For decades, you could walk into most electronics stores and find speakers that were small and good, or small and cheap — but rarely all three. Times have changed. With advances in acoustics and the advent of computer-aided design for speaker drivers and enclosures, today you can get great sound from plenty of small, inexpensive speakers.
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What We Think
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| System 120 | Diamond Series | Intimus 532 System |
| This compact, attractive system offers a canny mix of sonic qualities that’s great for both music and movies. | The front L/R satellites win the ribbon for musical excellence, but the center and sub could better complement the whole. | A closely matched system that’s a strong performer — especially on stereo music — and an excellent value. |
To prove that, we’ve drummed up a trio of home theater sextets, 5.1-channel systems that do the job for around $1,400 — and do it quite well indeed. Now, $1,400 might not qualify as “cheap” to many, but with “mid-line” surround systems from the glamour brands running as much as $3,000 to $4,000 for a full setup, these three represent some of today’s best values.
Atlantic Technology
A great switch-hitter
Atlantic Technology’s System 1200 is a small, affordable speaker suite that’s been available since late last year, but only recently has the Boston-area firm added a dedicated center-channel speaker designed to mate with the system’s compact satellites. Given my familiarity with AT’s speakers, the first thing I noticed on cracking open the box is that the 1200L/R satellite used for the front left/right and surround positions has only a single woofer instead of two in the woofer-tweeter-woofer arrangement the company uses in its more costly systems. That means a little less power-handling ability and less tightly controlled vertical dispersion, which is another way of saying that there’s more chance for ceiling and floor reflections to adversely affect the critical midrange frequencies than with a three-driver array. In that regard the System 1200 was no different from the other systems reviewed here, both of which also have two-driver L/R satellites, and it otherwise looks a lot like the $3,500 System 4200 that I rated so highly in the May 2004 issue. As it turns out, the family resemblance was nearly as evident in the sound.
Atlantic was unique among our trio here in supplying four identical satellites for front and rear in contrast with Aperion and Wharfedale’s smaller, wall-friendly surrounds. Build quality was very solid, and the speakers had substantial heft for their size. I thought the 1200LR’s gloss-silver lacquer and metal-mesh grille looked swell, but then I’m a sucker for any metal-grilled, Bauhaus-esque design.
SETUP Atlantic’s 1200LR sats include a keyhole hanger and threaded insert for affixing them to walls or stands. The 1200C center includes Atlantic’s cleverly simple vertical-tilt base to aim the speaker up or down toward the listener. Rear-panel switches for Boundary Effect (upper-bass compensation for wall reflections) and Tweeter Level are both valuable options. The 10-inch 212SB subwoofer was the only boomer in this group with a crossover-bypass switch to optimize performance when using your receiver’s built-in crossover. That’s the preferred arrangement with a line-level sub connection and the one I used.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE The sonic character of the Atlantic setup proved to be something just barely on the warm side of neutral. Treble was relaxed — smooth but not attentuated in any way. Songs like Tracy Chapman’s “Crossroads” sounded rich and seductive but still highly detailed, with honest, naturally brassy cymbals and no extra spit or sizzle. Voices, including Ms. Chapman’s, were uniformly excellent: warm but not excessively so, defined, and in-the-room present. I occasionally noted just a hint of low-midrange emphasis, a largely euphonic characteristic that made some voices — baritones, particularly — faintly richer than they should have been. Otherwise, vocals and other midrange elements like the viola and cello in a favorite stereo recording of Beethoven quartets were almost completely free of the common colorations that can mar a speaker’s sonic signature.
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The Short Form
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| atlantictechnology.com / 781-762-6300 / $1,410 ($1,280 IN satin black OR maple) |
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Plus
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| •Neutral sound on movies and music. •Musical, compact sub with useful crossover bypass. •Capable two-way center with handy tilt-base and controls. |
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Minus
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| •Could use greater sub power for larger rooms. |
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test bench
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| The 1200L/R satellites had very uniform directivity, resulting in virtual identical frequency-response curves used as either front or surround speakers. The subwoofer offered modest dynamic capability, averaging 97 dB SPL from 25 to 62 Hz and hitting 104 dB max at 62 Hz. Full lab results |
MOVIE PERFORMANCE Unlike the speakers reviewed here, the film Troy rates as neither good nor small nor cheap — but the DVD does feature a boffo soundtrack. Atlantic’s System 1200 had the goods for smooth, cinemalike presentation of a big-screen epic, nicely blending dialogue, music, and effects without calling attention to itself with colorations or cabinet buzzes. But then, unless your grasp of the classics is seriously deficient, you don’t watch Troy for the story. (Hint: nobody gets the girl.)
