Aaron MagnusAV Home TheatreLoudspeaker SystemMagnus byname and witha big soundthat befits this,Aaron’s latestproves potentBy Gavin WomersleyAudio & Video Lifestyle Magazine54auditionequipment reviewVital StatisticsDimensions:280 x 918 x 390mm (ATS-5)Weight:14kg (CC-240)Price:$3,339 (complete system)Distributor:Betetec Industries Pty Ltd17 De Havilland CresentBallina, NSW 2478Telephone:(02) 6686 0277Facsimile:(02) 6686 0285Website:www.spot.com.au/aaronAlittle over a year agoAudio & VideoLifestyle editor, NicTatham, went up tosunny Ballina on thenorthern NSWcoast to visit thehome of Aaron loudspeakers. He founda raft of high quality test gear, thesecond largest anechoic chamber inAustralia and production facilities withthe very latest of technologies. Basicallyeverything needed to back up arguablyone of Australia’s biggest loudspeakermanufacturers.Betetec Industries, a.k.a Aaron, isdefinitely not a backyard operation - it’sone of, if not the best selling brand inAustralia. Almost all of the speakers aresold locally and are aimed squarely atthe affordable end of the market wheredemand is greatest. The speakers forreview here represent my firstexperience with the brand. All areavailable separately but together formthe Magnus surround system. The valueof the complete system totals $3,339.The system consists a pair of largefloorstanders called the ATS-5’s, a largecentre speaker called the CC-240, a pairof small bookshelf speakers called theATS-1 and last, but by no means least, alarge subwoofer called the SUB-240.I guess the first thing that struck meupon the opening of the speaker boxeswas the elaborate warnings and detailsconcerning speaker damage that eachspeaker contained. After reading thematerial provided I am sure that eventhe least technical person would comeaway with a profound understanding onthe dangers of certain music and thespecific circumstances that may lead tospeaker damage. I can only fathom thatthis has been done in response to pastproblems with customers unsure of thesituations that can cause speakerdamage and unsure about whether suchdamage is covered under warranty. It ispossible that the sort of people whowant a ‘big’ sound for a relatively smallReproduced withpermission fromAudio & VideoLifestyle magazine