As households add a second or third flat-panel HDTV, these secondary viewing locations may not accommodate a 5.1 home theater speaker system due to room size, layout, or pure aesthetics. "Because of our direct relationship with consumers, we were able to sit down in one-on-ones with key decision makers in the home," said Ed de la Fuente, VP of Marketing for Aperion Audio. "Most consumers already expect that a single speaker really can't match the surround sound performance of a discreet 5.1 home theater system, but for these secondary locations they place a premium on aesthetics such as wanting the speaker to visually disappear under the TV. 

Still important, however, are dialogue intelligibility, a wide surround effect, and clean, dynamic bass - like they get in the theater," he said. De la Fuente added that "While both men and women desire simplicity of setup and use, the audio enthusiasts also want the ability to 'tweak' the system for optimal sound in their home - so after giving them an accurate starting point, we made sure to include that functionality as well."

The system includes the Aperion Signature SLIMstage30 Soundbar and the Aperion Bravus 8A Subwoofer which provides 100W RMS of low frequency power. The SLIMstage30, engineered in partnership with Soundmatters International, Inc. of Reno, Nevada, includes the 31-inch wide powered soundbar, with a profile of only 3 ½ inches high by 3 ¾ inches deep, and is finished in a gloss black wrap-around grille to fit most HDTV aesthetics. 

Read more about the SlimStage on Page 2.