Aerial Acoustics Owners Thread - Page 12

I have Wire out the WaZoo. I tried different types in a BiWire on my 9'S. Nothing sounded better than a single set and using the Gold Plated Copper Jumpers that come with the speakers. I have been able to notice a improvement on other speakers, such as B&W using different types on Top versus Bottom ( i.e. Copper, Silver, and Carbon Based) but not on the Aerial's. It seems to me that the best sound comes from Single set Hooked to the Top Jumped to the Low End ( may I suggest Silver coated Copper) and Aerial Jumpers(Tried different Jumpers Too) and then let the Electronics in the speaker do it's thing.
This is all Based on my Current Electronics ( Subject to Change in a New York Minute).
IMHO

Hi, 10t / CC3 owner here. I was using an Aragon 8008st to power my 10t's, but it has died (rigth channel). I am looking for a 2 or 3 channel replacement. I am considering a Naim 250.2, Theta Dread, Krell fpb 200, Krell kav 250, and maybe a classe or bryston. Since I currently own a Naim av2, I am highly interested in the naim option. I am concerned that the naim might not have the slam that the Aragon did. Does anyone have experience with the previously mentioned amps paired with a 20t, 10t, or 9? I am especially curious if anyone has used naim with aerial speakers.

I'm not sure if it's appropriate to post this in here or not, but I am having to sell my barely used Aerials because we sold our home. Our new home will not have the space for such a large system, so they have to go.

I have Model 9's with the black stands and Model 6's with the stand that has the adjustable spike in front. They are both Natural Cherry finish and are about 4 months old with <100 hours on them.

PM me if your interested... I am willing to make a good deal on either or both pairs!

how does the Aerial9 compare to paradigm SIG8 version3? I read ear;ir from a previous 9 owner that its a little better than the SIG8's.

I know i will get a lot of bias opionions lol but your thougts are welcomed. thanks

also the CC5 vs the C5 of paradigm?

I can only compare the A9'S to the Sig8's. My Brother In-Law has the Sig's and I have the 9's. He was able to pick Up the 3LCR Speakers at a steal and He can not hear the difference, that I THINK I Can in Quality. Like I try to Tell Everyone, just cause something has a Big Price Tag doesnt make it better. If you can't hear the difference DON'T PAY the DIFFERENCE. Comparing in a Home Theater enviroment I think the Differences are so small that it is not a consideration. If this is your main use Buy the Ones you can get the Best Deal on. I know this will sound Slanted toward the Aerials, but here goes. When it comes to 2-Channel Music the Aerial's do better in all catagories. Their Cleaner and more In-Sync with all Drivers, they bring out small details ( or don't cover it Up) better than the Sigs. Musically there just better, in some areas not by much but in others it is considerable (IMHO)
He has the large paradigm center channel, when I heard it I thought it was the best Center I had ever heard. The General Consensus on the Aerial CC5 is that it is also one of the Top Centers. I have the CC3B and it is plenty for me and does a fine Job in my set-up, but I have heard that the CC5 Blows it away.

You can take this with a grain of salt as I have never owned either one of those speakers, but I did audition the Aerials. I heard the model 7 and the cc3b in a home theater set up and thought it was freaking amazing! Then I heard the Model 9 and CC5 combo... It was just as amazing only there was more of it! lol Everything the CC3B did, the CC5 did; just bigger. The cc3b is al I would need in a modest home theater/living room. I would assume that The CC5 is better in larger rooms where you can take advantage of it more.

Just an opinion of course...

(Note: I personally have the PSB Synchrony One Towers and Center Channel)

FWIW, I also auditioned both the CC3B and the CC5 before buying the CC5. The CC3B was the best center I'd ever heard, right up until I heard the 5.

My favorite demo for the merits of the CC3B is the opening monologue for Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Cate Blanchett's voice sounds boomy and unnatural on many centers, but perfectly controlled on the CC3B.

Sounds just the same on the CC5, so then I add this to the demo of the CC5: Morgan Freeman's opening monologue for War of the Worlds. The extra bass extension picks up the chest resonance in his voice and gives it serious power. Ditto for Craig T. Nelson in The Incredibles.

I'd love to audition a System 1 Center. My new room (in design now) would benefit from the shallower depth, but I'm told that it doesn't have quite the "weight" of the CC5, and I might miss that for male voices.

Since i have a nice connection i would be getting them at cost most likely. Same goes for the SIG8's. all the reviews on the sig8's are all good, there is only two if you want to call it recent reviews on the 9's.

