I just auditioned a pair of CJ driven Aerial 20t

[Poultrygeist]

These are some gorgeous speakers and while they put my DIY SET/OBs to shame cosmetically I found them fatiguing after 10 minutes. Maybe it was the solid state CJ amp but I just don't get this from my home brew system.


Aerial Acoustics - Model 20T Version 2 Gallery

[dingus]

knowing Mike Kelly's history with ADS i would think the last knock on Aerial speakers would be listening fatigue. i wouldnt think the cause would be due to ss amplification of Conrad Johnson quality either. can you elaborate on the other gear and the room involved?

[Feanor]

These are some gorgeous speakers and while they put my DIY SET/OBs to shame cosmetically I found them fatiguing after 10 minutes. Maybe it was the solid state CJ amp but I just don't get this from my home brew system.


Aerial Acoustics - Model 20T Version 2 Gallery

I've never heard the Aerials but by some accounts those ribbon tweets are very revealing of up-stream imperfections. Or perhaps you'v just become used to rolled-off speakers that lack resolution.

[bobsticks]

I've never heard the Aerials but by some accounts those ribbon tweets are very revealing of up-stream imperfections. Or perhaps you'v just become used to rolled-off speakers that lack resolution.

That was exactly my thought....ribbon tweets and the like...

[Jack in Wilmington]

I've listened to a couple speakers with ribbon tweeters ( Dali and Mark & Daniel )and found them revealing and detailed but not fatiquing. Again it could have been the source, which was a Rega Apollo.

[Poultrygeist]

The Aerial 20t V2's ( same finish as in the picture ) were driven by a solid state Conrad Johnson CA200. The Sheffield demo CD was played on a McCormack CD player. The room was a typical well dampened high end HT dealer demo room with plush HT chairs, huge sound conditioner, garden hose sized bi-wired speaker cables and IC's

Without question my, primitive in comparison, 2a3 SET powered FR OB's resolve much greater detail at lower levels than the the CJ/20t combo could muster. I kept cranking up the CJ to hear more but never reached a satisfactory level. I've owned Classe powered Aerials and thought they were good until I discovered the fatigue free sound of single ended triodes and HE full rangers. Today was just more confirmation of what I've known all along.