More information for Aperion Allaire Zona® Wireless Speaker System
Details
Fill your home with great sounding music without spending a fortune or drilling a single hole. Zona Wireless Speakers let you broadcast bullet-proof audiophile-quality music throughout your home from your computer or any music player.
This means you can listen to iTunes in your kitchen, Pandora in your living room, or send music from your stereo to the garage. Zona’s tricks don’t end there, though - you can also use the Zona speakers as wireless surrounds for your home theater, or to create a simple stand-alone stereo system for your office, bedroom or den. With its unmatched versatility and simplicity, the Zona System solves all of your listening needs.
Have you discovered a way to use Zona that we haven’t thought of? Drop us a line and let us know.
Aperion Zona Wireless Speakers come with free shipping, our 30-Day Risk-Free Audition and a one-year warranty.
Customer Reviews For Aperion Allaire Zona® Wireless Speaker System
- good but far from perfect Jeff
- First I rated "service" a 5 but I have not contacted customer service but I could not mark a "NA".
The speakers are pretty good. The build quality is top notch. Super solid speakers. The audio quality is certainly good for speakers this size.
Here some nit picking,
First, these are not "audiophile" grade speakers as indicated in the marketing mumbo jumbo. I knew this before purchasing the speakers as they spec'd the transmission sample rate at 16bit 48kHz. For reference CD's are 16bit, 44.1kHz and DVD-A is 24bit, 96kHz for full surround and even higher for stereo. Is this a complaint? It is for the marketing spin. No audiophile would purchase these speakers expecting the same performance as wired (and more costly) components. Is that a problem? Not really but it would be more accurate to consider them "better than cd" quality. Aside from the marketing crap, these do sound very nice for the size of the speakers and are more than adequate to serve as surrounds for movies.
Now for some more nitpicking, these are not "plug and play". First, I didn't get a manual. Not sure if one exists but I scanned the site and couldn't find one either. I'm sure customer service could have helped me but I figured I could get this worked out. It took about 10 minutes but I found that one speaker was the control unit. What's the problem with this? I had already placed the speakers to the desired location and was doing a whole lot of button pushing before I saw the blue ring on the control speaker and figured it out from there.
Next nitpick is that everything is controlled from the remote. It could be that the quality of everything is built as such so that the remote will last as long as the speakers but I doubt it. It is the typical button mash type remote that will wear out with use. Is this a problem? Yes. More than likely the remote will go bad within 2-3 years and I'm sure these units will be discontinued by then. Why is this a problem?
As a previous poster eluded to, these things turn off when idle. That poster also claimed of the units being turned back on again but I have not experience that yet. However, I can say that when idle the units power down. This is a cool feature but it seems half baked unless I have a defective unit. I wouldn't know this as no manual exists and nothing is posted to explain the behavior of the speakers. From what I found, they turn off when idle and have to be turned back on with a remote. Has this happened during a movie yet? No, but the rub lies in how someone watches tv. Various cable programmings change from surround to stereo. Some receivers will indicate what the programming is transmitting but my receiver, a Marantz, does not. Not sure who to blame is about this, the receiver or the speakers. So within a day I have found that when changing cable channels I often check for the blue ring on the unit and remotely turn on the unit to see if it happens to be transmitting in a surround format. This explains why I suspect the remote will wear out before the speakers. The remote will be used quite a bit unless I decide that I only want surround on movies.
So good sounding speakers? Yeah, they definitely work for being wireless. Good for surrounds? Unless you settle on movies only then there is quite a bit of hassle depending on your setup. The basic wireless surrounds that are bundled in (inferior sounding) name brand surround packages have this worked out in spades. These home theater in a box packages are the same cost or slightly more than the aperion package of two speakers with integrated amps and a transmitter. - Well Satisfied Richard K.
- I purchased a pair of these speakers to use in the rear of a fairly small room. Fronts and center are Martin Logan. Subwoofer is a Velodyne. These speakers are the only ones that I could find that have good sound quality and are wireless.
When I first received them, I had an intermittent connection due to, I believe, a loose connection in the "puck" transmitter. Customer service was outstanding and sent me a replacement immediately. They also included a prepaid shipping label for return of the original unit. Since then I have had a great experience with this pair of speakers.
Two things to note:
- Since these speakers are used with the preamp out jacks on my Yamaha Aventage 3000, I run them at full volume (internal speaker amp) and cannot adjust them with the remote.
- Because of the internal electronics in the speakers, they are heavier than other speakers of their size. As a result I had to purchase rear stand (VTI) that would handle the weight.
All in all, I am very satisfied with these speakers and would recommend them to others interested in small, wireless, rear channel speakers.
