Wayne is spot on, as usual. Just a few tips and tricks I used in my recent shopping in addition to doing what Wayne suggests:

1. Use a sound level meter to ensure you are listening in the same volume range across the models and brands. There are mobile device apps that can get you in the ballpark.

2. If your torn between two models at the same store, see if you can play one of each model in a stereo configuration. While efficiency and volume may not be identical this way, it is also very revealing to do an A versus B comparison in real time.

IMHO, I feel the T7s were better than the T3s. My guess is that the T5s will best both of them by a clear margin. Let us know how it goes. Good luck!

Cheers,

T Cobe

Hi Restless, a point of reference for you. I was originally driving my T1's with a Yamaha RX-A1040. With 2 channels it delivers ~110w. The sound was really good, clean crisp high and sharp mid-bass. That is a characteristic of the GE towers. So you don't need high power to get good sound from any of the GE towers. In my experience what makes the difference is the reserve power an amp can store. Larger capacitance is better than higher wattage. It also has to be clean power which your NAD has. It also has the "PowerDrive" feature that provides an additional 65w peak. In time you can upgrade components and the GE 's will deliver the sound improvements. I have since added Emotiva amps to drive the T1's and the center channel. It sounds much bigger and better, but that's life for an audiophile:) there's always something to upgrade!!!

Enjoy the ride!!!!!!

Splash is right. I have Emotiva monoblock XPA-1s @ 500w, a 35w Ideal Innovations tube amp, and a Bryston 4BSST2 @ 300w a channel that I switch around to power the T1s and they all sound different. I prefer the Bryston but I know Sandy likes to pwer the T1s with a low powered SET tube amp. Whatever works for you.

You guys are so excited about this that you're getting me all pumped up haha. I'm recovering from an operation so I don't know when I'll be getting them, might be a while. Gives me a good time to check out the forums and such .
And yeah I usually listen to them on an amp with A+B to compare, if not I just use the balance button to compare. But I think when I'm willing to spend a good amount (I think 1400-2600 euro's is a serious amount of money) they'll let me do what ever I want to decide .

Bytheway, the cloths, are they removable?

The cloth is not designed to be removed on the T1's not sure about the rest. Wish they were!!!

Restless, here is wishing you a fast and total recovery!!!
This stuff is all very exciting, to some of us guys anyway.
YES, you are talking about a serious amount of money, you should get a VERY good audition.
@ Dm, not sure where you saw that Sandy likes to power the Triton Ones with a SET amp? I remember that is true of the T2s. I can only assume he has changed out his T2s in his home to Triton Ones, but never heard that.
I am powering my T7s with a tube amp, and it sure does sound sweet. But the T7s do not have an active bass, so they don't send nearly as much bass sound pressure to the sides as the powered towers do. My T2s and T3s would induce ringing in my tubes as I could not get the amp far enough away from the bass panels.
High power is not a must, but clean power is. Think Quality, not Quantity here.
Cloth: These speakers are Ladies, do not be undressing them! Seriously, Sandy and team know what they are doing, if these speakers would sound better without the cloth, then they would be removable. It CAN be removed, but DON'T.
Hope this helps,
God Bless,
Wayne