AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Speakers › Upgrade-itis (Aperion Verus Grand or....)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Upgrade-itis (Aperion Verus Grand or....)

post #1 of 59
1/2/12 at 11:21am
Thread Starter 
I currently have a SVS SCS-02 system. Generally happy with it, but I notice that with movies (along with TV 100% of my use) dialogue can be a bit hard to understand, espcially at low-mid volumes - which is 100% of my listening owing to a light sleeping toddler.

My impression is that this is the limit of a $200 speaker, so I have decided to upgrade.

I think I'm settling on the Aperion Verus Grand Center ($699/ea) and Bookshelves ($299/ea) with the idea of adding towers when I move to a new place.

Before I pulled the trigger, does anyone have other suggestions for alternatives I should consider, or any adive pro/con on what I'm proposing to do?

TIA

rest of setup:

Pioneer SC-35
SVS PC12 NSB
SVS SSS-02 for surrounds

room 15x12x12

purley movies/HT
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 59
1/2/12 at 2:47pm
Give the Emotiva 6.2 some consideration. They are on clearance right now for $200. They sound fantastic being pushed by my Onkyo 809. I have no doubt the SC-35 can push these as well. For what it's worth, The Verus Grands were on my short list of speakers to try, but once I got the Emotivas set up, they were not going back.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 59
1/2/12 at 2:49pm
The verus grand line is very nice . I do not have any experience with the svs that you have but I suspect you will like the aperions.

The 30 day trial would allow you to give then a try and compare directly with your current setup
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 59
1/2/12 at 3:02pm
I would really suggest the Boston Acoustics VS-260 Bookshelves and VS-325C center. Trust me, you will get blown away with how good they sound. If you like neutral sound get those. Soundstage and clarity is phenomenal for the price. Each speaker has its own serial number to make sure they match. For the clearance price of $250 each for bookshelves and $350 for center is a no brain-er. I bought them and I can't imagine a speaker sounding better than these do.

Skip the Aperion and buy the Bostons you wont regret it.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 59
1/2/12 at 3:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantomchess View Post

I would really suggest the Boston Acoustics VS-260 Bookshelves and VS-325C center. Trust me, you will get blown away with how good they sound. If you like neutral sound get those. Soundstage and clarity is phenomenal for the price. Each speaker has its own serial number to make sure they match. For the clearance price of $250 each for bookshelves and $350 for center is a no brain-er. I bought them and I can't imagine a speaker sounding better than these do.

Skip the Aperion and buy the Bostons you wont regret it.

I completely disagree, and if you don't like the Aperions then you can return them and it cost you nothing.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 59
1/2/12 at 4:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantomchess View Post

... I bought them and I can't imagine a speaker sounding better than these do.

Really???
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 59
1/2/12 at 5:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post

I currently have a SVS SCS-02 system. Generally happy with it, but I notice that with movies (along with TV 100% of my use) dialogue can be a bot hard to understand, expeically at low-mid volumes - which is 100% of my listening owing to a light sleeping toddler.

My impression is that this is the limit of a $200 speaker, so I have decided to upgrade.

I think I'm settling on the Aperion Verus Grand Center ($699/ea) and Bookshelves ($299/ea) with the idea of adding towers when I move to a new place

Before I pulled the rigger, does anyone have other suggestions for alternatives I should consider, or any adive pro/con on what I'm proposing to do?

TIA

rest of setup:

Pioneer SC-35
SVS PC12 NSB

room 15x12x12

purley movies/HT

How long ago did you buy the S series? SVS has 100% trade in value the first year. I would put the M series SVS up against the Aperion you are looking at.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 59
1/2/12 at 6:49pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the repies thus far.

joeyvaz: I looked at the emotiva site, but it appears they are now 'clearance' priced; hence, there is no "try at home" period which makes me a little afraid.

phantom: I am looking to see if there is a way for me to demo the Boston's you mentioned

LowellG: I considered the MCS, but given I wasn't totally satisfied with the SCS (I do love the pc12 sub from them) I was a little gun-shy abpout trying SVS again.

So I also have a bunch of Best Buy cards post christmas, and wasa thinking about the B&W 685 bookshelves along with the HTM-61 center. The cost is roughly the same as the Aperion Verus. I'm going to go "demo" the B&W but given the Magnolia room will be totally differrent than my non-treated family room, I'm not sure how much it will help.

Anyone have thought on the B&W versus the Aperion as well as any other suggestions to throw in the mix?

again, thanks
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 59
1/2/12 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post


phantom: I am looking to see if there is a way for me to demo the Boston's you mentioned
Anyone have thought on the B&W versus the Aperion as well as any other suggestions to throw in the mix?

