Legacy Audio Focus SE compared to the Legacy Aeris Speakers

I reviewed the Focus, Focus SE, Whisper, Whisper DSW Clarity Edition, Helix and the V, all for Dagogo.com. I have owned the Focus, Focus SE, Whisper and Whisper DSW Clarity Edition. So, if you want a thorough analysis of Legacy sound you can read all of them.

I have heard the Aeris several times. Buy the Aeris. Top to bottom it’s in a different league than the Focus SE. You can trust my opinion, or wait five weeks and buy the Aeris anyway. :)

mtrot, setup might take a bit, but once it's dialed in it's better than passive. You will not typically get better sound from the Aeris with passive x-over than you can with the Wavelet and separate amp channels for all driver sets. 

Read my review of the Legacy Audio Whisper DSW at Dagogo.com, as I compared this special version of the Whisper in both passive x-over, and active x-over with attendant channels of amplification. In short, the active was superior. 

It should be expected that with a more complex setup it would take a bit more time to master, however it also puts far more power in your fingertips to contour the sound precisely� as you wish. Well worth a bit of a learning curve. Having used the Wavelet processor I assure you the Mid-bass, and other frequency bands, can be adjusted and it's easy to use. My impression is that Bill tends to set up speakers like the Aeris and V with less low end energy than many audiophiles might prefer. In my experience he sets the default like that initially, likely because it would cause problems in many rooms to go for broke on the low end as a default setup. Better to err on being light on the low end... That's what I learned of his setting up the Helix and the V in my room in preparation for review. 
Legacy, or any speaker company working toward actively crossed speakers, would be going backwards to continuously release it's active speakers in passive mode, as they are trying to move the community toward what they offer as a better process. You can't make steps forward by continually backtracking. I think there are a couple instances of hybrid crossover Aeris out there, like my Whispers with both passive and active x-over capability, but imo you're seeking lesser performance. One person I know who did that was anticipating high end amplifiers and did not have the coin to do so immediately; when he got the amps he dumped passive x-over mode, rightly so. I did the combo of passive/active X-over in the Whisper because as a reviewer I need speakers that do not demand triple speaker cables, amps, etc. But, as far as which I would run for personal use for ultimate performance, it would be the active version. 

jcarcopo, what is your ultimate priority? Ease and fullness, or more laser-like precision? The Aeris has more coherence, the Whisper more dynamic impact with ease. Between the two designs you cannot have it both ways. Make your choice. If you want to drive yourself crazy, keep second guessing. But, do not lie to yourself that if you have the "right" choice you can have it all. No, you can't, because they are different designs, both superb in their own right. 

When switching from a more traditional dynamic speaker, the ear hears the quad of 7" mid-bass drivers. However, within about 1-2 weeks this becomes normal to the ears. Placement and toe in affect this dramatically. The Whisper will sound more full, plump than the Aeris. If you value more etched, delineated lines on instruments, then go with the Aeris. If you want more body to them, go with the Whisper. 

You will get a more easy, relaxed bass with the Whisper. By that I do not mean sloppy, but mature, less stressed. The output will sound less strained at higher levels, relatively so, as both are large speakers with formidable bass drivers. 

In the reviews of the V and Valor systems, one of my little games off the record was to see how close I could get the Whisper to the others. Pretty doggone close in several respects, but I had to add a pair of EXTREME XD Subs to do so. Not saying the performances were identical; the characteristics in terms of coherence and imaging were still characteristic of each speaker, but I found a way to enjoy the Whisper a lot, too.  :) 

Read my reviews of the different iterations of the Whisper at Dagogo.com