How I Transformed My Home Listening Experience (Part II)

Everyone in our hobby is always open to any accessory that will upgrade our listening experience, things such as improved interconnect cables, improved AC cords, ultimate record cleaning machines, subwoofers, the list goes on and on.

When I read information on the Aperion planar magnetic super tweeters, I had to give them a try (60 day free trial). I now have a pair being used with my Polk LSiM 703's and LSiM707's. This review can be found in my original post "How I Transformed My Home Listening Experience."

Aperion's new product is a larger, and heavier second generation of super tweeters which offer a full ribbon design, in lieu of the planar magnetic design used in the first generation. The new super tweeter measures 6.0" X 5.0" X 4 7/8" by comparison to generation one, which measures 5.5" X 4.0" X 4.0". The ribbon driver second generation weighs a good bit more than their first generation as the magnets used are much heavier.


Aperion Super Tweeter, version II with Full Ribbon Design


I have now done extensive listening with both models and they are both truly exceptional, the enhancement of the sound field depth and width is so apparent, and the improvement in the upper frequencies is remarkable, you must really hear these speakers in a blind test, the differences and improvements are astounding. I believe either generation one or two would be the best tweak you could possibly make with your audio system. They provide beautiful and robust high frequency improvement to most any loudspeaker.

I have done extensive listening with three different loudspeakers, the Aerial 10T, Polk LSiM 703 and Polk LSiM 707. The beauty of the Aperion products is their adaptability to almost any speaker system. Both generations offer (4) attenuation adjustments, 0 dB, -1dB, -2dB or -3db.

In addition you have 5 different crossover preset points that can be changed on the fly with a switch on the rear of each super tweeter, 8KHz, 10KHz, 12KHz, 14KHz, 16KHz and an off position. I found the preferred settings on the super tweeters was completely different when used on the Aerial's VS the Polk loudspeakers, as well as the larger Polk's VS the smaller Polk speakers, all required the super tweeters to be set at different frequency roll offs and volume levels.


The new version which are true ribbon designs just take high frequency clarity to a new level.

When listening to "Smooth Jazz Festival" on the Fim label, SACD #055, I realized what solo piano should sound like, I heard high frequency clarity I have never heard before. When using these speakers with my Aerial 10T's, high frequencies were extended and enhanced set at 12KHz, with the Polk's , the high frequencies were transformed with the tweeters set at the 8KHz settings, however with program material, sometimes attenuation yielded the best results. My Aerials have a much more robust high frequency presentation, so I did not need to set the roll off as low on the super tweeters.


If you are searching for a tweak that will literally transform your audio system, look no further, the Aperion planar magnetic super tweeter is the ticket. If you wish to transform your system and hear nuances you have never heard before, you might try the new ribbon driver super tweeters, it's a refinement like you have never heard, yes, they are that good!

Here are some of the vinyl and CD's I used to test these super tweeters:

Ravel Bolero SACD

Frederick Fennell, Holtz, SACD

Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture, SACD

Mark Levinson, Disc #1, Red Rose Music, SACD

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, SACD

Bill Evans, Portrait In Jazz, SACD

Frank Sinatra, Nice & Easy, SACD, Telarc

Russian Pops, Pope Music, Gold CD

Saint-Saens, The Great Organ Symphony, Telarc CD

Vivaldi, The Four Seasons, Telarc CD

Yamamoto, Tsuyoshi Trio, Misty, First Impression Music

Muddy Waters, Folk Singer (Original Master Recording)

Harry James, The King James Version, Sheffield Labs

Windham Hill, 25 Years of Guitar, CD

Joe Bonamassa, Blues Deluxe, CD

Chris Jones, Smoke & Noise, CD

Eva Cassidy, Live at Blues Alley, CD

Keb Mo, Just Like You, CD

Mark O'Connor, The New Nashville Cats, CD


Other Artists: Dave Brubeck, Dave Grusin, Diana Krall, Lori Lieberman, Lyle Lovett, Acoustic Alchemy, George Winston, John Boswell, Liz Story







Compare the size of the first generation to the second generation (Full Ribbon Design)

 

As you can see, it could not be easier to add these speakers to your existing system, simply tap off of any of the speaker connections on your existing loudspeakers, quick and painless.

If you want an improvement like you have never heard before, you really need to try either of the Aperion Super Tweeters, planar magnetic OR full ribbon design!





NEW Aperion Super Tweeter with Full Ribbon Design

 

Since I have the black looking LSiM707's, these super-tweeters would match quite nicely.

 

Thanks for your excellent review! I heard good things about the Aperions before, and now think I will go for them!
Good music too, btw!

 

Thanks for your response, everyone is always looking for some great tweak, and what can be better than a well integrated subwoofer or a super tweeter, adding tremendous clarity to the upper ranges from 8KHz up! Which one are you going to try?

 

Larry, with your 707's, you would have a perfect match, much better than mine! Drop me a PM and let me know how all is going in your neck of the woods now!

 

I certainly like a good tweak! They can be good value for money. I just had Marigo dampening dots installed on my speakers. They worked very well on my woofers, but were less obvious for the tweeters. That is why I am interested in the Aperions.
I would go for the small size (first), however it might be a problem to have them delivered in The Netherlands. Aperion only ships to a few countries outside the USA.
Appreciate, if anyone has any suggestions!

 

I was curious if you could have a pair shipped to the Netherlands and was told they have dealers in Europe, in your case Hi-Fi Pilot, and I think they might be in Germany, not positive, but here is their link!

https://www.hifipilot.de/navi.php?qs=aperion+super+tweeter&search=

Hope this helps you!

