Aperion Audio's Flagship Super Tweeter, the Ultimate Audiophile Tweak! Wow!

We are always searching for a tweak for our audio systems, something to improve the presentation, provide larger lows, improved twinkling highs, a realistic soundstage, and better imaging, etc. I jumped on the super tweeter bandwagon back in May 2019 and continue to look forward to new products offered by a company located in Wilsonville, OR. The name of the company is Aperion Audio, and they offer a full line of loudspeakers as well as a line of super tweeters, which immediately grabbed my attention, because of their very versatile design.

Back on May 18th, 2019 I created a thread called "How I Transformed My Home Listening Experience" which is still active today. At that time Aperion had created an adjustable planar magnet super tweeter housed in what I like to call a Steinway gloss black housing that looks at home atop any bookshelf or floor standing loudspeaker. I found using those super tweeters hugely impacted the overall musical presentation of my main system, so much so that I purchased a second set for my smaller Polk LSiM 703 bedroom loudspeakers.

On April 24th 2020 I created a second thread on their newest super tweeter. They introduced a second offering in their super tweeter lineup, the larger, more robust full ribbon design super tweeter. The name of my second thread was "How I Transformed My Home Listening Experience, Part II." I hope you take a look at part one and two, which brings me to this new thread. I don't think I have ever acquired a product that has offered such a huge overall sense of space, improved soundstage and realism when listening to music, what subwoofers do for the lower octaves, the super tweeter does for the light airy delicate high frequencies.

The newest product in the Aperion super tweeter line is called an AIR MOTION TRANSFORMER DUAL FIRING SUPER TWEETER. There are several things that really set this latest offering apart from every other product they offer, and that is absolutely NOT diminishing their less expensive super tweeters, I have owed and do own those as well, however this one just sets a new super tweeter standard, for all brands of super tweeters. Personally, I think the most notable engineering advancement on this new model is the dual firing feature. No other aftermarket super tweeter I have seen fire from the front as well as from the rear, creating just a huge believable and spacious sound stage, this one feature makes such a difference in the overall musical presentation, as you have secondary reflected sounds in the higher frequencies, exactly like adding a rear firing tweeter from 8KHz up, or wherever you set your roll off frequency.

Without getting too lengthy, let me share some of the advantages of this particular product design over other super tweeters I have viewed, and let me say this, this is a tweak that can be carried from one loudspeaker to another. If you upgrade your loudspeaker system, you take this tweak with you.

The rated sensitivity of this super tweeter is 96dB, obviously very efficient. It can be coupled with most any bookshelf or floor standing loudspeaker rated between 87-96dB sensitivity, and unlike other add on super tweeters, this product has adjustable gain attenuation which is shown in the pics, ranging from 0dB (wide open), -1dB,-2dB, -3dB, -4 dB and -5dB, and the setting is easily changed with a knob click, so nice! This allows this super tweeter to be used with loudspeakers with a multitude of sensitivities, creating a flawless blend.

Because every loudspeaker has a different crossover network and tweeter crossover points, this super tweeter offers 5 different crossover point adjustments, again, adjusted by a simple knob rotation that firmly clicks in place, ranging from 8KHz, 10KHz, 12KHz, 14KHz, and finally 16KHz, enabling the super tweeter to integrate with virtually ANY loudspeaker exactly where you want the augmentation to occur, the perfect blend with most any loudspeaker. Aperion has created a very worthy addition to almost any home audio speaker system on the market today, in my opinion and each generation is an improvement.

The power rating is from 10-150 watts and the weight of EACH super tweeter is 3.5 pounds, they are not lightweights. The entire housing of each super tweeter is heavy metal, no plastic here, plainly put, this is a well constructed product, a quality build to be sure.

The air, the space, the realism, the snap, crackle and pop, cymbals, flutes, female voices, bass guitar, all stringed instruments, especially piano, everything is all so new and fresh with the addition of these super tweeters. If you have not tried any of these super tweeters, you are missing out on the best tweak an audiophile can make to their system. Aperion really pulled out all stops with this dual firing design, it adds so much depth, just a very noticeable improvement. The tweeters increase high frequencies from the front and depth and added realism from the reflected sounds coming in delayed time from the rear firing side. Once you jump on this ultra high frequency bandwagon, there is no jumping off, and you take your improvement with you from each speaker purchase to the next.