Have they uprdae the 9's at all since the last review? Because in the review they said the width is 8 1/2 inches but the stats on the website says 11 inches wide?

I what i need to find out as well is how the CC5 compare tp the C5 for paradigm. I know paradigms C5 is one of the best on the market now they compare it to higher end brands.

two other guys said that the 9's are just a lttle better than the SIG8's. The 9's and the SIG are pretty much in the same price range.

The Model 9 is 8.5" wide in the front and 11" in the back, and is also shorter in the front than it is in the back.

The Aerial web site has a good 3-view illustration if you go to the products page, select the Model 9, then click the "Downloads" link and look for the "cabinet illustration" PDF.

I have to try an audion these speakers somehow.

If anyone is in GTA ontario canada and have the 9's pleasse

This week I'm going to audition a used Audio Research D-300 ss amp. It runs at 160 watt in 8 ohms and 300 in four ohms. The reviews on this amp seemed mixed and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience matching up ARC and Aerials. This will change my amp setup to ARC D-300 For Model 6's a bridged Threshold T-50 (100 watts bridged pure class A) for the CC3 and a Theshold T-50 in stereo mode for the rear model 5's. Need to be sure about this because I'll have to sell my Forte 4 and 6 to cover most of the cost of the ARC. On a second note thanks for the thoughts on bi-wiring I'll stay with what I have and save some money. Class a.

Years ago I had a ARC D-300 power my Aerial 10Ts. It was nice but could not get the best out of the bass. You might get better response with the Aerial 6s.
Personally, I would stick with the Pass designed amps you have. After the D-300 I got a Pass Labs X350 and it did the best with my Aerials.

Have fun with the auditon and good luck.

I put in the Audio Research D-300 and replaced my Two Threshold T-50's for the day. I found the sound stage a little farther back and the mids and highs seemed rolled off. I got a slightly better bottom end but nothing really significant. The overall sound seem rounder and more lush. It was okay. If I auditioned the Model 6's with the ARC I probably would have kept the Thiels. When I went back to the Tresholds the mid and upper range came right back to life. The clarity and pace came right back. Don't get me wrong the ARC D-300 is not a bad amp it just doesn't match well with the Model 6. If I still had my Thiels IMO they would make a better match. I now understand why so many Arial owners like Brystons & Thetas. For your info the Threshold T series was designed after Nelson Pass left the company. The T series ran from 94-98. It was still highly regarded. One final note Aerials w/ a Pass x-350 amp that's audio nirvana.

I put in the Audio Research D-300 and replaced my Two Threshold T-50's for the day. I found the sound stage a little farther back and the mids and highs seemed rolled off. I got a slightly better bottom end but nothing really significant. The overall sound seem rounder and more lush. It was okay. If I auditioned the Model 6's with the ARC I probably would have kept the Thiels. When I went back to the Tresholds the mid and upper range came right back to life. The clarity and pace came right back. Don't get me wrong the ARC D-300 is not a bad amp it just doesn't match well with the Model 6. If I still had my Thiels IMO they would make a better match. I now understand why so many Arial owners like Brystons & Thetas. For your info the Threshold T series was designed after Nelson Pass left the company. The T series ran from 94-98. It was still highly regarded. One final note Aerials w/ a Pass x-350 amp that's audio nirvana.

I have a pair of Salk Songtowers and center in Curly cherry with guitar burst finish, they were built in march of this year, they are in as new condition, I would trade them for a pair of aerial 8B's in excellelent condition, if interested pm or call me at 443 831 1025, I am in Maryland, thanks

I am looking to upgrade my speakers and have an opportunity to purchase a couple of Model 9's (would be used for HT and audio) -- anyone pair them with MC501's and if so, what kind of synergy? [disclaimer: I realize that audio quality is in the ears of the beholder and I will audition the Model 9's with my amps but since I do not have golden ears, I appreciate opinions of others]

Thanks,

MikeSp

The place I bought my Model 6's had the complete line of Aerials hooked up to the McInosh line. The model 9's were quite often paired with the MC501's. It was a great match. Grain free with a real dynamic punch. The big thing about the 9's is they need plenty of space and give them some distance from the side and back walls or they'll sound boomy. But as far as amps are concerened the MC501's and the 9's are top notch. Happy listening.

