Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
I’m considering purchasing a set of Sierra-1s to use for my LCR for music (in stereo) and for home theater (3.1 with my current sub). I’m trying to decide whether I should get the Sierra-2 for LR now and buy the center in the future or stick with the 1s. The reason I’m unsure is my setup is not ideal, the speakers will be close to walls and I unfortunately don’t have a lot of placement flexibility in my current living room (see picture).
Reading online it does seem like the 2s have a better sound but are more susceptible to walls and need better placement – is this true? If so do you think the 1s may be better with a non-ideal setup? This is an apartment and I will move in the future so I don't know when I'll have a better setup.
Finally, I currently am auditioning a pair of Zu Omens and the highs are bothering my ears & causing what feels like pressure on my head. I believe this is because of the highs so something with softer treble would be better for my ears. I’m coming from B ose 601 Series IIs that have a pretty soft top end, so I’m wondering which of these would suit my ears better?
Finally, are the Sierras available in Satin Black so they can match the TP-24 Stands?
Thank you!
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
Also worth noting, I don't exactly have a "sweet spot" seat, you can kind of see the reflection in the second picture, but I've got two couches and the speakers/TV kind of face towards the middle, not ideal I know but it's the best I can do. So having something that sounds good off axis is important!
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
Ear fatigue from tweeters is most likely a result of the tweeter ringing, or producing unwanted harmonics which come off as harshness or sibilance. The RAAL ribbon will give you all the detail of the best tweeters while remaining smooth. It is really a special tweeter! I'd go with the 2's if the budget allows.
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
How does the RAAL tweet compare to the tweeter in the 1 for off-axis seating and being close to a wall?
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
That might be the perfect set up for the new Luna's. They're front ported and have the same wonderful tweeter as the Sierra 2's I believe.
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
I don't see anything about the Lunas on the site - is there a link with information about them?
Edit: I found the thread, I think I don't want anything smaller than the Sierra 1/2s, I'm considering the 2s if I think they will in fact be better in my setup than the 1s. Coming from floorstanders though I think if i went to the Lunas I'd be a little disappointed in volume as I sit about 10' away from my speakers.
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
Of course I haven't heard them but those who have were Very surprised how they filled the room. What kind of power are you sending them?
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
My reciever is a Pioneer Elite VSX-30 at 80wpc. My room is about 15' wide and I sit about 10' back, but the room continues into the dining room and goes back another 15' or so, it's quite large. One of my concerns is I want to be a bit future proofed. I will move in the future and ideally I'd have a larger living room so I'd hate to buy something now that's too small for a future home, especially if the difference is just a few hundred dollars today.
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
You should really go with the Lunas if you can. They are going to be an incredible speaker. You don't need a lot of power to fill an entire apartment with them. Just pair them with your sub using your receiver and you'll be amazed at how it sounds. The Sierra 2's will also sound great, but like others have said, the Luna is going to be more versatile with regards to placement.
The RAAL tweeter has an incredibly wide horizontal dispersion, so you don't need to worry about off-axis seating. It's also very clear and distortion free, so that ear fatigue you have now will be gone. Zu's speakers are pretty well known for being really harsh because of those oversized super tweeters they use with no crossovers. They claim that this makes them more accurate with regards to tone, but I'm personally not a believer. I've seen a lot of people return them for that reason. Some people love how they sound, much like Klipsch fans, but I think many can tire of them quickly.
Re: Sierra 1 or 2 for Home Theater
I guess I'm just very skeptical of going that small... my current speakers have 2x8" woofers and 4x3" tweeters (I know they won't compare with any Ascend speakers since they're so old but still), so I'm already a little cautious going the bookshelf route so I think going all the way down to the Lunas with only 4.5" woofers is just a bit too much for me.
Also since I want a matching center I'd rather go with the 1 or 2 since those are already released.