Aperion Audio DROPS Price of Intimus Loudspeakers

[admin]

We're used to loudspeaker manufacturers raising the prices of their speakers over time to combat increasing shipping and manufacturing costs. Sometimes manufacturers even begin experimenting with cheaper components in order to cut costs while simultaneously raising prices. But it is a rare day indeed when a manufacturer announces largely cosmetic changes to lower the price of their loudspeakers to make them more affordable. Aperion Audio apparently doesn't mind bucking the trend - and perhaps that;s why the Internet-direct company is wreaking havoc on their direct competition. The company announced this week that their new Aperion Intimus line of home theater speakers will feature a price drop of up to 20 percent across the line.

Discuss "Aperion Audio DROPS Price of Intimus Loudspeakers" here. Read the article.

 

[alphaiii]

This article fails to point out what the consumer is losing with the price drop, beyond just the wood veneer or gloss black.

1) The cabinets are now 15mm MDF instead of 18mm MDF for the Intimus 4 series. Since the revised 5 has yet to be released, we don't know what reduction in build quality the 5 series will see. Regardless of what anyone says, I always see a reduction in cabinet thickness as detrimental to performance.

2) The warranty on everything but the drivers is now 5 years instead of 10. Initially is was just 5 years for the revised Intimus, but some chatter at AVS led to an Aperion rep stating Aperion decided to still honor the 10 year warranty on drivers for the Intimus speakers.


So while I commend Aperion for dropping prices while EVERYONE else seems to be raising them, there were only able to do so by making some concessions will build quality and warranty.

BTW, the speakers are "slighty more efficient" because they dropped the magnetic shielding from the woofers, which was an unnecessary expense anyway sine CRT TV's are a thing of the past for most people.

 

[scott911]

Remarking that the making of the speakers "more efficient" as a definative good thing is a bit snake-oily if you ask me.

 

[ski2xblack]

Remarking that the making of the speakers "more efficient" as a definative good thing is a bit snake-oily if you ask me.

Not really, especially considering the mid-range AVR they will likely be paired with. If the price-point compromised amps within such AVRs have their load lightened via higher sensitivity speakers, it's a good thing. More music before clipping, and the amps work less hard in general. Still, it's kind of a marginal 'improvement', particularly when compared to cheapening the cabs and wrapping them in vinyl (yuck!).

 

[zieglj01]

So while I commend Aperion for dropping prices while EVERYONE else seems to be raising them, there were only able to do so by making some concessions will build quality and warranty.

This is one way, to make the Verus line more attractive - I will pass
on this price drop.

 

[alphaiii]

This is one way, to make the Verus line more attractive - I will pass
on this price drop.

Yeah me too. The Verus line is MUCH more interesting anyway. They've received some very good reviews so far.

 

[zhimbo]

The Verus Forte line and the Intimus line were kind of competing with each other; it makes more than a little sense to budget-ify the Intimus liine a bit.