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Martin Logan Aerius i vs. Spica TC-60

I've just bought a used pair of Aerius i's to replace my recently-acquired Spica TC-60s, and I've had 'em for half a day now. It's been a very interesting adjustment. Before I get into the comparison, though, I'll first address a 'goner's concern that the Aeriuses might be too bright with my Adcom amps. They are a bit bright, but this is easily offset with positioning, at least in my room. First, my listening chair is quite low, putting my ears at 36". I figured I was too low, so I tipped the speakers forward a bit by raising the back foot 1/2". Whoa. Too bright. Horns were aggressive. Untipped the speakers and toed them in just a bit more than recommended, and that took care of any residual brightness. I like a solid center more than a wide stage, so toeing suits me.

Now, I've gotta say, as far as imaging goes, my old Spica TC-60s put up a bloody good fight, and are actually better on simple, intimate vocal material. The Spicas elicit a "Wow!" on Boz Scaggs' "But Beautiful" and Lyle Lovett's "I Love Everyone", and the Aeriuses don't. Boz' voice hangs in the air like a levitating brick on the Spicas, like a cloud of smoke on the Aeriuses. On "I Love Everyone", the beautifully recorded drum kit is rock solid on the Spicas, a bit see-through on the Aeriuses.

That said, the Aeriuses do just about everything else as well or better. Detail is finer, bass is deeper and rounder, more life-size, but fairly agile. Tonal balance is otherwise very similar to the Spicas. Both could use another dB or two in the upper midrange. Where the Aeriuses steal the show, though, is on more complex material with a bigger soundstage. On the Manhattan Transfer's "Offbeat of Avenues" and Manu Dibango's "Wakafrica", the layered voices are more distinct and have lots of space around them. Little Feat's live "Waiting for Columbus" is amazingly big, live, reverberant and exciting.

I can't see going back to the Spicas, but I'm loathe to give them up, too. Wish I had two living rooms. The whole exercise has given me a new appreciation of just how astoundingly good the Spicas are at what they do best. The going prices for used ones make them an absolute steal.

Not that I can afford to trade up, but I'm wondering what speakers in the $1k-$2k (used) range might combine the Aerius' huge soundstage and detail with the Spicas' rock-solid center imaging and meaty vocals. Any thoughts? I've auditioned Gallo's Reference 3 and a $3k Audio Physic, and neither did it for me.
jacquescornell
jacquescornell OP
56 posts
 
Jdolgin -

I picked up a pair of Adcom GFA-5200 50WPC amps for $100 each and am using them to biamp & biwire. Even with these little tykes, though, I've got lots more power than I can use in the 12x19x9 living room of my thin-walled apartment. I'm not married to the Adcoms, but I'm all spent out now, so upgrading anything will have to wait at least half a year. I'll keep your amp recommendations in mind, though.

As for the imaging, are you saying that the Aeriuses can create a center image that's as solid as the Spicas'? The Aeriuses sound great when there are lots of performers, because they provide enough room to keep them all separate. But, when it's just one vocalist up-close, the Spicas are more solid. I've got the Aeriuses along a 12' wall, with the center of the panel 36" from the front wall and 24" from the side walls and toed in a bit more than the one-third rule dictates to keep the brightness down and focus the center. Any closer to the front wall than 36" and I get nasty bass resonance. I think the proximity to the side walls is defocusing the image a bit, but my room's too narrow to set up along a long wall, and if I move the speakers closer together, the soundstage starts to feel crowded.

geronimo -

A pair of Adcom GFA-5200s, successors to the highly reviewed GFA-535II, which was considered better-sounding than the popular bigger GFA-555. Small and cheap, but decent quality. At this point, I suspect that placement tweaking will have make a bigger improvement than better electronics. Too, I have to face the fact that my room is just too narrow, and nothing I do will change that. (Sigh.)

What tube or SS amp would you recommend in the $500 (used) ballpark? I'm totally ignorant about tubes. And remember, I don't need much power, as my listening levels are, by necessity, very modest.

Thanks for the feedback.
mikej
172 posts
 
Hi, to answer your question about a speaker to try...I suggest you try a pair of recent Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures. If they're set up properly I think you'll like them a lot. Your electonics sound sufficient for them and as you upgrade they'll resolve everything.
jacquescornell OP
56 posts
 
MikeJ -
I think you misread my post. I'm not looking for other speakers. I'm very happy with the Aeriuses. I'm curious, though, about what amps, especially tube amps, people have found to work well with these.
jacquescornell OP
56 posts
 
Update:

After tweaking and spiking, the Aeriuses are now sounding really terrific, with central vocals that are as focused, if still not quite as solid, as the Spicas. I pulled the Aeriuses another 3" from the front and side walls (39" & 27"), toed 'em in a tad more, moved the listening position back a bit, and replaced the slider feet with spikes. Man, I was surprised at what a major difference the spikes made. It was not subtle. The imaging, spacious but fuzzy before, became spacious and razor sharp. These babies are cookin' now, and they're equally good on intimate material and big-stage material. I think the Adcom amps are a perfectly good match. But, then, I've always tended to favor a slightly bright sound, a la my Stax Lambda Pros.

All this doesn't make the Spicas any less impressive. But, I'm now very happy to have the Aeriuses and have no regrets about replacing the Spicas with them.
honest1
586 posts
 
Keep the Spicas! Although I've neverheard the TC60s, I still have my TC50s (the first speakers I ever bought). I replaced them in my main system with very expensive monitors, which better them in many respects, but they still have a magic with vocals that can't be beat. I set them up in my bedroom, along with some other stuff from my main system that I wasn't using. I actually just plunked them on the floorhooked up with cheap wire, and they still sing! If anyone here actually saw how I have them "set up", I would get mightily abused, but they really do make music. They work well with almost anything, alhtough the better the euqipment, the better they sound. I am currently using a Sony 707 ES and Theta pro prime into a JJ828. Other things I liked with them were Acurus A150 and Pass Labs Aleph 3.

I odn't know which Audio Physics speakers you tried, but the magic ones were the Step 2 (from the early 90s) and the Virgo 2. I did not like the 3 series Virgo at all.
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