 

I don't get it. If your speakers are flat to 20,000 and your tweeters have a good dispersion pattern, what do these do for you?

Subwoofers are understandable, as almost all speakers roll off at the low end. But almost every reasonable speaker is able to do 20,000 flat.

 

You would think so (and so would I).

But different speaker's have different high ends, regardless of what the manufacturers may claim.

Some speakers like Klipsch are brighter and more forward in the high frequencies than others like Polk's.

As you can see, I have these same speakers as the OP has.

They do have nice detailed HF and are everything but harsh. But sometimes you just want to add some extra "sparkle" on some recordings.

Remember that this is not limited to the speakers ability to reproduce these high frequencies, but some recordings can be flat and lifeless up top.

I also have large Altec 2-way theater speakers. I have JBL super-tweeters on them also.

I keep hats perched on top of the JBL's that I can raise and lower to control the amount of sparkle that I have in the high end.

This is really the same thing here.

 

You could make the same exact argument about a subwoofer, as most floor standing loudspeakers should go down to say 20-30 Hz, but even at those frequencies and above 3o Hz a subwoofer makes a heck of a difference. Look at Wilson speakers, arguably one of the very finest speakers made, yet they sell subwoofers! I can tell you, the tremendous high frequency clarity and larger soundstage was more pronounced when I use them with the Polk LSiM speakers. The difference was not as magnanimous with the Aerial 10Ts, however set at a higher roll off frequency, the super tweeters even helped the Aerial speakers. When you install them, if you will simply turn them on and off while listening, you will notice a very pronounced clarity in the high end, a feeling of great high end "extension" and brilliance to the music, it's just so very nice, you should try them! As SandAndGlass says, the extra sparkle is easily worth the price of admission, not only sparkle, but a more robust sound stage, and just extreme clarity with ALL instruments, especially piano, sax, flutes, cymbals, female voices, trumpet, violin, and I could go on and on. There are no words, let me try, the super tweeters catch that elusive "edge" of every instrument, they just complete the presentation. Without question the most profound "tweak" I have ever made in my audio system.

 

Yes, this works!
I am less than hour’s drive from Germany and they deliver here. I just ordered the smaller Aperions! And of course, I will report here my findings.
Thank you so much for your help, this option did not come up in my search..

 

The real problem is that super tweeters like these, with first-order crossovers, interfere with the main tweeters.


I conducted this experiment with the mk1 Aperions and they do indeed cause dips in the lower treble, even when set to the 16kHz crossover point. As the video notes, one way to avoid this is to have the tweeter facing to the rear. Since most speakers have a gradual roll-off beginning around 16 or 17kHz, ideally the supertweeter would be set to kick in at 18kHz or above with at least a 3rd-order slope.

 

There isn't any deficiency in the high end of your speakers: Polk LSiM707 Surround Speaker System HT Labs Measures

Do you have a treble knob on your electronics?

 

Apart from the rug, are there any other acoustic treatments in your room ?

 

The treble knob will boost the treble in general. This is not the same effect that you will get with super tweeters.

I don't find the LSiM707's deficient in any way.

But I can see that certain recordings can do with a bit more sparkle on the high end.

 

I get ya. A treble knob has a set inflection point, whereas this has a variable crossover point. But how would the super tweeter be different than a parametric equalizer?

 

Also, aren’t speakers designed for 20 year olds with the perfect hearing?

 

Perhaps just as different as using a parametric eq vs. a subwoofer, I suppose ?

 

This is how I see it. To me, Midrange doesn't seem to need as much attention as the Tweeters & Sub.

 

The room already had wall to wall carpet, so the pad and the rug are sitting on top of the carpet. On the wall opposite the speakers is a large absorbent couch and the wall has a collage of framed prints that cover the entire wall, which would not be considered acoustic treatments at all. There is a good bit of sound absorbing materials in the room, but it is certainly not an engineered scenario. The speakers sit out about 15" from the back wall and the distance from the front of the speakers to the listening position on the large couch is 12.5 feet, it's a rather small room. The speakers are 9.5 feet apart.

 

I'm so glad I could help you. Don't be in any hurry to find a setting on the tweeters, play with them on lots of different music, and you will see how really versatile the little speakers are. If you have highly efficient speakers, you do not have to use the pins to reduce output, if your speakers are not as efficient, you simply put the jumpers in at the -1db all the way to -3db. I think you will really enjoy what you hear. Happy listening!

 

I do not have any tone controls on my Parasound JC 2 BP pre-amp.

 

When you first mentioned the comb filtering thing in my first review of the planar magnetic generation I super tweeters, I did some careful listening and even tried the tweeters facing backwards, this just did not enhance like facing the speakers forward. I have some very well recorded records, CD's and SACD's. I was able to turn both tweeters off and on from my seated position and use different roll off frequencies and without exception at all settings, the super tweeters facing forward was always a nice improvement without diminishing any of what I was hearing from the tweeter furnished in the LSiM 707 cabinet. In some cases, adding an extra speaker can alter the output of the tweeter in the original cabinet, but I heard absolutely no changes in the tweeter in the Polk speakers at all, absolutely none and I did this test with many different discs and records. Without exception the super tweeters have always been an enhancement. I have found some recordings that are just so bright that I made the choice to turn them off, however these are generally poor recordings. I was unable to replicate what you are speaking about. I was simply not able to hear any degradation of the Polk tweeter as a result of integrating the super tweeters, either in volume attenuation or any frequency cancelling effects. The effect of adding the tweeters is a much more robust and realistic presentation, which is why I purchased sets for both of my systems.