Aerial 10t or Aerial Model 9

Model 9 a notch better but much more pricier on the used market. Used 10t is around $2k -- won't find any better one for this price.

I have heard people say the 10T's may be easier to place because the 9's may overwhelm smaller rooms with bass. Not sure whether this is due to the 4 LF drivers, which Aerial says have equivalent area greater than a single 15 inch speaker, or because of the down firing port, or both.

I can tell you the 9's are the only thing in my system that hasn't changed in the past 5 years. In my room, they have consistently presented the flavor of the electronics in front of them, and have always sounded clear and grainless, with punchy dynamics, and just a touch of warmth. Soundstaging is good due to the narrow front baffle. Bass has also been quite good but my room is moderately large with 9-foot ceilings.

I have found the 9's like the power of relatively large solid state amps. My 100wpc Lamm hybrids sounded very, very good, but did run out of steam at very loud levels. My current Clayton M300 monos are a much better match. Others that worked well include the 500wpc McCormack DNA 500 and Cary M500 monos. The 150wpc Herron M1's just didn't do it for me with these speakers. Sorry, I have not heard the 10T's.

I have owned the 10t's for about 5 years and I loved them.
They could really rock. they liked to be played loud and like high powered amps.

After I upgraded to the ARC CD7 the bass level was a little too strong.

I discussed it with Michael Kelly and we agreed that the 9's would be a good upgrade and that the bass was tighter than the 10ts.

I purchased a pair of almost new 9s and initially thought they lacked bass. But after they broke in which took about 4 months the bass was strong, tight and more controlled than the 10'ts

I am very pleased with the 9's and love the way they sound.
They cost about 2-3x the 10ts and worth it. feel free to email me for more details and take a look at my system too