Sierra-2 Development Thread

[Dark Ranger]

Anyone put a timer on how long the DIY takes? Thanks for sharing impressions - lucky ones.

I'm getting the impression that everyone who's received the Sierra-2 so far ordered complete loudspeakers. DIY kits have yet to ship (or have just shipped). That said, I added up the total time for the 12 instructional YouTube videos from James & Joe: 17 min 27 sec. Obviously those guys are very comfortable with the process. It'll probably take me closer to 30 minutes because I want to be absolutely sure everything is right.

I'll run a stopwatch though.

[JustABrah]

Holy moly, these speakers are amazing. These speakers are the best I have ever heard. So Right now I have the discontinued Boston vs260's and matching center which to my ears edged, the sierra-1. But to me the only thing those speakers were lacking, is the forwardness that make music sound like you are right their. So I decided to try the sierra-2.
The negitives of The sierra -1 to me!!! is it was very fatiguing to my ears in the upper end at higher volumes and bass felt over pronounced, like it was making up for the fact it was book shelf speaker, they still sound amazing and well worth there cost and then some, don't get me wrong. If people were worried about losing any bass / low end with the2's don't be, these fill my whole condo with beautiful sound and can feel them upstairs. about 1200 sqft.

These sierra-2s are so detailed and crisp but very open/airy and smooth, its very hard to describe actaully but its hard to get a speaker with these traits. ( not using proper terminology so forgive me). Everything I didn't like about the sierra-1 were fixed /upgraded with this speaker. The rock, jazz and country I have heard sound great and I now feel like I'm right there, and I can hear the separation of all the instruments being played with out fatigue, and with hip hop/r&b the snaps/highs are so crisp and tight and the bass sounds smooth and full. The only PROBLEM now is I can hear how bad a lot of my recordings are.

I don't have the sierra-1, but my bud does and we listen to them all the time so I have a great idea how they sound. This is only a mini review and just got the speakers today, So I'm sure they need to open up some more as do most speakers.




Attachment 1021

Pretty nice! Now you just have to upgrade your center

[tdercole]

So I'm the guy fcamaro24 was talking about, the Sierra 2s are on a whole new level for me. Best speakers I've ever heard.

[rkoaudio]

So I'm the guy fcamaro24 was talking about, the Sierra 2s are on a whole new level for me. Best speakers I've ever heard.

I am a little bit confused here. Are you the guy who owns Sierra-1 and you were comparing them with fcamaro24's Sierra-2?

Have you compared both speaker using the same components, speaker separation, listening distance, room acoustics? See, unless this is done under the same conditions there will be a lot of factors affecting your judgment.

The process will be even more tricky for those taking DIY way. The comparison between Sierra-1 vs. Sierra-2 will be very difficult or just impossible. Relying on someone's memory of sound reproduction is just flawed - even in the same listening environment.

[tdercole]

Yes i am the guy with the sierra 1s. I also have the vs-260s. I have brought my sierra 1s over his place and i also heard the 2s on the same setup. I still love my 1s and prefer them over the bostons. The sierra 2s in my opinion should be in a $3000 speaker test. They are the type of speaker that makes you listen to every song that you own and put a smile on your face.

[tdercole]

Ive never really understood seperation till i met the sierra 2s.

[fcamaro24]

Yes, you are correct but how ever I have heard these speakers in exact location and with exact settings and same songs. Butthis wasn't a side by side comparison between the 1 and 2. My post only said the things I didn't like about the sierra -1 and that I have listened to them extensively.

Tdercole was just stating that he believes these to be the best speakers he has heard as well. Im 100% positive Tdercole and I will be doing a side by side comparrasion of the 1 and 2 with only our ears to judge. I know ears are very subjective, Specially between young and old, but we will do our best.

I am a little bit confused here. Are you the guy who owns Sierra-1 and you were comparing them with fcamaro24's Sierra-2?

Have you compared both speaker using the same components, speaker separation, listening distance, room acoustics? See, unless this is done under the same conditions there will be a lot of factors affecting your judgment.

The process will be even more tricky for those taking DIY way. The comparison between Sierra-1 vs. Sierra-2 will be very difficult or just impossible. Relying on someone's memory of sound reproduction is just flawed - even in the same listening environment.

[Dark Ranger]

Thanks to all who have shared first impressions. Much appreciated!

The negitives of The sierra -1 to me!!! is it was very fatiguing to my ears in the upper end at higher volumes and bass felt over pronounced, like it was making up for the fact it was book shelf speaker, they still sound amazing and well worth there cost and then some, don't get me wrong.

Wow! Very interesting. Is this feedback for the standard Sierra-1 or the NrT version? I found the standard Sierra-1 exactly the opposite. The custom SEAS tweeter is one of the most non-fatiguing soft-domes I've ever heard, even at higher volumes. In fact, that's one reason why I love these speakers. Bass is surprisingly strong for a bookshelf, although my small listening space creates "room boom." Q-Plug Type B helps dramatically with that issue.

