Aerial Acoustics 7T
This is the first review that I write after almost 2 months of remodeling of my listening room. During these months I have used (and reviewed) some headphones in order to make do without a system that performs at its best. I said two months but the total time of the remodeling was about one month and the rest of the time was necessary to find the right sound again.
As one can easily imagine, every time you move a system from a room to another the sound changes and it takes time and patience to find the right position of the loudspeakers and the right distance for the listening point. It seems to be an endless effort and when after a while you succeed in finding the right spot for everything you see the light … just like Jack Blues from the Blues Brothers. I did not dance like he did mostly because I do not have his agility.
Well, I will speak about my new listening space in a dedicated article.It will deal with the building of this new listening room and with the techniques used. Very simple but very effective.
Here we are! Ready to start again and for the debut I have chosen something special, the top model of the North American manufacturer Aerial Acoustics.
As one can easily imagine, every time you move a system from a room to another the sound changes and it takes time and patience to find the right position of the loudspeakers and the right distance for the listening point. It seems to be an endless effort and when after a while you succeed in finding the right spot for everything you see the light … just like Jack Blues from the Blues Brothers. I did not dance like he did mostly because I do not have his agility.
Well, I will speak about my new listening space in a dedicated article.It will deal with the building of this new listening room and with the techniques used. Very simple but very effective.
Here we are! Ready to start again and for the debut I have chosen something special, the top model of the North American manufacturer Aerial Acoustics.
Aerial acoustics is well known in the world of audio. It is based in Wilmington, Ma. and was established in 1996.The first model they produced was the 10T that was at first a local success and then an international success, thanks also to the many awards that the press bestowed to it.
As far as I know it is only in recent times that someone began to import and distribute it in Italy and it is our pleasure to listen to it and write a review.
Here we have the 7T, the top model of the Aerial catalogue in this moment. Unlike many manufacturers that try and produce bigger and more expensive loudspeakers, this speaker costs 14.500,00 euros and its dimensions are perfectly fit for a normal domestic environment. The only issue is their weight, 45 kilos, but I am sure that for the lucky owners of these loudspeakers it will turn into 45 kilos of pure listening pleasure.
These loudspeakers, at a first glance, seem to be the usual two slim towers, that are very fashionable lately and designed in order to enhance the famous WAF.
But at a closer look we notice that the finishing is extraordinaire. The sides, that are curved and tapered are made with layers of polished lacquered MDF, while the front panel is black and polished, just like a very expensive piano. The speakers that are probably made by Scan Speak, are a 1” Ring Radiator tweeter, 2 composite-cone woofers and an SB midrange with a papyrus mix membrane.
As far as I know it is only in recent times that someone began to import and distribute it in Italy and it is our pleasure to listen to it and write a review.
Here we have the 7T, the top model of the Aerial catalogue in this moment. Unlike many manufacturers that try and produce bigger and more expensive loudspeakers, this speaker costs 14.500,00 euros and its dimensions are perfectly fit for a normal domestic environment. The only issue is their weight, 45 kilos, but I am sure that for the lucky owners of these loudspeakers it will turn into 45 kilos of pure listening pleasure.
These loudspeakers, at a first glance, seem to be the usual two slim towers, that are very fashionable lately and designed in order to enhance the famous WAF.
But at a closer look we notice that the finishing is extraordinaire. The sides, that are curved and tapered are made with layers of polished lacquered MDF, while the front panel is black and polished, just like a very expensive piano. The speakers that are probably made by Scan Speak, are a 1” Ring Radiator tweeter, 2 composite-cone woofers and an SB midrange with a papyrus mix membrane.
