In 1998 our family boombox sputtered its last sound and died. After the memorial service, I suggested to my wife we splurge and buy a full stereo system. With her blessing, and a snug budget of $1,500, the shopping began.
Little did I know I was going to step into a kind of hell on earth I didn’t know existed. So many speaker choices, dozens of them, and all displayed in an acoustically engineered showroom that didn’t begin to resemble my family room.
Then the light went on, not so much like a revelation, but more like a logical epiphany to a really screwy situation. I thought, “I’ll build the speakers myself. ”But the big epiphany, the kahuna of epiphanies, the one for which I am forever grateful, came a few weeks later, incited by a guy in Mexico I was talking to about the sonic capacity of Peruvian hardwood. He asked, “Are you going to make a business out of building speakers?” And while the prospect of doing so had never occurred to me, what leaped out of my mouth was “Yes.”
With that "yes," the vision to build remarkable sounding speakers at a remarkably low price was instantaneously born. Of course, it was a no-brainer that the prime way to do this was to sell direct to the customer online. Cut out the middleman, the distribution channel, all the bureaucracy that sucks a budget dry, then pour that cash into developing and manufacturing kick ass speakers. The boon to the customer? Extraordinary speakers at half the price of retail.
So, what started at a budget of $1,500 in 1998 turned into a million dollars in capital within months. And while my wife and I put off buying the speaker system of our dreams, within time we finally got it. It’s called the Aperion Audio Intimus 5.1 System. The best thing about this story? This is only the beginning.
Aperion Factory and Headquarters
A Brief History of Aperion Audio
This year marks the 28th year of operation for Aperion Audio! 28 years ago when the internet was in its relative infancy, we were born as a pioneer of online direct-to-consumer speaker manufacturing. Realizing the disparity in cost vs performance in the industry, we focused on a quality customer experience that offered a better value, meaningful information, and generous service. The philosophy of “cutting out the middleman” has allowed us to create an incredible sounding speaker at a price that is far lower than any comparable product. This combined with the ability to build a direct relationship with our customers allows us to immediately absorb their feedback and drive the company in a direction consistent with the needs of the most important decision maker, YOU.
1999– February 1999 Aperion began life as Edge Audio, entering the market with the 502D system. The original speakers were manufactured in its factory in Ensenada, Mexico made of solid capirona wood, available in two finishes, cherry and walnut. The 502d speakers contained a vifa 5.25” mid and 1” silk tweeter and the “Diaural” crossover. To compliment the edge system, a single 12” sub was available.
2001– Edge Audio is changed to Aperion Audio. That date also marked the end of 502d and the beginning of 2ndgeneration 512 bookshelf. The speaker contained the same driver and tweeter as the 502d, however, because of some inconsistencies with the capirona wood, the cabinet was switched to 1” HDF (high density fiberboard) and made available in cherry veneer and black lacquer.
2002– Next in the Aperion lineup came the new and improved 3rd generation 522 bookshelf speaker and introduced the “Intimus” family name. The new speaker was an almost complete revision of the 512. Switching from vifa drivers, Aperion now had its own in-house custom designed drivers and amps manufactured from the same vendor. The 522 was redesigned to a slightly larger size. Along with a new woofer and tweeter, the DiAural crossover was re-tuned to give the 522 a much warmer sound. Another sub was added to the series, the S10 with a front firing 10” woofer and a 200-watt amp.
2003-2005 – Aperion added some smaller speakers, the 422 bookshelf and 422c center speaker, matched with an 8” 100-watt sub. Also, some larger bookshelf speakers were added for the music enthusiast, the 632LR. This was a 6.5” carbon fiber woofer with 1” silk tweeter and the new HD-X3 crossover. Finally, the 633T tower speaker with two 6.5” woofers and 1” silk tweeter was added to the Intimus series, giving a multitude of speaker options for all music and home theater needs.
2006–2007 – Aperion introduced the Intimus series of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers.
