Sierra-2 Development Thread

[soundseeker]

OK, I'm off the sidelines. Can't wait for the final info on the upgrade and pricing as I'd be looking to do my standard Sierra-1s (all 3).

[aenthusiast]

Let's have some fun, anyone care to take some guesses at what the final pricing for a pair will be? We will send an Ascend baseball cap to the forum member who comes closest. This is for a pair in our standard natural finish.

A lot of good guesses so far.. I'm going to go with $1528 for a new pair and $5 for the upgrade

[Dark Ranger]

^ You really want that hat, don't ya?

[davef]

It is really interesting to me to see the spread in the estimated prices. I will say that pricing these speakers is complicated. If they are not priced high enough, many consumers might write them off simply due to other similar speakers being priced 2-3x higher -- with the wrong assumption that because they cost so much more, they must be better.

Be assured, we will stick to the same formula that we always have with regard to pricing -- it will simply be based on our actual component cost + a small margin. We will not factor in any development costs or even our labor costs in the pricing. This will probably exclude some consumers from considering these speakers (for some the price will, for sure, be too high -- for others it will be too low)

This has been something a bit different for us, we have basically shared the design process with everyone from nearly the very beginning. There is obviously a lot of hype for the "two's" and I have worked tirelessly to deliver the goods like never before and like no other loudspeaker project I have ever been a part of. At the final stages in this journey with all of you, all I really care about at this point is that you all thoroughly enjoy the two's, that they represent us well, and that you find the pricing honest and reasonable.

Thank you for sharing this journey!!!

[davef]

Dave, does the Sierra-2 design work just as well as a center speaker? I assume the tweeter would be rotated 90 degrees relative to its orientation in the mains (as with the horizon).

Is the more limited vertical dispersion noticeable compared to the Sierra-1 if the center is not aimed at listening height? On the positive side, it would help with floor/ceiling reflections that can be problematic for center speakers that are typically below the screen. Given that the horizontal dispersion is so wide with the Sierra-2, I assume the soundstage would blend seamlessly across the front three speakers. Have you done much listening with an LCR or 5 channel Sierra-2 setup?

Thanks for all the details! Can't wait!

Yes, as a center (horizontal) the Sierra-2 works quite well as the tweeter is rotatable (which it must be for it to function properly when the speaker is placed horizontally)

[Mag_Neato]

It is really interesting to me to see the spread in the estimated prices. I will say that pricing these speakers is complicated. If they are not priced high enough, many consumers might write them off simply due to other similar speakers being priced 2-3x higher -- with the wrong assumption that because they cost so much more, they must be better.

Be assured, we will stick to the same formula that we always have with regard to pricing -- it will simply be based on our actual component cost + a small margin. We will not factor in any development costs or even our labor costs in the pricing. This will probably exclude some consumers from considering these speakers (for some the price will, for sure, be too high -- for others it will be too low)

This has been something a bit different for us, we have basically shared the design process with everyone from nearly the very beginning. There is obviously a lot of hype for the "two's" and I have worked tirelessly to deliver the goods like never before and like no other loudspeaker project I have ever been a part of. At the final stages in this journey with all of you, all I really care about at this point is that you all thoroughly enjoy the two's, that they represent us well, and that you find the pricing honest and reasonable.

Thank you for sharing this journey!!!

You're welcome, Dave! It has been our pleasure to follow the development of this project.

We know that whatever the final pricing is, it will be a fantastic value to the consumers, and most likely too low to make business sense for Ascend. If it is too high for me to upgrade, I will be sad, but I fully understand that the costs are what they are. I will just have to start brainstorming as to how to afford it!

Thanks for clarifying the center channel question!

[swifter53]

I'll give it a try. $1,658 /pr. I want that Ascend baseball cap!

Will there be a video on this site demonstrating how to due the upgrade yourself?

[rkoaudio]

It is really interesting to me to see the spread in the estimated prices. I will say that pricing these speakers is complicated. If they are not priced high enough, many consumers might write them off simply due to other similar speakers being priced 2-3x higher -- with the wrong assumption that because they cost so much more, they must be better.

This is a very interesting statement and I can clearly see your point. After all those years dealing with customers, I guess you could write a nice PhD dissertation on "consumer's buying psychology"

[natetg57]

I'll give it a try. $1,658 /pr. I want that Ascend baseball cap!

Will there be a video on this site demonstrating how to due the upgrade yourself?

http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/sho...ns-with-video!
I would guess that it would be the same instructions as for the NRT.

[petmotel]

Man the wait is getting so close I can almost taste it. Going to be a sumptuous recipe!

Dave, we could only have dreamed of a business owner such as yourself, with the knowledge, passion, ability, and integrity for allowing so many of us to have tasted what was only possible for the privileged few in the not so distant past.

It is we that owe you a great debt of gratitude for allowing us to ride along on this adventure, for sure!

Jay