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Aerial Acoustics 10t opportunity...too little, too late?

After watching the local market for many years for these, a set of the later generation 10t's has become available. The asking price is on the high side compared to what I generally see them going for ($1500-3000), but according to the seller they are very clean with minimal cosmetic imperfections (very slight cracking of the composite mid/tweeter cabinet) and have the walnut (rather than black) woofer cabinet. Also, they do not have the sound anchor stands. There is no opportunity to listen to them set up properly, but I will be able to play music through them to confirm all drivers function. My question to those out there who may be equipped to answer it is this...for someone who owns (or has owned) some rather exceptional vintage speakers (Infinity QLS-1, Altec 19, JBL L250, Acoustat Spectra 22, Magnepan MG-IIIa, Klipsch Chorus II with Crites mods) and used them in a dedicated listening space that has extensive and carefully executed acoustic treatments and with a variety of decidedly better than midfi upstream gear (Threshold, Aragon, Rega, ARC, flagship Schiit) will the 10t's offer me anything I haven't heard already? I think the high water mark for me so far has been the Altec 19's, but they fell a little short of the QLS-1's when it came to size of sound stage (the line source, IME, is the king of sound stage scale) and couldn't offer the sort of sound stage depth that the big Maggies could deliver...but in virtually every other category of fidelity they absolutely excelled. So fond of the the 19's was I that I couldn't dismiss the consistent opinions of others that the duplex was more of the 19 but with better imaging and sound stage resolution...so I grabbed a set of 604-8g's and all the parts to built Markwart crossovers and proceeded to do absolutely nothing with them for the past five years because I couldn't find cabinets for them. That changed a few months ago when I got my hands a pair of 620 cabinets (very cosmetically challenged), but a lack of free time has prevented me from putting everything together and that's not likely to change any time soon. So, my concern is this...I understand the 10t's are exceptional speakers that offer a level of hifi that has earned them serious and enduring respect in the hifi community at large...but I've yet to see them discussed in the same sentence/context with some of the best vintage flagship speakers ever manufactured. And given what I've had the great fortune of owning/experiencing will they be able to "wow"me? For sake of comparison, the most recent jaw dropping experiences I've had with a pair of loudspeakers has been with the GR Research NX-Treme (a dipole line source with open baffle servo controlled subs) and the Volti Vittora. Can anyone here contribute to that discussion, please?
I should add that I will have two listening spaces available, a 16x20x8 dedicated and acoustically treated space and a 16x34 (vaulted ceiling) lightly acoustically treated listening space where the 10t's and another set of speakers from the above list (except for the stats and JBLs...they're gone) will be able to reside.

Thanks,
Michael
tomlinmgt
Post removed 
tomlinmgt OP
2 posts
 
Thanks for the input, Elizabeth, but I can’t fully agree with your logic. I had doubt about the Altec 19’s when I purchased them and they were perhaps a bit overpriced given their less than pristine condition and they wound up being one the most impressive sounding loudspeaker systems I’ve ever heard. 
The seller of the 10t’s isn’t firm on his price, and of course I have no way of knowing how much he’s willing to knock off, but given certain circumstances I AM aware of know that it’s at least several hundred dollars.  
I’ve tried to avoid “HAVING” to have anything in this hobby. Although, admittedly, there have been a few times when I’ve convinced myself otherwise. But I’m older and wiser now.  I think. ;)
All that having been said, your point is well taken and I do see some merit in your perspective. 
adg101
1,062 posts
 
If the 10t is like my 7b’s You’ll need a big amp or don’t bother. A min of 200w @ 8 ohm’s or they won’t deliver what they’re capable of; +250 is even better. If you have the amp, then make an offer that you can live with that if you don’t like them in your room you can unload them without losing much if any. 
roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
Keep the Altec 19's! They have the "breath of life" dynamic range missing in most of today's touted hi-end speakers (Ariel 10t's included) that require mega-watt amp power to come alive! A PP tube amp using 6BQ5's for 15wpc can drive the 19's easily to LOUD levels! Dynamic range is the oft-overlooked quality that allows a speaker system to reach realistic playback levels!
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