2008 – A revision of the Intimus line was initiated with a slightly changed aesthetic look, but a major change in terms of build and sound quality. A new tweeter was designed along with the move to cast aluminum frames for the woven fiberglass woofers. The Intimus line was renamed based on driver size, with centers, towers and bookshelf in either 4”, 5” or 6”. To fill out the 6 series line up, a home theater enthusiast 6C center was added along with a 5T tower speaker. At this time the 533PT was also retired as the 633T quickly became the flagship speaker in the line.
2009 – After the Intimus revisions, Aperion launched the Bravus subwoofer series. The first version had dual active 8, 10 or 12” woofers along with DSP, a powerful class D amplifier and remote control.
2010 – Aperion set out on designing a new and improved speaker line. One that would build on the success of Intimus but bring all around audiophile sound and design at a value price that was unprecedented in the audio market. Launched at the 2010 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, the Verus Grand Tower speaker was an instant best of show and customer favorite. In the Verus Grand line, a Grand Center and Grand bookshelf were offered to complete the system. The Verus Grand series drastically changed the design aesthetic of the traditional square Intimus look to a more refined, higher end glossy curved cabinet. In addition to the design, Aperion also developed new Kevlar woofer and a patented tweeter ASR that set Verus apart as a true audiophile speaker.
2010 — Aperion Audio introduced the "Zono Wireless," a set of wireless surround satellite speakers that became a best-seller at the time. It featured a circular wireless receiver comprising both a transmitter and a receiver unit, offering plug-and-play functionality.
That same year, a Slimstage30 soundbar was also released.
2011 - A redesign of the Bravus series was completed and it was now named "Bravus II", moving to a single down firing active driver matched with a pair of passive radiators and larger more powerful class D amplifiers. Mid 2011 also brought the arrival of the smaller Verus Forte line of speakers and a Verus Surround Speaker. Following in the footsteps of Verus Grand, the Forte line has won numerous awards and accolades alone with customer raves.
In 2011, to meet users' outdoor music needs, Aperion launched the Intimus Outdoor—a waterproof outdoor speaker.
In 2011, Summit Wireless—later to become the renowned WiSA Technologies, Inc.—unveiled its wireless technology. With both companies based in Portland, Oregon, Summit was in urgent need of a brand partner to help promote its newly launched wireless solution. Given their close proximity, WiSA naturally turned to Aperion Audio. By combining Aperion's loudspeakers with their own wireless amplification electronics, the two companies jointly introduced the world's first branded speaker series to officially incorporate WiSA wireless technology.
In 2012, Aperion Audio partnered with the U.S. tech giant Microsoft to launch a smart wireless desktop speaker designed for the Windows system: Aris for Windows.
2012 – Aperion Audio released one of its most popular speakers of all time: the PST Planar Ribbon Super Tweeter MK1. Its convenient connectivity and exceptional sound quality received praise from both reviewers and customers.
2013 – Aperion Audio released the second product in its highly acclaimed Super Tweeter series: the RST Aluminum—a true aluminum ribbon super tweeter (MK1).
2014 – This year saw the release of one of our most popular speakers ever – the Allaire Bluetooth speaker. The easy connectivity and awesome sound quality was a hit with reviewers and customers alike.
2015 – After five years of accolades, and continuous praise the Verus II series emerged at the end of 2015 with a slew of refinements for our flagship speaker line. A redesigned crossover network and further enhancements to our patented ASR tweeter highlighted a range of improvements.
2017 – The Intimus series, an entry-level line that had been a bestseller in the U.S. for 20 years, reached the end of its product lifecycle. In 2017, Aperion Audio released the final iteration of the Intimus 5 series—the Pure White Edition. With this release, production of the entire product line was permanently discontinued.
2018 – Being a perfectionist is never easy. New performance enhancing features were developed for our Verus family which instigated another step in our evolution, Verus III. The added flexibility of the TrebleMod feature and driver improvements propelled the sound quality above anything we’ve ever made.
2018 – That same year, to provide users requiring custom installations with a wider range of services and product options, Aperion Audio launched the Clearus series—an entry-level line of in-ceiling and in-wall speakers.
