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Thread: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

  1. #11
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    Apr 2016
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    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by freesole View Post
    From the times that I have used my Ascend's for HT work, it has performed really well. I don't feel like I'm missing out really. The Horizon center has been touted by some as the very best speaker in Ascend's lineup - that is really saying something when the RAAL towers are already that good. My personal thought is that it would be hard to be better than the Horizon when comparing against other centers on the market. Since HT performance is impacted so heavily by the performance of the center speaker, I really think Ascend is a very strong choice.

    I haven't heard the Revels like I said but would love to. I always thought the F208 was closer to $3,700 or more? Must be getting a nice deal if the price for you is relatively the same
    Yes, I have been offered a really good deal. That's what makes the decision difficult for me--and particularly since I have only heard the Revels and cannot audition the Ascends. Yet, everything I read tells me that the Ascends will be even better than the Revels.

  2. #12
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    Feb 2016
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    29

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by vikspeed View Post
    Yes, I have been offered a really good deal. That's what makes the decision difficult for me--and particularly since I have only heard the Revels and cannot audition the Ascends. Yet, everything I read tells me that the Ascends will be even better than the Revels.
    Unfortunately it will be impossible to know until you try it out at your home I don't think anyone has done the comparison between the two before! As you can see from this thread, I have tried the Ascend's against a $4K speaker in the Focal Aria 936's and I liked the Ascend's more (though by a fairly slim margin at the time). Everyone will have a different impression I think!

  3. #13
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    Aug 2003
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    USA
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    5,538

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by vikspeed View Post
    Yes, I have been offered a really good deal. That's what makes the decision difficult for me--and particularly since I have only heard the Revels and cannot audition the Ascends. Yet, everything I read tells me that the Ascends will be even better than the Revels.
    I have heard the F208's several times. It has deeper bass than our ribbon towers but if you are looking for clarity and detail, you would need to step up to the Ultima series for a fairer comparison in my professional opinion. So much depends on what you expect out of the speakers and your intended usage. Feel free to contact me directly...
    .
    .
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    Good Sound To You!

    David Fabrikant
    www.ascendacoustics.com

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Van Nuys, CA.
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    3

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    I've been enjoying my Sierra ribbon towers and Horizon center for several weeks now and finally have a system that meets my preferences - full, rich, but highly detailed sound. I had a pair of PSB T2 towers ($3500 a pair) and a pair of PSB Image T6 towers as wides ($1300) a pair - all nice speakers. But after trying the Sierra Ribbon Towers I sold the T2's to a friend and the T6's on Ebay. I replaced the T6's with Sierra 2 bookshelves as wides and it's the best sound I've had in my music/home theater room. The front sound stage is all the same timbre now, 5 across the front.

  5. #15
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    Feb 2016
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    29

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936




    Got my RAAL Horizon speaker a few weeks ago now. I think I'm set for the next decade or more. The center really rounds out the setup and replaces an already very good Aperion Verus Grand Center. I know it might sound like bragging but I really do think this setup sounds better than most setups I've heard in demo rooms at my local dealers (including those with high end B&W, Magnepan, Golden Ear setups). They truly blow me away.

    Thank you Dave and Dina! We'll be in touch again I'm sure but hopefully just to see how things are going on your end and not me itching to buy more

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
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    183

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by vikspeed View Post
    Yes, I have been offered a really good deal. That's what makes the decision difficult for me--and particularly since I have only heard the Revels and cannot audition the Ascends. Yet, everything I read tells me that the Ascends will be even better than the Revels.
    I haven't compared Revel towers to Ascend towers. I've heard Ascend RAAL towers live in San Clemente, and have done critical listening of Revel Ultima Gems (1) and M20's.

    In my view Sierra 2's (which I bought) compare well vs. Ultima Gems and Sierra 1's similar to M20's.

    Frankly, I think Sierra 1's are noticeably better than M20's (can't speak to 22's) and Sierra 2's on par with the Ultima Gems.

    Based on this, and my very very favorable impression of the RAAL towers, I'd say the Ascend models overall punch well above their weight class, and can stand their own vs. comparable Revels, which will likely cost way more used than Ascend's new offerings.

