Aerial Acoustics 6Ts = Amazing

[pachieh]

I had the chance to sit down and listen today to the new Aerial Acoustics 6T speakers at Audio Advice in Raleigh, NC. What an amazing set of speakers. Looking at them, they don't appear that they will handle low-end very well due to the slim cabinet, but they do have dual 5.25" woofers in them. Bottom line, they sing far beyond anything I've heard in the price range. I listened to some Vandersteen Treos at the same time and they just weren't close (only a single 8" woofer). The transitions between low/mid/high were seamless and I got tingles down my spine while listening to both the new album from Beck and Van Cliburn's Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3. The low end on the 6Ts put the Treos way behind it. Such detailed mids that I could plainly hear fingers moving up and down guitars from all of the guitars, not just Beck's. Clarity in the highs are unsurpassed, especially since they were natural. Think of it as transporting you far beyond what you think a $6k speaker would do.

 

Don't get me wrong, the Treos are very good speakers, but the 6Ts are on a very different level. Musical to the core, superb imaging, and just plain beautiful. I currently have a set of Vandersteen 2ce Sig IIs and will be upgrading next month to the 6Ts. If your local dealer has them, go listen to them!

 

Store Setup:

Aerial Acoustics 6T

Audio Research LS17se preamp

Ayre V5xe amp

Ayre QB-9DSD DAC

MacBook Pro

Transparent Cable MusicWave Ultra cables for everything

[BobP63]

Just want to point out something from your emphasis of driver size in relation to bass. One 8" driver still has approximately 20% more surface area than two 5.25" drivers and wouldn't need to travel as far to move the same amount of air. Now this has nothing to do in terms of which speaker may have had more bass I simply wanted to clarify it wasn't an issue of driver diameter.

[Daverz]

I really like the Aerial sound. When I was shopping for speakers a few years ago, my final selections came down to Arial and Vandersteen, but the Arial's I really wanted were a bit out of reach (the 9s, IIRC).

[dtb300]

The "9's" were always one of my favorite models in the Aerial lineup...

[DanRubin]

I wish Aerial had more b&m dealers or made an effort to appear at the regional shows. I really want to hear the 6Ts and 7Ts.

[ted_b]

Michael Kelly is one of the great guys in audio. His 6T's (at RMAF/CES) and 7T's (reviewed by my dear friend Terry London, so I heard them in his wonderful listening room over extended periods) are spectacularly musical speakers. They would be on my short list for their intended room sizes. Me...I want to hear his 20T's in my room (and he knows this; I've kidded him about it several times).

[wdw]

Michael Kelly is one of the great guys in audio. His 6T's (at RMAF/CES) and 7T's (reviewed by my dear friend Terry London, so I heard them in his wonderful listening room over extended periods) are spectacularly musical speakers. They would be on my short list for their intended room sizes. Me...I want to hear his 20T's in my room (and he knows this; I've kidded him about it several times).

 

+1

[57gold]

Still digging the 10Ts.

 

Have listened to newer stuff like Wilson, B&W, NOLA, Revel, Maggies...the stuff that retailers around Tampa Bay carry. None gave me reason to want to shell out thousands to replace the 10Ts.

 

That being said, need a bear of an amp to make them give up the goods, in my case a McCormack DNA 500.

[mlevinson]

Still digging the 10Ts.

 

Have listened to newer stuff like Wilson, B&W, NOLA, Revel, Maggies...the stuff that retailers around Tampa Bay carry. None gave me reason to want to shell out thousands to replace the 10Ts.

 

That being said, need a bear of an amp to make them give up the goods, in my case a McCormack DNA 500.

 

I agree. I've had my 10T's for a very long time and while there certainly are better speakers out there, I haven't heard a pair that has made me reach for my wallet.

 

They do like big power however.

[kennyb123]

I agree. I've had my 10T's for a very long time and while there certainly are better speakers out there, I haven't heard a pair that has made me reach for my wallet.

 

They do like big power however.

 

My 175wpc Spectral amp did a far better job of breathing life into my 10Ts than the 300wpc Krell amp I owned before it. FAR better transient response from the much faster Spectral amp. So it's not just pure wattage that matters in the case of the 10T. Probably true for all Aerial speakers.