5.1 Shootout: Build Quality

One thing that was surprising was the vast differences in materials used in the making of these systems. These speakers could not have been more different in their appearance or construction. All of the systems tested had particular qualities and features that stood out from the rest or involved a technology aspect that was not common to all participants. Listed below are the points of interest for each model that I wanted to point out and discuss in order to familiarize you with some of the differentiating factors that made each system unique.

RBH Sound CT-5.1 System

Obviously, when someone goes through the trouble to place two 8" aluminum drivers into a box measuring just over a cubic foot in size, one should take notice. Its 200 Watt internal amplifier fires both drivers in phase (and in series) and its ported enclosure allows a frequency response that extends down to a strong 35Hz. The sub is built "Ford-tough" and has a plethora of acoustical foam dampening material. The sub features a defeatable low-pass crossover and variable phase switch. It also has an auto-on mode that detects input signal and switches the subwoofer on. We did not encounter any extended quiet passages that caused the subwoofer to wake up slowly or miss the attack of any low frequency content. The small MM-4s are built like bricks and, as I mentioned earlier, are extremely durable - each weighs just over 4 pounds.

Aperion Audio Intimus 5.1 System

In opening up the 522D_LR speakers, we found 1" HDF, a large magnet for the woofer, an impressive crossover network and plenty of dampening material. It really is impressive to see this level of build quality in such an inexpensive speaker system. I can think of several similar systems that do not approach this level of driver and cabinet construction.

Aperion was the only system to utilize an earth ground with their subwoofer which in my system caused a loud ground loop buzz with my Sherbourn Amplifier. After switching to the Denon AVR-3805 for amplification the buzzing went away (meaning I was unable to test the system with the Sherbourn amplifier.) None of the other systems had this problem, but all of the other systems carried ground across the neutral prong, rather than the dedicated (3rd prong). Customer service and packaging from Aperion Audio was really a cut above anything I had ever experienced. From the "Love-Your-Speakers" Care Kit that came in the mail ahead of the shipment, to the purple velvet speaker covers that were unveiled when we first opened the boxes, Aperion Audio has written the book on making you feel good about your purchase. Their 30 day no-risk trial is something of an industry pace-setter as they offer to refund your purchase and shipping both ways if you are not satisfied with your experience. That officially makes them easier to deal with than any local electronics store I am aware of - bar none. 

Mordaunt-Short Premier Plus System

The Avant Premiere satellites are solidly built, with plenty of dampening foam and internal bracing that almost seems overkill for such a small enclosure. Due to construction methods, we were unable to remove the tweeter or woofer for close inspection, but the view of the magnets from the removed terminal plate showed us that Mordaunt-Short didn't skimp on their drivers.

The MS909W subwoofer combines the tightness of a forward-firing woofer with the floor-transfer effects of the down-firing ports. Its notch filter allowed at least a minimal amount of room correction to EQ the largest listening position room mode. The crossover wasn't defeatable, meaning that circuitry was always engaged, but since it extended to 200Hz, I doubt it would be doing much to your signal, assuming you crossed over the system at 100Hz as we recommend. Like the RBH Sound speakers, the Mordaunt-Shorts utilized aluminum drivers, which I believe contributed to their accuracy and wide soundstage.

Velodyne Deco System

Remove the front cover of the Deco subwoofer and you will find an extremely stiff driver - something I've come to love and expect from Velodyne. Give it a push and you'll understand why you need 600 Watts to power this driver. The cabinet of the Deco was sturdy and was characterized by rounded edges, similar to the SPL Series II line, which gave it a low profile look.

The Deco subwoofer would benefit from a set of spikes to better anchor it to the floor - this shouldn't affect the visual design at all and would improve tactile response. I felt as though a lot of the resonant energy put off by the sub was being lost or dampened by the carpet it was sitting on. To see if this made a difference I added about 35 pounds to the top of the Deco sub and did indeed notice the low-end extension tighten up a bit. I added and removed this weight several times and could notice the change even before I took my place at the listening position. Like the SPL series, Velodyne included an attached power cord which was odd considering just about everyone has moved on to detachable power cables. The Velodyne driver was built like a truck and had a stiff rubber surround, making the 600Watt amplifier pretty much mandatory to drive the SPLs out of it that are required. This is a great all around unit.