sierra 2's without subs?

[Blingleberry]

How do the sierra 2's sound without subs for music and HT? I think the towers might just be too big and pricey.

Thx

[Mag_Neato]

They do very well for a medium size bookshelf monitor, but a lot depends on other factors. How large is the room? How loudly do you generally listen? Do you like action movies with big baddabooms? Even some seemingly innocent non-action, drama type movies can have some deep content for atmospheric effect. A sub will help pressurize the room and create a more immersive sonic experience.

[curtis]

I'll add that even with the Towers, I would suggest a subwoofer, especially for HT.

[Blingleberry]

Thx!!

They do very well for a medium size bookshelf monitor, but a lot depends on other factors. How large is the room? How loudly do you generally listen? Do you like action movies with big baddabooms? Even some seemingly innocent non-action, drama type movies can have some deep content for atmospheric effect. A sub will help pressurize the room and create a more immersive sonic experience.

The room is ~18 x15 with one side open into the kitchen. I don't listen to music that loud. TV usually is louder. BUT I hate hate hate the sound of action movie explosions and the awful low end crap they add to sports and commercials!!! I turn down the bass effects on my receiver for HT. For music I use pure mode. I have a marantz 5009.

I guess my real underlying q is whether sierra 2's are enough or whether I need to splurge (and spare the space) for towers.

But I just get no thills from the sub bass domain. And I play drums, electronic drums, and have a shelf full of synths! In my studio I get what I need from good sony headphones and fairly small near fields.

[theophile]

Thx!!



The room is ~18 x15 with one side open into the kitchen. I don't listen to music that loud. TV usually is louder. BUT I hate hate hate the sound of action movie explosions and the awful low end crap they add to sports and commercials!!! I turn down the bass effects on my receiver for HT. For music I use pure mode. I have a marantz 5009.

I guess my real underlying q is whether sierra 2's are enough or whether I need to splurge (and spare the space) for towers.

But I just get no thills from the sub bass domain. And I play drums, electronic drums, and have a shelf full of synths! In my studio I get what I need from good sony headphones and fairly small near fields.

BB,

The Sierra 2's can do it all in that size room! If, as you state, your listening taste for Music is more like "background", then you will appreciate the virtues of these fine monitors full range. However, you may discover that HT audio a challenge if you like to listen close to realistic "theater" levels for movies, etc. You can always add in the future a musical sub (like the Rhythmic L12) to remove And easily control deep "audible bass" from the S2's WITHOUT creating any extra "bass boom" to your HT audio sound. Remember, using a sub, You maintain matching or control volume reduction that will protect the S2's from possibly being over-driven.

On the other hand, just getting the Towers (even the NRT's), can possibly be all you might want in your Music\HT application (an equal cost to S2's + Sub). As far as "space", S2's on stands will take up as much floor real-estate as the floor-standing towers. Maybe, you need to answer the question as to what your plans are for the rest of a Music\HT 5.0 or 5.1 system first?!

Ted

[Blingleberry]

Thx, I actually hate going to the movies these days. Too frigging loud. (and I sometimes play in punk and heavy rock bands). But I really do hate the explosive effects.

Pretty much the rest of the system is in place, although I will eventually upgrade the marantz. But I have a decent NAD cd player and a good Rega TT.

I need a center too but can't fit a horizon in my cabinet. More likely I would get 3 Sierra 2's, with one configured as a ctr.

BTW, I wouldn't say music is background. I've been a musician for over 40 years so more like life is background for music ;-)

Thx!

[mikesiskav]

If you don't care for loud room shaking, pounding bass, I think the Sierra 2's might be just fine for you. They don't have a ton of bass, but the bass that they do have is very tight and has good impact.

[theophile]

Thx, I actually hate going to the movies these days. Too frigging loud. (and I sometimes play in punk and heavy rock bands). But I really do hate the explosive effects.

"I Hear You"...Theaters have way over accentuated bass boom that simply overpowers dialogue, the music, Everything! I certainly Enjoy My HT audio much more (my sub setting starts at 6 o'clock, have it set one notch at 7 o'clock for proper overall balance)! Movie low\sub bass effects are in their place!

I need a center too but can't fit a horizon in my cabinet. More likely I would get 3 Sierra 2's, with one configured as a ctr.

As riddler stated, properly set up S2's in a stereo only configuration yields an excellent "phantom" center image. You may find this sufficient and satisfying enough, but can easily incorporate full SS in the future.

BTW, I wouldn't say music is background. I've been a musician for over 40 years so more like life is background for music ;-)

Agreed...I listen to Music (2.1 in 90sf room) and HT (5.1 in 440sf room) at "live" listening levels (well maybe a little less with spouse in attendance)! I have no issues with the Sierras in my dedicated music listening room achieving realistic acoustically concert levels (except maybe punk and heavy rock at absurd volumes)!

Ted

[mikesiskav]

Also, if your receiver has Audyssey Dynamic Volume, try turning that on. That will boost dialogue, and bring down the loud explosions. This is reducing the dynamic range of your system, but some people prefer it this way.

[Blingleberry]

Thanks!! I will try that. When I set the speakers to small it didn't give me an option to say there was no Sub so I left them at large.

I also need to play around with Audyssey again, which I gave up on a while back and instead started setting things by ear. But that was mainly because I wanted to override the EQ settings to compensate for the weak treb in my old speakers. I get a sense already that I don't need to do that with the ascends.

TIA