This saga is lean on big-bass effects — it’s hard to go really large ’n’ low 2,000 years before gunpowder — but when they arose, such as with the big-drum effects in the musical score, the 212SB sub impressed me with its deep, high-impact delivery. It played loud without a hint of boom or any obvious strain, thanks to good low-end extension, my use of the crossover-bypass mode, and effective protection circuitry that kept the subwoofer from running short of power or physically bottoming out. Aperion’s sub was demonstrably louder (by a good margin), but the Atlantic went deep and retained better definition when played loud. Still, there were moments when the system would have benefited from a sub with a little more power — or a second 212SB.
BOTTOM LINE Atlantic Technology’s compact and attractive System 1200 strikes an intelligent performance balance between music and home cinema for modest rooms. I was impressed at just how well the company retained its neutral and highly regarded “family sound” at this very reasonable price.
Wharfedale
Music that shines and shimmers
Wharfedale is among the grand old names of British speaker design, a tradition only slightly less long and glorious than that of the Royal Navy. The Diamond series suite Wharfedale submitted to our tender mercies features the narrow, slightly boat-shaped Model 9.1 front left/right speaker; the 9.SR surround, with a smaller, shallow cabinet obviously designed with wall mounting in mind; the curvy 9.CS center; and the 10-inch SW150 subwoofer.
SETUP The deep cabinets of the Diamond 9.1 have no wall-mount inserts, and they’re best suited to stands anyway given their protruding biwirable dual input terminals (making them the only speaker in our trio to offer this option). I placed them where I set up all three systems — well away from the wall, which is where any conventional speaker will generally perform best. The 9.SR surrounds do include keyhole wall-hangers, while the 9.CS center uses stick-on rubber feet to provide a stable setting on a flat shelf or TV. Wharfedale includes four larger stick-ons so you can adapt a slight up- or down-tilt for an over- or under-TV location.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE The Diamond 9.1’s tonal character was just about perfect: even, extended, and free of “honk,” “hoo,” muffling, or any of the other typical midrange spoilers. Every well-produced vocal track I auditioned sounded natural and very much in-the-room. Treble was open, clear, and defined, yielding the most natural sound heard from this group on fine detail like the drummer’s brushwork on Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why.” Played full-range without the sub, the 9.1s clearly had the most extended bottom end and supported a lower-than-80 Hz crossover setting very well — a potential advantage in some rooms.
Multichannel music sounded fine, too, though I could (just barely) detect the 9.CS center’s slightly “cupped” tonality, compared with the beautifully open 9.1s, on vocals and instruments mixed to the center channel. The 9.SRs were surprisingly dynamic for such shallow speakers but did sound a little strained at extreme volumes — especially when brass instruments were mixed hard to a surround channel.
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The Short Form
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| iagamerica.com / 508-850-3950 / $1,400 |
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Plus
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| •Superbly accurate and musical left/right front satellites. •Low-profile surrounds deliver clean high-level dynamics. |
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Minus
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| •Sub runs out of gas before main speakers and lacks crossover bypass. •Tonality of center speaker slightly different from L/R front satellites. |
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test bench
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| The frequency-response curve for the Diamond 9.1 left/right speaker sloped gently downward from bass to treble, and all three speakers showed relatively limited high-frequency extension. The subwoofer had ample output at 62 Hz (110 dB maximum) but averaged just 99 dB SPL from 25 to 62 Hz. Full lab results |
The compact British sub was tight, musical, and extended on stereo or multichannel music up to pretty high volumes, and it integrated well with the Diamond 9.1s at a typical 80-Hz crossover despite lacking a crossover bypass. But big, bottom-octave-rich cinematic impacts caused it to stumble, with both port noise and amplifier-limiting effects that sounded like rattly burbling. While never truly overt, you could hear these things on demanding deep-bass passages — like when the bass drum in Troy’s score kicked in — and especially when I set the volume at or just below the THX reference level. Wharfedale’s SW250 subwoofer, a different 10-inch model with a bigger amp and enclosure than the SW150 reviewed here, might be worth a look, since the SW150 ran out of steam well before the Diamond 9.1s had reached their dynamic limit.
