Aperion Audio has a solution for those looking to increase the top end performance from their home theater system. Say hello to the Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeter. Let’s get into it.
Turning up the Treble
For this test, we are connecting the Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeters to our Novus Series Towers. Each one already has an impressive 1″ silk dome tweeter in place, so this will be interesting to see how much further depth is added on the higher spectrum. This pair comes in at $299.99 and there is a lot of adjustability at play here for this price. Located on the back of each Super Tweeter, is a selectable 5 point crossover. The switch starts at OFF and from there you can choose 8KHz, 10KHz, 12KHz, 14KHz or 16KHz. A treble jumper pin is also available to further fine tune the range by -1dB to -3dB. They come in a gorgeous piano black gloss finish, with 5-way gold plated binding posts and are accompanied by a 3 year warranty.
Another really neat feature implemented by Aperion Audio, are how easily these are connected to your system. It simply shares the posts from your front towers or bookshelf speakers and utilizes the same power already being supplied by the receiver on each. This makes the install quick, easy and clean. Once you have them in place, it’s now time to play around with the crossover and jumper settings. For our specific gear and room size, I found both 12KHz and 14KHz to be the most pleasing; depending on what music or games I played. I also left the treble jumper on the default position.
Hardware:
Aperion Audio Novus 5.25″ 2-Way Tower Floorstanding Speakers
Aperion Audio Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker Pair – Gloss Black
Denon AVR-S540BT 5.2 channel 4K Ultra HD Audio Video Receiver
TCL P605 and Haier 55E5500U 55-inch 4K Ultra HD LED TV (in rotation)
Xbox One X
PlayStation 4 Pro
Sample of Music Tested:
“Exorcist” -Man ov God
“Sing Me to Sleep” -King 810
“A New Color” -Astronoid
“Rocking the Boat” -Ice Nine Kills
Sample of Games Tested:
The Last of Us Part II | Genre: Action-Adventurer Horror
Halo 5 | Genre: First Person Shooter
We wasted no time in assessing the capabilities of these guys; hitting the system hard with the track “Exorcist” by Man ov God. It’s Christian metal with ferocious, powerful sound; making it perfect for rocking these Super Tweeters to their very core. For such tiny dimensions, the gains in definition and clarity on the higher range frequencies was really impressive and immediately noticeable. I played this song in loop with immense satisfaction, testing the different crossover points and jumper settings.
Next up in line was “Sing Me to Sleep” by Suicide King. It comes in slowly at first with chill guitar notes, soon rolling into a fantastic beat; where the Hi-Hat work is incredibly visceral in detail with each rhythmically timed hit. This was an occurring theme during our tests. The Super Tweeters continuously added another layer of immersion to each song played.
The difference from their presence was also apparent in gaming. Firefights and altercations with the infected in The Last of Us Part II were that much more intense with these connected. This was mirrored with multiplayer sessions on Halo 5. The sound effects from assault rifles and nearby frag grenades going off were just that much more crisp and defined in delivery. The audible changes in both music and games are consistent and satisfying with the right settings in place. Take your time dialing it in, it’s well worth it.
Conclusion
Aperion Audio has crafted an extremely versatile and affordable solution for achieving greater high frequency audio performance. Their Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeters are shockingly efficient, considering their tiny footprint. The true gems present here are the ability to finely tune the experience through the 5 point crossover and treble jumper. These built-in adjustment tools are the key to making them work efficiently in your specific room and alongside your present audio gear.
I also love the ingenious way they connect directly to your front towers or bookshelf speakers, utilizing the same power from their binding posts. At $299.99 for the pair, they add far more detail and depth than I was honestly expecting. They have proven to be a welcoming addition to our system and are another big win from the talented team at Aperion Audio.