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Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA Overview

Aperion Audio is an independent speaker maker that sells internet-direct, bypassing the usual retailer dealer network. Aperion support includes fast shipping, no-obligation 30-day home trial (return shipping is free if that is needed), a ten year warranty of the drivers and cabinets, a two-year warranty on subwoofer amplifiers, and both live chat and toll free customer support.

The Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA 5.1 Channel Home Theater Speaker System is one their product offerings that is designed to provide big home theater sound for smaller rooms. This System features a visually pleasing designed speaker system that includes an 8-inch powered subwoofer. For all the details, keep reading this review.

Intimus 4C Center Channel Speaker

The Intimus 4C center channel speaker is a 2-Way acoustic suspension design that incorporates one woven fiberglass midrange/woofer, a passive radiator, and silk dome tweeter.

The speaker features MDF (medium density fiberboard) construction with a external hand polished black lacquer finish, weighs 8lbs, and is 5.33-inches high, 12.8-inches wide, and 5.5-inches deep.

The 4C is magnetically shielded.

For more specification details, refer to my Aperion Audio Intimus 4C Center Channel Speaker Photo Profile Page

Intimus 4B Satellite Speakers

The Intimus 4B satellite speakers are a 2-Way acoustic suspension design that incorporates one woven fiberglass midrange/woofer and silk dome tweeter.

The speaker features MDF (medium density fiberboard) construction with a external hand polished black lacquer finish, weighs 8lbs, and 8.75-inches high, 5.3-inches wide, and is 5.5-inches deep.

The 4B is magnetically shielded.

For more specification details, refer to my Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Satellite Speaker Photo Profile Page

Bravus 8A Powered Subwoofer

The Bravus 8A Powered Subwoofer included in the Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA Home Theater Speaker System has a Bass Reflex design as evidenced by the combination of an 8-inch down firing driver in combination with a down facing port.

The Bravus 8A's amplifier is rated to deliver 100 watts of continuous power and weighs 33 pounds. The cabinet dimensions are 15-inches high, 13.5-inches wide, and 13.5-inches deep (with feet attached).

For more specification details, refer to my Bravus 8A Photo Profile Page.

Additional Components Used in this Review

Blu-ray Disc Player: OPPO BDP-103.

DVD Player: OPPO DV-980H.

Home Theater Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR705 and Yamaha RX-V775WA (on review loan).

Loudspeaker/Subwoofer System 1 used for comparison (5.1 channels): 2 Klipsch F-2's, 2 Klipsch B-3's, Klipsch C-2 Center, and Klipsch Synergy Sub10.

Loudspeaker/Subwoofer System 2 used for comparison (5.1 channels): EMP Tek E5Ci Center channel Speaker, four E5Bi compact bookshelf Speakers for left and right main and surrounds, and an ES10i 100 watt powered subwoofer.

Software Used

Blu-ray Discs: Battleship, Ben Hur, Brave, Cowboys and Aliens, The Hunger Games, Jaws, Jurassic Park Trilogy, Megamind, Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Oz The Great and Powerful (2D), Pacific Rim, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Dark Knight Rises.

Standard DVDs: The Cave, House of the Flying Daggers, Kill Bill - Vol 1/2, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut), Lord of Rings Trilogy, Master and Commander, Outlander, U571, and V For Vendetta.

CDs: Al Stewart - Sparks of Ancient Light, Beatles - LOVE, Blue Man Group - The Complex, Joshua Bell - Bernstein - West Side Story Suite, Eric Kunzel - 1812 Overture, HEART - Dreamboat Annie, Nora Jones - Come Away With Me, Sade - Soldier of Love.

DVD-Audio discs included: Queen - Night At The Opera/The Game, Eagles - Hotel California, and Medeski, Martin, and Wood - Uninvisible, Sheila Nicholls - Wake.

SACD discs used included: Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon, Steely Dan - Gaucho, The Who - Tommy.

Audio Performance - Intimus 4C Center Channel and Intimus 4B Satellite Speakers

What is interesting about the Intimus 4C center channel speaker is that unlike most horizontally-designed center channel speakers, instead of two active drivers and a tweeter, it actually has, in the addition to its tweeter, just one active driver - what looks like a second driver is actually a passive radiator.