This makes a great case for hearing the speaker in your own room with your own ears. Although we humans share the same fundamental "hardware" for hearing, how we process it (along with subjective preference) is another matter entirely.

Have you compared both speaker using the same components, speaker separation, listening distance, room acoustics? See, unless this is done under the same conditions there will be a lot of factors affecting your judgment.

The process will be even more tricky for those taking DIY way. The comparison between Sierra-1 vs. Sierra-2 will be very difficult or just impossible. Relying on someone's memory of sound reproduction is just flawed - even in the same listening environment.

Agreed. That's one thing I've learned so far is that audio memory is short-lived and fleeting. I think the best we can hope for is to carry away a general opinion about something, rather than specifics. For example, I might listen to Speaker #3 at a GTG and not care for its sound reproduction (too shouty, fatiguing high-end, boomy bass, etc.). However, that's all I can really take away from it--a memory that I did not enjoy Speaker #3 for whatever reason. I think that is absolutely fine. Where it falls apart is to compare the memory of Speaker #3 to another speaker in another room on another day, etc, and then make a decision about which speaker is "better." Apples to cantaloupes, really.

For the Sierra-2 DIY upgrade, I plan to complete the upgrade for one speaker, place the old and new side by side, output a mono signal, and then flip the channel balance knob back and forth. That's the best comparison I can hope to achieve without more hands on deck to run a real DBT.

[fcamaro24]

Yeah every one hears and processes things different that for sure, but that's what machnes and testers are for right For me I notice things on the higher level of the fq scale before I notice the lower

Thanks to all who have shared first impressions. Much appreciated!



Wow! Very interesting. Is this feedback for the standard Sierra-1 or the NrT version? I found the standard Sierra-1 exactly the opposite. The custom SEAS tweeter is one of the most non-fatiguing soft-domes I've ever heard, even at higher volumes. In fact, that's one reason why I love these speakers. Bass is surprisingly strong for a bookshelf, although my small listening space creates "room boom." Q-Plug Type B helps dramatically with that issue.

This makes a great case for hearing the speaker in your own room with your own ears. Although we humans share the same fundamental "hardware" for hearing, how we process it (along with subjective preference) is another matter entirely.



Agreed. That's one thing I've learned so far is that audio memory is short-lived and fleeting. I think the best we can hope for is to carry away a general opinion about something, rather than specifics. For example, I might listen to Speaker #3 at a GTG and not care for its sound reproduction (too shouty, fatiguing high-end, boomy bass, etc.). However, that's all I can really take away from it--a memory that I did not enjoy Speaker #3 for whatever reason. I think that is absolutely fine. Where it falls apart is to compare the memory of Speaker #3 to another speaker in another room on another day, etc, and then make a decision about which speaker is "better." Apples to cantaloupes, really.

For the Sierra-2 DIY upgrade, I plan to complete the upgrade for one speaker, place the old and new side by side, output a mono signal, and then flip the channel balance knob back and forth. That's the best comparison I can hope to achieve without more hands on deck to run a real DBT.

[rkoaudio]

Thanks to all who have shared first impressions. Much appreciated!

Wow! Very interesting. Is this feedback for the standard Sierra-1 or the NrT version? I found the standard Sierra-1 exactly the opposite. The custom SEAS tweeter is one of the most non-fatiguing soft-domes I've ever heard, even at higher volumes. In fact, that's one reason why I love these speakers. Bass is surprisingly strong for a bookshelf, although my small listening space creates "room boom." Q-Plug Type B helps dramatically with that issue.

Could not agree more. The non-fatigue trait of soft-dome was the reason why I have decided not to go with Nrt upgrade. Properly placed Sierra-1 already have excellent imaging and sound stage.

Agreed. That's one thing I've learned so far is that audio memory is short-lived and fleeting. I think the best we can hope for is to carry away a general opinion about something, rather than specifics. For example, I might listen to Speaker #3 at a GTG and not care for its sound reproduction (too shouty, fatiguing high-end, boomy bass, etc.). However, that's all I can really take away from it--a memory that I did not enjoy Speaker #3 for whatever reason. I think that is absolutely fine. Where it falls apart is to compare the memory of Speaker #3 to another speaker in another room on another day, etc, and then make a decision about which speaker is "better." Apples to cantaloupes, really.

For the Sierra-2 DIY upgrade, I plan to complete the upgrade for one speaker, place the old and new side by side, output a mono signal, and then flip the channel balance knob back and forth. That's the best comparison I can hope to achieve without more hands on deck to run a real DBT.

I have not doubt that DBT would be a way to go. I would be really interested in someone doing side by side comparison, with the specific music material like female voice and well separated instruments.

BTW, don't forget about the hype that was already created around Sierra-2. This is also a big factor in general perception. I don't doubt Dave's or Alexandr's statements but they will inevitable impact your perception too