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Von Schweikert VR5 or Aerial 10T

I realize they both are fabulous speakers. And that I will be more than happy with either one but I wanted to get some thoughts or comments from those who may have some more experience with the speakers than I. Some additional information for consideration. The speakers may also be used for home theater? Room size is approximately 1800 square feet. Associated equipment: Aloia 11.01 preamp and either a Llano 300 or AV Reality EAR2 amp. Thanks in advance.
jghall
acuujim
207 posts
 
I've owned both
The Von Schweikert's are IMO far superior
sattothestars
233 posts
 
Yes I am a dealer,but the 10ts are a step behind the the VR5s.Probably about equal in HT but the VR5s take a giant step forward in 2 channel.My 2 cents.
beemer
444 posts
 
I own 10t's. Far too many people equate these as an HT speaker due to M. Kelly's excellent website. Fact is, most folks and dealers as well never put the 10t's up with their better equipment. I run mine as follows:

source: sony scd777es or BAT VKD5SE
preamp: BAT VK50SE
amps: Levinson 33H

Have I heard better? Yes. It would cost me an additional 30K. Law of diminishing return applies big time.

Unlike some speakers I've owned in the past, the 10t revealed new things with every upgrade ahead of them, be it cable or electronics.

I haven't heard the VR5, however I'm sure it's a great speaker as well, best of luck no matter which you choose. For me, I'm happy with the 10t's and my other speaker, Infinity IRS Betas. I swap between the two and get my fix of planars vs cones regularly!

Paul
tswhitsel
126 posts
 
I too own 10t's and agree with Beemer's comments above. Michael Kelly has done a fine job of meeting the needs of the HT market with his center, surround and subwoofer. However, the excellent reputation he enjoys was founded on the 10t's in a two channel system where they received outstanding reviews in both The Absolute Sound and Stereophile, which gave them Speaker of the Year back when Stereophile was still a good audio magazine. These speakers continue to be one of the best regarded speakers in high end audio and a tremendous value. Properly set up, the 10t's are very hard to beat at anywhere near their price. Also, I disagree with the comments that people make regarding their need for big amps and tons of power. Unless you have a really big room, and most of us don't (mine is 13x22), you can get wonderful results with some pretty modest amps. Michael Kelly has recommended the Ayre V-3 (100 watts per channel)to me on more than one occasion as an excellent match. I used a single BEL 2002 MK3a for some time and was very happy, and that is only 50 watts per channel! I have since added a second BEL which gives me all the power I could ever need at 200 watts per channel. I cannot recommend them highly enough.
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