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Aerial Acoustics Owners Thread - Page 29

post #841 of 880
3/5/13 at 10:00am
No problem David - to be honest it is quite surprising how little forum comment there is on Aerial Acoustics speakers, even in the US - especially considering how highly regarded they are, and how well they have been reviewed by Stereophile and the like. Given just how incredibly good they are, they are something of a hidden jem.

Here in the UK it is even worse, until several months ago I had never heard of Aerial Acoustics and I would wager that applies to 90%+ of hifi and AV fans in the UK - indeed they are only available in two dealers in the whole country.

So I'm more than happy to post my experiences and talk to fellow Aerial owners - I think Aerial Acoustic deserve all the exposure they can get!

- Gareth
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post #842 of 880
3/5/13 at 12:32pm
One reason is Aerial very rarely comes out w/a new product. And when they do it takes years. As a result no reviews or publicity. As good as the LR5's are they have been out for a long time so from a magazines point of view why write on an older product. Larger companies will come out w/new versions every couple of years to keep their product fresh even though the improvement is very small. Also there is no entry level line which consumers can upgrade over time. Also you won't find Aerial at many audio shows.smile.gif
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post #843 of 880
3/5/13 at 1:24pm
True - the media do seem to like refreshed products with no changes of any substance for some reason. Consumers are very fickle I guess and want something new all the time.

I do believe that Aerial are planning a new product release this year though, to replace the now discontinued SR3! So maybe that will spark some renewed interest.

Also the dealer I am buying the LR5's from here in the UK is thinking of doing an Aerial Acoustics room at the Bristol Show (the UK's largest hi-fi show) next year - so you never know, awareness of these speakers may start to take hold in the UK at long last!

Have many of you guys heard, or indeed own, the 20T's? There are literally none in the UK (in dealers that is). I just wondered how they compare to the Model 9's both in audio presentation and also to live with (room placement etc)? There are a couple of pairs on Audiogon at the minute that seem an amazing bargain at about $10,000 (£6,250) - the new price in the UK is a quite staggering £37,500 ($60,000)!!

- Gareth
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post #844 of 880
3/5/13 at 1:36pm
They were at my dealers last month they lasted about a week and gone. An amazing full range speaker but you need a big room w/plenty of power w/you have. Check out Trek737 on the aerial thread he has a HT anchored by 20T's and Mac Amps. His HT setup made a magazine a really awesome theater. Plenty of pictures.smile.gif
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post #845 of 880
3/5/13 at 2:25pm
Hi Class A,

Great to hear Trek737's system being discussed. I've been in contact with him on a regular basis as I slowly build my theater http://www.avsforum.com/t/1406831/hawaii-home-theater-construction/180#post_23039391 with his as some inspiration. I stumbled onto Aerials through a friend (JlgLaw) and have since fallen in love with them. Granted, I've only been able to compare them to what I had - Def Tech towers (no comparison at all!) as well as some higher level stuff from ML (still no comparison). I own almost all Aerial Acoustics and I'm going for a full 11.4 Aerial DSX system: 20T (front left and right), CC5 (center), LR5 (wides), SR3 (side surrounds) and four SW12's (subs) . I still need to buy a couple Aerial 5b's for the heights and I'll still be using my old Def Tech surrounds for the rear sorround frown.gif until I'm done licking my wounds from my depleted wallet. It will be mostly powered with Bryston Amps. I'll let you know how it turns out but I expect great things...biggrin.gif.

Great to hear lots of folks love the sound of Aerial...
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post #846 of 880
3/5/13 at 3:17pm
The 20T's for the past few years have been listed in Stereophile magazine as a top pick in high-end speakers, the 7's too. The 7's are advertised and reviewed a lot as a great speaker. I bought the 10t's when they were on top of the speaker review list. They now say the 7's are better than the 10's, but I haven't heard a bad Aerial speaker, I can't afford the 20's. I worked in Mass. and had the pleasure of sitting in on a speaker demo with Michael Kelly. With the right amp's the Aerials are great and will always be at the top of my short list.
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post #847 of 880
3/5/13 at 8:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy S View Post

