Simply amazing!! For the price it is unbeatable. The construction is second to none. I've personally owned some very good speakers "JBL, Infinity, and B&W". When it comes to quality built speaker I've never seen anything like this. Built with HDF!!! ( High Density Fiber Board ) 99.9% of speakers are built with MDF or less.

Unsure of what to expect from a speaker ordered on-line in the basis of critical review rather than my own inspection, I was blown away by this speaker. Very well packed during shipping, there was no danger of damage or dysfunction. Also, a couple of days before it arrived a cleaning care kit arrived separately. I ordered the cherry finish, and it is an immaculate finish. But after all, this is a speaker rather than a piece of furniture, the true test was its output. Connected to a pioneer elite receiver, the center channel is awesome in its voice pick up and clarity, and overwhelms the speaker which it replaced. Highly recommend

What a center channel! Incredibly precise, clear, and strong in the mids which is where a lot of centers fall short. For the money, nothing is better. Built like a tank, this is the one for me.

I've installed this center with four 532's and a 10" sub running from a Denon AV-2807 and an SACD player. The clarity and range eclipse those of Bose system's I've tested. Try Independence Day DVD and crank it up!

The center speaker is the workhorse of most theater systems. I've had my 533-VAC for about a year now. Its performance is out of this world. I have my system in a medium size room but I feel like I am in a theater when I listen to my Aperion System. The 533-VAC has not blinked once since I've had it.

Thank you Aperion.

The center channel speaker just looks absolutely beautiful. Full sound just puts my other speakers to shame, I now have to upgrade my left and right channels to match.

Purchased for my 7.1 system two years ago, this center channel speaker has delivered the best sound I've ever heard from one, bar none. And I've been an audiophile all my life--a serious one since 17, and that's too many years to admit to. I can't say enough for the difference it will make. Mine's in a 15' x 20' room, and it more than capably handles the space. Balance, clarity, power--those are the adjectives that come to mind.

This was the most commonly spoken sentence by me to my wife when we were watching a movie with any intimate dialog through my old home theater system. I won’t mention the company by name that made my old center speaker. But it rhymes with “Nose”.

I had to continually adjust the volume up and down to keep action sequences at a bearable level and still hear what the characters were saying.

Once I bought my Aperion speakers, that issue was gone for good. The Intimus 533-VAC more than holds its’ own in my 6.1 set-up. Dialog comes through crystal clear without sounding like it is coming out of an AM radio.

For many people, the center channel speaker is an afterthought. Once you get your hands on this speaker, you quickly learn what a huge mistake that is.

While other speaker locations provide the “gee-whiz” moments in movies, the Intimus 533-VAC is the work-horse that a center channel speaker should be in any serious home theater system.

The finish is beautiful and the speaker arrives in outstanding packing materials.

Unless you’re madly in love with closed-caption, buy one of these for your home theater.

Very clear sounding center channel!

I was hesitant about buying something that you would instinctively want to hear much less see. I read the review by Guttenberg on the 533-VAC center and respect his opinion, so I took the plunge and I'm glad I did! I bought the center with the 532 Bookshelves and over the next few months rounded out my HT system with the 422 Satellites and S-10 woofer. Backed up with a money-back guarantee you can't go wrong... but you won't even need it. The beautiful Cherry finish makes it a wonderful piece of furniture...and those little purple bags that the speakers come in make the whole experience of doing business with Aperion an absolute pleasure!

Online chat helped me pick the right speakers. Knowledgeable expert guided me AWAY from the more expensive options once he knew what my room dimensions were (533-VAC, 10" subwoofer, 6 422R bookshelf speakers)... Order arrived ahead of schedule. Attached them to a Denon 2807.

Oh man oh man. Watched Planet Earth BBC special in BluRay, and it was out of this world.

Thanks. CNET was right, you guys rock

I upgraded to this center from the 422, after several months I had decided to spend a little more money to get a fuller sound and take advantage of the upgrade program. After the speaker was ordered, as expected the package was on my door quickly and as promised. Again, the build quality and finish were immaculate especially in the piano black.

After hooking it up I immediately heard the difference I was looking for and the sound has gotten even better over the past few days as the speaker gets more use. Again, money well spent, this speaker with no doubt last me many years to come.

Clean sound. Haven't had a complaint since purchasing 6/07. Solid construction with a beautiful "grand piano" black enamel finish. As with all of the speakers in the Aperion set I purchased, I knew I had a winner; within a few days all of the shipping boxes were in the recycling bin.

I wanted to expand my system which used some older Esonic - but still excellent - tower speakers to a full 5.1 surround sound speaker system and was looking for a center speaker that would blend in perfectly - sound and looks - with the L/R towers. I read the reviews and found them to be right on the money. I enjoy crystal clear sound and volume that compliments the rest of the system nicely. Its a great speaker!

I purchased the 533 at the great price and didn't expect much. Boy, was I wrong. The voice quality is amazing and adds an added dimension to my TV watching.

