"07-16-14: Seanile
So far it's pretty close between the Focal 1038be and the Aerial 7T. Going to listen to Revel Studio 2's on Friday. Hopefully after that I will be able to make a decision. Then comes the fun of picking an integrated amp and figuring out how to play my iTunes library and have it sound decent. Also going to look into a high quality streaming service. I'd really like to avoid having to buy CD's."
Given what you are asking for in your first post, I think the Aerial's fit the description best. They sound very good all around, but when you turn the volume up for loud music, the 7T should easily be the best. I've seen them several times in HT systems where people push them as hard as possible, and they hold up. That said, I'll make another selection that may seem like an odd choice. My good friend is a Meridian fanatic. They make speakers that have amps and DAC's built in. All you would need to add is whatever transport you prefer (CD, DVD, PC, iPod etc..), and that's it. Honestly, they wouldn't be my first choice, but they're not for me. I think there's a very good chance that you would really like them. If you just want something that has good SQ, and plays extremely loud and clean, it wouldn't hurt to look at them. They also look great and are fairly simple. You plug each speaker in and run a digital IC from your transport to the speakers, and that's it. No big boxes and cables all over.
So far it's pretty close between the Focal 1038be and the Aerial 7T. Going to listen to Revel Studio 2's on Friday. Hopefully after that I will be able to make a decision. Then comes the fun of picking an integrated amp and figuring out how to play my iTunes library and have it sound decent. Also going to look into a high quality streaming service. I'd really like to avoid having to buy CD's."
Given what you are asking for in your first post, I think the Aerial's fit the description best. They sound very good all around, but when you turn the volume up for loud music, the 7T should easily be the best. I've seen them several times in HT systems where people push them as hard as possible, and they hold up. That said, I'll make another selection that may seem like an odd choice. My good friend is a Meridian fanatic. They make speakers that have amps and DAC's built in. All you would need to add is whatever transport you prefer (CD, DVD, PC, iPod etc..), and that's it. Honestly, they wouldn't be my first choice, but they're not for me. I think there's a very good chance that you would really like them. If you just want something that has good SQ, and plays extremely loud and clean, it wouldn't hurt to look at them. They also look great and are fairly simple. You plug each speaker in and run a digital IC from your transport to the speakers, and that's it. No big boxes and cables all over.