Customer Reviews

Verus Grand Tower Speaker Pair

after considering several competing brands, i decided to give the aperion verus grand tower's a trial based on the 30-day in-home audition. they arrived very well packaged and completely damage free in just a few days, and were impressive to unpack with each speaker wrapped in their velour bag. including a care kit and the spl meter was an unexpected but appreciated extra.
the speakers look terrific in the cherry finish, on/above par with anything i was previously comparing (paradigm, psb, golden ear, etc.) and are clearly made with top-notch materials and build-quality. setting the speakers up was a breeze, and i proceeded to let them break-in over the next week or so before i began any critical listening to audition them. was i ever in for a treat!
across a range of musical genres these speakers have impressed me far beyond any expectations i had prior to purchase based on some very nice reviews. the sounds are excellent across the range - clear, crisp highs, excellent mid-range and a quality (not-muddy) bass response. this quality extends all the way from low-volume to significantly louder two-channel listening sessions, with the aperion's sounding fabulous at every step. sound staging and imaging are among the best of the brands i compared and are wonderful match to my gear, listening preferences and room.
i coupled these towers with an aperion verus grand center and am happy to report that the excellence continues from the two-channel domain into home-theater, with a wonderful separation but matched sound quality from left-center-right and back as the action on-screen occurs. the verus grand center in the application is outstanding - wonderfully clear dialogue, again at all volume levels.
overall, i couldn't be happier with the aperion's and believe they represent among the best value in home-audio available today. they have a very high-end look/finish that is every bit the equal (or better than) of the big-name brands (and that other internet-direct brands just don't seem to match), with a sound quality that way, way beyond their modest cost. i have been highly recommending these to my audiophile friends, and while they have yet to take in an audition in my home (that's happening soon), i fully expect them to be completely blown away.
thanks, aperion - the verus grand series (tower, center) are simply awesome.

Verus Grand Tower Speaker Pair

I just brought home a set of VGTs last night. My office is down the street from Aperion, and I have been waiting like everyone else for the next shipment. Matt called me about a set of A-stock returns they just received, and was cool enough to hang out after work until I could show up to take them home.
$1528 into the back of my car. I believe they have 2 more sets...
I am a former recording engineer, with a ton of big album credits back in the day, so my concept of good/bad is perhaps a bit more specific than most. My tastes tend toward flat and precise, rather than pretty. I'm the guy obsessing over counting the number of early reflections on a kickdrum, or the ability to hear the studio gate closing on a buzzing guitar track, rather than how big the bottom end is and such (for whatever that is worth).
I set them up in my big live living room next to a pair of B&W CM9s and a set of PSB Synchrony 2s that I have been auditioning, plugged into my Marantz 7005. No Audyssey engaged.
First impressions: these are an absolutely amazing set of speakers. They are very, very flat, and have remarkable detail and imaging. Despite the increased range of the B&W tweeters, the Aperions are far more precise, and have spectacular imaging. Their ability to localize a transient to a point in space, rather than just to a region, is something I have not heard outside a studio control room, at least not to anywhere near this level of precision.
Next to the B&Ws (+$1500), the VGTs had a far more accurate response curve, as verified by my RTA, with none of the cabinet resonances at around 300hz that were so prominent in the B&Ws (one of the least musical frequencies known to mankind). Despite the B&Ws being linear to 22Khz, their imaging was disappointing next to the VGTs, with significantly less precision.
Next to the PSBs (+$2000), the VGTs were almost in a dead heat. The curve, depth of the sound field, and imaging seemed almost identical, however the VGTs had a slightly greater degree of detail despite being a bit less sibilant at around 15k. The VGTs were also somewhat more holographic, and had a better capacity to present a center image than the synchronys.
I put them up against my trusted Meyer HD1s (industry standard powered reference monitors, $8k when still in production), and found that they held their own against these as well. This, I must admit, truly blew my mind.
Unlike virtually every pair of audiophile speakers I have tried, I feel like I may actually be able to mix on these.
Bottom line, these are the best purchase I have made in years.