It is hard to audition the Boston - however, I also reccomend them.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 59
1/2/12 at 7:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post

Thanks for the repies thus far.


So I also have a bunch of Best Buy cards post christmas, and wasa thinking about the B&W 685 bookshelves along with the HTM-61 center. The cost is roughly the same as the Aperion Verus. I'm going to go "demo" the B&W but given the Magnolia room will be totally differrent than my non-treated family room, I'm not sure how much it will help.

Anyone have thought on the B&W versus the Aperion as well as any other suggestions to throw in the mix?

again, thanks

Can't say about the Aperions, but I did demo the B&W 684 and 683 towers and they were fantastic for music, but needed a LOT of power for HT and the center wasn't that great.

For HT I was most impressed with Klipsch. They really do HT right IMO. Very dynamic, loud, detailed etc... Didn't care for them that much for music though.

Gene
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 59
1/2/12 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 
the more I read about the Boston VS series, the more they appeal to me (esp at those prices)

One of my main concerns is, with the towers being discontinued, if/when I move to a bigger house I'm a little limited. ie I can't simply flip the bookshelves to the back and buy towers (as I could with the B&W and Aperion)

On the other hand, these really do seem to be a great price on closeout, so maybe it is worth it just to at least demo them from vann's and if they are great keep them while they are "up to the task"

So I think I'm going to try to decide b/w B&W 685 v. BA VS series v. Aperion Verus Grand
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 59
1/2/12 at 9:33pm
Hsu makes some very good speakers as well. Their center channel is great with dialogue and their HB-1 bookshelves are better than more than a few towers I've listened to. They have a 30 return policy as well minus return shipping. Look around on here and you'll see I'm not the only fan of these speakers.

http://hsuresearch.com/products/hc-1.html
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 59
1/3/12 at 3:16am
No experience with the BA series but I have three 685s in my second system which are very good. I had the Grand Verus Towers and center in my main system for a home trial and thought they were incredible for the money. Very laid back, no listener fatigue ever. IMO the tweeters in the 685s are better then the Verus (and also my current Kef XQ40s) but overall I would not hesitate to recommend the Aperion. Have not heard a lot of good press on the 600 series centers for HT.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 59
1/3/12 at 6:19am
For what it's worth, I was in the same position and looking for a great 3.1 setup. I had a depth restriction of 10" or less for the bookshelves and ended up opting for the following setup:
  • Verus Grand Bookshelves
  • Verus Forte Center
  • Rythmik D15SE sub

Unfortunately, the Grand bookshelves don't ship until the 5th and I'll be leaving for CES on Sun. Once I get back, I'll be sure to post some feedback.

Given the 30-day window to try them and the absolutely stellar reviews, I don't think you can go wrong with the Aperion Verus Grands.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 59
1/3/12 at 7:00am
I would probably go with the Aperions if you HAD to pull the trigger now.

You should look on Audiogon for a used set. You will get more for your money. Narrow down what you want and look on the site.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 59
1/3/12 at 6:10pm
Thread Starter 
thanks everyone for the replies.

I pulled the trigger on B-stock Aperion Verus Grnad bookshelves and center today, and will give them the 30 day trial.

With free shipping both ways, figure its a "can't lose"
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 59
1/3/12 at 7:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post


I pulled the trigger on B-stock Aperion Verus Grnad bookshelves and center today, and will give them the 30 day trial.

Good Luck
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:22am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zieglj01 View Post

Good Luck

Thanks - my fear of not being able to find matching towers a year from now (when we're planning to move) is the only thing that stopped me from trying the Boston's.

Even still I'm tempted to order the bookshelves from Vann'd and try them out.
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by phantomchess View Post

I would really suggest the Boston Acoustics VS-260 Bookshelves and VS-325C center. Trust me, you will get blown away with how good they sound. If you like neutral sound get those. Soundstage and clarity is phenomenal for the price. Each speaker has its own serial number to make sure they match. For the clearance price of $250 each for bookshelves and $350 for center is a no brain-er. I bought them and I can't imagine a speaker sounding better than these do.

Skip the Aperion and buy the Bostons you wont regret it.

What is your experience and what have you compared them to? Sounds to me like you haven't heard much
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:49am
NHT also offers the free 30 day in home free trial. I would recommend the NHT Absolute Zero.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/n...-labs-measures

Another one is the new KEF Q series.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/k...speaker-system

3 people I've talked to who have auditioned the Aperion says they are good speakers, but not great. They have nice measurements on HTM & Audioholic, but they just didn't sound that great.

One person said the Zu Audio speakers sounded much better even though they measured much, much worse than the Aperion.

One person auditioned the DefTech BP7001SC and absolutely love them. So he returned the Aperion Grand towers and bought the DefTech.

