EARLY TAKE
Why did I buy a pair of Legacy Audio Aeris speakers? With so many speaker options available in this price range and below, what made me choose the Aeris?
I've owned countless speakers during the 58 years I've been involved in this hobby, and I can't recall half of them. Some of these speakers left me with fond memories. I've also had the opportunity to listen to numerous speakers at audio shows, which helped me develop an appreciation for certain brands and designs.
What I was searching for was a speaker that would be room-friendly and compatible with tube amplifiers. It needed to provide full-range sound and handle music's dynamic extremes effortlessly. We wanted a speaker that could deliver high-volume levels without straining. Both my wife and I listen at realistic levels, possibly what one might call 'concert levels.' Naturally, refinement was a critical factor. These criteria significantly narrowed down my choices: the ability to perform well in any room, deep and refined bass, full-range capability, and tube amplifier friendliness.
I scoured the internet for reviews of the Aeris to understand where these speakers stand in comparison to others. Surprisingly, there wasn't an abundance of information available, despite these speakers being on the market for a long time. However, a few reviews were highly commendable and were written by experienced audiophiles. One of these reviewers reached out to me and provided a wealth of information about Legacy and the product. Some reviews mentioned the substantial bass output, and one particularly emphasized the remarkable bass delivery due to the four 12" bass drivers and two passive radiators dedicated to the low end.
I've always had an affinity for Legacy Audio. Back in the day, the Whispers were a dream. I've attended many audio shows where Legacy was present, and while I didn't pay much attention to the sound, the Aeris caught my eye as one of the most attractive speakers I'd ever seen. With the help of audio reviews and conversations with Legacy owners, I began to believe that these speakers might work well with my equipment. I say "might" because my integrated amp might not be compatible with the Wavelet, which was part of the package and designed to help make the system room-friendly. Conversations with Legacy suggested the Wavelaunch, as my Integrated had no preamp outputs. With the help of forum members, Mark in particular, I bought the Wavelet II and made it work.
The wait was nearly six months. Since I already owned great speakers, the Spatial X3's, I exercised patience as it seems that many products experience significant delays these days. The Aeris eventually arrived and has been playing in my 16' x 20' dedicated audio room, treated but not excessively. I have three dedicated circuits and utilize Puritan Audio AC distribution for most of the components, while the amplifier is plugged into Furutech outlets.
My setup includes the Allnic T2000 30th Anniversary Integrated, the Allnic D10000 DAC, and the Allnic H5500 Phono stage. The D10000 DAC replaced a Holo May KTE DAC, and I had concerns about the potential impact of the Wavelet on the Allnic's sound. More on that later. My sources include a Rega P10, Roon streaming, and a Pro-Ject RS2-T CD Transport.
For those interested in the setup, there were challenges as both I and Legacy Audio, along with the Music Room, wondered how I would connect the Wavelet to an integrated amplifier with no audio outputs. I resolved this issue by using a Serbian JFET-designed preamp, the Acoustic Invader, which works effectively. Furthermore, the Allnic T2000 allows for an additional preamp. This I discovered by reading the Allnic manual. Imagine that, reading a manual.
EARLY IMPRESSIONS
I've logged approximately 100 hours on the speakers and fewer hours on the cables. It's important to note that the Wavelet lacks a linear power supply and uses a cheap switcher. My computer is powered by a Dell brick, so keep that in mind.
Out of the box, these speakers exude a serious yet beautiful presence. They blend old-school cabinet craftsmanship with modern technological gadgetry. The upper part of the cabinet can even illuminate in blue, revealing the inner electronics—a cool feature for those who appreciate such aesthetics. Break-in was typical, with a slightly wonky initial sound that gradually settled in after about 10 hours and continued to refine as more hours accumulated. I must admit that, especially according to my wife, there wasn't much in terms of soundstage depth initially, nor did they exhibit much holography, but this changed at around 80 hours and has continued to do so in a very positive manner.
Cables. I wish it were 1995 when I was much smarter and didn't believe that cables could make a difference. However, I've since spent a significant amount of money on cables and have come to realize their importance in all aspects of high end audio. This is a given for 98% of audiophiles I know but especially important with the Aeris. These speakers demand careful consideration of cable selection and power supplies to extract the most from them.
So, how do they sound? At this point, pretty much as hoped for. It's been quite a journey since the unpacking, and while I won't delve into the setup challenges, I can say that it's all sorted out now, well, mostly.