Verus Grand Tower Speaker Pair

I have been a fan of Aperion Audio and their products for a few years now and I still thoroughly enjoy the small 5.1 set-up I have on my main level (B5's, 5C, IC's, Bravius 8) which i use for movies, TV, and general music listening. So when it came time to build a more serious home theater system (50% Music, 50% TV/Movies) in my newly finished lower-level, I couldn't wait to get even more Aperion goodness in my home.
Before jumping into Aperion's again, I felt it only prudent to give some other options a listen before making a final decision, so I visited a local high-end audiophile shop where I spent several hours listening to the likes of McIntosh, Totem, and others that cost as much as a car. Finally I came down to earth and spent time with a set of Paradigm studio 100's - which I really liked but which seemed just a bit stale in their tonal quality - perhaps due to the listening room. Having gotten that bug out of my system, I jumped on the Aperion website and discovered the release of their new Verus Grand Towers. After reading the few (but very positive) reviews on them, and the various comments on AVSForum, I decided place my order for a self-indulgent Christmas present of 2 Verus Grand Towers and a Verus Grand Center. (I already had Aperion's for the surrounds). Because they were back ordered for a few weeks due to demand I felt like a kid again waiting for Christmas morning for them to arrive. Once they arrived and I opened them up and was once again pleasantly surprised by the outstanding quality, build, and finish of these beauties as I removed the packaging and the customary Aperion velvet bags that they travel in. Although no SPL meter or white gloves were included this go around, and one of the grills needed to be flipped upside down to conceal a very very minor flaw in the speaker cloth. The towers are about as tall as a standard light switch, and while large and solid seeming, do not to take up much room at all for a tower speaker. The Center is about half the length of the tower, and slightly more narrow, but every bit as beautiful.
Once set -up and calibrated with my Onkyo TX-NR808, I spent a day or so listening to some excellent music recordings by Diana Krell, Paul Simon, Pink Floyd etc., along with some U2, Black Eyed Peas, as well as some great classical pieces. The sound of these speakers was very good right out of the box and that first day was more rewarding than anticipated, but (with a grin in my face as I write this) they began to get better and better sounding as they continued to break in. After 40 or so hours they really began sounding outstanding! They are so clear, so natural and effortless that I would not even consider replacing them with any other option anywhere near their price point. The detailed highs of violins, cymbals, and voices are crisp and clear without being harsh. Both male and female voices are so clear and open that I felt like the singer is in the room, and the quick strength of mid-base and base is so good that I simply can not spend enough time listening to them. It seems that anything I play on them is so clean, open, and detailed, that my entire CD collection is new all over again.
After a few days I added my Bravus 8D sub and watched several moves over the following week or so, including Inception, Iron Man 2, The Hulk, and several others - All on Blu-Ray. Yep, Excellent! As much as I still love my other 5.1 set up, the new Verus set-up in 5.1 is simply outstanding in their sound quality, proper balance, and transparency. While watching "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", it was simply amazing to hear the subtle differences between shotgun shells vs the 9mm shells hitting the ground during a very complex shoot-out scene where all speakers were fully involved, with the sub rumbling, and voices coming from all around. I felt completely part of the move, not overpowered by "speakers", but involved in the story, action, and sounds of what I was watching. I absolutely love these speakers!
One additional benefit to the Verus Grand's is the fact that you can pair them with whatever size subwoofer you want. Unlike speakers that have an internal sub built into the tower, with these beauties you get the tremendous benefit of running them as a true 2 channel with plenty of base authority for all types of music and at whatever volume you can stand, or set it up with any size subwoofer(s) you want that best suits your needs and environment, and still cost the same or less than anything out there that sounds anywhere close to this good. I set my crossover to 40 on my towers which blended very nicely with the Bravus 8D in 2.1, 5.1 mode, yet still allowed me to run the Onkyo in "True Audio" (2.0) and still enjoy all the clean and solid base these towers are capable of. Ultimately I will return my 8D to its previous system and will splurge for a 10 or 12 inch Bravus II sub for movie watching with my Verus system, and continue enjoying music in wonderful 2 channel splendor. After that, I will complete my "all Aperion" home with a set of white Aperion outdoor speakers.

Verus Grand Tower Speaker Pair

As a previous owner of the 6Ts I already knew that I was in for yet another audio treat from the moment I first saw the Verus Grand Towers. The first thing I noticed is how nice the new cabinet design was, more along the lines of Paradigm Studio series. As I was breaking in the new speakers I could already hear the major improvements. The sound of the new tweeter and the new 3 way speaker set up is amazing. I feel like the sound stage is very wide and well balanced. Aperion's speakers are already known for having rich mids in their speakers but now they really raised the bar.Vocals are even more full of life now and are more balanced in the mix. I planned on listening to one or two Norah Jones tracks but ended up listening to two full albums.
No matter what I threw at them they always sent me a smooth detailed sound back. Also a small shout out to how these new speakers handle bass frequencies.I was a little worried that I couldn't get some bass authority out of the new speakers compared to the 6T, but with a few tracks played all worries were over.Even though the new VGTs are not rated as low as the 6T, they have a strong bass presence. I would even go so far as to say the VGTs have more control over the bass frequency. Maybe this is due to a more balanced design of a 3 way speaker.
If you do a knock test on the new speaker it's almost completely dead so that you only hear the music not the box.
For all of you reading this, I truly can say you cannot go wrong with this or any of Aperion's speakers. I love their product and find it to be a great value. They have allowed me to have wonderful speakers without breaking the bank. Also customer service is like no other place I have ever dealt with.
Thank you Aperion!