That is good news -- tomorrow I will audition a pair of Model 9's with MC501's in my home and will be optimistic that the 9's will stay. Thanks

MikeSp

looking forward to ur impressions

The speakers are not quite broken in, but sounded fantastic with my MC501 amps driving them. They replaced a pair of Def Tech BP7000's which, with their 1800 watt built-in subwoofers, had a huge presence in the large great-room and I was shocked to find that the Model 9's also had a large presence with increased detail, tight bass that was deeper than I would have imagined. It appears that there is synergy between the Model 9's and the MC501's -- both are slightly laid back which is just right for me. The stereo imaging was excellent whether full orchestral sound, drums with fast dynamic changes or female vocals on SACDs. The source was an Oppo SE which has very good DACs and I used the pure Stereo analog mode in the Oppo and in my McIntosh pre-pro.

The physical workmanship is astounding.

Now I am searching for a CC5 in natural cherry.

I did have to recalibrate all of my 5.2 speakers since the remaining Def Techs (surrounds, subs and center channel) were louder and once calibrated using a Rat Shack meter and the THX Optimizer with changes to speaker settings in my OppoSE, they now sound great with HT and I very much look forward to obtaining a CC5 for matching timbre in the fronts.

MikeSp

Congratulations Mike.
I have the Aerial 9's, and it will take a Big $ leap forward to better them. Let us know when you get the CC5.

Glad you liked the Mac aerial combo. Adding the CC5 for HT will be a really great upgrade. The CC5 is one of the best centers available and the whole front stage will be totally seamless. The setup will surprise you. The overall sound on the movie soundtracks will be on the warm side but when the SFX kick in it'll peal the plaster off the wall. By the way are you planning to add a sub?

All of the Def Tech HT speakers that I have been using have subs that are built-in, but the front L/R's and center are being replaced with Aerial Acoustics without subs. There are still two Def Tech 1800 watt Reference Supercubes (not quite up to JL113's but close enough for some room shaking LFE.

Mike

What is the difference between the CC3 and the CC3B?

According to the salesman I purchased the cc-3 (I've been buying gear from him for about 12 years and his opinions have always been upfront and honest) the cc-3 is a bit warmer sounding than the cc-3b with a little more base. If you can deal with these small sonic differences you get a cc-3 for around $700 or a new cc-3b for around $2000. I talked to my wallet and decided to go with the cc-3.l

The CC5 certainly worked out great -- and am very pleased with all of the fronts now being Aerial Acoustics, BUT -- while all of my Def Techs had the same treble and mid-range drivers, including the surrounds and sounded identical during white or pink noise sound level testing, I cannot say the same for the Model 9's and the CC5 -- there is a very obvious difference in voicing when playing white or pink noise through the speakers when setting their levels, but does not affect the quality of the sound for HT use and the center is not used for stereo use anyway. The Model 9's and CC5 seem to have great synergy with my McIntosh MC501 amps. Great speakers!!

BTW -- had a great experience with Craig Shumer obtaining the CC5 (friendly, courteous, knowledgeable and efficient) -- he ordered it last Monday and it arrived on a small pallet in Kansas City Wednesday ready for home delivery (freighted by Pilot, which is the preferred shipping company by Aerial Acoustics as I understand it). PM me for Craig's phone number if interested.

MikesP

To balance out your sound have you tried the 2 switches behind the CC-5? The enviorment switch can be used depending where your center is located. The slope switch ranges from flat to 2 levels of midrange/treble upward tilt. Also the CC-5 is a brand new speaker and it will probably take a few hundred hours to fully break in the drivers. With a setup like yours leaving your listening room to do some work will be very tough.

How is the CC5 situated? On a stand, shelf, cabinet?

I have a CC3B mated with 7Bs. The CC3B was bass heavy on voices when it lived in a cabinet surrounded by a lot of surfaces on the baffle plane. I needed a shelf network to tame the elevated bass, which worked worked great. It was way more than the rear crossover switches could do.

The same speakers now live in a different house and the center sits on an open stand. The rear switches are now sufficient to voice match it perfectly.

Just saying it might be the environment at work in your case, too.

Where did you find the Ariel combo in Oregon? I'd like to audition the CC-5 combo with the either the Model 9/5's.......

So far, the Triad Gold Monitors are leading............yet I'd really like to hear the Ariels before a definitive decision is made.

Thanks to all of you who have made comments about the inability of my CC5 to match my Model 9's when setting levels with white or pink noise -- because of your comments, I made the necessary adjustments on the "environment" and tweeked the treble and voila -- PERFECTION!!!! Hate to admit that I did not read the manual... wait a moment, there was no manual so I will just claim ignorance

Thanks again to all who responded to my post -- at least it got some traffic going on this slow thread.

MikeSp