Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dark Ranger
Along with what rkoaudio said regarding comfort level and skill, one nice thing about letting Ascend do the upgrade is that your 7-year warranty is renewed. Plus, you can get printed measurements of the speaker's frequency response.
My assumption was that warranty would restart regardless if it was done by Ascend or as DIY?
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dark Ranger
Woohoo! I can't wait. :)
My Sierra Horizon had this same paper cover over the RAAL 70-20XR when I received it back in April 2012. I just pulled off the paper cover slowly in the direction of the arrow.
The idea is to avoid lifting it straight up in a way that could create a vacuum. So for example, if the loudspeaker is laying on its back and the tweeter is facing straight up, you wouldn't want to lift it straight upwards (12 o'clock), but rather you'd slide it off at a 90 degree angle (9 o'clock or 3 o'clock).
In other words, slide it off in the direction of the arrow. :)
Thanks for helping explain Dark Ranger, I couldn't have said it better.
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Does anyone know how much it costs to upgrade a standard Sierra-1 to the Sierra-2?
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kinggimp82
Does anyone know how much it costs to upgrade a standard Sierra-1 to the Sierra-2?
Are you talking about DIY upgrade kits or something like a complete trade-in?
Upgrade kits are $388 each (one kit per speaker). An upgrade kit contains a woofer, a tweeter, and a crossover.
For original/standard Sierra-1s, you'll also get a $31 refund (per speaker) for sending back the old parts (woofer + tweeter + crossover).
See this post from Dave for more details. The PDF document covers all the pricing and finish options.
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rkoaudio
My assumption was that warranty would restart regardless if it was done by Ascend or as DIY?
The DIY approach relies on the customer's skill and expertise to perform the upgrade. It's a straightforward process, but mistakes could still happen. Quite simply, Ascend cannot ensure the final product is "perfect" even with pre-testing the individual parts.
In contrast, sending the entire speaker to Ascend ensures that each component is installed correctly. The speaker can be fully tested to verify performance. The recertified speakers are then shipped to the customer and are essentially like buying a brand new product.
I would be very surprised if this time was different. Previous upgrades like Sierra-1 standard to NrT worked the same way, as well as the Classic to SE upgrades. Actually, if memory serves, the SE upgrade virtually required the customer to send back the speakers. I think a few folks may have done the upgrade themselves, but most were done at the Ascend factory.
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dark Ranger
The DIY approach relies on the customer's skill and expertise to perform the upgrade. It's a straightforward process, but mistakes could still happen. Quite simply, Ascend cannot ensure the final product is "perfect" even with pre-testing the individual parts.
In contrast, sending the entire speaker to Ascend ensures that each component is installed correctly. The speaker can be fully tested to verify performance. The recertified speakers are then shipped to the customer and are essentially like buying a brand new product.
I would be very surprised if this time was different. Previous upgrades like Sierra-1 standard to NrT worked the same way, as well as the Classic to SE upgrades. Actually, if memory serves, the SE upgrade virtually required the customer to send back the speakers. I think a few folks may have done the upgrade themselves, but most were done at the Ascend factory.
Do you know if there was a labor cost in addition to the cost of shipping and the upgrade kits themselves?
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Anyone get their shipping tracking info yet?
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
To answer a few questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
rkoaudio
My assumption was that warranty would restart regardless if it was done by Ascend or as DIY?
If we do the upgrade for you, your warranty on the speakers will reset. We also include an appropriate "Sierra-2" serial number on the speakers, since we will be able to test and re-certify the speakers. If taking DIY approach, you will receive a Sierra-2 product label but we will not include a new serial number since we can not re-certify the speakers. For the DIY upgrade kit, the warranty on the speakers will not reset and the components will be covered for manufacturing defects only.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
eliwankenobi
Do you know if there was a labor cost in addition to the cost of shipping and the upgrade kits themselves?
We would normally charge a $55 labor charge on top of the upgrade kit costs and shipping for those customers who would like us to handle the upgrade. We are going to temporarily waive the labor charge so the only additional costs for having us do the upgrade will be shipping (both ways) and new packaging material, if necessary.
Hope this makes sense.
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
davef
To answer a few questions
If we do the upgrade for you, your warranty on the speakers will reset. We also include an appropriate "Sierra-2" serial number on the speakers, since we will be able to test and re-certify the speakers. If taking DIY approach, you will receive a Sierra-2 product label but we will not include a new serial number since we can not re-certify the speakers. For the DIY upgrade kit, the warranty on the speakers will not reset and the components will be covered for manufacturing defects only.
We would normally charge a $55 labor charge on top of the upgrade kit costs and shipping for those customers who would like us to handle the upgrade. We are going to temporarily waive the labor charge so the only additional costs for having us do the upgrade will be shipping (both ways) and new packaging material, if necessary.
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks Dave
waiving the $55 fee sounds tempting for sure. I will need to check shipping costs and see if it makes sense on my part to do so.
Re: Sierra-2 Upgrade instructions with video!
The shipping adds to the cost, for sure, but having Ascend handle the upgrade also adds more waiting time to actually listening to and enjoying the Sierra-2! For me it would be a no-brainer since I enjoy doing the work myself. You get to "know" the speaker more intimately after the operation!