I hope my experience with these super tweeters encourages you to give them a try, you just do not know what you are missing! I was so pleased to know this company offers a 60 day home trial, and if you decide you do not like the product for any reason, they let you return it, a very nice way to audition something in your home with no pressure. I personally have not found any of their super tweeter designs I did not like from their planar magnet to the full ribbon to their newest flagship dual firing super tweeter addition.

We all look for practical, real tweaks for our home listening experience, well here is one that will blow your socks off!

 

New tweeter used on the Polk Bookshelf loudspeaker, the LSiM 703

 

I'm still using my Radio Shack super tweeters.

Too rich for me but they look great.

 

Here is a quick view of the controls used on the new air motion dual firing super tweeters, the crossover settings as well as the attenuation settings. A firm click of the knob changes the settings.

 

This is their flagship model, but I also have the ones that cost so much less, and they are system changers as well. What they are trying to accomplish with all of their models is adaptability, where their volume as well as their roll off frequency can be adjusted to integrate with most any loudspeaker they are used with. Take a look at their new planar magnetic design, this one is a great looking speaker!

Click on the link and take a look at all the color variations they offer, I really like the one the link opens up! The only problems I have encountered with these speakers, they can't keep them in stock. The one shown in the link is out of stock now, can you see why!

Aperion Audio MKII Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker Pair

 

New super tweeter used on my Definitive Technology bookshelf loudspeakers.

 

If this is what you are presently using?

PAIR OF VINTAGE RADIO SHACK REALISTIC SUPER TWEETER SPEAKERS 40-1310A | eBay

For just a few dollars more than what these are selling for, you can move right into this new set, what do you think!

Aperion Audio MKII Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker Pair

 

Well, I have used these a few days and I must say they are, for lack of a better word, potent! They seem to be much louder than the less expensive offerings, so I needed to tame them a bit with the notched volume attenuation. I was asking the folks at Aperion to give me some further information to pass along that is not shown in the normal booklet, and I am putting that information here for review. These tweeters are very nice indeed and add so much to anything I have used them with so far.

Let me just say the open baffle is a huge advantage over other super tweeters, there is no mistaking that advantage. Everything about the presentation is improved.


Here is what the company sent to me:

The new super tweeter is a single ribbon, with dual firing open baffle. The driving force of this transducer is evenly distributed over the entire vibrating element. The actual size of the driver is 3.19 x 1.34 inches (81mm x 34mm). The thickness of the Kapton is 12.5 μm, the Aluminum is 20 μm, so total thickness is 44 μm. The sensitivity was tested using 2.83v @ 1 meter. The crossover is Butterworth. Using FR4 pcb board, and Aperion custom capacitors. The internal cables are high purity copper to minimize resistance. The overall crossover function is the same, being that it has the 6 adjustable positions, however as you can tell the physical knobs used for this model are very heavy duty.

 

I have been enjoying many new movies with these new super tweeters. I have never heard such an improvement when listening to high quality remasters and well recorded music, the addition to the presentation is stunning.

I have now owned and enjoyed every level of super tweeter product Aperion offers and every one of them enhance the presentation. The newest flagship model is beyond anything I have ever experienced from a super tweeter, it takes things to a new dimension.

 

do you... work for Aperion?

 

I really want to try them. However I don’t they would sit atop my Spatial M4’s. I even thought about building some sort of stand to mount on top of my speakers. But I figured that it’s a kind of expensive what if.

 

In other words, a dipole. The natural state for any planar speaker.

 

Absolutely, a dipole!

 

I looked at those speakers, open baffle, probably a good match and with a 93dB efficiency rating, you would need little to no attenuation. It appears your speakers have a small amount of surface area on the top, probably enough to accommodate a set of these smaller planar magnetics. If there is not enough room, I would build a stand with a very small post, as these speakers are not heavy. Have a small platform extend over the top of your loudspeakers and it's a done deal! It would not be a difficult project.