I was incredibly annoyed by last speakers inability to articulate speech when watching movies. I ordered this center channel from aperion to enjoy my movies more. I'm incredibly pleased with this speaker's performance. Dialogue is clear, crisp, with good separation. It also gives sound an incredibly robust presence. I highly recommend this speaker.

After much online research reading reviews, comparing specs, and visiting audio stores for listening tests, I bought the 533-VAC in April 07. The speaker is definitely broken in since I watch a couple movies a week, tv almost daily, and the kids watch tv/movies a lot. Everything said about the customer service, delivery, packaging is spot on; Aperion Audio is a first-rate company that stands behind their product. When I first ordered my speakers (I also bought a pair of 533-Ts, 4 422 satellites as surrounds, and mounting brackets), not all the speakers were going to be delivered on time. Aperion actually e-mailed and called me personally to confirm my order, apologized for the delay, and explained what would happen. Not that it was a concern, but Aperion said the 30-day home audition wouldn't start until I had received all the speakers! Needless to say, I've been very pleased. The 533-VAC is connected to an Outlaw audio amp pushing 125 watts. Once the speaker was broken in, I was extremely happy. Fit/finish is Aperion standard; high-end furniture quality. At first, the sound was a bit hollow... my old Infinity center channel had more punch. But the more I listened to the 533-VAC, the more the sound filled out. I think the speaker really shines in movies with clear/dynamic dialogue. My theatre room is 14x19 w/9 ft ceilings. Sitting on the long wall, the sound dispersion from the 533-T is such that there is minimal sound quality reduction when sitting off-axis. Writing this makes me want to watch a movie...get some popcorn and dim the lights!

These were my first pair of real speakers. I was a bit hesitant to buy them from an online company. Read a lot of reviews and finally settles on these. They sound great, great customer service. Good quality speakers.

I took the plunge and purchased Aperion without first experiencing them! I have not looked back and have not had a single regret. Every part of the experience was enjoyable - only to be topped by the fun of the listening experience!!

The 533 sounds great. It is the center of movie sound. Crisp and clear sound, reasonably price, and it looks sharp. Highly recommend!

I watch a lot of movies and I needed a center channel speaker that would reproduce dialog faithfully. This speaker fills the bill admirably. The sound from the center channel is crisp and clean and I am hearing words and diaglog like I never heard before. I chose thiis speaker based on reviews I read at CNET and bought it sight unseen (and unheard.) I have not been disappointed. It even voice matches my mains and surrounds which are of a different brand. All I had to do was rerun the sound setup on my receiver. I highly recommend this speaker, and the price is right too.

We enjoy our center channel. Our room is large and wish the new 633 was available only because we'd like to fill the room. Very good value for the price, will likely step up at a future date for the larger center speaker.

I purchased an earlier iteration of this speaker (522D-VAC) almost 3 years ago, and I have enjoyed every minute of my time with it! It provides exceptional voice clarity, making my home theater system top-notch.

This speaker replaced an excellent Polk Audio center speaker I had enjoyed for years. My experience purchasing the equipment from aperion was exceptionally pleasant. The speaker is not only beautiful (piano black) but the sound quality is excellent and met my expectations. You pay much less for very high quality and an industry-leading on-line purchasing experience.

I mainly watch movies and this center channel really makes a difference. It produces clear and crisp vocals that stand out from the rest of action even during loud, explosive like scenes. Subtle sounds also come through clear and distinctive. Very nice center channel.

After much research and price comparisons I deceided to upgrade my 7.1 Aperion system with the Intimus 533-VAC. Boy was I surprised at the increase in bass and clear dialog. Not only did the bass response increase but it was tighter sounding. Even my skeptical wife was pleasantly surprised! They are well worth the money, probably the best centers in this price range. The shipping and packaging are 1st class too. Don't miss this one!

As I've found with all the Aperion Audio speakers I've purchased, this Center speaker is wonderful to listen to and look at. It fits in with all my furniture, so that I can display it without worrying about it ruining the room's aesthetics. And the sound! It is so well balanced and clear. The dialogue comes across as though the person speaking was in the room with us. This is an amazing speaker and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

This speaker works great. I read online reviews before purchasing a speaker and this speaker was rated highly and the price was good. It performs as I expected and I can't think of any way it could sound better. I will definately check out Aperion in the future when I need other speakers and recommend Aperion to friends/family.

It is truly amazing how clear this speaker is. Dialogue is incredible coming out and it sounds like you are right there in the conversation. I also run music out of this speaker because it just sounds so good. Paired up with my 533-T I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Friends can't believe how much better it sounds than their other brands.

Everyone loves the look and the sound. Posted directly below a 10 foot diagonal projection screen, guests are treated to crystal clear dialogue and unmatched quality.

The metal braces could hold my back yard deck. Solid construction throughout, not to mention that black shine!

I recently upgraded from the Intimus 422 Harmony system to the Intimus 533 Cinema HD and love it. I was truely impressed with my 422 system so I was skeptical on spending the money to upgrade. I'm glad that I did though. I love the new system and it fits my my new room a lot better than my 422 did. The only knock I have on the 533-VAC is that it is kind of large. My TV mount won't allow for it to fit flush with the front of the TV even with the tv mounted on the tallest setting. I was however able to fit it slightly behind the glass trim of my Bravia without any of that blocking the actual speakers. Over all a great package for the price. Excellent sound.