Richard in the Outer Banks. - Great Sound, but the Wireless Signal is Unreliable Paul M.
- The fit and finish of these speakers is very nice. The sound is also excellent -- just what you'd expect from higher end bookshelf speakers. The problem with these speakers is that the wireless reception is extremely random -- the signal gets dropped all the time. I'm listening to the speakers right now as I write this, and the signal has been dropped three times. And while it would be easy to blame some other signal in our house (the network router, the wireless phones, etc.) for interfering with the Zona speakers' signal, I know that's not it -- I know because I also have Aperion's wireless HAL unit (for a subwoofer) in the same location as the Zonas and the HAL unit never drops the signal. If there was something interfering with the Zona speakers's signal, it would also interfere with the HAL. The other problem with these speakers is that they turn on and off on their own. When we go to bed at night, the speakers are off; every time we wake up, they are on. When we leave the house in the morning to go to work, the speakers are off; when we come home, they are on. And, no, we don't have any kids or pets. It gets frustrating after a while -- we are now used to the music disappearing every so often. And we get tired of explaining to guests when the music disappears -- "that happens." Taken in combination with the great sound of these speakers, these problems make you think "wow, these will be great once they work out the kinks with the on/off switch and the wireless signal." For $500, I can't recommend them.
- Fantastic speakers for a great price! Fastkid89
- From the second I un-packaged these speakers, I was stunned. The build quality of these is absolutely stunning. Extremely sturdy, well built, and beautifully finished. Definitely deserves five stars for that section.
In about three minutes, I had the system set-up to my receiver as rear surrounds. Due to a lack of placement for speaker wire, I was not previously able to have rear surrounds, so these were a welcome addition with them being wireless.
I had been dying to try out their sound quality, so I quickly switched their input to function as front main speakers, and placed them about 13 feet apart in the corner of my room. I immediately noticed their excellent sound quality and imaging. All drum cymbal, crash, and guitar pick sounds appeared as if they were coming out of the far edges of the speakers, producing a great "wrapping" affect. Spoken words sounded as if I had a center channel right in the middle of the room; and other content made me feel like I had surround channels as well connected. The warmth of the sound was extremely welcoming, I was very surprised to get such a great sound out of these small speakers. I had to double check to make sure I had turned off my front and rear center speakers due to the imaging of it all. The ability to adjust the bass and treble separately is a great addition. It's almost hard to put into words what these speakers sound like. Anything more that I can say, is just buy these. If your looking for affordable surround, or even front speakers, these will be a great addition to your system.
Customer service is unbelievable. Always extremely helpful, very quick replies, and answered any questions right away. This is definitely the best customer service I have had in a LONG time. - Perfect David C.
- Just unpacked these, hooked 'em up to my Mac (whole process: 2 mins) and I'm swimming in a sea of crisp, rich sound. Congrats, these little guys are incredible. Not for nothing, I work at a music media company, we take our tunes seriously.... gonna be fun showing these off in the office. Dave Clark, GM Fuse
Pro Reviews For Aperion Allaire Zona® Wireless Speaker System
- MMORPG.COM Reviews the Zona Wireless Speaker System
- "Aperion is a web only, direct-to-consumer audio company and seeks to free up and simplify access to surround sound in your home with the Zona Wireless speakers. That they did well. I could bring those speakers into my kitchen, my dining room or my bedroom and get the same music I was streaming in my living room. If you like to move around with your laptop [or] if you already have a competent 2-channel system and want to add rears without the hassle of cabling, you might want to try the Zona out."
--Carolyn Koh, MMORPG.COM
Read Full Review - MissingRemote.com Review of the Zona Wireless Speaker System
- "Compared to purchasing a separate AVR and/or running speaker cabling, the easy-to-install and well-constructed (other than the remote control) Zona Wireless Speaker System presents a compelling value that should not be overlooked especially considering there is no risk or obligation in giving them a 30-day trial run."
- Aaron Ledger, Missingremote.com, April 2012
Read Full Review - Sound+Vision Magazine Review of the Zona Speaker System
- "The first thing I noticed about the Zonas is their big soundstage, much larger than you’d expect from such small speakers. Playing “Killed Myself When I Was Young” from AA Bondy’s American Hearts album, the soundstage was wide and tall, yet still had a strong center image. At regular volumes, the Zonas also put out a surprising amount of bass for their size."