Verus Grand Tower Speaker Pair

My husband and I drove down from Washington to listen to these speakers in person before purchasing them. We were blown away by the sound coming from these speakers. We bought them in the cherry and they are beautiful! These towers are definitely worth the price. We highly recommend them!

Verus Grand Tower Speaker Pair

Let me begin by saying I do not have the expertise in audio electronics that many of the other review writers have. I spent about 6 months researching my future purchase of equipment. I finally purchased two Verus Grand Tower speakers, one Verus Grand Center Channel speaker and a Marantz SR7005 tuner. One of the primary reasons I chose the Aperion line is it's ability to pack plenty of sound in a small space. In planning my system I had restrictions on the size of the components. I was a little reluctant with making such a large purchase approximately $4500.00 without hearing the system, so the 30 day no risk trial at home eased my nerves. The speakers on appearance only are flawless beautiful pieces that are second to none. Depending on the type of music I listen to makes the difference in the sound. After having my system set up for about two months I can say that the sound produced while watching movies surpasses that of just listening to music. I am still learning how to use all the features that the receiver I purchased has and quite frankly dont believe I will use it to it's max potential. In dealing with customer service Aperion reps were always helpful with the many questions I had when it came to putting what I wanted together. I have only 1 suggestion. When Aperion Customer Service is taking an order for equipment it could help to ask the customer what their level in experience is with setting up audio equipment. If the customer has a limited amount of experience it would be helpful if the Customer Service Rep suggests NOT attempting to set up the system on a Saturday or Sunday when Aperion Customer Service is closed. Rather wait and set it up when Customer Service is available to help with questions. As you can imagine this happened to me. It's a bit disheartening looking at $4500.00 woth of beautiful equipment that can't play a note of music. Eventually I got the system up and running with the help of an Aperion staff member who I might add was quite baffled with the same problems I was having. All in all I am very satisfied with my purchase and believe that I will enjoy this system for many years to come, maybe by then I will have learned how to use my receivers features. I only knocked off 1/2 a star from customer service because I couldn't reach them when I needed them most during a Saturday or Sunday.

Verus Grand Center Channel Speaker

After auditioning my Verus Grand Tower (VGT) speakers and seeing how amazing they sounded, I decided to order the Verus Grand Center (VGC) speaker simply out of curiosity to see if it was as every bit great as the towers. Also, my current Infinity center channel sounded so anemic when sounds would transition between the VGTs and my center...totally distracting!!
When I got my package, I was utterly surprised at the size of the box. The VGC also came wrapped in velvet, gorgeous piano black finish, and this thing is heavy!! The design of it is also magnificent!! Same curves as the VGTs; just a beautiful piece. My only regret is that its huge... It does not fit in front of my big screen on the TV stand. Did I say its HUGE!!
So I just placed it on a couple of speaker stands I had from my previous Infinity speaker set; I really need to find a permanent solution, somewhere to put it, I may have to buy a new TV stand/cabinet all together. sigh
I decided to played some music through it first. I was utterly surprised at how great it sounded!! It was very similar to the VGT, but with slightly less bass, but still bounds and leaps above my old Infinity center which compared to the VGC sounds hollow and tinny. Music sounded great through the VGC...typically, center channels do not handle music well in terms of the full dynamic range of music; the VGC did amazing!!!
When I watched a few movies through it, one was Cowboys and Aliens, the voices sounded natural and authentic; had weight behind the voice... unlike with my previous speaker it sounded small even though it had two 5.25 drivers. For the first time, the action sounds coming from the speakers (VGT and VGC) had me jumping out of my seat!!!! Totally adds a new dimension to movie watching!!
I was so impressed with the Verus Grand Center that I just couldn't wait and ordered a set of Verus Surround speakers...
I highly recommend the Verus Grand Center channel speaker, but be forewarned, its huge!!!
Although, I now see, with size, comes great sound... :P