These are the specs. stated by the manufacturer:
Frequency Response 28Hz to 25kHz ±2dB, -6dB at 23Hz
Dispersion 30Hz to 15kHz +0, -3dB from axial response 45 degree horizontal measurement window
Sensitivity 89dB for 2.83 volts at 1 meter on axis
Impedance 4Ω nominal, 3Ω minimum, low reactance
Power Requirement 25 watts minimum, 100 or more recommended
Woofers Twin 7.1″ (180mm) with cast magnesium frame, rigid bilaminate composite cones, large magnets, 1.5″ coils, long and linear Xmax
Midrange 5.9″ (150mm) with cast magnesium frame, special Papyrus blend cone, copper pole sleeve, dual magnets1.25″ coil, long and linear Xmax
Tweeter 1.0″ (25mm) with thick machined aluminum plate, soft ring-dome design with machined wave guide, dual magnets, 1.0″ coil, copper pole sleeve
Crossovers Fourth order acoustic Linkwitz-Riley at 400 Hz and 3,000 Hz crossover frequencies, 2 physically separate networks on glass-epoxy PCBs, bi-wirable and biampable, high-purity copper wiring and silver solder, premium passive components
Cabinet 9 layer laminated, curved, stressed MDF walls, 7 interlocked full-size braces, tongue and groove joints, 2-piece curved and damped baffle, architectural veneers
Finishes Gloss Rosenut, Nero Metallic Black Grille Cloth covered curved steel with hexagonal windows, 8 Neodymium magnets, no visible mounting hardware
Connections Four gold-plated binding posts with copper jumpers, bi-wire and bi-amp capable
Included Accessories Nero metallic black base, adjustable feet, adjustable spikes, floor protectors
Optional Accessory Exposed machined hardware on laser cut steel bars
Dimensions HWD 44.5 × 9.7 × 15.3″ (1130 × 245 × 390mm)
Weight Each 96lbs (44kg) – 154lbs (70kg) packed
Frequency Response 28Hz to 25kHz ±2dB, -6dB at 23Hz
Dispersion 30Hz to 15kHz +0, -3dB from axial response 45 degree horizontal measurement window
Sensitivity 89dB for 2.83 volts at 1 meter on axis
Impedance 4Ω nominal, 3Ω minimum, low reactance
Power Requirement 25 watts minimum, 100 or more recommended
Woofers Twin 7.1″ (180mm) with cast magnesium frame, rigid bilaminate composite cones, large magnets, 1.5″ coils, long and linear Xmax
Midrange 5.9″ (150mm) with cast magnesium frame, special Papyrus blend cone, copper pole sleeve, dual magnets1.25″ coil, long and linear Xmax
Tweeter 1.0″ (25mm) with thick machined aluminum plate, soft ring-dome design with machined wave guide, dual magnets, 1.0″ coil, copper pole sleeve
Crossovers Fourth order acoustic Linkwitz-Riley at 400 Hz and 3,000 Hz crossover frequencies, 2 physically separate networks on glass-epoxy PCBs, bi-wirable and biampable, high-purity copper wiring and silver solder, premium passive components
Cabinet 9 layer laminated, curved, stressed MDF walls, 7 interlocked full-size braces, tongue and groove joints, 2-piece curved and damped baffle, architectural veneers
Finishes Gloss Rosenut, Nero Metallic Black Grille Cloth covered curved steel with hexagonal windows, 8 Neodymium magnets, no visible mounting hardware
Connections Four gold-plated binding posts with copper jumpers, bi-wire and bi-amp capable
Included Accessories Nero metallic black base, adjustable feet, adjustable spikes, floor protectors
Optional Accessory Exposed machined hardware on laser cut steel bars
Dimensions HWD 44.5 × 9.7 × 15.3″ (1130 × 245 × 390mm)
Weight Each 96lbs (44kg) – 154lbs (70kg) packed
We received the 7Ts without packaging but in any case these loudspeakers gave us the impression of something upmarket, something that products that are more expensive do not have.
I have found the right position after few attempts. Two meters from the back wall in order to reduce the erasures in the low frequencies, while for the side walls we designed the classic equilateral triangle with 3,5 meters sides. A slight turn towards the listening point avoided the lateral reflections and kept the reproduction of all the ranges very linear.
