Legacy Audio AERIS: RMAF/listening impressions?

Thanks Cobraman...I had the opportunity to travel to Legacy again last week and hang out to listen to a brand new pair that had been built the days preceding my visit and was able to observe Bill dialing them in. Of all the Legacy speakers I've owned since 2005 (there have been a LOT), the AERIS amazes me with its ability to sound good right off the line (literally). I've also been able to hear a pair late last year that had 200 hours on them and can tell you break in like anything else I've owned will make a difference. Given the various levels I've heard (day1, 50 hours or so, 200 hours), my gut tells me that these speakers will 'come out' at 350-500 hours extremely strong and impressive. The best part is, they already sound great on day1! Please let us know how your break in results come in and what you are hearing. I agree with you about the AMT and the new midrange and midbass drivers. They are all something special. The thing that stands out the most is the integrity, sound profile and accuracy to real-life instruments that the mids and highs on this speaker render. You can really hear the differences between different metals (for cymbals, guitar and bass strings, etc...) and other materials (drum heads, pipe organ metal versus wooden/reed pipes, etc....In addition, based upon hearing the Aeris dialed in on 2 different occasions, I can tell you the AMT tweeter assembly appears to never show a harsh edge; you can keep throwing more level at it and it does not ever seem to distort,...all you get is more detail. This is an extreme rarity even in the best speakers I've heard. If first impressions (or third and fourth also in my case) are accurate, and break-in simply reveals and refines more about what it can do and how it does it, the AERIS is to me one hell of a speaker and an entrant at a reasonable price that should make some pricier manufacturers sit up, take notice and get very nervous (IMHO).

Hi Zephyr thanks for your input on the Aeris ...I only have about 30 hours on mine as of now ...I was first introduced to legacy way back in the early 90"s back then I owned B&W matrix 801 when a friend introduced me to the new legacy focus well I bought a pair in rosewood and had them for 20 years! the second pair where focus se in black pearl an now the Aeris ...It"s been a lot of fun thru the years and in seeing how far legacy as a company has come over the years Aeris is one hell of a speaker...It will be interesting to here what the audio press think of It as time goes on.... I have never had the opportunity to travel to legacy you must have had a great time! hope to make it there someday

My trips there have been a nice side benefit from having major clients about 1-2 hours drive on I-55 in both directions. The folks at Legacy have always impressed me with how they truly care about and care for their customers. It's not often that you can have a real set of conversations with, and just sit down and enjoy music with a designer in this industry that spans several hours and is more like hanging out with a great audiophile friend and not being overtly business or audio show-like in nature. Bill, Doug and everyone else there has been incredibly good to deal with and have always bent over backwards to take care of the small as well as the big things with a truly positive attitude and enjoyment derived from their chosen line of work. Touring the shops and meeting all the people who do the various stages of construction from raw materials whose over the top quality is immediately obvious (such as their raw veneers) to walking into the finish shop and seeing Bill with a stain rag/brush in his hand going over every bit of finish on a speaker to make sure every speaker comes out as perfectly as possible is something you don't see every day.

Bill is a vast warehouse of knowledge and experience having been a recording engineer for many years; he clearly loves what he does and puts his soul into constantly seeking a more musical and involving speaker.

I will never claim extensive experience or expertise at any of this however based upon what I've seen and experienced I do believe firmly that Legacy is in a very small list of 'special firms' that one would choose to stick with over a life time with confidence and happiness at money and time well spent.

Cobraman: I just saw your system thread...the new Aeris look great in your room. They are visually stunning on top of an amazing sounding speaker. Glad to hear you are happy with them and have them dialed into your room!

I am about to pull the the trigger on Legacy Speakers and wanted some information on which might be better option.

The Aris vs The Whisper XD?