Thanks to all for the additional comments.
stereo5, the information about room sizes and your comparison of T1 and TRef was helpful, thanks. I'm still puzzled by my impressions from my side-by-side T7 vs TRef comparisons at each of 2 dealers, especially as your T Refs are in a similar size room to the dealers' (and so overpowering the dealers' listening rooms may not have been the issue). It's entirely possible that my ears aren't experienced enough to appreciate such differences -- although that probably also means that if my ears weren't impressed by a speaker, I would not be happy if I purchased it. I'm a three hour drive from the nearest GE dealer, so I had assumed an in-home demo was out, but your suggestion is a good one -- it's a good idea to ask.
jackd, thanks for the Spatial suggestion. I have looked into them a little, but I was concerned about placement issues, as positioning is quite constrained, for me. How far from the wall and sides are yours?
twoleftears, I am not necessarily aiming to stick with GE. But GE seemed the easiest starting point, as I already have the 7s and a SuperCenter XL in a 3.1 HT configuration. [For HT, what I have is quite adequate for me. It's for music that I've found myself hankering for bigger soundstage and more detail/clarity than the GE T7's]. As far as non-GE options go, another recent thread (https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/road-trip-to-demo-10-000-speakers) was very helpful in identifying other possible upgrade paths.
stereo5, the information about room sizes and your comparison of T1 and TRef was helpful, thanks. I'm still puzzled by my impressions from my side-by-side T7 vs TRef comparisons at each of 2 dealers, especially as your T Refs are in a similar size room to the dealers' (and so overpowering the dealers' listening rooms may not have been the issue). It's entirely possible that my ears aren't experienced enough to appreciate such differences -- although that probably also means that if my ears weren't impressed by a speaker, I would not be happy if I purchased it. I'm a three hour drive from the nearest GE dealer, so I had assumed an in-home demo was out, but your suggestion is a good one -- it's a good idea to ask.
jackd, thanks for the Spatial suggestion. I have looked into them a little, but I was concerned about placement issues, as positioning is quite constrained, for me. How far from the wall and sides are yours?
twoleftears, I am not necessarily aiming to stick with GE. But GE seemed the easiest starting point, as I already have the 7s and a SuperCenter XL in a 3.1 HT configuration. [For HT, what I have is quite adequate for me. It's for music that I've found myself hankering for bigger soundstage and more detail/clarity than the GE T7's]. As far as non-GE options go, another recent thread (https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/road-trip-to-demo-10-000-speakers) was very helpful in identifying other possible upgrade paths.