In response to emails about those on a limited budget, we put together a complete HDTV setup for under $1200 to get you in the game. We also have a review of the
Intimus 532 speakers from Aperion.
Budget HDTV Setup
We
receive emails asking us to recommend budget HDTV setups. This week we
received one from a new grad reminding us that not everyone can afford
$3,000 on what we call a starter system. So that prompted us to put
together a budget system that will serve you well for a few years until
you can upgrade. Our parameters are the total cost can not exceed
$1,200, it has to include a 30 inch HDTV, DVD Player and a 5.1 surround
system. Cable and satellite service is not included in this setup.
TV - $500
Let's start with the TV. We chose an Olevia 32 inch LCD TV ($500 at the
HT Guys Online Store).
This TV does not include an ATSC tuner but is HD ready. It has speakers
mounted on the bottom so it is easier to fit in existing entertainment
cabinets. We were given a tour of the Olevia assembly plant in
California and were impressed with the quality of their products. While
the TV is not the best model they make it does do a good job with HD
material and a decent job with SD content. When you are ready to
upgrade this TV will work quite well in a bedroom.
Audio Receiver (Surround Sound) $550
Here
we are going with a Home Theater in a Box system. We chose the Denon
DHT487-XP 5.1-Channel Home Theater System ($550 at the
HT Guys Online Store).
Denon makes good equipment and you will be very pleased with the
receiver. The speakers will tie you over until you have more money to
spend on upgrades. The subwoofer is only 8 inches but it will still
provide some thump for small to medium sized rooms. The system is XM
Ready and supports and iPod dock.
DVD Player ($150)
Since we had $150 left we went with the Oppo 970 upconverting DVD player ($150 at the
HT Guys Online Store).
Its no secret we are big fans of Oppo Digital, we just like their
products. Since this screen is less than 50 inches we opted for the
970. The player also supports SACD and and DVD Audio which is a plus.
They also include an HDMI cable saving you $10 on having to buy one.
Total Cost - $1200 plus tax
If
you buy from the HT Guys store it includes free shipping on the DVD
player. You'll have to add roughly another $100 for to ship the rest of
the gear. So in actuality our $1200 system goes for about $1400
including tax and shipping. If you find the components at a local
retailer you can save the shipping costs. Another heads up on the TV,
it only has one HDMI input so you'll have to use component for your
cable or satellite service, otherwise you'll need to add another $100
for an HDMI switch box. It just keeps adding up doesn't it.
Intimus 532 Cinema 6.1 Review
If
you have been listening to our podcast for at least a month you know
that I (Ara) recently purchased a new set of speakers for my new media
room. I evaluated Klipsch, JBL, and Aperion speakers. Now there are
allot of speakers on the market and its impossible to listen to the all
so you have to narrow your search based on past experience,
professional reviews, or in-home evaluations. Since I already use the
Klipsch RB-10 Home Theater speaker system in the family room I am very familiar with the product and quality of the sound. I have owned
JBL
in the past and have been very pleased with the results there as well.
However, over the two years we have been doing this podcast we have
received many emails asking us to review speakers and of those emails
many have asked about
Aperion speakers specifically.
The Company
I decided to
take a look and see how I would evaluate these speakers for myself.
First I want to talk a bit about the company. The are located in
Portland Oregon and that's where they do all their design work. The
products are manufactured in China by hand in an ISO9000 certified
factory. What that means is that the speakers are not manufactured in a
sweatshop. So now the question, how do I evaluate these speaker in my
own home. The folks at Aperion do not sell their products in retail
stores so there is no way to take a listen at your local Best Buy or
Circuit City. So realizing that people want to listen to speakers
before buying Aperion has a 30 day no risk in-home audition. You pick
out the speakers you want, they ship them to you free of charge and if
you are not satisfied with them you return them on Aperion's dime. To
be fair there are speaker manufacturers that have similar policies so
it is actually possible to do in home comparisons at no risk to you. By
the way, cutting out the middle man means you can buy more speaker for
your money. The people at Aperion are very friendly and will answer any
questions about their speakers. Call them and ask (888) 880-8992, in
fact tell them you heard about them on our show!
The Speakers
I purchased the
Intimus 532 Cinema 6.1 system in gloss black. The system costs $1439 direct from Aperion. It consists of two 532 Book shelf speakers, one
533-VAC Center Channel Speaker, one S-10 10 inch sub woofer, and three 422-LR
Satellite Speakers. It was very easy to install these speakers. The
bookshelves were placed on speaker stands and the satellites were
installed using wall mounts. The nice thing about the satellites is
that they are small and light (7.5" H x 5 " W x 6 " D and 6
pounds). The center channel is a bit large so I had to adjust the
shelves under the TV to make it fit right. I couldn't get it directly
under the center of the TV because the speaker is a bit long at 19
inches. The speakers look like a work or art. They are a glossy black
and look quite impressive when they are not dusty. The same can be said
about my TV. What was I thinking about buying black. They show finger
prints too. To make taking care of your speakers easy, Aperion includes
a pair of white gloves to avoid adding finger prints while dusting your
speakers.. The fit an finish is quite good. In short the speakers are
well built and should last you for many years. In fact the speakers
come with a 10 year transferable warranty (only three years for the sub
woofer). Aperion also has a full price trade up program should you
decide to upgrade down the road.
Performance
The speakers were bought primarily for watching movies and TV. That's
why I went with the smaller satellite speakers for the surround. I
wanted the emphasis to be on the center (dialog) and subwoofer
speakers. The center performed quite well. I was hearing nuances in
dialog that I had not heard before. This was quite noticeable in live
programs that have an emcee. At one point I noticed every breadth the
announcer would take. Voices sounded natural and real. The subwoofer
really packs a punch! I ended up turning it down so my kids could sleep
at night. But during the day Its right back up at full volume. The sub
was clear and tight with all the test material I threw at it. I could
really feel the explosions in Blackhawk Down! The S-10 did an admirable
job with the more subtle sounds like those or an orchestra in Immortal
Beloved. In short the cinema experience was outstanding!
Music
performance was quite good too. I listened to Rock and Roll from the
bands Van Halen, Pearl Jam and the Goo Goo Dolls. All sounded good.
These were AAC files ripped at 256 Kbps so while not perfect still high
quality. I listened to the music through my Yamaha RX-V2700 with the
Audio Enhancer on and off. With the Audio Enhancer on I got a little
more low end. The subwoofer did a great job with the music and did not
muddy it up at all. While listening to classical music I found it
sounding a little bit bright but still good. In general classical music
sounded open expansive. Kind of like you were in a concert hall. That
may have been the receiver processing but the speakers did a wonderful
job reproducing the audio.
What we liked:
- Center channel
- Powerful subwoofer
- Excellent Movie performance
- Stylish Finish and high build quality
- Customer Focus
What we disliked:
Conclusion
If you need a 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 speaker system the Aperion Intimus 532
Cinema speakers are a great value and solid performer. Add to that you
are buying from a company that is passionate about audio and their
customers, have solid build quality, and come with a 10 year warranty
and trade up policy, you won't be disappointed.
