Aerial Acoustics 10T vs Talon Khorus


I plan on buying some used speakers to replace my Tekton Double impact, which will be sold @ auction on another site (Reserve Met). I have been looking and researching replacement speakers for several months now. Today, or for now, i have narrowed it down to the 2 speakers mentioned above. The Aerial Acoustics 10T are perfect like new condition and are the latest or last version or iteration. made. They are a beautiful Rosewood finish with the most up to date components for that Model (10T).

The Talon Khorus X look older and have had the crossovers updated ...etc

Talons here:

Talon Khorus X with Khorus X crossovers, very nice pair in Italo Pearl For Sale - US Audio Mart

 

Aerial 10T Here:

Aerial 10T Loudspeakers, Premium Santos Rosewood Finish with Custom Sound Anchor Stands Photo #2774914 - US Audio Mart

Which would you choose ?

Any thoughts ????

 

grey9hound

I think that the Aerials would be the better choice. For one thing, in my limited exposure to both brands the Aerials sound better. Besides that, they are still in business which Talon is not.

I always felt that Talon was overhyped (by the company itself) for instance, saying their port wasn’t really a port, and coming up with some hocus pocus reason to justify it. Aerial is a good speaker line, if a little obscure these days.

I@roxy54

I tend to lean that way, besides if you look at the Aerials,  they are drop dead gorgeous. AND only like 150 miles from me

Thanks for the reply

 

@grey9hound I owned the 10T's and they are stunning in sound and looks but they need good clean power to sound great and definitely need the stands. Miss them!

Luckily, they come with the stands. I have Belles SA-100 and Belles 150A v2. The SA-100 is a high current amp. I am pretty sure it will do them justice.

Thanks

Long time Aerial owner here (Model 9s, LR5s, and SW12s) but not the 10Ts.  The house sound IMO is dynamic, tonally rich, and well-rounded, and they seem to play well with a variety of music.  One of the main differences between models is how they implement the bass.  The 10Ts were known to be very solid if given enough power.  I believe the 10Ts were their only speaker to use the Kevlar cone midrange.  If you haven't seen it, here is Stereophile's review of the 10T and here is a review Michael Fremer wrote about the LR5s I now own along with two of their SW12 subwoofers.

As said by others, you need to feed them high current amplification to make them sound their best.  

The ad you posted shows a high asking price compared to what 10Ts sell for now, even considering the condition and stands.  You can decide for yourself but you may want to review previous sale prices and compare with the model iteration and condition by checking out this site, or you could use the bluebook here on Audiogon.  These are big, heavy speakers so an in-person pick up would reduce risks of shipping issues and should be worth something to both you and seller.  

I'd opt for the Aerials. Wouldn't be a gas if these were the Talons that MC sold to fund his beloved Tektons and now some guy is selling his Tektons to move into the Khorus.

Another vote for the Aerials.  The Talons were said to measure very poorly and hence were never reviewed in publications that provided measurements.  Plus, as mentioned earlier, they’re outta business so good luck if you blow a driver.  I think the choice is crystal clear. 

 

soix is correct.

 

I don't know about their newer products, but those older Talons measured terrible

See here:

https://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/talon_khorus/

AND sounded like they measured: super colored.  For a while I had the monitor version to check out and I literally thought they were broken they sounded so "off."

The Ariel speakers measure better and sound like it (I'd auditioned the 10T not too long before hearing the Talon speakers, long ago).   They 10T is more open and natural sounding, and very powerful.  (Careful with the bass...as I remember).

Thanks to all for the replies.

I have decided to go with the Aerial 10Ts. They come with the stands, and yes he wants too much for them, BUT in the pictures they look Brand New.

I will pay more because of all of these factors

I view Aerial 10Ts as one of the classic speakers of our time and u can’t go wrong as long as you have the power to drive them, which apparently you do.  Enjoy!!!

AND sounded like they measured: super colored. For a while I had the monitor version to check out and I literally thought they were broken they sounded so "off."

 

Interesting comment above. I did not own the monitors but I never thought the Khorus or the Ravens sounded broken at all.

 

That being said, your blanket question asking which one we would buy depends on your system. The Talons IMO are much more dynamic, had better clarity, and had the best bass when set-up correctly that I heard in my system. The 10Ts were more "musical" had a better mid-range but did not have the deep bass and definition of the Talons. With SRV on Riviera Paradise, the Talons were the best speaker I ever head play that song.

The 10Ts also had issues with the top cracking but I am not sure if that had an impact on the sound.

You need to select a speaker for your system and the type of music you prefer not what any of us think.

 

Happy Listening.

grey9hound .. I think you made a great choice .. I am using the Counterpoint NPS400 on mine and they image large and wide.

I am trying to dial in the bass yet, as they have different characteristics than the 7b's that I had for several years earlier .. wonderful sound as well.

Give us an update how you think they perform with the Belles.