"The Zonas potentially fill several gaps in the speaker world. You can use them as wireless surround speakers. You can use them as wireless computer speakers. You can use them to easily add sound to another room....overall they sounded pretty good for their size and are worth checking out. "
- Geoffrey Morrison, Sound+Vision, March 2012
Read Full Review - PC Gamer auditions Zona in a PC-gaming speaker shootout
- "The Zonas have a beautiful 4.5-inch woven-fiberglass woofer, accompanied by one-inch tweeters encased in a thick, heavy casing. Each speaker weighs about 15 pounds, so they feel tough enough to last an ice age. The result is a beautiful-looking -- and sounding -- set of speakers that don't suffer from the interference that often plagues wireless sets."
"Most audio through the Zonas is beautiful. Razor-sharp highs and warm, rich mid-bass creates beautiful aural imaging."
- PC Gamer Magazine, October 2011 Issue. Available on newsstands. - MyMac.com Raves about Aperion Zona Wireless Speakers
- "Aperion Audio's Zona Wireless Surround Speaker System is the best wireless speaker setup we have had the pleasure to use. Zona delivers top quality audio reproduction with every source device from iOS to computer, from stereo system to home theatre."
"Zona Speakers from Aperion Audio are the first speakers ever to pass Nemo's ultra-stringent SWEEP test. SWEEP stands for Suspicious Wife Enjoying Evaluation Product. My long-suffering spouse insists these Zona speakers are the solution to her ongoing quest for portable, wireless, top quality, easy to use and attractive playback of her iPod touch's Pandora and MOG Internet radio stations whether she is in the house or outside in the garden or pool."
"I have been using and testing wireless transmission speakers for over twenty years in all price ranges. Overpriced and disappointing are the terms that come first to mind. The search is over. Zona is here. Try them for 30 days. You will decide to keep these little speakers with a big sound and a huge range of uses."
- John Nemerovski, MyMac.com, April 2011
Read Full Review - Electronic House Reviews Zona and Scores the System 5 out of 5
- "Rachel Cericola evaluated the Zona Wireless speaker system, and dug up what other pro's were saying about Zona around the web, and compiled thoughts into this article in Electronic House.
"Some things seem to be too good to be true. In the case of Aperion's Zona wireless speaker, it's true and pretty terrific. Just a few years back, wireless speakers would be something that most people would scoff at like a novelty to be sold in the back of comic books. Well, comic book ads aren't what they used to be, and neither is wireless technology. While there are plenty of speakers worthy of $500, there's certainly something to be said for not having to tear into Sheetrock and fishing wire. Aperion is a hearty contender for your audio dollars on any day, so we are excited to see them getting into the wireless arena and actually making it work."
- Rachel Cericola, Electronic House, Mayl 2011
Read Full Review - Home Theater Review Evaluates Aperion Zona Wireless Speaker System
- "Jim Swantko, of HomeTheaterReview.com, recently test drove the Zona Wireless Surround system. He praised the fit & finish, sound quality, and acknowledged why the User Guide for this wireless system is unexpectedly small."
"...was pleased to find that simply plugging in the USB cable resulted in music. It could not have been simpler as there were no settings to change, no drivers to install, nothing. I was also very happy to find that that the system worked as easily with Windows XP as it did with the Windows 7 operating system. I was beginning to understand why the user's manual was so small."
"Two of the choppers are massive twin rotor Chinooks whose blades thump through the air as they pass from right rear to left front. Again I felt that the Zona speakers added another level of believability to the action. The Zona speakers performed just as well with high frequency passages such as creating the unmistakable pings of spent cartridges hitting concrete, and boots shuffling across gravel. The system did what all quality surrounds do which is to immerse the viewer in the scene. They shined especially bright during dynamic sequences."
"The Aperion Zona system is an audio version of a Swiss-Army knife. Its flexibility is limited by the users imagination, and proximity to a power outlet. I found myself moving the speakers to various locations of my home including the garage, and backyard (Zona are not outdoor speakers by design) and found that they operated flawlessly through several walls and over wide distances. Couple these speakers with an on-line radio service such as Pandora and an iPod and you have very little need for any other audio gear."
- Jim Swantko, HomeTheaterReview.com, April 2011
Read Full Review - The Chicago Tribune Reviews the Aperion Zona Surround Speaker System
- "Excellent sound, well-built, no wiring between speakers, no dropouts."
"Moving the Zonas front and center as stereo speakers reveals their true sonic colors. They don't go deep, but their gorgeous midrange is mostly wasted as surround speakers. Strip away the amplifiers and the wireless technology, and these $499 Zonas could stand on their own among home entertainment's better traditional pint-size speakers in the $200 to $250 category. That's like saying Aperion has built, even overbuilt, extraordinary wireless surround speakers. No strings attached."
