The Review:

Removing the set from its velvet and cardboard sarcophagus is when the fun really begins. Unlike the majority of mid-range HT systems composed of bookshelf satellite speakers, the keystones of the Intimus 4T hybrid system are (you guessed it) the 4T tower speakers. Don’t let the term “tower” mislead you (or your significant other), though. Owning this set does not require ceding half your living room to the kingdom of Aperion. In other words, these beauties will likely meet with wife-approval.

That’s because the 4T’s have an incredibly small footprint overall, despite containing dual 4 inch woven-fiberglass mid-woofers and a custom designed 1 inch silk dome tweeter. Visualize a stack of DVD boxes 3 feet tall and that’s roughly the size of a 4T tower. Gentlemen, let me be clear though… the svelte stature of the 4T’s has absolutely no bearing on the veritable tsunami of sound these bad boys produce. I repeat, a tsunami.

Even before we connected the center and surround speakers to our test receiver (the Sony STR DG920), the two-channel output of the 4T’s alone was nothing short of spectacular. Thanks to their on-board custom tweeters, we didn’t miss the surround sound stage absent of a center channel speaker. The shrill cries of hobbits in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (pun intended) stood out clearly over the cacophony of battle noises (surround sound systems typically direct vocals through the center channel). The thundering and rumbling of horse hooves and Orcs further proved just how much the towers simply outgun standard satellite speakers. So much so that we pondered (read: feared) our neighbors reactions once we added the sub woofer. The trepidation soon subsided, though. It was just too much fun.

To test the towers’ musical capabilities, I next put on Led Zepplin’s “Stairway to Heaven”. This confirmed my suspicions that music is the true stage for showcasing the 4T’s talent. Robert Plant’s screaming line “and as we wind on down the road…” made the hair stand on the back of my neck. When speakers make this happen, you simply laugh and take it in knowing there are few joys in life that are better. It wasn’t an isolated instance, either.

Throughout my time with the system, as a DJ and music lover, I was really reminded of the distinction between active and passive listening. While sitting down in front of the 4T’s, it’s hard to focus on anything else. The towers reinvigorated everything I played, and that’s when I realized I would have to own these speakers for myself. Of course, Eric Yang’s insistent mumbling of “these things are seriously awesome” (note his notoriously picky audio standards) in no way swayed me.

You can call me hasty, but rounding out the system with the companies base level 4B satellites, 4C center, and the new Bravus 8D dual power 8 inch sub was guaranteed to sweeten the pot. Further testing (aka: watching awesome movies and listening to outstanding music) did not dispute this. The Bravus 8D’s ability to shake the shelves, walls, floor, and large intestines, satiated any desires I had for bass. Testing it on Terminator 2’s infamous opening scene (fast forward to 1:03 and turn up the volume to 11) involving a skull crushing foot stomp had me laughing with glee. Laughing partially in surprise but partially in awe of the Bravus 8D’s gravitas. It felt like the woofer punched me in the stomach. Thankfully the sub’s included remote and convenient built-in digital display quickly allowed me to tone things down after receiving the look of death from oh… pretty much everyone in the building.

The Answer Is This:

Combined in all of it’s glory, I challenge anyone to find a better performing system for under $1,600 that is backed by the same warranties and sonically comparable.

Some will say that $1,600 is not an insignificant sum to spend on a sound system, so it’s no surprise that the Aperion Intimus 4T Hybrid SD’s sound great. Those same people might also point out that perfectly good speaker systems are available for everyday use at a fraction of the cost.

I can’t disagree with either of those statements, but that argument can be made for almost any kind of gear. I only present my original point: that every man has an itch for improvement (personally, or in this case sonically) and how you choose to manage that desire is a very personal decision. Gear Patrol just likes to make suggestions (nudge nudge, wink wink).

If you happen to fall into the same category as I do (willing to stretch your budget slightly knowing that it’s for a premium in quality and build), then any competition in this category is moot. Whether you’re passionate about music or movies, no other tower based set at this price range comes close to matching the aesthetics, build quality, and sonic accuracy of the Intimus 4T Hybrid SD.

But like Levar Burton said in every episode of Reading Rainbow… “don’t take my word for it”. Try the system yourself (for one whole month, no less). I’m 100% sure you’ll feel the same as I do. As will your son 10 years from now, when it becomes his.

Cost: $1,600

Surround Sound Setup Tips:

One thing users must be keenly aware of when tweaking this setup is bass management. Largely, this has to do with crossover frequency (or the low level frequency range at which your system crosses over sound output from the satellites to the sub woofer). Due to the towers max low frequency range of 45Hz, failing to set a proper fixed crossover frequency can rob your system from showcasing the full range of sound offered by the towers. This level varies from system to system so the bottom line is to do your homework when calibrating these speakers to make sure your home theater is setup to use the full potential of both the towers and sub woofer.

Another concern I had in terms of setup with the towers involved them overpowering the center and subsequently throwing off the balance of the system. Switching my speaker settings from small to large in my Sony STR-DG920’s sub menu did a lot to alleviate this problem, as did placing the speakers at least 6 feet apart from each other (as recommended by Aperion).

Links:
ECoustics - Setting Up Your First Home Theater Surround System: Do’s and Dont’s
Audioholics - Speaker Setup Guidelines
eHow - How To Set Up Surround Sound

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