The Aerial 7T have been connected to this system:
turntable Basis 2001, tonearm Graham 2.2, cartridge Lyra Kleos, phono preamplifier: Einstein "The Turntable's Choice", CD/SACD player: Yamaha CD-S3000, multimedia player: Oppo 105 D, preamplifier: MBL 4006, power amplifiers: Bryston 7B ST mono, loudspeakers: JBL 4350B, interconnect cables: MIT Oracle MA-X Proline, MIT Shotgun S2 RCA, Transparent Super XLR, Transparent Super RCA, Cammino PH B 2.2 Ref XLR phono cable, loudspeaker cables: MIT Magnum MA, Vovox Initio, USB cable: MIT SL-Matrix USB, power cables: MIT Shotgun AC 1, Black Noise Pearl and others DIY, mains distributor: Lector Edison 230/8, mains filter: Black Noise 2500.
I have found the right position after few attempts. Two meters from the back wall in order to reduce the erasures in the low frequencies, while for the side walls we designed the classic equilateral triangle with 3,5 meters sides. A slight turn towards the listening point avoided the lateral reflections and kept the reproduction of all the ranges very linear.
The Aerial 7T have been connected to this system:
turntable Basis 2001, tonearm Graham 2.2, cartridge Lyra Kleos, phono preamplifier: Einstein "The Turntable's Choice", CD/SACD player: Yamaha CD-S3000, multimedia player: Oppo 105 D, preamplifier: MBL 4006, power amplifiers: Bryston 7B ST mono, loudspeakers: JBL 4350B, interconnect cables: MIT Oracle MA-X Proline, MIT Shotgun S2 RCA, Transparent Super XLR, Transparent Super RCA, Cammino PH B 2.2 Ref XLR phono cable, loudspeaker cables: MIT Magnum MA, Vovox Initio, USB cable: MIT SL-Matrix USB, power cables: MIT Shotgun AC 1, Black Noise Pearl and others DIY, mains distributor: Lector Edison 230/8, mains filter: Black Noise 2500.
Many times, when we listen to a new system we change frantically records in order to hear how a certain song, a nuance of the voice or an instrument sounds. On the other hand it is very hard to listen to a device for the first time and … forget about everything else.
This is what happened this this time and the reason is simple, the sound of these Aerials is very balanced and whatever interferes with the listening pleasure is left aside.
For this reason I listened first to a DVD that is very well recorded: “Arena Concert” by Ennio Morricone, encouraged also by the recent Academy Award given to the extraordinary Roman composer. The big orchestra plays and its sound is natural; the big choir gives the impression of great strength and dynamic. Listening is a real pleasure, touching and credible.
The 7Ts perform real well also at a high volume and the powerful voice of the soprano Susanna Rigacci results delicate and resolved at the same time.
It is time for Jazz Music.I listen to “Ahmad Jamal à l’Olympia”. Dreyfuss Jazz is a label that records good music and does it with a very high technical quality. The sound that comes out of the loudspeakers is exactly that of a jazz quartet performing in the theatre, recorded from a certain distance. There is an abundance of dynamics but it is not annoying, you do not have the sensation of listening from a very short distance. The reproduction is very balanced and that unpleasant feeling of recorded music that is typical of the devices of some competitors is not present here.
I listen to another wonderful performance with the SACD “Chabrier & Russel” (Mercury Living Presence) in which Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The soundstage is large and deep and the percussions are correctly positioned behind the orchestra.
The tonal balance is correct. The double basses are never emphasized, while the strings have a well proportioned and non-metallic sound. Tympanis and bass drum have a sound that is typical of bigger drivers.
I listen to “The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen (Columbia CD) and my impressions are confirmed. The sound is “polite”, has an extended frequency response and it is credible. The sound is warm, thanks to the well controlled tweeter and the mid low range sounds clear and sharp.
This Aerial Acoustics is not a monitor loudspeaker but an instrument to listen to music in our living rooms with pleasure and without useless colourings.
