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View Full Version : Audition the Sierra 2 in Columbus Ohio?



EricR
04-14-2016, 10:19 AM
I decided to finally get some good small speakers. I have an old set of B&W book shelves and so I went over to Best Buy and ordered some CM5s and a B&W 610 subwoofer.

I then spent some time on the internet and found this site. I'm thinking I should get some Sierra 2's and compact sealed 12 subwoofer and return the B&W stuff. I would like to take a listen if someone local has the Sierras.

My situation:
My main interest is music with additional use as HT. My listening room is not ideal. I cannot use floor standing and will have to actually use the bookshelf speakers in build in shelving. I expect to cross out of the speakers at around 80hz and perhaps plug the speaker ports.

Mag_Neato
04-14-2016, 10:45 AM
If you don't mind a 2 hour drive North on I-71 I have the -2's in a music only setup with 12" Rythmik sub!

EricR
04-14-2016, 11:27 AM
Thanks Ed. I'm not sure I am up for it as time won't permit. Have you listened to the CM5s? My guess is your setup is significantly better. I don't mind returning stuff to Best Buy but I would hate to jerk around the folks at Ascend. What are your thoughts?

Eric

Mag_Neato
04-14-2016, 12:43 PM
I have not heard the B&W's, but I think the Sierra-2's have been compared to the pricier B&W's like the 805's with favorable results. The RAAL is really a game changer.

sludgeogre
04-14-2016, 03:58 PM
I'd just remember the value assessment here, with B&W you're paying them, a distributor, and then best buy, so you're getting marked up twice. Next, the B&W CM5 is made in China, while Ascend speakers are assembled in the US from US made cabinets and RAAL tweeters are had made in Serbia by a family of audio professionals who have been doing it for a long time. The woofer is made by SEAS of Norway, a well-respected and very old company that is known for the quality of their drivers. All of those amazing components are then assembled by hand at Ascend and fully tested with frequency response graphs to prove it. You don't even get a fraction of that from B&W.

Also, the B&W house sound doesn't have the same goal as Ascend, which is to be true to the source recording. I really think you'll be floored by the Sierras.

davef
04-18-2016, 05:49 PM
Thanks Ed. I'm not sure I am up for it as time won't permit. Have you listened to the CM5s? My guess is your setup is significantly better. I don't mind returning stuff to Best Buy but I would hate to jerk around the folks at Ascend. What are your thoughts?

Eric

Hi Eric,

I have listened to the CM5's dozens of times. Nice speakers for sure, but really more comparable to our Sierra-1 with regards to performance than our Sierra-2. Much depends on what you are looking for from the speakers, detail - imaging - accuracy - mids - highs - lows etc. Feel free to contact me directly.

thanks!

EricR
04-23-2016, 09:31 PM
Thanks everyone for the coments. I appreciate the insights. I would like to contact you directly Dave. What is the best way?

davef
04-24-2016, 11:51 PM
Thanks everyone for the coments. I appreciate the insights. I would like to contact you directly Dave. What is the best way?

You can send me a PM (private message) directly though the forum, or send me an email. My email is davef@ (use our full company name.com)

Wanger 714
04-25-2016, 05:03 PM
I'm not so sure it would help any, (Its not exactly what you are considering) but I live in Zanesville, and have a complete Ascend set up. Raal Towers, Horizon, and Sierra 2's (as surrounds) with 2 V1800 PSA's subs ...Between work and racing cars in the summer, I'm gone a lot, but your welcome to come have a listen ..

EricR
05-20-2016, 08:59 AM
All,
Thought I should give an update...
I started out buying a pair of B&W CM5s and a 10" B&W sub from Best Buy. I really wanted to be impressed and love them. I wasn't and didn't. After a week I returned them and went back to my old B&W DM302 Prisims which I got used for $200. I actually liked the DM302's better. Must be something wrong with me?

I ordered a pair of Sierra-2's and an F8 subwoofer. As soon as I plugged them in it was clear (no pun intended) that they had the sound I had been looking for. As some of you have said "the ribbon tweeter is a game changer".

I have now listened to them for many hours with varried content. Not all recordings sound good on these, because not all recordings are good. I think some of the problem with poor recordings is the comparision to good recordings. These speakers sure do shine when playing good content.

Another thing... even my wife (not to sound sexist, but she never really cared or noticed differences in sound systems) and my 89 year-old mother appreciate the improvement. Bottom line... I am very satisfied and would reccommend this system highly.

curtis
05-20-2016, 09:46 AM
"the ribbon tweeter is a game changer"
As much as there is praise for the RAAL, that custom SEAS woofer is pretty sweet in its own right. The integration of the two is great.

davidwb
12-24-2016, 06:22 PM
Eric,
I live in Dublin and am interested in the Sierra Towers. I'd love to listen to your Sierra 2s to get a sense of the Ascend "sound."

Please let me know if this is a possibility.
Thanks...glad you're enjoying your Sierra 2s!
david