2019 — With the discontinuation of the Intimus entry-level speaker line, Aperion Audio set out to create an entirely new series of high-quality, affordable home speakers for its customers. After more than four years of research and development, the Novus series was born! Compared to the Intimus series, the Novus lineup features a more comprehensive range of models, a more stylish aesthetic, and overall enhanced sound quality.
2021 – Following the success of the first-generation Super Tweeter and strong market demand, Aperion Audio launched the Super Tweeter MKII's, This included the star model in the super-tweeter category: the "DST" Dual Firing AMT super-tweeter.
2021 – Many members of the Aperion Audio team had played in bands in their youth. Influenced by them, Aperion released its first commemorative edition guitar, the G41.
Late 2021 – The Verus III Grand series, with its 6.5-inch speakers, couldn't meet the needs of users with large spaces. Aperion Audio customers had been waiting for years for larger speaker models in the Verus series. To address this demand, Aperion Audio launched the Verus III Concert 8" series at the end of the same year. The first batch of orders sold out immediately, and the Verus Concert series quickly gained widespread recognition.
2022 was a pivotal year for Aperion Audio! According to Aperion Audio's product manager: "We've been making home loudspeakers for over 20 years. We needed a stronger product line to enter the professional studio market and the mid-to-high-end custom home theater market." For this, Aperion Audio's engineers had been preparing for years, and in 2022, the Theatrus HiFi monitor-grade custom installation loudspeaker series was born!
2022 – Following the successful launch of the widely acclaimed Verus III Concert V8T floorstanding speaker, Aperion Audio quickly garnered widespread praise from users for its outstanding sound quality and exquisite craftsmanship. To expand its product line, we launched the V8B 8-inch bookshelf speaker (designed for near-field listening) and the V8C dual 8-inch center speaker (optimized for home theater systems), creating a complete audio-visual solution for multiple scenarios.
2023 – "A good horse needs a good saddle, and a fine sword is a gift for a hero." Aperion Audio aims to create an incredibly powerful partner for its formidable Theatrus speaker series! Thus, the Energy home multi-channel power amplifier was born. Its powerful output, dynamic range, and stable performance will undoubtedly make it a shining new star in the power amplifier market!
2023 – Building on its existing product line, Aperion Audio further enhanced the Verus III Concert home theater series, adding the V8S 8-inch tri-polar surround speaker to enhance the immersiveness and positioning accuracy of the surround sound field, creating a more complete panoramic sound experience for audiophiles and enthusiasts.
2023 – Following the stunning debut of the Theatrus custom-installation monitor-grade home theater speaker series and its widespread acclaim from industry professionals and audiophiles, it was hailed as "the most perfectly designed custom-installation home theater speaker product currently available," thanks to its HiFi-level sound reproduction and outstanding ultra-high sensitivity range coverage.
As the number of successful installations of the Theatrus series in the high-end audio-visual market, both domestically and internationally, continues to rise, users are placing increasingly stringent demands on the performance and flexibility of accompanying subwoofers. Many experienced audio-visual enthusiasts have reported that while mainstream active subwoofers on the market offer high integration, their integrated amplifier and cabinet design make it extremely inconvenient to fine-tune placement or upgrade amplifiers. They prefer passive subwoofer solutions, which allow for flexible driving via external, independent amplifiers, enabling users to freely match different power amplifiers to room acoustics.
To address this, Aperion launched the TS15 passive 15-inch subwoofer, offering powerful performance and precise control to meet the needs of some high-end home theater users.
In the same year, the Theatrus series launched a stealthy, in-wall speaker version, further expanding the product line to meet the needs of more scenarios.
2024 – This year marks Aperion Audio's significant 25th anniversary. To thank the audiophiles who have supported the brand over the years, Aperion assembled its engineering and sales teams and integrated 25 years of acoustic technology and deep user insights to meticulously craft the "Grandis" High-Fidelity bookshelf speaker series. With its groundbreaking driver configuration and precise sound reproduction technology, this series sparked heated discussions within the HiFi community upon its release. Its design philosophy, which balances aesthetics and audio performance, has garnered high market recognition, becoming a benchmark for the brand's anniversary celebration.