BOTTOM LINE Wharfedale’s Diamond 9.1 is a truly excellent small, inexpensive two-way speaker system that delivers fine sound for music and solid movie reproduction. It could use a bigger sub and a slightly more accurate center speaker — both of which Wharfedale offers a bit higher up in its line. But this remains a strong little system just as it is.
Aperion Audio
Solid speakers, solid value
“And the 2005 award for best presentation/packing materials goes to . . . Aperion!” The Intimus speakers from this small firm in Oregon unpack from heavy-gauge cardboard cartons, then full-coverage expanded foam, then thick plastic bags — and then each speaker disrobes from a deep-blue, sateen-lined velvet sack. Ooh, how sexy!
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The Short Form
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| aperionaudio.com / 888-880-8992 / $1,339 |
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Plus
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| •Excellent two-channel imaging. •Good three-way center speaker. •Strong subwoofer. •Nice wood veneers. |
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Minus
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| •No crossover bypass on sub. |
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test bench
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| The Aperion center speaker showed remarkably uniform directivity, suggesting consistent timbre for listeners at on- and off-axis positions. The sub went lower than the others here, showing useful output (77 dB SPL) at 20 Hz and maximum output of 110 dB at 62 Hz. Full lab results |
The actual speakers are nice, too. They come in genuine cherry veneer or gloss-black lacquer, making them the only speakers in the group offering a real wood finish. They have solid, thick-walled enclosures and use high-quality drivers. Aperion’s Web site also touts its crossover technologies (circuits that derive separate frequency bands for woofers and tweeters), but I couldn’t really conclude that they’re doing anything truly unique.
SETUP The 532-LR front and 422-LR surround sats all have threaded inserts on both the rear and bottom panels, so they’re very stand-friendly (I used my own stands for all three systems). Aperion uses high-grade, all-metal binding posts for the connections. As with all three systems, I set up the left/right front speakers on stands flanking my 42-inch plasma set, with the 533-VAC center speaker just below and the surrounds on high wall shelves astride the listening position. I checked the supplied sound-level meter against my own: it was very accurate across most of its range, but a few decibels (dB) less sensitive at low frequencies, which would likely result in too much bass unless corrected by ear. The 10-inch S-10 subwoofer lacks a crossover-bypass switch, so I set its Frequency control wide open and used my preamp/processor’s line-level crossover, as I did for the other two systems.
MUSIC PERFORMANCE On stereo music the Aperions impressed me with a relaxed, open sound marked by ample depth, an attractive and wide spatial fullness, and excellent detail. A variety of voices sounded natural and present, indicating solid performance and low coloration through the critical midrange. A slight emphasis in the upper-midrange/low treble made some vocals — like Tracy Chapman’s chest-tone-rich voice on “Crossroads” — sound a shade more cutting than on some more expensive and more neutral speakers I’ve tested.
Stringed instruments, such as in those Beethoven quartets, were a pleasure when played in surround using Dolby Pro Logic IIx Music processing, with strongly textured string and wood timbres highlighted just a touch by the same small emphasis in the upper mids/low treble. In my all-channels high-volume trials, the Aperion suite sounded great even when driven very hard — it was the clear multichannel-volume leader of our three — but the sound grew slightly harsh when the system was pushed to full throttle.
The 532-LRs and the S-10 subwoofer made a solid blend right from the start. The sound was warmer — a little richer in the upper bass — than from my everyday setup, possibly the result of running the sub’s nondefeatable crossover “in series” with my preamp/processor’s. Nudging the preamp’s crossover down to 60 Hz from 80 Hz tightened up the bass, but some receivers (especially entry-level ones) will lack this option. Don’t get me wrong, though — the Aperion sub was solid, extended, and musical, and offered more oomph than the other two. 
MOVIE PERFORMANCE Aperion’s 533-VAC “vertical array” center with its stacked midrange and tweeter (see lower photo, facing page) aims to keep voices (particularly male ones, like that of alleged actor Brad Pitt) more natural and balanced when heard from an off-center seating position. This proved to be the case for both TV announcers and movie dialogue, with the 533-VAC yielding a tight — though not perfect — tonal match for the front left/right speakers, and staying impressively consistent even when I listened from far off to one side.