The CD “Danson Metropoli” (Sugar) by Avion Travel is a compilation of songs written by Paolo Conte, very well re-arranged by Fausto Mesolella, the guitar player of the Neapolitan band and by Daniele Di Gregorio, the percussionist of Paolo Conte’s band. Peppe Servillo’s voice is perfect for these songs and the record is beautiful and highly recommended.
The Aerials are great when they reproduce the low range, that results deep and exact and the stated frequency response is easily reached. The sound pressure is now very high but these T7s are not in strain. The low range is perfectly recognizable, the sound is clear and the mid and high range sound loudly and with no distortions.
All in all the sound is “polite” like I said above. We have two loudspeakers that have a good and correct sound and that are never annoying. Dynamics is present anytime and the sound can be “biting and powerful” when needed.
This balance is hard to find and there are no side effects to highlight, the overall performance is really high.
This is a great loudspeaker with an important price that can look upon the competitors with pride.
Very, very well Mr Kelly!
Angelo Jasparro
Manufacturer: Aerial Acoustics
This is what happened this this time and the reason is simple, the sound of these Aerials is very balanced and whatever interferes with the listening pleasure is left aside.
For this reason I listened first to a DVD that is very well recorded: “Arena Concert” by Ennio Morricone, encouraged also by the recent Academy Award given to the extraordinary Roman composer. The big orchestra plays and its sound is natural; the big choir gives the impression of great strength and dynamic. Listening is a real pleasure, touching and credible.
The 7Ts perform real well also at a high volume and the powerful voice of the soprano Susanna Rigacci results delicate and resolved at the same time.
It is time for Jazz Music.I listen to “Ahmad Jamal à l’Olympia”. Dreyfuss Jazz is a label that records good music and does it with a very high technical quality. The sound that comes out of the loudspeakers is exactly that of a jazz quartet performing in the theatre, recorded from a certain distance. There is an abundance of dynamics but it is not annoying, you do not have the sensation of listening from a very short distance. The reproduction is very balanced and that unpleasant feeling of recorded music that is typical of the devices of some competitors is not present here.
I listen to another wonderful performance with the SACD “Chabrier & Russel” (Mercury Living Presence) in which Paul Paray conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The soundstage is large and deep and the percussions are correctly positioned behind the orchestra.
The tonal balance is correct. The double basses are never emphasized, while the strings have a well proportioned and non-metallic sound. Tympanis and bass drum have a sound that is typical of bigger drivers.
I listen to “The Ghost of Tom Joad” by Bruce Springsteen (Columbia CD) and my impressions are confirmed. The sound is “polite”, has an extended frequency response and it is credible. The sound is warm, thanks to the well controlled tweeter and the mid low range sounds clear and sharp.
This Aerial Acoustics is not a monitor loudspeaker but an instrument to listen to music in our living rooms with pleasure and without useless colourings.
The CD “Danson Metropoli” (Sugar) by Avion Travel is a compilation of songs written by Paolo Conte, very well re-arranged by Fausto Mesolella, the guitar player of the Neapolitan band and by Daniele Di Gregorio, the percussionist of Paolo Conte’s band. Peppe Servillo’s voice is perfect for these songs and the record is beautiful and highly recommended.
The Aerials are great when they reproduce the low range, that results deep and exact and the stated frequency response is easily reached. The sound pressure is now very high but these T7s are not in strain. The low range is perfectly recognizable, the sound is clear and the mid and high range sound loudly and with no distortions.
All in all the sound is “polite” like I said above. We have two loudspeakers that have a good and correct sound and that are never annoying. Dynamics is present anytime and the sound can be “biting and powerful” when needed.
This balance is hard to find and there are no side effects to highlight, the overall performance is really high.
This is a great loudspeaker with an important price that can look upon the competitors with pride.
Very, very well Mr Kelly!
Angelo Jasparro
Manufacturer: Aerial Acoustics