- Kevin Hunt, Chicago Tribune (link is the Hartford Courant, a Tribune newspaper), March 2011
Read Full Review - The New York Times reviews our Zona Wireless Speakers
- "There's no place to attach speaker wires even if you wanted to. Instead, each speaker needs only to plug into a wall outlet. Plug each one in, then turn on the transmitter, and the speakers pipe fantastic, rich sound from your home theater."
- Farhad Manjoo, New York Times, March 2011
Read Full Review - Computer Power User (CPU) Magazine Reviews the Aperion Zona Wireless Speaker System
- "Setting up rear speakers for a home-theater system is a pain. In fact, installing rear speakers is so much trouble that many people simply opt out. Don't do that. Aperion's Zona wireless speakers are a perfect complement to your system: big, beefy sound...no noticeable lag, and, perhaps best of all, easy installation..."
"The speakers reproduced music, dialog, and effects of all kinds flawlessly."
"...the Zona wireless surround speaker system is a welcome addition to any computer or home-theater system."
- Rod Scher, ComputerPowerUser.com, March 2011 Issue
Read Full Review on Page 32, on news stands Now - GoodSound.com Gives a "Solid Recommendation" to the Aperion Zona Wireless Speaker System
- "The Zonas imaged like champs, throwing a good-size soundstage, and had a clear midrange that contained more texture and tonal richness than are usually heard from speakers of this size and cost."
"As for its primary intended function -- as a surround speaker -- the Zona will no doubt prove very satisfying in many systems, and not just entry-level ones. I'd gladly include them in a setup with $1500-$2000 main speakers and be perfectly confident that they could keep up with the surround information in most movie soundtracks. We all know by now that we want all the speakers in a surround system to be as tonally well matched as possible. Well, the Zonas' bass and treble adjustments will let you achieve just that. You can tailor the sound to get them to be a good match with the speakers up front -- something not easy to do with conventional passive speakers from disparate brands."
"The Zona's real benefit is its ability to put sound in places where there are few options. It?s an answer to the dilemma that many consumers face when trying to get a decent home theater into an existing space without cluttering it with speaker cables. The fact that a real speaker company has made a real speaker -- solid box, good drivers, crafty engineering -- that can fill that need is promising."
Summing up
"Don't tear into your Sheetrock. And if you're expanding into a 7.1-channel system, don't worry about stressing your receiver by making it drive even more speakers. Just do the easy thing: Get some Zonas, plug 'em in, dial 'em in with the remote, then sit back and enjoy the experience. The Zona might not take over the audio world -- such little guys can do only so much heavy lifting -- but they fill a void in the real world consumers live in, and do so while offering more performance, build quality, and features than you might expect for the price. To me, that makes them a solid recommendation. Thumbs up to wireless!" - Luxist.com Reviews the Aperion Zona Surround Speaker System
- "In a nutshell, Aperion really thought out the product well, the construction quality is good, and the performance is impressive."
"My home is like an airfield of wireless device signals, so the fact that the speakers sounded clear with no interference was good. There was also no pops or background hiss that can be annoying."
"Setting the system up is really easy - it is more or less "plug and play." There are basically four major uses you'll find out of the speakers. First are as speakers on your television. This is probably the best use as most of today's flat-panel televisions comes with awful speakers - and more or less require you to use external speakers to sound decent. Next is for use with some style of stereo system. Third is as PC speakers, and last as speakers for your iPhone/iPod or any other DAP (digital audio device). The latter can be connected to the speaker system via an included 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable (that would connect in the jack where your headphones go). Pretty simple right?"
"Sound quality is very good. Levels adjustability is adequate, and the range is impressive with the two bookshelf style sized speakers. Aperion knows good speakers, and they don't really disappoint here for most causal uses. This is easily the most powerful and best set of wireless speakers I have ever used. Set up is a breeze, and (given some practical constraints) the system really helps reduce wire clutter (while giving you more flexible speaker placement options). I feel that the price of $499 is actually quite fair given the quality. You can even buy them online direct from Aperion."
- Ariel Adams, Luxist.com, December 2010
Read Full Review - Zona makes Gear Patrol's 2010 Holiday Gift List
- "Get that full 5.1 home theater speaker setup you've always wanted, minus the hassle of wiring. That is all."
