Life after Aerial 10Ts...

Under 10k, true full range, and beautiful I would recommend listening to some of the Ushers.

Thanks 9rw. Since I've heard nothing but praise about the 10t's, I assumed the only pair I heard were broken.

I auditioned the 10T's about 5 years ago. I found them to have exaggerated upper midrange, as has been described above.

I ended up with Vandersteen 3A Signatures, which, with good amplification, is a speaker that I can highly recommend. It is much less than $10,000.00, even new. Excellent bass, smooth mids and highs. It's not lacking in any part of the sound spectrum and is capable of excellent soundstaging as well. Although not the most dynamic of the Vandersteen 3 series, it is more than adequate in that regard.

You can consider moving up within the Vandersteen line, as well. Vandersteen Quatros have consistently been given excellent reviews, although I haven't heard them. The Vandersteen 5's, the first time that I heard them with Ayre electronics blew me away, they were so good. Superb soundstaging and musicality and resolution. Since then, I have heard the 5's and 5A's at shows and have always been disappointed. Was it a problem with setup and component matching at the subsequent auditions? Probably.

The other speaker that I have heard that I like a lot is the Von Schweikert VR4 JR. Superb dynamics, superb imaging and soundstage, excellent detail and resolution, again, a smooth midrange and treble, and excellent bass -- particularly deep bass -- from a small footprint speaker. They run 2K-5.4K, depending on whether you buy new or used, Mk I or Mk II models. When the time is right and I have money for a bedroom system, I plan to buy a pair.

If you like the Aerial sound, which it sounds like you do, at least listen to the 9's. From the posts above, it sounds like you might also listen to some others, and the Usher's might be a good value.

Weiserb: I own Von Schweikert VR-4Sr. and Dunlavy SC-II. I've also owned the Dunlavy SC-IV/A -- and probably two dozen others (Totem, Vandersteen, Quad, Snell, KEF, B&W, etc.) I wish I had kept the big Dunlavys. For less than $9k I've heard nothing better.They are, however, huge and intrusive-looking. For the money, a lot of people wanted something more exotic, which is probably one reason Dunlavy didn't survive.

The recommendation for Quads is a good one. If you have the right room and associated equipment, they are killer. I've also heard the Wilsons and Andras sound fantastic. The truth is that there are lots of really good speakers. Just find one you like. It doesn't have to be your last speaker. That's part of the fun of this hobby.