In the surround position, Aperion’s smaller 422-LRs’ open, slightly forward treble made effects like the flocks of arrows in Troy’s Chapter 22 thrillingly lifelike (not that I’ve ever actually been shot with an arrow), though this also tended to point up the surround locations a bit. The S-10 sub produced plenty of bottom for the big-battle effects, proving quite capable of filling my 2,500-cubic-foot studio at near-cinema levels. Though audibly strong through the upper bass, it never sounded boomy or muddy and was solid right into (if not through!) the bottommost range of recorded bass.
BOTTOM LINE Aperion’s Intimus 532 system, with its well-balanced and engaging sound, should please even demanding listeners, especially if stereo music figures large in your listening. And it delivers great value thanks to its excellent center speaker, powerful sub, and fine finish and build quality.
| key features | ATLANTIC TECH SYSTEM 1200 ($1,410) | WHARFEDALE DIAMOND SERIES ($1,400) | APERION AUDIO INTIMUS 532 SYSTEM ($1,339) |
| FRONT LEFT/RIGHT | 1200LR; 1-in soft-dome tweeter, 4.5-in woofer; 10.375 in high | Diamond 9.1; 1-in soft-dome tweeter, 5-in woofer; 15 in high | 532-LR; 1-in silk-dome tweeter, 5.25-in woofer; 11.5 in high |
| CENTER | 1200C; 1-in soft-dome tweeter, two 4-in woofers; 12.375 in wide | Diamond 9.CS; 1-in soft-dome tweeter, two 5-in woofers; 16.5 in wide | 533-VAC; 1-in silk-dome tweeter, 4-in midrange, 5.25-in woofer; 5.25-in passive radiator; 19 in wide |
| SURROUND | 1200LR; 1-in soft-dome tweeter, 4.5-in woofer; 10.375 in high | Diamond 9.SR; 1-in soft-dome tweeter, 4-in woofer; 11.5 in high | 422-LR; 1-in silk-dome tweeter, 4-in midrange; 7.5 in high |
| SUBWOOFER | 212SB; 10-in driver; 125-watt amp; crossover bypass; 15.25 x 15 x 17 in; 37.5 lbs | SW150; 10-in driver; 150-watt amp; 17 x 18.5 x 16.5 in; 45 lbs | S-10; 10-in driver; 200-watt amp; 17.5 x 13.25 x 19 in; 56 lbs |
| FINISH | silver or black lacquer; $1,280 with satin black or maple satellites | matte black, cherry, or silver vinyl woodgrain | cherrywood veneer or gloss-black lacquer |
| Aperion Intimus 532 System | Atlantic Technology System 1200 | Wharfedale Diamond 9 Series | |
| Frequency response (at 2 meters) | |||
| front left/right | 89 Hz to 16.8 kHz ±2.7 dB |
92 Hz to 14.8 kHz ±4.2 dB |
63 Hz to 12.8 kHz ±3.9 dB |
| center | 110 Hz to 17.8 kHz ±4.0 dB |
108 Hz to 14.4 kHz ±3.0 dB |
90 Hz to 14.9 kHz ±3.3 dB |
| surround | 115 Hz to 17.8 kHz ±5.2 dB |
92 Hz to 14 kHz ±4.2 dB |
100 Hz to 9.1 kHz ±3.6 dB |
| subwoofer | 37 Hz to 110 Hz ±2.2 dB |
42 Hz to 120 Hz ±1.8 dB |
45 Hz to 117 Hz ±2.0 dB |
| Sensitivity (SPL at 1 meter with 2.8 volts of pink-noise input) | |||
| front left/right | 89 dB | 87 dB | 88 dB |
| center | 92 dB | 91 dB | 89 dB |
| surround | 88 dB | 87 dB | 86 dB |
| Impedance (minimum/nominal) | |||
| front left/right | 6.6/12 ohms | 4.7/8 ohms | 4.1/8 ohms |
| center | 5.2/8 ohms | 4.1/7 ohms | 4.7/8 ohms |
| surround | 8.7/14 ohms | 4.7/8 ohms | 4.0/6 ohms |
| Bass limits (lowest frequency and maximum SPL with limit of 10% distortion at 2 meters in a large room) | |||
| front left/right | 80 Hz at 88 dB | 80 Hz at 81 dB | 62 Hz at 74 dB |
| center | 62 Hz at 69 dB | 80 Hz at 79 dB | 62 Hz at 73 dB |
| surround | 100 Hz at 70 dB | 80 Hz at 81 dB | 80 Hz at 81 dB |
| subwoofer | 20 Hz at 77 dB | 25 Hz at 84 dB | 25 Hz at 84 dB |
| average SPL from 25 to 62 Hz | 105 dB | 97 dB | 99 dB |
| maximum SPL | 110.3 dB | 104 dB | 110 dB |
| bandwidth uniformity | 95% | 94% | 90% |