Go to part 2
Why did I buy a pair of Legacy Audio Aeris speakers? With so many speaker options available in this price range and below, what made me choose the Aeris?
I've owned countless speakers during the 58 years I've been involved in this hobby, and I can't recall half of them. Some of these speakers left me with fond memories. I've also had the opportunity to listen to numerous speakers at audio shows, which helped me develop an appreciation for certain brands and designs.
What I was searching for was a speaker that would be room-friendly and compatible with tube amplifiers. It needed to provide full-range sound and handle music's dynamic extremes effortlessly. We wanted a speaker that could deliver high-volume levels without straining. Both my wife and I listen at realistic levels, possibly what one might call 'concert levels.' Naturally, refinement was a critical factor. These criteria significantly narrowed down my choices: the ability to perform well in any room, deep and refined bass, full-range capability, and tube amplifier friendliness.
I scoured the internet for reviews of the Aeris to understand where these speakers stand in comparison to others. Surprisingly, there wasn't an abundance of information available, despite these speakers being on the market for a long time. However, a few reviews were highly commendable and were written by experienced audiophiles. One of these reviewers reached out to me and provided a wealth of information about Legacy and the product. Some reviews mentioned the substantial bass output, and one particularly emphasized the remarkable bass delivery due to the four 12" bass drivers and two passive radiators dedicated to the low end.
I've always had an affinity for Legacy Audio. Back in the day, the Whispers were a dream. I've attended many audio shows where Legacy was present, and while I didn't pay much attention to the sound, the Aeris caught my eye as one of the most attractive speakers I'd ever seen. With the help of audio reviews and conversations with Legacy owners, I began to believe that these speakers might work well with my equipment. I say "might" because my integrated amp might not be compatible with the Wavelet, which was part of the package and designed to help make the system room-friendly. Conversations with Legacy suggested the Wavelaunch, as my Integrated had no preamp outputs. With the help of forum members, Mark in particular, I bought the Wavelet II and made it work.
The wait was nearly six months. Since I already owned great speakers, the Spatial X3's, I exercised patience as it seems that many products experience significant delays these days. The Aeris eventually arrived and has been playing in my 16' x 20' dedicated audio room, treated but not excessively. I have three dedicated circuits and utilize Puritan Audio AC distribution for most of the components, while the amplifier is plugged into Furutech outlets.
My setup includes the Allnic T2000 30th Anniversary Integrated, the Allnic D10000 DAC, and the Allnic H5500 Phono stage. The D10000 DAC replaced a Holo May KTE DAC, and I had concerns about the potential impact of the Wavelet on the Allnic's sound. More on that later. My sources include a Rega P10, Roon streaming, and a Pro-Ject RS2-T CD Transport.
For those interested in the setup, there were challenges as both I and Legacy Audio, along with the Music Room, wondered how I would connect the Wavelet to an integrated amplifier with no audio outputs. I resolved this issue by using a Serbian JFET-designed preamp, the Acoustic Invader, which works effectively. Furthermore, the Allnic T2000 allows for an additional preamp. This I discovered by reading the Allnic manual. Imagine that, reading a manual.
EARLY IMPRESSIONS
I've logged approximately 100 hours on the speakers and fewer hours on the cables. It's important to note that the Wavelet lacks a linear power supply and uses a cheap switcher. My computer is powered by a Dell brick, so keep that in mind.
Out of the box, these speakers exude a serious yet beautiful presence. They blend old-school cabinet craftsmanship with modern technological gadgetry. The upper part of the cabinet can even illuminate in blue, revealing the inner electronics—a cool feature for those who appreciate such aesthetics. Break-in was typical, with a slightly wonky initial sound that gradually settled in after about 10 hours and continued to refine as more hours accumulated. I must admit that, especially according to my wife, there wasn't much in terms of soundstage depth initially, nor did they exhibit much holography, but this changed at around 80 hours and has continued to do so in a very positive manner.
Cables. I wish it were 1995 when I was much smarter and didn't believe that cables could make a difference. However, I've since spent a significant amount of money on cables and have come to realize their importance in all aspects of high end audio. This is a given for 98% of audiophiles I know but especially important with the Aeris. These speakers demand careful consideration of cable selection and power supplies to extract the most from them.
So, how do they sound? At this point, pretty much as hoped for. It's been quite a journey since the unpacking, and while I won't delve into the setup challenges, I can say that it's all sorted out now, well, mostly.
Go to part 2