Stuff I'd Buy: Aperion Audio Verus Grand Tower Loudspeakers

Yesterday I wrote that the TEAC Reference Series products set a benchmark for value at RMAF 2010 that I thought I would be hard pressed to find competition for. Well, folks, today I found the best value of the show, bar none.

The Aperion Audio Verus Grand line of loudspeakers was, without question, the best deal I saw at the show. These speakers are simply amazing for what they offer. The Verus Grand Tower -- the largest speaker in the line -- measures 43.5"H x 8"W x 12"D and weighs a stout 65 pounds. It features a pair of 6" Kevlar bass drivers, two 5"mids with phase plugs, and the company’s own Axially Stabilized Radiator silk-dome tweeter. The Verus Grand Tower comes in Gloss Cherrywood veneer or Piano Gloss Black finishes that look absolutely stunning; in fact, the finish is so good that it would look right at home on a pair of loudspeakers that cost $20,000 per pair (you'll likely gasp when I tell you what they actually cost).

Of course, looks and specs only begin to tell the story. When I sat down to listen, that's when I knew these were the real deal. The cut that I listened to was supplied by a gentleman attending the show: an instrumental piece with deep bass, lots of high-frequency energy thanks to some well-recorded synthesizers, and an upbeat tempo that would surely give some speakers fits due to driver congestion. Not so the Aperions. The Verus Grand Towers played deep and clean, and kept the instruments distinct and clear within the soundstage. They easily filled the hotel room with full-bodied, richly textured sound that was very easy to listen to -- no listener fatigue here. Although I can’t be sure from the limited time I spent with the Verus Grand Towers, they left the impression of a slightly warm tonal balance but with real deep bass I could feel. What's more, they sounded so impressive that I knew that I wanted us to get these in for review as soon as possible.

The bottom line here is that the Versus Grand Tower would be a good bargain at $5000 a pair. It would compete well with products that I've seen at that price point and I'm sure it would win in some head-to-head matchups. At half that price, $2500 per pair, they would be a steal, undercutting in price most of what's out there, and not by a small margin. The most amazing thing is that they’re priced at just $1798 per pair, which floored me when I first heard it. I thought they must have meant each, so I double-checked. That's for a pair! Hopefully you'll now begin to sense how truly exceptional these speakers are in terms of value for what you get and understand why I’m so excited by them. What's more, they come with a ten-year warranty, double what most speakers have, even the ones that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Without question, Aperion Audio's Verus Grand Tower was the star of RMAF 2010 for me.