All of the curves in the frequency-response graphs are weighted to reflect how sound arrives at a listener’s ears with normal speaker placement. The curve for the left/right front channels reflects response averaged over a ±30° window, with double weight at 30° (the most typical listening angle). The center-channel curve reflects response averaged over ±45°, with double weight directly on-axis of the primary listener. The surround-channel curve shows response averaged over ±60°, since most sound from these speakers will be reflected from room walls before reaching the listener. The subwoofers’ bass limits were measured with them set to maximum bandwidth and placed in the optimal corner of a 7,500-cubic-foot room. In a smaller room users can expect 2 to 3 Hz deeper extension and up to 3 dB higher sound-pressure level (SPL).
APERION INTIMUS 532 SYSTEM The Aperion 532-LR had some roughness above 1 kHz that’s masked by averaging the response curves. The 533-VAC center speaker has remarkably uniform directivity, with its vertically arrayed midrange/tweeter, so all listeners get sound with the same timbre, though it’s marred by a 5-dB elevation between 1 and 4 kHz and a rapid rolloff below 100 Hz. Likewise, the 432-LR surround speaker had uniform directivity but two 4- to 7-dB peaks at 1.3 and 3.1 kHz.
The S-10 subwoofer had healthy output at 50 and 62 Hz and still useful output at 20 Hz, but dynamic capability fell off at 24 dB per octave below 50 Hz. Although the crossover control is marked from 40 to 150 Hz, the acoustical turnover range covers only 70 to 110 Hz. There was also a moderate 4 dB of crossover/level-control interaction. The grille sometimes rattled when the sub was producing its maximum output.
ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM 1200 The 1200 SAT had extremely uniform directivity, producing virtually identical curves for the front left/right and surround channels, with a 6-dB double-dip swoon between 1.5 and 4 kHz. Extreme high frequencies were somewhat less extended than usual for this class of speaker. At ±15° off-axis, the 1200 C center speaker had moderate lobing in the horizontal plane, which became significant by ±22.5° and severe at wider angles. The boundary-compensation feature reduced output by 2 dB below 200 Hz. The High Frequency Energy control cut response by 0.7 dB above 3 kHz in the Reverberant position and allowed 1.5 dB more energy into the room above 3 kHz in the Damped Room position.
The 212 SB subwoofer had modest dynamic capability. Although the crossover dial is marked from 40 to 140 Hz, the actual acoustic turnover frequencies varied only between 70 and 120 Hz over the full range of rotation. There was virtually no crossover/level control in the top half of control range, but the level dropped nearly 5 dB in the 40-Hz position.
WHARFEDALE DIAMOND 9 SERIES The Diamond 9.1 front left/right speaker had a downward-sloping bass to treble balance, and our curve averaging tends to downplay irregularities at 800 Hz and upward. The Diamond 9.CS center speaker did display response irregularities above 800 Hz as well as significant horizontal lobing at any radiating angle greater than ±5° off-axis. Lobing became progressively more severe at wider angles. On the other hand, the Diamond 9.SR surround speaker had very uniform directivity, which means that the –3-dB shelved treble above 1 kHz was apparent at every radiating angle. All three speakers had relatively limited high-frequency extension.
The SW150 subwoofer had ample SPL at 62 Hz, but its dynamic capability fell at 16 dB per octave below that frequency. There was a relatively moderate 6 dB of crossover/level-control interaction over the full range of the control dial. While the dial is marked from 85 to 35 Hz at intervals of 10 Hz, the actual acoustical turnover frequencies were approximately 35 Hz higher than marked at every control position.