CMT-340 vs.SIERRA-1

[flyingturtle]

I own both speakers as well, 340SE and non-NrT Sierra-1. Comparing 2-channel stereo use for music with 2-channel equipment without a subwoofer, I prefer the Sierra-1 over the 340SE by a significant margin. Imaging is better and there is more detail, plus I love the bass extension on the Sierra-1. I compared the two in two different rooms and both times I preferred the Sierra.

Hard to say what to do in your situation. I'm a music lover with 2-channel equipment so I went with the Sierra-1s (and also later to the Sierra Towers). I was so impressed, however, with the Ascend sound, that I wanted to upgrade my aging HT system, too. But having spent so much money recently on new pairs of Sierra-1s and Towers, it took awhile for me to upgrade the HT system as I had to go searching in the used market.

I really do like the 340SEs and, no mistake about it, they do well in music, too. In my 5.1 HT setup, I have the 340SE for L/R/C mains (with Outlaw LFM-1 EX sub, similar to a Hsu VTF-3mk3) and I often find myself listening to music after a round of movie watching. For home theater, I'm extremely pleased with the 340SEs, especially considering the cost. I have to say wasn't impressed at first with the 340SE, as I thought they sounded muted, until I figured out some placement problems, due to a left corner muddying up the imaging. Once I got that figured out, moving the left speaker further away from the wall, they sounded terrific. I do find that the 340SE is more finicky about placement than compared to the Sierra-1, at least in my (acoustically untreated) rooms. The Sierra-1 just sound good almost anywhere.

If you don't have a subwoofer in your HT system, then I'd lean toward the Sierra-1, if you do have then either is fine, again though with a slight edge to the Sierra-1 because of your music listening habits.

[kinggimp82]

I am waiting for someone to chime in on how the Sierras perform for home theater use. I would be running these on a 100 wpc onkyo with the hsu vtf-3 mk4 for my sub.

[curtis]

I am waiting for someone to chime in on how the Sierras perform for home theater use. I would be running these on a 100 wpc onkyo with the hsu vtf-3 mk4 for my sub.

They do HT great. They just require more power to play at the same SPL levels as the 340's.

[kinggimp82]

Curtis,

For HT where do you have your Sierras crossed over?

[curtis]

For HT where do you have your Sierras crossed over?

I think everything is set at 80hz right now.

When I had my Hsu VTF-3MK2, I had the mains at 60hz. The integration sounded better at that point. With the sound quality of the Rythmik, it sounds just as good at 80hz.

[MichaelG]

I think everything is set at 80hz right now.

When I had my Hsu VTF-3MK2, I had the mains at 60hz. The integration sounded better at that point. With the sound quality of the Rythmik, it sounds just as good at 80hz.

Curtis, your killing me! I have the VTF-3MK2 and have been struggling with upgradeitis again! Those Rythmik's are very tempting!

I started with the 340SE's and then upgraded to Sierra 1's and pushed the 340's to back surrounds and now I have upgraded the Sierra's to NRT's. Personally, I agree the 340's are a great system and if I had never heard the Sierra's (or hung out at this forum) I would have been very happy. That said I think there is a significant improvement in both Music and Theater with the upgraded Sierra's and could never go back! At least once a week I just openly say during a TV show, "I love my speakers!" If you can wait, its' worth it to go with the Sierra's in my opinion. They do require more power but my Onkyo 805 has no problem with it at all.

Michael

[kinggimp82]

I am 90% sure I will go with the Sierras. Just mulling over if the lower sensitivity of the Sierras will be an issue for me. My receiver is just 100 wpc and I want to make sure it will be able to play at the volume I am accustomed to. Earlier today I listened at the highest volume that I would actually listen to music at. I was at -13 on the avr and I was measuring on average 91 decibels on my spl meter with the highest peaks hitting 93 decibels. I was sitting approximately 6 feet away from the speakers. Does anyone know if I could hit that spl with the Sierras and a 100 wpc receiver.

[MichaelG]

My personal experience with the Sierras was the need to raise the volume by 6 to get the same output. At the time I was trying to match the Sierra's with a 340 center (which I later replaced with a Sierra). The 805 has 130 watts per channel so can't say how it might impact you but it is powering 6 speakers (3 Sierras across the front and 3 340's across the back).

[scape]

if you're only 6ft away I don't think you need to worry about the sierra's sensitivity rating.

this only deals with watts and speaker distance:

you'll experience up to a 6db loss for being 6ft away from the speakers. every 3 db (considered change in sound level) takes twice as much power as the last. so if your speaker is 90db@1watt/1meter then at 4 watts you get 6db increase, and at 6ft you'll get 90db of perceived spl.
it may take your avr let's say an average of 5 watts to each speaker to reach 90db at 6ft (for each speaker), it would only be about 8-10 watts for each sierra. that's an over-estimation too.

let's say your new speaker is 87db@1watt/1meter, 2 watts for 90db@1watt/1meter, 8 watts would be 90db at 6ft. remember this is not taking into account anything but wattage and speaker distances.

on the downside, i doubt your avr is even 100 watts total in power; about 60 of that is clean output. luckily in your scenario, you don't need too much. i also hear onkyo's are good at leveling sound off and performing compression to make things still sound loud for the listener.

sticking with 90db, it'd be about 20-25 watts maybe for the front 3 speakers (sierras and a 340 center.) i bet someone out there figured out the onkyo's power/distance factors already, and can tell you recommended speaker sensitivities.

now 93 db is a different story and you may hear sound degradation on some level as the amp may compress signals, but you shouldn't be listening to anything that loud for extended periods of time anyhow

[kinggimp82]

if you're only 6ft away I don't think you need to worry about the sierra's sensitivity rating.

this only deals with watts and speaker distance:

you'll experience up to a 6db loss for being 6ft away from the speakers. every 3 db (considered change in sound level) takes twice as much power as the last. so if your speaker is 90db@1watt/1meter then at 4 watts you get 6db increase, and at 6ft you'll get 90db of perceived spl.
it may take your avr let's say an average of 5 watts to each speaker to reach 90db at 6ft (for each speaker), it would only be about 8-10 watts for each sierra. that's an over-estimation too.

let's say your new speaker is 87db@1watt/1meter, 2 watts for 90db@1watt/1meter, 8 watts would be 90db at 6ft. remember this is not taking into account anything but wattage and speaker distances.

on the downside, i doubt your avr is even 100 watts total in power; about 60 of that is clean output. luckily in your scenario, you don't need too much. i also hear onkyo's are good at leveling sound off and performing compression to make things still sound loud for the listener.

sticking with 90db, it'd be about 20-25 watts maybe for the front 3 speakers (sierras and a 340 center.) i bet someone out there figured out the onkyo's power/distance factors already, and can tell you recommended speaker sensitivities.

now 93 db is a different story and you may hear sound degradation on some level as the amp may compress signals, but you shouldn't be listening to anything that loud for extended periods of time anyhow

To be clear when you say 93 decibels may cause sound degradation would that be if the spl was an average of 93 db or a peak of 93 db? I assume you mean that I can listen at an average of 90 decibels pretty easily but an average of 93 decibels would most likely cause sound degradation.