"Probably the biggest issue most people have with installing a surround sound setup is dealing with wiring. Hiding the wires for the center channel, sub, and left/right surrounds is typically easy since they often tuck behind the entertainment console. It's really the rear surrounds that pose the biggest risk of decor destruction. Aperion Audio's new Zona Wireless Surround Speaker System ($500) is a complete package for partially solving these woes. At the core of the system is a pair of high-quality bookshelf speakers that feature built-in wireless receivers and two-way power amplifiers. While each speaker still requires being plugged into a wall to draw power, when paired with the Zona Wireless Transmitter, they can playback audiophile-grad surround sound without having wires snaked back to your receiver. Need more speakers? Then just buy more kits, since the Zona system can be continually expanded. The bottom line is it's the perfect solution if you're in need of speakers and can't deal with wrecking your living space to wire them up. Now if only scientists could figure out how to transmit clean, wireless power for speakers without microwaving our brains..."
- GearPatrol.com, December 2010
Read Full Review - Zona makes Gear Patrol's 2010 Holiday Gift List
- "Get that full 5.1 home theater speaker setup you've always wanted, minus the hassle of wiring. That is all."
"Probably the biggest issue most people have with installing a surround sound setup is dealing with wiring. Hiding the wires for the center channel, sub, and left/right surrounds is typically easy since they often tuck behind the entertainment console. It's really the rear surrounds that pose the biggest risk of decor destruction. Aperion Audio's new Zona Wireless Surround Speaker System ($500) is a complete package for partially solving these woes. At the core of the system is a pair of high-quality bookshelf speakers that feature built-in wireless receivers and two-way power amplifiers. While each speaker still requires being plugged into a wall to draw power, when paired with the Zona Wireless Transmitter, they can playback audiophile-grad surround sound without having wires snaked back to your receiver. Need more speakers? Then just buy more kits, since the Zona system can be continually expanded. The bottom line is it's the perfect solution if you're in need of speakers and can't deal with wrecking your living space to wire them up. Now if only scientists could figure out how to transmit clean, wireless power for speakers without microwaving our brains..."
GearPatrol.com, December 2010
Read Full Review
Features
Simple whole-home wireless audio
Easily send music from your computer or music player to every Zona speaker in your house. With the click of a mouse or the touch of a button, your home is instantly filled with music!
Unique music zones in your home with multiple Zona speaker pairs
Get creative— create up to three different music zones from multiple audio sources in your home. You could listen to wireless music from your CD player in your living room, while your daughter streams from her laptop to the den. The possibilities are endless!
Easily expandable distributed audio
When you’re ready to expand, you can add an unlimited number of Zona speakers to your system.
True plug and play technology - no software installation – ever!
When you plug Zona’s wireless transmitter into your computer, it automatically configures itself and instantly starts sending music to any Zona speakers within range.
Supports all computers, music players and streaming services
Zona isn’t tied to any software, music service or operating system. It simply sends the music you’re enjoying to Zona Speakers anywhere in your house.
100’ Range with no interference
Zona’s 2.4 GHz wireless signal is strong enough to penetrate through walls and obstacles, sending your music up to 100 feet away. Zona and your other wireless devices don’t interfere with each other – it all just works.
Better than CD quality, uncompressed sound
We tested several proven wireless audio technologies before selecting the most reliable and purest sounding solution for you. With forward error correction, extremely low latency and 16 bit/48KHz sample rate, your music won’t take a hit, and your friends will be looking for the wires.
Remote control allows for flexible placement
Place your Zona Speakers wherever you like, then control the volume, mute the speakers, and personalize the bass and treble settings to your taste with the included remote control.
Threaded inserts for wall or stand mounting
Mount your speakers securely using the threaded inserts on the rear and base of the speakers. Check the "Things You’ll Need" tab for compatible stands and mounts.
What's in the Box:
- Two Aperion Zona Wireless Speakers with built-in 2x20W Amplifiers
- Zona Wireless Transmitter, which streams high-quality audiophile-grade audio with low latency
- Remote Control
- Power Adapters
- Cloth Grilles to protect your speakers
- All cables needed to get going
Documentation
Download the Zona Wireless Speakers Manual
Specifications
| Weight | 20.0 lbs |
|---|---|
| With Wireless Card | Satin Black |
| Frequency Response | 55 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Sample Rate | 16-bit depth and 48 KHz |
| Latency | 18ms |
| Error Correction | Forward error correction coding, error detection, and audio-specific error concealment |
| Wireless Band | 2.4 GHz |
| Amplifier Power | Powered Wireless Speaker system with a 2x20 watt Class D Amplifier with DSP |
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome Silk Tweeter |
| Midrange | 4.5" woven fiberglass woofer |
| Driver Configuration | 2-Way |
| Enclosure Type | Ported, MDF |
| Dimensions | 9.8" High x 6" Wide x 6.3" Deep |
| Product Family | Zona |
| Placement Location | Front Speakers, Surround Speakers, Distributed Wireless Audio |
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