Best amp pairing with Aerial Acoustics Speakers?

" You could elaborate on why your experience is different. That would be more helpful to OP than just saying it is a train wreck. "

Sure. My experience is different because everytime I've done it the system sounded like crap.

" Yes, the problem is many speakers are actually two separate speakers in one enclosure. Hence, two different amps each doing what it is designed best to do. One handling the highs/mids and the other handling the lows."

What makes you think you know more than the designer? Aerial didn't get to where they are by making mediocre speakers that needed to be fixed with different types of amps.

" In audio the right way is what provides the most optimal results in a cost effective manner. Sure, OP could just go out and buy a TOTL Pass Labs and that would work. But I am trying to offer a solution that I have used in many configurations that can sound just a good if done right as a TOTL high end single amp .....at a fraction of the cost."

Then lets have it. Lay out a system of specific components that the OP can buy doing it your way.

@sfall:

yes, the previous suggestion for multiple amps was confusing so I don't think I would go that route anyway...

has anyone ever heard the Aerials with the older Krell Theater Amp Standard (TAS) amp?  I've seen a few for sale lately and they are REALLY peaking my interest.  Any thoughts, experiences, or advice on pairing the TAS and Aerial 7b's and CC3b?

@jrunr

I would never recommend horizontal bi-amping for efficient / sensitive speakers because it wouldn’t make sense. But for difficult to drive speakers it can be the most cost effective way to go with outstanding results. That is my experience. I don’t say it is the solution for everyone’s speakers but I challenge anyone who says it will never work in any situation.

I am only offering an alternative for you to investigate that I (and others) have had great success with. (If you lived close to central FL I would say to drop by my home and have a listen for yourself.)

To answer your previous question, horizontal bi-amping does not change the impedance of any speaker’s individual drivers, that is fixed. But it does change the impedance load that is presented to each amplifier. I would urge you to do some research on horizontal bi-amping and make a decision for yourself if it seems right for you. Don’t just take the word of advocates ..... or naysayers.

To make horizontal bi-amping work you have to have a couple of features in the system configuration.

1. A preamp that has two sets of outputs to drive two separate amps.
2. The bass amp has to have a built in gain control or you need to have a separate volume attenuation control device between the preamp and the bass amp.

Impedance of any speaker changes over the frequency range which is why a "nominal" impedance spec is not very useful by its self. Stereophile does present an impedance graph for your speakers that is helpful but I have never seen two impedance graphs presented, one for the top end and one for the bottom end in any review. Parts Express caries a software package to generate your own impedance graphs called DATS that cost about $100. I use it on all my speakers, those that can be bi-amped or not to see what is really going on.

Good luck.

So, I know that the Aerials like a lot of current, so what about one of the older Parasound amps?  ex: 2205AT or the HCA-2003A?  Those are supposed to be high current amps, but what will I lose by going with those over the Krell TAS?

When I purchased my 7Bs, I tried running them with a Yamaha MX-1. I would describe that pairing as anemic, my initial impression was that I'd made an expensive mistake buying the Aerials. It wasn't until I purchased the Bryston that I realized their potential, lesson learned. The Parasounds you are asking about may have a little more power, but I would guess about the same results.