One person said the Salk speakers sounded so much better than the Aperion Grand.
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 59
1/4/12 at 9:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AcuDefTechGuy View Post

NHT also offers the free 30 day in home free trial. I would recommend the NHT Absolute Zero.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/n...-labs-measures

Another one is the new KEF Q series.

http://www.hometheater.com/content/k...speaker-system

3 people I've talked to who have auditioned the Aperion says they are good speakers, but not great. They have nice measurements on HTM & Audioholic, but they just didn't sound that great.

One person said the Zu Audio speakers sounded much better even though they measured much, much worse than the Aperion.

One person auditioned the DefTech BP7001SC and absolutely love them. So he returned the Aperion Grand towers and bought the DefTech.

One person said the Salk speakers sounded so much better than the Aperion Grand.

Just goes to show that everyone has their own taste in sound. For editors who typically hear a pretty wide variety of products, they seem pretty damn impressed with the Aperion Verus Grand products. Take advantage of the 30-day audition and let your own ears decide.

"Pristine Fidelity" - Audioholics review of the Grand Bookshelf

"...possessing ample amounts of audiophile goodness that should make any enthusiast happy" - Home Theater Review's review of the Grand Bookshelf
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 59
1/4/12 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 
I spent about 90 minutes watching various movies on the B&W 685 with the 61 center at a local audio store. I don't claim to be a audiophile and clearly don't have a distinguished ear, but having said that I was hard pressed to tell the differrence b/w the B&W and my current SVS setup.

so anyway (in case anyone cares) my current status is:
- placed an order for the verus grand bookshelves and verus grand center, and will give them the 30 day trial
- thinking about the atlantic technology 4400 series if I can find a way to demo them without shipping costs (I'd be paying both ways, which could be a little pricey)
- come close every day to placing an order for the Boston Acoustic VS 260 and 325 series.

Jim: can I ask, have you heard the Boston's in a 2 channel environment or in a HT setup, and if the latter what were your impressions?

AcuDefTechGuy: the Kef's are a little out of my price range. by the way - its neither here nor there - but I saw your comments at Audioholics underneith the Verus Bookshelf review.

TIA all.
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:11pm
I will be interested to hear what you think of the Aperion's compared to the others you have heard.
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post

Jim: can I ask, have you heard the Boston's in a 2 channel environment or in a HT setup, and if the latter what were your impressions?

I listen to the Boston speakers both ways - they are very good with
both. They are very transparant and dynamic - with very good detail,
definition and depth. The soundstage is really good for home theater
and music - and the Boston VS 260 can take a lot of power.
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:26pm
Madhuski - not sure if you meant to ask me that but I have not heard any recent Boston Acoustic speakers. Regarding the Grand Verus, I thought they were best with music (2 or multi-channel), I enjoyed going through a lot of my collection and added some new CDs while I had them. HT was good but i feel both my previous and current Kef systems seemed better in that regard.
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jima4a View Post

Madhuski - not sure if you meant to ask me that but I have not heard any recent Boston Acoustic speakers. Regarding the Grand Verus, I thought they were best with music (2 or multi-channel), I enjoyed going through a lot of my collection and added some new CDs while I had them. HT was good but i feel both my previous and current Kef systems seemed better in that regard.

whoops! sorry, no that was directed at the other jim. I suppose I should have stuck to his screen name....
Reply
Reply
post #27 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AcuDefTechGuy View Post


One person auditioned the DefTech BP7001SC and absolutely love them. So he returned the Aperion Grand towers and bought the DefTech.

I wonder who that person is?
Reply
Reply
post #28 of 59
1/4/12 at 7:47pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I ordered the Boston bookshelves/Center from Vanns. I'll compare them to the Aperions and may the best man win. If this thread is still alive in a afew weeks I'll post my impressions.

Cheers all!
Reply
Reply
post #29 of 59
1/5/12 at 5:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post

Well, I ordered the Boston bookshelves/Center from Vanns. I'll compare them to the Aperions and may the best man win. If this thread is still alive in a afew weeks I'll post my impressions.

Cheers all!

Your going about it the right way...IMO. I'd be curious to read your impressions once you've compared the two. After reading other members grumbling with respect to the Aperions lack of resolution or mid range...maybe you could shed some light...
Reply
Reply
post #30 of 59
1/5/12 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by madhuski View Post

Well, I ordered the Boston bookshelves/Center from Vanns. I'll compare them to the Aperions and may the best man win. If this thread is still alive in a afew weeks I'll post my impressions.

Cheers all!

I will definitely be interested in your thoughts.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Speakers

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Speakers › Upgrade-itis (Aperion Verus Grand or....)