You might like the new style even better!

Aperion Audio MKII Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker Pair

 

I do not work for Aperion, but I have tried each one of their super tweeters starting with their Planar Magnetic super tweeters that cost $300.00, which have now been upgraded and cost $349.00 for the pair. Over time I have simply upgraded the super tweeters. I never felt like I could be "stuck" with something I had not heard, as they are so very liberal with their return policy. I was able to test drive the product for up to 60 days, and if it did not meet expectation, I could return them.

I am always buying and selling components, amplifiers, pre-amps, speakers, phono-stages, etc. I think I have sold more in the last 5 years than the rest of my life. I have used the Planar Magnetic super tweeters, the full ribbon super tweeter that was produced after that and now the ultimate AMT dual firing super tweeter (dipole).

I can honestly say, I have not found any other manufacturer with a super tweeter designed so beautifully, aesthetically, as well as having the adjustability all of their models have, including volume as well as roll off frequencies, they are just made to fit with almost any system, so, while I do not work for Aperion, I am pretty darn sold on their super tweeters, however I have never tried any of their other full range loudspeakers, might have to do that sometime.

We are all looking for a great tweak for our audio systems, and no kidding, I found this the best tweak of all! A subwoofer and a super tweeter done correctly just can't be beat! You should try a pair as I did, 60 day trial, there is no loosing, it's better than an in store demo, as it's in your own home for a long time!

 

Would you recommend a super tweeter for a bookshelf with top end roll off, and will it open up the soundstage without adding too much harsh treble on the top end?

 

I have owned or do own every pair of their super tweeters, the planar magnet, the full ribbon and the AMT. I have never experienced a harsh treble problem. What is so nice about their product is the ability to adjust the volume of the tweeters with any system and the roll off frequency as well, which shows in my post #9. This company is so very fair and reasonable, which is why they give you a 60 day in home trial period. That was one of the main reasons I tried the product to begin with.

 

I may give them a try (given that they have a UK distributor?).
I have a pair of Wharfedale Dentons that could use some top end and upper mid extension.

 

Which ones are you leaning towards, just curious

 

No idea yet - I'm chasing a deadline and haven't had time to explore the range properly.

 

Well, when I began playing with their tweeters, I purchased their starter Planar Magnetic in their beautiful Steinway black finish, just a stunning looking addition to ANY loudspeaker. Since that time, they have introduced a new wood finished addition to their line and for me this is a killer look, absolutely top shelf. It has the enhanced adjustments and you would be very happy with the product. Here is a link to a nice pic and description.

Aperion Audio MKII Planar-Magnetic Flat Ribbon Super Tweeter Speaker Pair

By far their best product has to be the AMT super tweeter that offers the Dipole design, which is pictured above, it's expensive, BUT, it's a monster. You might wish to try the $349.00 and move up later, you won't have one bit of trouble selling the less expensive pair you purchased first!

 

I just added a pair of Aperion Audio Planar Ribbon Super Tweeters to the top of Bozak Symphonies. The super tweeters are aligned with the vertical tweeter array and are crossed over at 8 KHz at 0 dB. My sound stage appears to have gotten taller and there is more apparent high end sparkle. I also think I hear more decay of cymbals and strings.

 

You know Johncan, I have not posted here in a while. I am always looking at Goodwill for new albums, and I just found a new one a few days ago, an older Readers Digest multi disc (4) record set called "Auld Lang Syne" just great heavy records, Dynagrove!

Sale price, a whopping 87 cents. Got them home and played each one, and those super tweeters just make all the difference in the world, and the longer you have them the more you will hear in those upper ranges. I'm so glad you tried a pair. I can certainly agree, there is always more decay, but I hear much greater attack! Why don't you post a pic of your speakers!

 

Litejazz53,

I've always been wary about the comb filtering effects from the use of a super tweeter. They can be quite significant.
If I ever bought a front firing type, I would face it towards the ceiling or backwards.
Question: have you tried facing your dipole tweeters side to side instead of front to back? If not, would you be willing to give it a try and report back?
The results could be quite surprising as any comb filtering effects would be reduced.