Help with speaker selection


Hi all,

I’ve considering upgrading from my beloved Aerial 10T’s which will remain in a second system. What I’m looking to improve from the 10T’s is the detail, while maintaining the extreme listenability the Aerials bring (zero harshness). Also I want to improve in the lower mid bass/bass detail. The 10T’s will play low but the detail could be better.

So far I’ve been impressed with the Sonus Faber Olympica Nova V’s. They really impressed me with all of the attributes I’m looking to improve over my Aerials. They had a wonderfully cohesive presentation with detail and no harshness. The bass was outstanding and articulate.

I’ve only begun shopping so I’m looking for other recommendations to consider. I heard the Aerial 7T’s and was not nearly as impressed as I was with the SF’s.

Others on the list that I haven't heard yet include:

Revel Salon2/Studio2

Aerial 20T V2 (impossible to find!)

 

Amps will be JC1’s, with a solid state front end (Levinson).

Thanks in advance!!

Ag insider logo xs@2xhk_fan

Go to the Florida HiFi Expo in 6 weeks in Tampa...You' be able to audition hundreds of Hi end speakers...That's where I heard my Borresen X-3's @ 11K.

I would look at the monitor audio platinum 300 lll very three-dimensional  and spacious much more so than a lot of other speakers costing two to three times the price. and very natural sounding that MPD Tweeter It's probably the best on the market.

Someone else mentioned the Usher Speakers, can suggest them also as they are definitley overacheivers and well built. Some of their models are real nice, sound extremely well and are not hard to drive. They tend to have a nice balance to their sound from top to mids to bottom.

had the salon 1 and 2. Agree the s2 are clinical side of musical compared to usher be20dmd, Meridian DSP8000se, VA beethoven and persona 7f. I never heard the Aerial 10t so don’t know what you’re used to. A full, rich midrange while sounding more musical can overpower the top end making detailed speakers sound less so. I think the Usher BE 20 DMD were the best of the used speakers that retailed $20-25k new retail.

The persona’s needed 5’ free space around them to sound their best otherwise a nasty upper mid glare would show up. The DSP8kse are freakin awesome also, but you’re kinda locked into the brand all the way then.

VA’s Beethovens just don’t play loud and have a recessed midrange which I love but, still.

My salon 2’s had surgical detail and image placement, but it was bizarre because there was no soundstage, just images placed in space. More like a tool than an instrument. Just my experience.

Focal Kanta 3. Again my room, my gear they had a 10 db peak at 100hz were flat at 80 hz and no measurable bass below 60hz. Loved the midrange and treble but they sounded a bit lightweight to me.

VA Strauss, not for detail junkies, but fun rock speakers that DO go loud.

I bought and resold all of these and got to compare several side by side. hey were all popular models that resold for what I paid and the value of a home demo and being to spend several months really helped.

My current pair the Kef Blades I also almost resold because they were kinda flat and boring at low volumes, but I liked them enough at normal volume to try different amps on them and when I used a pair of MC611’s on them they became keepers.

HK_FAN. It looks like you already have stout amplification and I wonder how different my home demos would have been if I’d already had my Mc611 amps already? So my point after this long winded rant is. IME unless your budget includes replacing your JC1’s I recommend home demoing the speakers you think you might like.

 

There are so many really good speakers out there- but let me give a shameless plug for the ones I chose.  

I like my music at least as loud as conversation level. If I really like the tune- often very loud. My room is huge so I need a lot of speaker and wattage. That being said:

I auditioned Perlistens, B&W Signatures, Vienna Beethoven's and Bryston Model Ts.  I would up buying the Bryston model Ts- mostly because of their amazing bass. I don't need a sub with these but I would have had to have one with the other 3 sets. Again, just my opinion. I like French Vanilla you and you may like Dutch Chocolate. 

When pushed harder than a woman's soft compliment the Brystons came alive. Startlingly so. When it was time to crank it they were dazzling. 

Anyhow- my cost was under 13K delivered so I think I got value for my money. 

Speaking of value I'm the kind of guy who enjoys a bottle of $100 wine that tastes amazing much more than the "highly rated" $250 bottle that raised my expectations higher than it was able to deliver. Basically overpaying takes the fun out of a purchase for me. Moreso audio equipment.