WOW Aerial 10T vs. B&W 801II/III

To see Weiserb using A VTL 150 shocked me. THe Aerial folks told me not to consider anything less than a pair of VTL 185 or 250 monos. I called them because one of the shows where the 10-Ts did so well was based on VTL amps. The fact that the manufacturer uses tube gear kind of kills the need for SS myth i would say. High current, however is a must for the best performance regardless of the amp type. I have to admit, after a long arduous struggle a pair of Dunlavys won out over the 10-Ts due to the Dunlavy being a much more open speaker. But between the 10-T and the 801 there was never a contest, the Aerials slaughtered them.

Thanks Dan,
I look forward to learning of your results. Your Citations must really control the 10T's. I have never tried a less efficient speaker with the VT-150's. Each VT-150 mono amp has 420 joules of power supply energy storage for a total of 840 joules ( compared to a "stereo" total of 325 joules in the widely-used VT130SE or 674 total joules in a VT200). According to ARC, this massive power supply provides extreme dynamic stability during large musical transients, thus sounding more powerful than it is rated. I am hoping these amps will handle a speaker like the 10T or Magnepan 3.6.

I own a pair of Aerial 10T's in Santos Rosewood and am powering them with a ss McCormack DNA-2 LAE (Limited Anniversary Edition) amp.

The amp is powerful (300wpc@8ohm, 600wpc@4ohm) and extremely fast. And hooked up to the 10T's, just makes them sing.

I've powered the 10T's with lesser amps. They still sounded quite good, but they love the juice and then really open up. The bass reproduction is nothing short of excellent.

Thanks for the input. I just tried running a Marantz MA-24 (30W Class A) which is a VERY rare amp, a European release only, $1,500 EACH. Controlled the speaker wonderfully, as did my 18W tube, the Allegro. The Marantz blew the Allegro away in detail and bottom end, but when compared to the Citation, FAR MORE POWER is obviously needed and used with the Aerial 10Ts.

The odd thing is though, the Citation cuts out at high volumes, and I have NO IDEA why?

I love the 10T's, great speakers.

Porschecab, I received your email and will reply here. I certainly am no expert but will give it my best shot.

One question is: Why are you playing anything at such an 'excruciatingly' loud levels? I can't imagine that volume level (you used the word excruciatingly) bringing anybody any enjoyment. In the end, it will do is bring you hefty repair bills for driver replacements.

I'll play mine once in a great while at just less then half of full volume in my 13 x 18 x8 room and even then it's only for a short period of time.

Even the very best components and speakers have a volume threshhold. The trick is to play as loud as you enjoy it and no louder. If you own a porche and it can go 180mph, it doesn't mean you should for many reasons. You might enjoy 180mph for a few minutes but after that you begin to realize it's very fatiguing to keep up that pace.

I'm not trying to chastise here, but I am trying to determine what your goal is.

If the loudest music is your goal, I believe the Aerial 10T's can be up to the task (if they haven't already been damaged by the amp), but it requires serious amplification and that doesn't just mean power.

It means lots of CLEAN power and a whole lot more. Some to many amps, powerful or not, actually begin to strain or get congested when playing loud and/or complex music. Perhaps that is what you are hearing now.

The amp could be clean as a whistle at 1/3 volume but then start sounding really crappy above that threshold. Not just inexpensive amps but very expensive ones as well.

There are probably only a handful of amps that could even begin to take on the task that I think you are requiring.

For your possible budget, I would highly recommend you locating a used McCormack DNA-2 or DNA-2 Deluxe for about $1800 and then sending the unit to Steve McCormack at smcaudio.com. For $2500 more, he'll give you a no-holds-barred Rev A where every significant component is swapped out with a serious aftermarket upgrade. Then you'll finally have one of the few amps available to accomplish what you want.

But even that amp will have it's limits. Again, check to make sure you have not already damaged the 10T's.

Everybody talks about certain spec's of an amp. The wpc, joules, amperage, etc.. Although these spec's can mean alot, they alone are not the answer. It is in the execution of the whole. Transistor types and speed, biasing, feedback loops, the amp's chassis, the transformer, gain stages, etc. also have just as much to do with the quality of sound from the amp.

Just like a 369hp engine alone is not what makes a Porsche 911 a 911.

IMO, and thanks for asking.