Features

Words could barely express Michael Fremer's enthusiasm for this home theater package, which performs magnificently on both music and soundtracks. "With all due respect to every other fine home-theater speaker system I've reviewed over the years," MF wrote in his review, "none could approach the Aerials in any category important to home theater. Starting at the very bottom, the combination of the two SW12 subs and the LR5's 40Hz response (Aerial's ratings are conservative) produced low frequencies in my home—my living room could hardly contain them—that were literally frightening when they were meant to be." Yet the bottom end of the system could be "as harmonically nimble and musically subtle as it was muscular and explosive."

And even apart from the system's "exceptional extension, dynamics, soundstaging, and scale—the best I've heard yet in these departments—the Aerial system had an ideal tonal balance. I don't mean nearly ideal. I mean ideal. The titanium tweeter was sweet, detailed, delicate, and extended, with no hint of peakiness. The midband was clear, open, and free of cuppy or hooty colorations of any kind. The midbass was firm and coherent, yet not too dry. And, of course, the bottom end could be both wonderfully musical and literally nauseating—in the best sense of the word."

"For this kind of expenditure," MF concluded, "you should get quality on every level and in every department. I can say without hesitation that this system delivers it in full measure. If you get the opportunity to hear it, I'm sure you'll agree."
www.ultimateavmag.com/speakersystems/504aerial/

Gold Award
Infinity Beta 50, Beta C360, Beta E250, CSW-10
$3094

Michael Fremer found that this Infinity speaker package produced the sort of "effortless, effervescent, full-bodied, transparent, and three dimensional soundstage one usually [associates] with speaker systems costing tens of thousands of dollars—and I'm not exaggerating."

The Betas can do justice to even the best electronics; MF drove them with the Lexicon RV-8 receiver, which helped the Infinities produce a surprisingly good imitation of some of the priciest home theater speakers he has had in his listening room. The better the equipment you use to drive these speakers, the better they'll sound.

While the Infinity Beta system couldn't match the "transparency, microdynamic clarity, or resolution of low level detail" of far pricier systems like the Aerial, our Platinum winner (see above), it came far closer than you might imagine for a fraction of the price. It does "so much that is fundamentally correct," MF concluded, "that it represents one of the biggest bargains in surround-sound home theater speakers I've heard yet."
www.ultimateavmag.com/speakersystems/805infinity/

Subwoofer

Platinum Award
Genelec HTS6
$9950

Keith Yates did a monumental, 3-part report on twelve subwoofers for Ultimate AV last year. His test methodology was perhaps the most stringent ever applied to these audio bottom-feeders. This jumbo Genelec system was the clear winner.

It isn't pretty to look at, but even auditioned outdoors, well clear of any neighbors, the Genelec was capable of clean and frighteningly real reproduction of the most challenging bass you'll find on any program material. Used indoors, well, your house had better be well screwed together.
www.guidetohometheater.com/speakersystems/604way/index4.html

Gold Award
Velodyne Acoustics Digital Drive DD-12
$2999

The last frontier of audio is the room. While some rooms are better than others, most suffer from one degree or another from room mode problems in the low frequencies.

Subwoofer designers have begun to address this issue. Velodyne's Digital Drive series not only incorporates the company's signature servo control (performed digitally here) but eight bands of parametric equalization to smooth out the bass response at the listening position.

When Robert Deutsch reviewed the Velodyne DD-12, the next-to-smallest model in the line, he found that it produced the superb low end extension and low distortion the company's subwoofers are known for. But it also offered an exceptionally flexible means of tailoring the subwoofer to the room.

The DD-12, as reviewed, required a rather complex manual setup. Since then, Velodyne has added automatic setup to the Digital Drive series. The company also plans to make its Digital Drive technology available separately, for use with other subwoofers, including existing Velodyne models.

"At $2999, the Velodyne DD-12 might seem on the pricey side," RD concluded, "but not when you consider that it includes a sophisticated digital measurement and parametric equalization system. With the DD-12 and other subwoofers in its Digital Drive range, Velodyne maintains its status as a leader in this highly competitive field."
www.ultimateavmag.com/speakersystems/1204velodyne/