All the hype about Sierras was true

Hi all!

I live in Canada, and had just ordered a 340se L-R-C set.

Since shipping/duty/etc. to Canada is far from free, I was skeptical about whether a Sierra upgrade was worth it. Adding to my skepticism was how great the 340se s really were. I mean heck, sometimes, while playing good quality jazz recordings, I felt like I was in a small club, hearing live, non-miked instruments. But... Being male and thus prone to terminal upgradisitis, I figured my curiosity would otherwise bug me.

Boy am I glad I spent the extra cash! (I wish I had in the first place!)

Much as the 340s revealved a level of detail in complex recordings I never knew was there, the Sierras take it a step further still - but this without ever sounding harsh, brash or "too crispy". (In fact, they're even more non-fatiguing and buttery than the 340s) It's amazing, you can actually hear the wood of the drumsticks along with the drums, the breathy air in the background of sax notes...

Except for really exagerated bass (as is almost never found in music except for some techno, and of course movies) I'd say the need for a subwoofer is zero with Sierras and 2-channel - and the bass they put-out is SO tight and clean.

As a summary, I'd say the Sierras are crystal clear, and yet their sound is, for lack of a better word - pretty.

I always thought I'd have to make compromises between smoothness and clarity, not have both in the same speaker. The Sierras proved me wrong.

The only negative is that I am not a fan of the visual appearance. My loft looks industrial/harsh/minimalist, and I preferred the more "techno" look of the matt-black 340s quite a bit to the Natural finish I chose on my Sierras (I should have gone for the piano black...). That being said, the workmanship and finish are immaculate, and most people's homes don't look like a modern art gallery in Berlin so.... :cool: