn’t magic, its physics! Making this happen dramatically requires getting many things right – good stereo material, controlling room reflections, good speakers – but most importantly, getting your speakers and listening area set-up properly. Fortunately, this is pretty easy:

1. The listening area needs to be right in the center of both speakers. Use a tape measure if you want to get really accurate.
2. The distance between the speakers should be 75% to 100% of the distance that you are from them.  I like to think about making an equilateral triangle between your speakers and your seating position.
3. As I mentioned, you’ll want to keep your speakers at least 2 feet away from walls and the floor (tower speakers are OK on the floor.) Don’t worry too much if this isn’t practical, if you move them closer to the wall, the virtual soundstage will still appear – it just won’t have the same depth.
4. Likewise, you’ll want to keep your listening area more than 2’ from any walls or large reflective objects.
5. It helps to have a room that deals well with sound reflections – sound absorbers like rugs and drapes, sound scatterers like bookcases and “things” all help.

Soundstage and Imaging with Surround Sound 5.1/7.1

We briefly talked about how with a good pair of speakers, fine tuned room placement and a great stereo recording, you can recreate an amazing 3 dimensional soundstage and stereo image of sound that magically sounds like it’s coming from in between both speakers.  Try it, this is awesome!

Now, what about home theater 5.1 set ups?  Well, as you can expect, this is different than the first two because instead of trying to recreate a 3-D image and soundstage with only two speakers, we just add more speakers with a specific role of reproducing the 5.1 movie soundtrack and making “surround sound”.    Generally a surround system consist of 5 or 7 speakers, (two front, a center channel and surround or surround back speakers, plus a subwoofer for the low bass)   Speaker placement is still very important for a surround system, but not for creating a sound stage, but for placing you, the listener in the middle of all of those speakers.  Aside from placement of surround system, level calibration and subwoofer adjustment are going to be where you spend the majority of your time, fine tuning your system.

Room livability

One should never forget that the whole idea is to create a room for enjoyment – making sensible compromises in the name of comfort or aesthetics is certainly no crime. Besides — your spouse won’t let you get away with putting those speakers in the middle of the bedroom anyway.

Moving gear and couches around isn’t fun or glamorous. Which is why many of the guidelines we discussed are aimed at helping you position things well with a minimum of “experimentation” But once you have completed this important (and free we might add) exercise, you’ll be amazed at how good your system sounds.  Most importantly, trust what your ears enjoy!

Hi everyone,

Alex at Aperion here.  I just wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the new version of Aperion Audio, as well as our new blog!  We’ve been working on this for quite some time, and it feels great to finally be able to show it to you.

Things shouldn’t throw you for too much of a loop, it’s not a radical departure from the earlier versions of Aperion’s site, but I wanted to touch upon a few things that we’re proud of.

• Improved stability and speed.  Our site was starting to show its age, and as the traffic increased so did some issues that we wanted to fix to improve your experience.  The new site is built from the ground-up on a new platform that should usher us into the future and let us bring you all sorts of new home theater shopping experiences.
• A new, simpler interface.  We’ve streamlined the sections of the site that mean the most to you, and designed a rich header and footer that we think better shows off our products as well as providing quick links and information no matter where you happen to be in the site.
• Much friendlier to tablets and mobile.  We wanted you to be able to reach out and touch the site.
• Improved product presentation.  Since you can’t literally touch and hold our products, we felt it was important to show you larger, more engaging images.
• Numerous other small tweaks that we hope will surprise and delight you.

At the end of the day, the site isn’t about us – it’s for  you.  Please let us know what you think about it by leaving a comment on this article or by sending us an email.

Thanks much, we hope you enjoy.