However, given that design variation, I found that the Intimus 4C performs very well as a vocal and dialog anchor, which is the main purchase of a center channel speaker. The mid-range and high frequencies were smooth, with the highs not being overly bright, and although I would have preferred slightly more body and depth in the midrange, the 4C does the job for its compact size.

The Intimus 4C, in combination with Intimus 4B satellites provided a very good surround sound listening experience.

The satellites provided very good directional placement of sound effects, as well as providing wide dispersion for immersive listening experience for movies and music in a 5 channel configuration. Some of finer details in transient sound effects were a little soft, but for compact speakers in their price range, they were up to par.

Using the Digital Video Essentials Disc, the observed low end audible frequency on both Intimus 4C and Intimus 4Bs was about 75 Hz, with usable audio output beginning at about 90Hz and a strong output beginning around 100Hz. This result is interesting for the 4Bs as Aperion states that the frequency range for the 4Bs goes from 120Hz to 20kHz with a plus or minus 3db variation and plus or minus 6db variation if you go from 100Hz.

Audio Performance - Bravus 8A Subwoofer

The Bravus 8A subwoofer is a well-constructed cube that is flush and grill-less on all vertical sides, with an 8-inch down firing driver/port combination. This arrangement delivers strong low-end bass response in the 40 to 60Hz range, decreasing down to its lowest audible point of about 30Hz, as observed using the audio tests provided on the Digital Video Essentials Disc.

However, although the Bravus 8A delivers a low, and tight, bass response, it doesn't a have a lot of texture when moving into the 60-100Hz range.

For example, on Heart's Magic Man, which contains a bass slide that ends on the extreme low end, the Bravus 8A did better than I expected for a small subwoofer, but on the other hand, with the acoustic bass tracks on the Nora Jones CD Come Away with Me, the bass was a little "thuddy", lacking some of the detail or texture that I would have expected, and heard on the comparison systems.

On the other hand, the 8A was not overly boomy in the mid and upper bass frequencies. Although having a subwoofer that is too-boomy in the mid and upper bass range is not desirable (it can be quite annoying over long listening periods), it would have more desirable if the 8A had produced a stronger output and more texture as it transitioned from the mid and upper bass range to the lower midrange of the 4C and 4B center and satellite speakers. The best crossover setting to transition between the upper frequency range of Bravus 8A and the lower frequency range of 4C/4Bs was 120Hz  (which was also confirmed by both the Onkyo TX-SR705's Audyssey and the Yamaha RX-V775WA's YPAO automatic speaker setup systems).

When compared to the other subwoofers I used in conjunction with this review, I found that Bravus 8A Subwoofer definitely has good bass extension for its size, but it did not provide quite as good a transition to the upper bass/lower midrange response of the Intimus 4C and Intimus 4B center and satellite speakers, as did the subwoofer/satellite transitions in the Klipsch and EMP Tek comparison systems.

What I Liked About Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA Home Theater Speaker System

1. The Center and satellite speakers project sound into the room well, which is perfect for surround sound listening.

2. The Intimus 4C does a good job of anchoring dialog and vocals.

3. The Intimus 4B satellites project both localized and immersive sound well.

4. The Bravus 8A has a low end audible point of about 30Hz, with a usuable audio low point of about 40Hz.

What I Didn't Like About Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA Home Theater Speaker System

1. The Bravus 8A subwoofer does not have a lot of depth in its mid-to-upper bass range - slight dip when transitioning to center and satellite low frequency point.

2. Would have liked to have seen the inclusion of sub preamp output on the Bravus 8A for the option of connecting an additional subwoofer more convenient, if needed.

3. Subwoofer Auto/Standby Setting not sensitive enough to trigger activation when confronted with lower volume bass signals.

Final Take

The Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA is definitely an interesting home theater speaker system. It has something offer for those looking for a good sounding system for a smaller room home theater setup.

The build quality is solid, the high gloss black finish and compact size of both the speakers and subwoofer can fit within just about any room decor. I also found that the center and satellite speakers performed their assigned tasks very well, providing both necessary depth, direction, and wide dispersion, complementing both music and move content, and although the subwoofer doesn't perform as evenly across its assigned mid and upper bass frequency range is and is not as "textured" as I would have preferred, it is not "boomy" and does provide very good lower end bass response for its size.

For a more detailed physical look at, and additional perspective on, the Aperion Audio Intimus 4B Harmony SA Home Theater Speaker System, also check out my companion Photo Profile.

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