Mid-Late 2024 – to meet the needs of high-end users in ultra-large space applications, Aperion Audio added two flagship models to its Theatrus monitor-grade custom installation series: the T107 and T87. At the same time, it launched matching high-end all-aluminum frame ceiling speakers, the T8C and T6C.
In late 2024, Aperion Audio launched the "Energy Pro" series, the E2H and E3H, offering greater power and better sound quality. Their single-channel power of up to 1000W is truly impressive! A powerful partner for driving large front three-channel main speakers!
2025 – Following the widespread acclaim for its precise sound and elegant design, the Grandis high-fidelity bookshelf speaker, Aperion Audio, fully incorporating feedback from users and fans, launched the Grandis series floorstanding speaker versions – the GR6T and GR8T. Compared to the bookshelf version, the floorstanding version features an independent soft-dome midrange driver, an optimized crossover design, and a larger cabinet volume. This not only expands the soundstage depth to its limit but also achieves realistic reproduction of vocals and instruments through enhanced midrange density. At the same time, the bass extension and energy achieve a qualitative leap, presenting music lovers with a more immersive and complete listening experience.
2025 – The Theatrus speaker series continues to gain popularity in the high-end home theater market thanks to its outstanding sound quality and flexible installation design. It has received widespread praise from audiophiles and professional integrators and has emerged as a strong contender in the competitive custom home theater market, where many international brands are vying for dominance. Facing higher expectations amid this market boom, Aperion Audio, adhering to its "user-centric" philosophy, has launched a 3-way, 3-driver ultra-thin wall-mounted version and a concealed in-wall version for different budgets. While maintaining the series' signature accurate soundstage reproduction, it has achieved a dual breakthrough in performance and cost-effectiveness through an optimized driver layout and cabinet structure.
In 2025, Aperion Audio further deepened its presence in the high-end custom home theater market with the official launch of the Theatrerus series 3-way, 5-driver LCR models. This series offers both ultra-thin wall-mounted and recessed installation options, and provides a choice of 6.5-inch and 8-inch drivers. The series optimizes soundstage coverage with symmetrical mid- and high-frequency drivers while maintaining the series' signature monitor-grade sound quality standards. Its modular design meets the acoustic needs of different spaces, giving AV integrators and audiophiles more flexible solutions and strengthening Theatrus's position in the custom home theater field.
In late 2025, Aperion Audio officially released its new generation of entry-level Daedalus (DS series) active subwoofers, comprising of four models: DS8, DS10, DS12, and DS15, each with 8-, 10-, 12-, and 15-inch driver configurations, respectively. This enables precise adaptation to varying spatial needs, providing a cost-effective low-frequency solution for home theater and music-listening scenarios.
2026 – After years of dedicated research and development, Aperion Audio officially launched the Bravus III active subwoofer series (B215 & B212), featuring cutting-edge acoustic technology. This series collaborates closely with ICEpower, a leading international amplifier technology provider from Denmark, using the latest-generation Class D digital amplifier modules to achieve a perfect balance between high power output and ultra-low distortion. Its powerful dynamic performance and deep 18Hz bass extension make it ideal for large spaces, especially for high-end home theater users seeking ultimate immersion and the budget to match. It injectserful, precise low-frequency energy into their audio-visual systems.
And the Bravus III slim active subwoofers – B215S & B212S – are perfect for installation in the cramped space behind a projector screen. Their slim design makes them incredibly easy to place behind a screen, saving space while delivering powerful bass and providing professional-grade acoustic performance for compact or "hidden" home theaters.
2026 – Since the launch of its bookshelf and floorstanding versions, the Grandis high-fidelity speaker series has consistently generated heated discussions among audiophiles thanks to its precise acoustic performance and meticulous craftsmanship. Amidst much anticipation, the series' flagship speaker has finally been unveiled. We're providing a limited number of demo units to key distributors to showcase, and we're opening a market feedback channel. We aim to refine product details through real-world user feedback, ensuring the perfect product for mass production.
To be continued.......
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