This speaker is wonderful to listen to. Reproduces the voices from films great. Matches my Samsung ln-t4065f with the piano black finish. Take the time to calibrate your system because it will sound even more amazing. Love my experience with aperion so far.

I would highly recommend this speaker, it looks great, and sounds even better. My new Aperion system has revived my movie collection, I'm seeing old favorites for the first time again. I live in Portland, so I had the pleasure of going to Aperion and checking out their sound room and putting several speakers to the test. Everyone was really helpful and knowledgeable. Even if you don't get to hear them first, you have nothing to lose with the 30 day trial.

I heard about Aperion from a friend at work and have had my eye on them for some time. Before purchasing I called several times and talked to the folks at Aperion. I have to say, that they were so very helpful in helping me select speakers and answering all my questions. I couldn't be happier with the speakers or the company itself. This center channel is frankly the best I've listened to. Movie voices are crystal clear and not muddied. The unit itself is a bit large, so make sure you have the space. I buit a custom center, so this wasn't any problem. Not only does the speaker sound fantastic, it looks great as well.

Like I said in my review for the 533-T (towers), this speaker looks great in the high gloss black lacquer finish and is solidly constructed. Even better, they sound great too! The clarity is superb and also adds great presence for the front of the surround system. The only problem with the speaker was that I have a factory Sony SXRD stand for my 60" and it doesn't fit on it because of the bracket that supports the glass shelf. So, being the resourceful guy that I am, (lol) I fashioned a bracket out of two aluminum "L" brackets and hung the speaker from a ceiling beam right over the TV.

When I replaced my surround sound receiver, I decided to also upgrade my center speaker. Based on CNet's review, I contacted Aperion. Their expert was the best. However, I still was not prepared for the 533-VAC. It arrived in its own custom fit box and wrapped in velvet. That is a hint of things to come. Can you say High Gloss Black?! A stunningly beautiful speaker. But there's more: The range of the 533-VAC is something to behold. Plus, its range is matched with awesome clarity. I stopped going to the movies. All around, an A+ company.

I bought the 533-VAC along with two Intimus 5 series bookshelves and 8" subwoofer.

The sound is clean, crisp, and rich. The material quality is superb.

Above all, the they way you receive your speakers will make you think that you were Aperion's only customer. Kudos to a great company with great products and great service.

I am very please with this speaker, it compliments the whole system nicely. Very clear sound and sleek design.

With my 532s, the 533 is the perfect mate to its perfect front L & R cousins. 5 bars and 1 big happy owner!

Crisp sound with voices so clear you would think they are in the room with you. I had JBL and sony center channel before the 533-VAC. Worth every penny!

I bought the 533-VAC, 2 532-LR bookshelves, 2 632-In Ceilings, and a S-10 subwoofer. I get complements from people who think they have a great set-up. Especially the black piano glossy finish! When it gets the full treatment from the powerful Pioneer amp, it is blissful. I will have to say thank you for the review by CNET, otherwise I would not have found this company or its fantastic products!

The centerpiece of my 5.1 system, along with 632 bookshelf speakers, 534 surrounds, and an S-10 woofer. I have it on top my entertainment center on a stand angled down at my couch. The voice channel comes though perfectly for movies & TV shows while sounding like it's coming right from the TV. Great looks, great sound, great price.

Received my 533 VAC Center channel speaker today. After opening the box, first thing that I thought of was how well the speakers were packed for shipment. They probably could have been drop kicked through a goal post and survived (glad they weren't). Took them out of the box, hooked them up to my Yamaha DSP-A1 Amp, and could not believe how much difference my system had improved. I picked up all of my audio equipment while in the military overseas. Before I had a Bose center channel, and over the years always knew that it was the weakest link. Could not wait to upgrade, and after a very thorough internet search, reading numerous reviews from both professional as well as consumers, I took the plunge. Believe me when I say, I am GLAD that I did.

Congrats to Aperion Audio. All the kudos that I have read were fact, and not fiction!!

It is just as Aperion describes it. Clarity and accuracy. Aperion does not exaggerate their claims.

To assess the vertical array's wide-dispersion capabilities, we played test discs' "pink noise" tracks and determined that yes, the Aperion Intimus 533-VAC's performance claims were valid. The speaker's tonal balance was unaffected by our position on our couch. The rated 80Hz bass response is more full range than typical center speakers, ensuring that dialogue is always full bodied and natural. Two-way center speakers can sometimes sound boxy or closed in, but the 533-VAC's sound was fully open. Best of all, the well-endowed speaker proved itself a synergistic match with even the largest Aperion speakers that we had on hand, namely the 633-Ttowers, and still mated well with the smaller 632-LR bookshelfspeakers. It's truly an exceptional design.

- Steve Guttenberg - CNET.com, February 2006

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