The 20T's for the past few years have been listed in Stereophile magazine as a top pick in high-end speakers, the 7's too. The 7's are advertised and reviewed a lot as a great speaker. I bought the 10t's when they were on top of the speaker review list. They now say the 7's are better than the 10's, but I haven't heard a bad Aerial speaker, I can't afford the 20's. I worked in Mass. and had the pleasure of sitting in on a speaker demo with Michael Kelly. With the right amp's the Aerials are great and will always be at the top of my t's/short list.
The 7T's are faster more balanced from top to bottom and easier to drive. In fact Michael Kelly used a Peachtree Nova at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest to run his new 7T's.smile.gif
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post #848 of 880
3/11/13 at 6:23pm
I went to a local audio shop thinking Paradigm S6 or S8. The guy I dealt with pointed me towards the Aerial 7t and 9. I found the 9 a bit too boomy (the audition room was not all that large), but I quite liked the 7t. The room these speakers would go in is 15' x 30" with a vaulted ceiling and it will be a music only setup.

The salesperson went on to tell me that they had a 9-month old pair of 7t's coming back as a trade-in for a pair of 20t's. They are asking $9k for the used pair. Seems high to me, but I am not familiar with used stereo equipment pricing. Any advice regarding what price I should aim to close a deal at for the 7t's? Thanks!
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post #849 of 880
3/11/13 at 7:05pm
Just wanted to let you know that I paid less the 9k for brand new ones, so that does sound like much of a bargain to me!


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post #850 of 880
3/11/13 at 9:15pm
Normally you'll get a 10% discount on a new pair which would be $8995. I'd say around $8500 for slightly used would be fair.smile.gif
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post #851 of 880
3/12/13 at 4:44pm
I was able to get more than 10% off the list and I didn't pay any taxes, to me that makes $8500 for a used pair not much of a deal.


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post #852 of 880
3/12/13 at 5:11pm
Thanks for the feedback on pricing! I thought that at this price level there should be some negotiating room.

This dealer has new 7t's and 9's priced the same. For a music only setup in a room that is 15' x 30', with a 14' vaulted ceiling and hardwood floors, should one perform better than the other? Yes, I have auditioned both, but the audition room was small and carpeted.

Last question: I have to upgrade form an AV receiver to separate components--amp, preamp, better cables. Are prices for these items typically negotiable or do they tend to be fixed?
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post #853 of 880
3/12/13 at 5:21pm
Sounds like you bought them from the same dealer I go to in NH. They've always given me excellent deals.. Does the Canadian government charge duty when going over the border?smile.gif
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post #854 of 880
3/12/13 at 5:41pm
Yes I did go there and no I didn't have to pay duties but I did have to pay the stupid taxes.


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post #855 of 880
4/5/13 at 2:37pm
Class A

Can you tell if our store in New Hampshire still exists, I have sent emails and have got no answers back, the web site and the name seems to have changed, are their different people running it.


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post #856 of 880
4/5/13 at 4:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Whitl View Post

Class A

Can you tell if our store in New Hampshire still exists, I have sent emails and have got no answers back, the web site and the name seems to have changed, are their different people running it.


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Are you talking about Nashua, NH?
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post #857 of 880
4/5/13 at 7:06pm
Yes I am, I believe they use to called Ensemble Hometheater, the web site doesn't reflect that anymore.


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post #858 of 880
4/5/13 at 8:36pm
Ensemble closed their doors last month. Last summer when I was in their shop, John told me they were no longer carrying Aerial. Go to the Aerial Acoustics website and go to their dealer locator, there's two places listed in Mass.
Edited by Sandy S - 4/5/13 at 8:42pm
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post #859 of 880
4/5/13 at 8:56pm
The owner of Ensemble sold the business to John they have a new store called Audio video Therapy. It's located next to Best Buy in Nashua. I stopped by last week and yes they are carrying Aerials. In fact they will be having a Grand Opening soon and Michael Kelly will be setting up one of their Theater Rooms w/I think LR-5's. The phone # 603-888-9777.smile.gif
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post #860 of 880
4/6/13 at 10:53am
Thanks Class A. I don't live in Nashua any longer so I wasn't up on the latest news.
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post #861 of 880
4/6/13 at 12:04pm
Class A

Are you talking about John Rein, if so was he not a previous owner along with Scott, would you by chance have an email address for this John.