    If you're missing a bit of bass vs. the Revel towers, you should have $$ left over for a quality Rhythmik sub.

  7. #17
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    Feb 2016
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    457

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    There is a long post over on AVS from way back in 2008 where a guy bought Sierra 1's and was unhappy with them as he was used to B&W sound for the last decade. He learned that he preferred that "smile" shape of their frequency response, and seemed to really prefer metal domes, which is just weird. He wanted subtle details to be really accentuated, and he wanted deeper bass. After weeks and weeks of playing with the S1 and still not being happy, he went with B&W Diamond 805's, and he STILL said that the Sierra 1 sounded better in a couple of ways, but the Diamonds had deeper bass (duh) and he preferred the metallic tweeter sound (wha?!). So in the end, he spent a few times more what the S1 cost, and ended up getting a maybe slightly better in some areas and slightly worse in other areas speaker. I was dumbfounded.

  8. #18
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    Feb 2016
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    183

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by sludgeogre View Post
    There is a long post over on AVS from way back in 2008 where a guy bought Sierra 1's and was unhappy with them as he was used to B&W sound for the last decade. He learned that he preferred that "smile" shape of their frequency response, and seemed to really prefer metal domes, which is just weird. He wanted subtle details to be really accentuated, and he wanted deeper bass. After weeks and weeks of playing with the S1 and still not being happy, he went with B&W Diamond 805's, and he STILL said that the Sierra 1 sounded better in a couple of ways, but the Diamonds had deeper bass (duh) and he preferred the metallic tweeter sound (wha?!). So in the end, he spent a few times more what the S1 cost, and ended up getting a maybe slightly better in some areas and slightly worse in other areas speaker. I was dumbfounded.
    I read that thread all the way through and noted that Dave weighed in a couple of times in a very objective way. Felt the OP just couldn't get past the adjustment to flat, accurate sound. I grew up with the "smile" but learned to go flat when recording / mixing music. Everything I listen to now (iPhone, car, etc.) is set to flat and I couldn't be happier. Even my amp is set to Pure Direct mode.
    Ultimately, in my view, a switch to S2s probably would have more than satisfied him for far less $$.

  9. #19
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    Feb 2016
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    457

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by Jaybeez View Post
    I read that thread all the way through and noted that Dave weighed in a couple of times in a very objective way. Felt the OP just couldn't get past the adjustment to flat, accurate sound. I grew up with the "smile" but learned to go flat when recording / mixing music. Everything I listen to now (iPhone, car, etc.) is set to flat and I couldn't be happier. Even my amp is set to Pure Direct mode.
    Ultimately, in my view, a switch to S2s probably would have more than satisfied him for far less $$.
    Yeah I had to read the whole thread as well, and Dave was a real class act the whole way through. He really spent a lot of time responding to his issues. I even loved when he told that Gus guy to stop calling people fanboys and being a dick, it was great.

    I totally agree that if he had just gone with the S2's (which I don't even know if they were being made in 2008) and/or a subwoofer, he would have been much happier. If he was in a small, sealed room instead of that giant open room it would have had much better bass performance as well. Oh well, his loss.

  10. #20
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    Feb 2016
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    183

    Default Re: Sierra Towers with RAAL vs Focal Aria 936

    Quote Originally Posted by sludgeogre View Post
    Yeah I had to read the whole thread as well, and Dave was a real class act the whole way through. He really spent a lot of time responding to his issues. I even loved when he told that Gus guy to stop calling people fanboys and being a dick, it was great.

    I totally agree that if he had just gone with the S2's (which I don't even know if they were being made in 2008) and/or a subwoofer, he would have been much happier. If he was in a small, sealed room instead of that giant open room it would have had much better bass performance as well. Oh well, his loss.
    Yup. And now he spent $$ he didn't have to. Dave is always great on these boards and provides sound objective advise with virtually no bias toward his gear.

    Funny, I met him when I demo'd my Sierras with my twins, and didn't even know he was "The" Dave. He's just that cool and unassuming. And he makes darn nice speakers!

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