Verus Grand Center Channel Speaker

Starting out with only thoughts of making sure I upgrade to a timbre matched center I didn't think much about it. I figured that if the new VG center was as good as the 6C I would be more than happy with it.
The new Verus Grand Center has the same beautiful shape and lines of the rest of the Verus line.The one new functional use for the shape of the VGC is the ability to angle the speaker for optional positioning. The included feet allowing you to angle up or down for matching your listening position and placement.
After doing a large majority of my listening just on the VGTs I decided to make sure to do some VGC listening. At first I didn't hear any major differences between 6C and the VGC. I started with an A/B comparison between the 6C and the VGC. This really pointed out a few major differences to me.
The VGC really benefits from the new Aperion tweeter. Dialog is very detailed and accurate. I found that it presents no listening fatigue at all. The mids definitely benefit from the new tweeter and mid driver. I feel that the mids are now more open and less congested.
When presented with complex passages with dialog and special effects the VGT presents every detail without effort. This was a very welcome addition to my movie watching experience. --- Now to upgrade my surrounds.
Aperion offers yet another wonderful product at an affordable price. The new Verus line will definitely be in my home for some time.

Verus Grand Center Channel Speaker

I got the Verus Grand Center along with 2x Verus Grand Bookshelves and an SVS sub to make a 3.1 system for our living room. Looks really counted given that it was in such a public room and it came down to the Aperion Verus' and B&W CM series for more than 2x the cost. I am so glad I gave the Aperion's a shot because not only do they look just as good as the B&W's but they sound better!
In particular this is due to the Verus Grand Center. The finish is amazing. The lines are beautiful. And the sound is incredibly crisp and clear. My parents were in town this weekend and were incredibly impressed with the clarity of dialogue from Hugo (and they are coming from a very high-end M&K system which they bought primarily because of the center channel). I actually like the size of it too - it gives a commanding presence but because of the rounded lines looks more like a piece of furniture than another boxy speaker.
Overall my new speakers have been a huge hit, but the Verus Grand Center has been the definite highlight of all the components.

Verus Grand Center Channel Speaker

Intro:
I had been running the Verus Forte Center for about a month before deciding to upgrade to the Verus Grand Center. The VFC was a very competent little center channel that really did a great job and enhanced my listening experience. But it is nothing compared to the Verus Grand Center!
Setup:
Currently, I'm running a pair of Verus Grand Bookshelves as my main left and right speakers in my living room. I have them paired with a HSU VTF-15H subwoofer for the low end (crossed over at 80hz) and these are mated to a Marantz 6005 receiver. My listening area is about 13ft by 13ft, but the room is about 21 feet long by 13 feet wide. The VGC is added to this, and crossed over at 80hz as well.
Listening Impressions:
I pulled the Verus Forte Center out of my entertainment center and politely thanked it for its role in providing a great music and movie experience for the last month. Then I unpacked the Verus Grand Center and hooked it up to my system. I did a quick level calibration with my SPL meter to make sure that things were set right and then sat down for a listen. I was shocked. The VGC sounded way better right out of the box than the VFC sounded after over 100 hours of break-in! It sounded much bigger, voices were more natural, and somehow my sub seemed to blend much more seamlessly with my entire system!
With a center as big as the VGC, it shouldn't surprise me that it sounds big as well! All of the music and movies that I watch really sound like they are right there in the room with me, it's pretty amazing!
The VGC really presents clean and natural sounding vocals and dialogue as well. With music, it often sounds as if the singer is right there in the room with me! Dialogue in movies is superb as well, and it is very rare now that I miss something that is said and have to rewind.
The coolest thing that I noticed with the VGC was how it seemed to allow my subwoofer to blend better with the rest of my system. I don't completely understand how it accomplished this, but I didn't change any other settings in my receiver, I just adjusted the volume of the center with my SPL meter to make sure that it matched the rest of the speakers. Anyway, kick drums and other bass notes sounded much more grounded in the center of my soundstage than they ever had before. My sub is located near my right speaker, so oftentimes I was hearing low notes and instruments from the right side of the room instead of in the center where they should have been. After adding the VGC, those low sounds are now very well grounded in the center where they should be, and sometimes even to the left of the center if the music called for it!
I think it goes without saying that the clarity and detail that the VGC provides is beyond my expectations. There really is no flaw with this center speaker!
Conclusion:
If you are looking for the ultimate home theater experience, the Verus Grand Center should be on your shopping list. There are no shortcomings with this speaker in my opinion. It sounds big, clean, detailed, and I am utterly amazed at what it has done to improve my home theater system. If you have the cash, don't stop at the Verus Forte Center, get this guy! Well done Aperion!