Thanks
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post #862 of 880
4/6/13 at 2:41pm
No Jack Mixon was the owner John was the GM. Over the last few years John took more control of the operation. The new shop will have about 7 rooms. You can see a picture of it on facebook. Scott has by the way moved on. John is the sole owner. smile.gif
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post #863 of 880
4/6/13 at 3:41pm
Class A

So did John Rein buy it from Jack or is it a different John that you mentioned that bought the business.


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post #864 of 880
4/6/13 at 4:21pm
John Rein bought the company. And most of the product mix will be the same. They are adding Marantz to the mix. Also VPI and Prima Luna will have more of a presence along w/Bryston. Thiel & Wharfedale are out. The speakers will be Paradigm, PSB, Totem, B&W, and Aerial. They should be totally done in 2 weeks w/te new store and then they'll announce a Grand Opening. I'm curious how the Highend HT room is going to turn out w/the Aerials. I know Michael Kelly is going to be involved. I'm pretty sure the gear will be Classe Amps w/the SSP-800. Should be interesting. smile.gif
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post #865 of 880
4/6/13 at 5:13pm
Class A

Thanks for the info, I finally did here from John, if you had something to do,with that thanks very much, to bad they are so far away, hopefully he comes up with something for me.


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post #866 of 880
4/6/13 at 5:48pm
I haven't talked to him since Tuesday. But I'm glad you made contact. I'm sure they'll put pictures on line of the different rooms when the store is done.smile.gif
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post #867 of 880
5/11/13 at 1:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdavies09031977 View Post

Further to my earlier post above, I am soon to become a fully fledged Aerial owner. I have now ordered a pair of ex-demo LR5's with CC5 centre with a pair of SR3's, and a pair of LR3's which I am going to be installing as front height speakers.

As mentioned above, I have also secured a second pair of SR3's for rear surround duties. I can't wait to get the speakers all in and set-up.

I listened to a variety of speakers before making the decision, and it came down to a choice between PMC's MB2i's and the LR5/CC5 combo. I couldn't demo the LR5's at home, but managed to get hold of a pair of Model 9's for home demo to compare side by side with the MB2i's, to give me an idea of how the LR5's might perform in my room - I also listened to the LR5's/CC5 in situ where they are currently installed. Needless to say, whilst music performance was a close call, movie performance was no contest, the sheer scale and dynamics, and that forward detailed treble are just perfect for movies.

Incidentally, I'm still looking for an additional 3 x SR3's, so if anyone has any gathering dust that they want to get rid of, let me know!!

- Gareth

Gareth,

Where did you find a pair of LR3's in the UK? Curious... I have a pair of black LR3's on Soundanchor stands that I'm currently using in a 2 channel room with a JL Audio F112 sub... Great speakers and wouldn't mind having the LR5s for two channel but the LR3s come from my HT setup where I have a CC3B and SR3 surrounds (currently in storage).

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post #868 of 880
5/11/13 at 2:06pm
Hi Ejn1,

I bought them from Andy Bone at Premier Audio Video in Nottingham - I bought his ex-demo LR5's and CC5 centre (as he has upgrade his dem room to a System 1), and he managed to source me an ex demo pair of the LR3's and a pair of the SR3's from Neil at Genesis Technologies, the UK distributor.

I've since managed to source an additional two pairs of SR3's via Audiogon (just need one more SR3), and I now need a pair of 5B's for front width channels for DTS Neo:X.

Are you in the UK then?

- Gareth
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post #869 of 880
5/11/13 at 2:18pm
Hi Gareth, Yes for a few years... In the Greater London area. You are putting together a killer system. When I return home, I will have no use for the LR3 custom stands so let me know if you may be interested or have a need. What finish did you find the LR5's and LR3's?
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post #870 of 880
5/11/13 at 2:50pm
Thanks, yeah, I am currently in the process of re-doing my room, so I will be glad to get all the speakers set-up!

The LR5's and CC5 are in the black ask finish, and the LR3's are in the matt black finish.

Thanks for the offer of the stands, but I'm going to wall mount them as Neo:X height channels, so won't need any.

If you don't need your SR3's though, or indeed have any 5B's to sell (or know anybody that does), let me know!
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